Gas Pods Tank #1 results

[Jus-A-CMax]

I still think the GasPods are worth around 1mpg or so as well as wheel covers that I'm currently testing.  I'm currently averaging 52MPG with mostly HWY (45-80mph).

Wheel Cover.JPG

Trying to keep as simple and easy to install, I machined a cap to go behind the wheel and glued it in place with silicon rubber. I used 3/16" Lexan and machined a nylon spacer to go between the cover and the cap. I used 1/4"x20 screw and washer to secure it. Added plastic 1/4"x20 screw near the outside of cover to keep the cover from spinning when applying the brakes.

Paul

 

 

I like, very clean  :thumbsup:

[kc1174]

I bought my Gaspods a couple of weeks ago as the $550 was burning a hole in my pocket :spend: and only recently started Fuelly, so not yet sure if or how they will affect my average FE. Using the work commute as a baseline though: 46 miles - was averaging 49-51 MPG, and 50 the week before the Gaspods install. Since the Gaspods were installed 2 weeks ago, 53 to 55 with no change in temp (am in FL where until today it's been a steady 88 degrees and humid all summer), or commute time. Work is maybe 50/50 city/highway.

 

To/from the in-laws which is mostly highway, I believe I've seen an increase from around 47 to 50 MPG, but not too sure on those figures since the in-laws is somewhere I try not to visit too much.

 

My install is about 3/4" from the rear and in line with the instructions.

 

I believe there was a mention in another thread some time ago that the rear of the car is less dirty with the pods, and yes it's true! For this alone Gaspods are worthwhile  :yahoo: Oh, and somehow I actually liked the brown paper bag.

 

Edit: I believe it was mtb (Mike?) who mentioned the rear being less of a mess, so if you're reading - thanks! I need to go find that post now to see how many times I can click like..

Edited October 23, 2013 by kc1174

[Jus-A-CMax]

LOL, that +1 for the brown paper and -1 for the brown paper bag...not that I am counting.

 

In regards to the Gas Pods keeping the rear clean....it must be the crap air that I am driving here in Los Angeles as I swear my finger test with the gas pods still show junk & dirt accumulating in the rear. I didn't see any difference between it being on and off as far as the dirt test go. I'll keep an eye on it for the rest of the tank and see how much "less" dirt it will accumulate. Sorry but I have no "dirt" meter to measure this... ;)

[CMax-Traveler]

LOL, that +1 for the brown paper and -1 for the brown paper bag...not that I am counting.

 

In regards to the Gas Pods keeping the rear clean....it must be the crap air that I am driving here in Los Angeles as I swear my finger test with the gas pods still show junk & dirt accumulating in the rear. I didn't see any difference between it being on and off as far as the dirt test go. I'll keep an eye on it for the rest of the tank and see how much "less" dirt it will accumulate. Sorry but I have no "dirt" meter to measure this... ;)

 

After I put mine on, I went down a fairly dusty dirt road at ~30mph, and I had piles of dirt on the back bumper and under the liftgate afterward.  It was a little ridiculous how much accumulated.  No clue how it would've compared to beforehand, though, since I hadn't tortured the car with a dirt road like that one.  Then again, maybe that was too slow for the pods to make a difference.  But I'm still skeptical on that one.

[kc1174]

After I put mine on, I went down a fairly dusty dirt road at ~30mph, and I had piles of dirt on the back bumper and under the liftgate afterward.  It was a little ridiculous how much accumulated.  No clue how it would've compared to beforehand, though, since I hadn't tortured the car with a dirt road like that one.  Then again, maybe that was too slow for the pods to make a difference.  But I'm still skeptical on that one.

 

It could just be me and mtb experiencing a less dirty rear, so to speak, but think the airflow is improved at some speed, so maybe 40 to 50. The weather has been steady here so gave me a good test environment so was able to compare the cleanliness before and after relatively well. Not sure the pods do much at city speeds, so airflow likely isn't much different. The pods were dirty though, and much more of a pain to clean than the bumper, so not sure if this is a benefit, but the car looks cleaner with em, and of course the FE seems better too.

[kc1174]

Sorry but I have no "dirt" meter to measure this... ;)

 

There's no X-Gauge code in the Scangauge for this?  :)

[Jus-A-CMax]

There's no X-Gauge code in the Scangauge for this?  :)

watcha-talking-about-willis? I don't even have scangauge...let alone know what code is what....you think I am one of those   :twister:  nutcase hypermilers :superhero:  obsessed with the instant mpgs?   :headspin:

Edited October 23, 2013 by Jus-A-CMax

[kc1174]

watcha-talking-about-willis? I don't even have scangauge...let alone know what code is what....you think I am one of those   :twister:  nutcase hypermilers :superhero:  obsessed with the instant mpgs?   :headspin:

 

TBH I wasn't so sure about it either at first, but the RPM and instant MPG are definitely keeping me in check with ICE. State of charge is pretty useful too as it's more accurate than the battery on the display. Plus being originally from England, I drive in Doc Martens quite a bit, so the throttle needs any extra control it can get.. To think, back in January I was relying on the leaves.. Anyway - got off topic there - back to the pods!

[ScubaDadMiami]

I'd be interested to hear from anyone that is taking the Pods through carwashes.  As much as I love my C-MAX, I don't do the washing by hand.  I go to a good carwash place, but it is a carwash. 

 

As it is, I make sure to take off the antenna before going through the wash.  So, I want to know that the Pods will stay on for years with typical conditions.

[kc1174]

I'd be interested to hear from anyone that is taking the Pods through carwashes.  As much as I love my C-MAX, I don't do the washing by hand.  I go to a good carwash place, but it is a carwash. 

 

As it is, I make sure to take off the antenna before going through the wash.  So, I want to know that the Pods will stay on for years with typical conditions.

 

I use the magnetic Gaspods, and mostly hand wash but took it through a touch free carwash at the weekend and I think one of the end pods moved a bit, but not much. Not so sure about carwashes with the rotating cloth/foam brushes though. My thoughts are the magnetic pods would come off. The adhesive ones though should stay attached. Not sure if Susanne is here to give more info, but this is my experience.

[CMax-Traveler]

I'd be interested to hear from anyone that is taking the Pods through carwashes.  As much as I love my C-MAX, I don't do the washing by hand.  I go to a good carwash place, but it is a carwash. 

 

As it is, I make sure to take off the antenna before going through the wash.  So, I want to know that the Pods will stay on for years with typical conditions.

 

I've always taken my magnetic ones off.  Not willing to take a chance.

[susanne]

Regarding car wash.... Adhesive definitely stay put. We provide 3-M double sided automotive tape.... Magnetic after 2 years of field testing, so far, so good. No complaints of any washing off. If any do come off, please let me know.

[Lance Merlees Gundersen]

Day 2. Same morning work drive, a little windier but temps not that low, in the mid 60s. Thought I had a good run in but ended up with 74.7MPG using 0.27 gas.

 

0.02....that's all the diff between an 80 MPG and a high 70s MPG. What's that to a non-CMax driver - that is a warm up cycle, or a couple of ICE burns on the road. Day has not ended, this is going to be a 50+ mile day. Told ya it was tough...

 

I've had my C-Max for a mere five days now and would just absolutely LOVE to know how you are racking up numbers like that without having a horse in front towing it.

 

Don't get me wrong, I love the car and at 36-38 mpg I've doubled what I was getting in my 2013 Escape (and thereby halved my costs).  that was my initial goal, and it has been successful.

 

For the record, I haven't even finished my first full tank in this vehicle so I am the absolute greenest of newbies and I am humbly aware of that fact.  I just see 80 mpg and (like you, Mr. Skeptical!  :) ) I can only think, "Wow, give this guy an Energi and 200 mpge is a real possibility!

 

Now, for stats.  I have a 50 mile commute to work and back with about:

• 35 of that on 70+ mph highways
• 10 on roads that are mostly down hill heading to work and uphill going home
• 5 miles are a mixed bag with a small hill that probably doesn't amount to much in the mpg game.

 

I'm a regular driver with a long commute.  I'm not interested in adding an hour to my drive by creeping along at 35 mph in EV mode, or hypermiling behind some trucker just waiting to become a spattered fly on his rear door.  i assume, since it sounds like you, Jus, are also a reasonably long distance commuter, you are not interested in spending half your life behind the wheel either.  Given that as the case, how on Earth are you racking up numbers like that?!  My brake score is >95.  I religiously use Grade Assist, and I try hard to avoid cruise control for any reason in town in order to work the battery as much as possible.

 

And 36-38 mpg is what I'm seeing for that effort.  I am, by the way, convinced that in a few years we'll be looking back at these cars as the standard transmission equivalents of the auto industry.  There is just waaaaay too much thought that has to go into this.

[mtb9153]

I hear your frustration I'm having trouble keeping a 46 on my gauge this week, but I'll take it just the same.  I would like to enroll in the Brother Jus School of CMax driving efficiency :thumbsup: Hey I know, I'll come to SoCal with my video gear and you can do an instructional video :yahoo:

Edited April 21, 2014 by mtb9153

[mtb9153]

CMax-Traveller - I am seeing same thing. Stellar but not galactic. I have been averaged, surprised and stellar-ed. One definite myth I think is busted is that the back end does still continue to "suck" dirt. I have mine setup 1" from the rear. Susanne, can you comment on the positioning as I have no feedback from ptjones, Mike or  catsailor on the optimal placement of these Pods and does 1/2" (say I move it) make a diff?

Jus I have mine spread out across the rear spoiler about mid way across the width of the spoiler.  That seems to be the best location I've found.  I also have one on either side of the rear panel between the side rear windows and the rear glass to hopefully try to smooth out the flow where Ford put the '14 rear air deflectors.  ;)

[ptjones]

Lance Merlees Gundersen  you end up training yourself to drive a Hybrid to get the best MPG's you can. Regen Braking is important, I have a 98% lifetime score.  I think a lot of CMAX drivers don't want to make the extra effort it takes to get great MPG's, while others like myself have turned it into a challenge or game to see what's possible to do.  You didn't say what part of the country you are in, you can figure you will lose 2mpg for each 10*F drop in temp from 70*F.  There are mod's you can do to improve MPG's like Grill Covers, GasPods, putting 50psi in your tires and don't carry any extra weight in the car.  Also it takes 6k-10k mi. for the engine to brake in.  Another thing is your odometer is off by approx. 1.5%,(you can use portable GPS to check this) so you are getting better MPG's  if you are using actual mileage divided by actual gals. Have fun driving your new car. :) :shift:

 

Paul

[Lance Merlees Gundersen]

ptJones;

 

Sorry for leaving out those particulars.  I live in upstate New York (an old industry city called Gloversville) and commute 49.5 miles to Glenmont, just south of Albany, NY.  The weather here covers the entire range annually from bitter, frigid winters to blazing hot (and often humid) summers.  Gloversville is at the base of the Adirondack Mountains, so my route to work is generally downhill into the Mohawk Valley before hitting the New York State Thruway to Albany/Glenmont.  Unfortunately, that means it's all uphill on the way back - a few straightaways and downhill slopes but generally uphill.

 

I bought the car used at a tad more than 16,000 miles  I was initially going to buy a C-max in November 2013, but chickened out.  Then, I discovered the trade-in value of the Escape I bought was only $900 less than the purchase price of the used C-max my dealer had on the lot, realized that the Escape was costing me over $200/month more than my previous gas costs (from a Ford Focus), and decided that it was worth the shift to a C-max to at least double my range (incidentally, I saw a $75 reduction in monthly payment, what appears to be a $150.00 monthly decrease in fuel expenses and a $47 semi-annual insurance reduction)

 

So far, that reasoning has worked out well.

 

Since my last post I'm on a trip to Maryland to visit family and learn some sailing skills.  We're up to 38.2 mpg for the journey and that includes using cruise control on the highways and babying the car on city streets to the point of annoying my girlfriend.

 

My regen score is 94%.  It was 96% until some stop and go traffic in New Jersey began impacting it.

 

I have yet to do the tire inflation trick.  I think I can get to that on the return trip Sunday.  Other than the occasional warm blooded body, I'm not carrying anything extra in the vehicle normally.  Of course, on vacation I have luggage.

 

It's looking like I'm set to get 458 miles out of the current tank - my third.  That's just great compared to the Escape.  That one tank has lasted me from Orient, NY, on the northeastern tip of Long Island where this tankful began (long, unrelated story how we got there) to Annapolis, and then from Annapolis to Washington, DC and back.  It says I still have 83 miles to go, but, then, I took a roughly 100 mile round trip to Washington when it said I had 137 miles left and ended it with 83 miles left.  I'd say that's pretty good.

 

So, yes, I love the vehicle.  My skeptics nature just doesn't understand how anyone can routinely double the recommended mpg.  Those stats, by the way, do not seem to exist on Fuelly, where I would expect them to shine out as super outliers on the fuel chart there.  That adds to my skepticism (though I do allow for the possibility Fuelly is not being used - which is a shame since seeing those stats would be a real welcome bit of news to the vast majority of C-max owners stuck in the high 30's and low 40's.

[fbov]

Welcome to the forum, and the ranks of C-Maxers.

 

You're discovering that reducing fuel consumption is possible at a price. The price is a trade-off: speed vs. enconomy, and heat vs. economy. We're coming out of Winter, and everyone's Fuelly numbers are skewed low as a result, regardless their speed, because a cold engine runs a lot.

 

In my case, it's a double whammy, as I switch to expressways when the weather turns cold. Back roads don't run the engine enough to keep the heat up, so you have to choose... and if I choose heat, the back roads use more gas than the freeway. Go figure!

 

Finally, just wait for your first good snowstorm... this car has the best snow visibility of any car i've driven since 1972!

 

Have fun,

Frank

[C-MaxSea]

Lance,

 

Just a note to confirm that indeed Jus does rack up exceptional MPG's, and yes he is on Fuelly.  Keep in mind that the "run"s you quoted are either segments of loops, or 'controlled' loops as part of a day of loops - at least that is my recollection.  Jus is an expert driver in sunny California driving on some semi-ideal terrain, at relatively ideal speeds.  Freeway speeds of 70 plus are not in those loops.  Generally speaking, you too can achieve stellar results under those conditions. 

 

Check out Jus's driving tips and others, and combined with a little practice, you will easily achieve 50+ MPG's under good weather conditions and relatively good terrain.  That is not to say anyone is going to achieve 60's or 70's over time.  Similarly, 800 mile tanks are achievable, but extremely challenging - 500 & 600 mile tanks are readily achievable subject to the weather and your diving habits.  Keep milking the brakes, feathering the accelerator at speed, taking full advantage of level & descending grades, and 45+, 50+ is a snap. (but never in your Winters -  ;) ) Of course, 40 MPG's at 70 MPH in fair weather on the 'freeway' is fine too.

 

Welcome, & keep enjoying your C-Max, :)

 

Nick

Edited April 23, 2014 by C-MaxSea

[plus 3 golfer]

Lance, to get 70+ mpg, the average speed likely has to be less than 30 mph, one has to employ hypermiling techniques - coasting, moderate acceleration, P&G and so forth.  This is not easily done give traffic conditions and so forth.  Remember, what matters is over FE not what one might / can get under ideal situations.  You must be willing to sacrifice time for FE as virtually all hypermiling techniques will result in lower average speed and thus a longer time behind the wheel.

 

I have demonstrated many times that I can get 60-70 mpg (displayed not actual) consistently for 45 mile round trips if I take the side streets with stop signs and traffic lights (vs the freeway) and employing many hypermiling techniques (coasting to stops, timing lights, accelerating moderately to near speed limit which varies between 35 mph and 55 mph).  My average speed is virtually always between 25 - 27 mph. Taking the freeway instead of side streets, I average around 45 mpg (displayed not actual) at an average speed of around 60 mph (freeway speeds up to 72 ish mph) for the same 45 mile round trip.  But the 45 mile round trip takes about one hour longer than the same trip using the freeway. ;)  Note: average speed counts all time including time stopped at lights and so forth (it's not moving time as GPS navigation can show).  

 

The one hour saved in time is much more valuable to me than a $1 or so in fuel savings for the 45 mile trip - I'll drive the freeway.  How else can I fit in golf, the gym, and especially time on forums wasting a hour driving to save a buck. :)

 

Lance, do the math (run driving tests) for your situation and see if increasing your FE via hypermiling is really "worth it".  The C-Max gets great FE driving "normally" (although driving in your winter climatic conditions will likely result in a large hit to your FE ).

[ScubaDadMiami]

For winter in South Florida, I probably averaged 61 MPG with mostly city driving. I am going to start using air conditioning after my next fill-up (which should be today or tomorrow), because it is getting too hot not to use the air conditioner. I expect that number to drop to about 48-50. In June, I am driving about 4,000 miles on the highway (Florida-New Hampshire-Florida plus side trips and stops); I expect to average about 40-45 MPG.

 

Your real world numbers depend on weather, speed and conditions. After enough experience, you figure out the best blend for your needs, and then that's how you drive.

 

My numbers are based on a stock C-MAX without mods, running factory tire pressure.

Edited April 23, 2014 by ScubaDadMiami

[Lance Merlees Gundersen]

Your real world numbers depend on weather, speed and conditions. After enough experience, you figure out the best blend for your needs, and then that's how you drive.

 

 

Since our last dialog on this, I found that raising the tire pressure did lead to improvement.  Slowly implementing some of the techniques all of you have mentioned has helped (though nothing, really, helps life on the highway).  I'm only on my fifth fill-up (which amazes me all by itself!) and averaging about 38.4 mpg.  Today's mpg was 56.4 right up until I hit the highway.  Bummer dat.

 

 

The next thing is to see if this whole gas pods deal actually has some value in it.

 

By the way, I'm into scuba diving too.  We just came back from a DUI dry suit demonstration dive in Gloucester, MA.

[ScubaDadMiami]

By the way, I'm into scuba diving too.  We just came back from a DUI dry suit demonstration dive in Gloucester, MA.

Definitely get the ZipSeals on your suit. DUI is the most expensive, but they are among the best suits out there. I have a totally customized TLS350 that has seen some pretty heavy action.

[Noah Harbinger]

I'm trying to think, how would I objectively test something like the gas pods? MPGs over a test run can vary a lot.

 

The only thing I can think of would be to attach a data logger, put the car in cruise control (non-ECO mode) at a constant speed, and run the same route a couple of times, alternating between pods on and pods off. What I would measure is not MPGs, but one of the engine load, throttle, or accelerator pedal position PIDs, which would seem to be a good measurement of the power the car thinks it needs to maintain a given speed, and are read pretty precisely. That should be pretty identical between runs, and that number should drop measurably if you have made a modification that reduces drag. 

 

I'm tempted to try to do it just to see how consistent of a number I could get without making any modifications - if you can't reproduce a result when you aren't making any changes, you have no hope of meaningfully quantifying a small difference when you do make a change. 

 

Edit 2: I can't find anything that shows the actual combined load while cruise control is active. Poo

Edited May 24, 2014 by Noah Harbinger

[salsaguy]

Did the wife hate the way they made the car look? did she say your going overboard now? :)

 

Right now, I am on a skeptical fence. Thats jus me but I have extremely good stats on my routes so we shall see. The wifey is betting $5 that its not going to make a difference but I can prolly tell in the first few drives. I took this challenge because of the positives from Mike and also catsailor....but for me, its tougher as I am flying high stratosphere-miling near space with my MPGs. Today, I just did a 740 mile tank in my sleep with about 50% city driving...thats tough to beat & improve but I am consistent.

 

Let's play.... :)