The Adventures of CompuDub

VeeDubTDI

Wanderluster, Traveler, TDIClub Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 2, 2000
Location
Springfield, VA
TDI
‘18 Tesla Model 3D+, ‘14 Cadillac ELR, ‘13 Fiat 500e
So I figured with all of the driving that Jason and I do to various places around the country, it's about time we started a thread to chronicle our adventures.

Today's adventure: DC to Michigan for Christmas with Jason's family.

Just bought a Cobra 29 CB radio and a Wilson 5000 antenna for the TDI. Install looks great -- mounted to the center console on the passenger's side and doesn't interfere with leg room at all. Crystal clear audio and SWRs barely on the meter. Really looking forward to seeing what this thing can do in the mountains.

We'll be leaving town around 1pm today and should be in Adrian, MI around 9:30pm or so. Total distance should be around 515 miles -- one tank of fuel, no sweat.

I'll be trying some P&G techniques as well as some coasting in neutral in the mountains (thanks Rekke for the tips!)... hoping for 50+ mpg average.

We'll be returning to DC next week, either Tuesday or Wednesday. Then it's off to New Hampshire for the Ho5G New Year's bash! After that, off to Michigan again for the Auto Show GTG the weekend of Jan 14th. :cool: Total distance for the next 2.5 weeks is 3,100 miles.

Stay tuned for pics, updates, a probably a few stats. :D

-Lawson & Jason (VeeDubTDI & compu_85)
 
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compu_85

Gadget Guy
Joined
Sep 29, 2003
Location
La Conner, WA
TDI
... None :S
It'll be interesting to see what kind of economy we get on this run. My usual driving would net 45 mpg or so. This will be a good test, the car and tires are the same.

-J
 

romad

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 27, 2011
Location
Prescott, AZ
TDI
2005 Jetta GLS Wagon "Cranberry"
Which Cobra 29: LX, LTD, LTD CHR, LTD BT, WX NW ST, WX NW BT?

How/where is the antenna mounted?

I probably would have used a 75 WX ST simply for compactness.
 

VeeDubTDI

Wanderluster, Traveler, TDIClub Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 2, 2000
Location
Springfield, VA
TDI
‘18 Tesla Model 3D+, ‘14 Cadillac ELR, ‘13 Fiat 500e
Cobra 29 WX NW BT. Antenna is mag mounted right smack in the middle of the roof. Pretty good audio for the trip... No issues hearing people 50 miles away.

I'll get some good pictures of the mounting tomorrow. The location is perfect for easy adjustment and doesn't really interfere with anything at all.

 
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aja8888

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Dec 25, 2007
Location
Texas..RETIRED 12/31/17
TDI
Out of TDI's
Are CB radios coming back into vogue? :confused: I had one in a 1967 Beetle in the mid-1970's.

I have not seen one in a car, or heard of anyone using them (except for truckers) since I left Detroit in 1977.
 

VeeDubTDI

Wanderluster, Traveler, TDIClub Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 2, 2000
Location
Springfield, VA
TDI
‘18 Tesla Model 3D+, ‘14 Cadillac ELR, ‘13 Fiat 500e
I used to have a base station at the house 15 years ago... Talked skip to Texas with a pretty crappy setup. This is kind of a throw back for me plus it's great for traffic updates and entertainment on the road.

We got some great laughs listening to the conversations as we passed truck stops last night. Quality material right there!
 

aja8888

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Dec 25, 2007
Location
Texas..RETIRED 12/31/17
TDI
Out of TDI's
I believe we used to use them for figuring out where the radar traps were and which truck stop had the best food and coffee. Probably still could use them for that.

My old Beetle had an 8' whip antenna on the rear bumper as memory recollects.
 

VeeDubTDI

Wanderluster, Traveler, TDIClub Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 2, 2000
Location
Springfield, VA
TDI
‘18 Tesla Model 3D+, ‘14 Cadillac ELR, ‘13 Fiat 500e
Filled up the car today and was a bit disappointed. 513 miles on 10.85 gallons... 47.2 mpg after some very careful and sometimes slow driving. I guess that means it's time for injectors!
 

VeeDubTDI

Wanderluster, Traveler, TDIClub Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 2, 2000
Location
Springfield, VA
TDI
‘18 Tesla Model 3D+, ‘14 Cadillac ELR, ‘13 Fiat 500e
LOL. This car hasn't gotten really good fuel economy in a long time. :(
 

VeeDubTDI

Wanderluster, Traveler, TDIClub Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 2, 2000
Location
Springfield, VA
TDI
‘18 Tesla Model 3D+, ‘14 Cadillac ELR, ‘13 Fiat 500e
Pictures coming once we get back home. I'll have to think about the t-shirts... Hoodies might be better. ;)
 

VeeDubTDI

Wanderluster, Traveler, TDIClub Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 2, 2000
Location
Springfield, VA
TDI
‘18 Tesla Model 3D+, ‘14 Cadillac ELR, ‘13 Fiat 500e
Pretty impressive if his right foot can kill the fuel economy event when I'm driving! :eek:
 

compu_85

Gadget Guy
Joined
Sep 29, 2003
Location
La Conner, WA
TDI
... None :S
Annoyance!

I still have the summer tires on my car. I thought about changing to the snows before leaving VA, but I checked and checked the weather report and it didn't predict any perception whatsoever.

Well would you believe the weathermen were wrong :rolleyes:



Toyo Proxis Summer tires are not good in these conditions. Should have put on the winter tires :mad:

I'd say what mile marker we're passing but they're all covered in snow :eek:

-J
 

romad

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 27, 2011
Location
Prescott, AZ
TDI
2005 Jetta GLS Wagon "Cranberry"
Shoot, out here in the CPR our local TV weather people were telling us several days ago about the storms that were going to hit in the eastern U.S. Sounds like your wx guys in VA need to talk to their counterparts out west; especially since N.A. weather moves from West to East.
 
Joined
Nov 13, 2001
Location
Kalkaska Mi.
TDI
Jetta, 2006, Campanella White, Anthracite Int. DSG, Pkg. 1; New Beetle, 1998, Yellow, black leather Int., 2013 Passat TDI SEL Night blue, grey Int. given back to VW (well, not given... ;) ) 2018 Tiguan; first gasser in years
C'mon J, you know it's Winter right? :D Get those snows on and slow down :eek: speed kills and ya can't beat physics ;) . Oh and NEVER trust the weather report :p
 

compu_85

Gadget Guy
Joined
Sep 29, 2003
Location
La Conner, WA
TDI
... None :S
Just crossed the 1/2 way point (dick's sporting goods in PA), only light rain now.

I'll put the snows on when we get home :rolleyes:

-J
 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
Is your turbo working?

FWIW, I usually get low 40s driving to the Detroit show. I always do worse west-bound. Snow tires, winter fuel, cold weather, 75 MPH. This was on the way out two years ago. Meganuke was driving.

He managed to cover 240 miles in 3 hours on the NYS thruway on the way back.
 

compu_85

Gadget Guy
Joined
Sep 29, 2003
Location
La Conner, WA
TDI
... None :S
My turbo is perfect, I just put on a new KKK. The boost control is amazing, coming from a krap'd up VNT it's unbelievable.

Just went through the tunnel in PA... coasted for almost 4 miles down the mountain. Lost 20*F coolant temp as we did it.

-J
 

compu_85

Gadget Guy
Joined
Sep 29, 2003
Location
La Conner, WA
TDI
... None :S
My turbo is perfect, Matt just put on a new KKK. The boost control is amazing, coming from a krap'd up VNT it's unbelievable.

Just went through the tunnel in PA... coasted for almost 4 miles down the mountain. Lost 20*F coolant temp as we did it.

-J
 

Matt-98AHU

Loose Nut Behind the Wheel Vendor
Joined
Apr 23, 2006
Location
Gresham, OR
TDI
2001 Golf TDI, 2005 Passat wagon, 2004 Touareg V10.
My turbo is perfect, Matt just put on a new KKK. The boost control is amazing, coming from a krap'd up VNT it's unbelievable.

Just went through the tunnel in PA... coasted for almost 4 miles down the mountain. Lost 20*F coolant temp as we did it.

-J
Thanks for correcting that :D

BV39! Wonder if anyone can get just the actuator for one of those... Garrett actuators are easy to come by!

Shoulda put a 17 on it... just sayin ;)
 

manual_tranny

Smyth Performance- Intern
Joined
Jan 5, 2010
Location
New Bedford, MA
TDI
2001 Golf @182K; 2000 Jetta @290K
Filled up the car today and was a bit disappointed. 513 miles on 10.85 gallons... 47.2 mpg after some very careful and sometimes slow driving. I guess that means it's time for injectors!
May I recommend the Titan 764's?

My coolant temps were 159-164F for 400 miles today. I'm on snow tires inflated to 35psi. My car is lifted 2". Even with those hindrances, I got 59.4mpg driving the speed limit/hyper-miling/drafting over the last 300 miles.

My injector bodies are old: out of a 200K+ mile Jetta at one of Whitbread's GTGs where I foolishly sold my balanced T4 nozzles and bodies just to be a nice guy. The injectors and bodies have not been balanced at all.

My injectors are Titan 764, I've got a VNT-15 and stock inter-cooler.

I'm running an adaptation advance around 3.5-4deg. I've got RC3 with fuel cut, but any tune with heavily cut fuel should work. Next, adaptation --> IQ to minimum. Physical timing closer to the top line than the middle line.

Big injection pumps and big injectors are really the ticket to get high mpg. GoFaster has written some posts about how the ideal efficiency for injection is to try to inject all the fuel at once near TDC. Big pump + fire-hose nozzles + slight advance in timing + huge decrease in fueling = AWESOME MPG. I don't know how this combo does with emissions... I think it might be making a lot of NOx. Of course, after reading about the NOx disbenefit in Detroit and LA, I think making a little extra NOx in Flint might help prevent too much Ozone in Detroit. It's worth a try. :D
 

oilhammer

Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
Joined
Dec 11, 2001
Location
outside St Louis, MO
TDI
There are just too many to list....
I can agree with the big bump and larger injectors making for better MPGs, which seems to be exactly opposite what you'd think.

I'm running the Bosch T4s behind an 11mm pump, no EGR, MAF-delete tune, and the worst I have been able to get was 46. Last year my trip to NAIAS yielded 51*, return trip was about 55. And I am not driving slow. Not only that, but my car runs really good. Instant starts, excellent tip-in power, and a nice useable power curve in the middle. It does seem to run out of steam at the top end, but it is not that instant "edge of a cliff" feeling I have experienced with other modded TDIs, especially my '98 Jetta. And my oil stays clean to boot!

On the way to 'fest this year, I was drafting a slow-moving, exceptionally dirty, and loaded A3 Jetta and nearly got 60 :eek:. I need to draft that guy some more.... :D


*math checked by tooef... "Certatooef" stamp of approval. :)
 
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