RX8 mileage & ECU Tuning
 

not to start another mileage bitch thread, but I had a thought. Since it seems that mileage is the main gripe about the rx8 I was wondering if you could have a ECU with several settings, that way you could have a economy setting, a normal setting, and a performance setting, that way with a switch you could ajust? I mean, if you lose some power to save on gas while just commuting to work, that would be fine with me, I could switch it back once I was ready to have some fun, such as the weekend, rather than stop and go traffic.

So this begs the question, how much gas mileage could you improve on with ECU tuning? I know leaning it out improves mileage and power, but are there other things that could be done in terms of what the ECU controls such as timing?

I would love to have a little switch for
Economy mode
Standard Mode
Race mode (drive it like you stole it)

bump

Well, I wont speak for Canzoomer, Ric Shaw, et al, but I suspect they are mostly tuning for WOT and just under.
You would have a difficult time convincing them to do otherwise.

I have found it very tricky to get consistent results in the 50% and under throttle range because the OEM ECU has such finely graduated control over fuel delivery in that range.
Generally, what I have ended up doing is using broad strokes - leaning out entire RPM ranges by a preset amount and advancing the timing where possible. This has had the effect of better gas milage under very specific conditions.

If I am using cruise control and set it to hold the RPMS at 4100 RPM in 6th, I can get upwards of 25 MPG. (My typical average MPG is 15 - 17.)
Unfortunately, there is no place around here where that is possible for more than one or two minutes, so it is of little practical use. Traffic is stop and go in the DC area for a 50 mile radius 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
I was only able to verify this on the Penn turnpike in the middle of the night on my way to Pittsburgh.