Picked up an 08 FWD
#1
06-20-2007, 04:17 AM
Picked up an 08 FWD
Hi everyone. I just picked up a 08 FWD with 16 miles yesterday. Apparently this was the last fully loaded FWD in Black left in N. CA and it took me a couple days to track it down. The MSRP sticker was $31,645 and dealer gave me several discounts including a $500 rebate and got the price down to $28,695 which was great considering it came loaded with nav, moon/tune, premium, chrome appearance, and just about everything available.
This is my first Ford as well as first Hybrid. I recently changed careers that required me to drive 5-700 miles a week and I was paying through the nose with my other car, a V8 with 18-21 mpg, that also required Supreme @ CA prices of $3.78 a gallon. So far my display is telling me Im getting around 28.9 mpg and Ive heard it gets better after I break it in.
I have a couple questions and please do excuse me if its too much of a noob quesion. Anyway, Ive always modded my previous cars with at least wheels, lowering, and a few performance upgrades. I want to change the wheels to 18s, Ive been told 20s would be too big that the Hybrid engine have a tough time pushing those plus I would lose mileage and power. My question would be would 18s change the mileage and power considerably?
I did some research online and found that Gibson made an exhaust system for 07 Hybrids, would this system be compatible with the 08s? The dealer told me the difference between the 07 and 08 is primarily cosmetic and that the car and engine is pretty much the same. I dont want to order the exhaust and have it not fit and have to ship it back to them. This question would apply to the H&R springs as well, the application guide says the springs will fit an 07 but no mention of the 08.
So far I've installed 6K HID headlights, changed the bulbs for the fogs and parking lights. I also plan on putting in my Focal separates and coaxials, 2 Phoenix Gold 10s running off a 4 channel amp and my stock nav unit with hi/lo converters. I might also be adding a rearview camera as well.
Also wondering if someone can tell me what a block heater is and why I should or should not get one? The same question applied to a ScanGauge II?
Thank you in advance!
This is my first Ford as well as first Hybrid. I recently changed careers that required me to drive 5-700 miles a week and I was paying through the nose with my other car, a V8 with 18-21 mpg, that also required Supreme @ CA prices of $3.78 a gallon. So far my display is telling me Im getting around 28.9 mpg and Ive heard it gets better after I break it in.
I have a couple questions and please do excuse me if its too much of a noob quesion. Anyway, Ive always modded my previous cars with at least wheels, lowering, and a few performance upgrades. I want to change the wheels to 18s, Ive been told 20s would be too big that the Hybrid engine have a tough time pushing those plus I would lose mileage and power. My question would be would 18s change the mileage and power considerably?
I did some research online and found that Gibson made an exhaust system for 07 Hybrids, would this system be compatible with the 08s? The dealer told me the difference between the 07 and 08 is primarily cosmetic and that the car and engine is pretty much the same. I dont want to order the exhaust and have it not fit and have to ship it back to them. This question would apply to the H&R springs as well, the application guide says the springs will fit an 07 but no mention of the 08.
So far I've installed 6K HID headlights, changed the bulbs for the fogs and parking lights. I also plan on putting in my Focal separates and coaxials, 2 Phoenix Gold 10s running off a 4 channel amp and my stock nav unit with hi/lo converters. I might also be adding a rearview camera as well.
Also wondering if someone can tell me what a block heater is and why I should or should not get one? The same question applied to a ScanGauge II?
Thank you in advance!
#2
06-20-2007, 06:40 AM
Re: Picked up an 08 FWD
Larger wheels will DEFINITELY cost you in the MPG department and certainly slow you down as well.
A block heater is something you plug in overnight to keep your engine block warm. They are very popular in extremely cold places and not really necessary anywhere else. There may have been talk here about using one to warm one's engine to help the vehicle get to EV mode faster but again, I don't think it is worth it unless you are regularly dealing with extremely cold temps. You said you were in No Cal, so I doubt an engine block heater would offer you any benefits.
The scan gauge is a little LCD screen device that can display data put out by your OBD computer like engine temp, fuel economy, etc. Its nice for pulling codes should your vehicle give you a check engine light or anything....also, for those without the NAV/Hybrid system it is nice for tracking one's fuel economy. There are other uses as well if you are really interested in learning how the vehicle operates.
The exhaust system is a big question mark in my opinion. First of all, I don't like the idea of messing with the system Ford went with on this vehicle. It is, afterall, a highly engineered vehicle to begin with. I'd be concerned that an aftermarket exhaust, while possibly offering some performance benefits may result in a decrease in fuel economy. I don't know. Furthermore, even though the "systems" (engine, motors, etc) are all the same as the '07, the physical vehicle is different. That means that, where the '07 has bends in the exhaust to go around parts of the chassis, the 08 may need bends in other places. I wouldn't purchase an exhaust until Gibson (or whoever the mfg is) states it is compatible. All it would take is one little bend or a slightly different angle somewhere and you are out $$$.
A block heater is something you plug in overnight to keep your engine block warm. They are very popular in extremely cold places and not really necessary anywhere else. There may have been talk here about using one to warm one's engine to help the vehicle get to EV mode faster but again, I don't think it is worth it unless you are regularly dealing with extremely cold temps. You said you were in No Cal, so I doubt an engine block heater would offer you any benefits.
The scan gauge is a little LCD screen device that can display data put out by your OBD computer like engine temp, fuel economy, etc. Its nice for pulling codes should your vehicle give you a check engine light or anything....also, for those without the NAV/Hybrid system it is nice for tracking one's fuel economy. There are other uses as well if you are really interested in learning how the vehicle operates.
The exhaust system is a big question mark in my opinion. First of all, I don't like the idea of messing with the system Ford went with on this vehicle. It is, afterall, a highly engineered vehicle to begin with. I'd be concerned that an aftermarket exhaust, while possibly offering some performance benefits may result in a decrease in fuel economy. I don't know. Furthermore, even though the "systems" (engine, motors, etc) are all the same as the '07, the physical vehicle is different. That means that, where the '07 has bends in the exhaust to go around parts of the chassis, the 08 may need bends in other places. I wouldn't purchase an exhaust until Gibson (or whoever the mfg is) states it is compatible. All it would take is one little bend or a slightly different angle somewhere and you are out $$$.
#3
06-20-2007, 12:21 PM
Re: Picked up an 08 FWD
On tires I think if you stay with the plus II system and be VERY careful to maitain the width an diameter of the wheel/tire package you would be OK. But the factory tires are a special compound that helps a little with mileage. Someone changed the tires on mine b4 I got it to Michellin LTXs and I think it might cost me 1-2 MPGs
On the exhaust I would drive it around and see if having the engine turn on and off might make it sound odd. I dont think a cat back system will help much with MPGs but will make it noisier. This engine is not a normal ICE it is an Atkinson cycle engine and there is much less back pressure in the exhaust system.
On the exhaust I would drive it around and see if having the engine turn on and off might make it sound odd. I dont think a cat back system will help much with MPGs but will make it noisier. This engine is not a normal ICE it is an Atkinson cycle engine and there is much less back pressure in the exhaust system.
#4
06-23-2007, 05:02 AM
Re: Picked up an 08 FWD
Congrats on your purchase and welcome to GreenHybrid!
As far as the exhaust goes- it's always a good time getting a few more db out of a robust V8, but I wouldn't bother doing a catback on the FEH. That little four cylinder isn't going to impress anyone blatting out its exhaust note. Plus on the resale market you never get your money back from mods.
It's all a matter of personal preference, so if you want to do it go for it, but I agree with Tim that you should wait until you're sure Gibson has a kit for the 08s.
As far as the exhaust goes- it's always a good time getting a few more db out of a robust V8, but I wouldn't bother doing a catback on the FEH. That little four cylinder isn't going to impress anyone blatting out its exhaust note. Plus on the resale market you never get your money back from mods.
It's all a matter of personal preference, so if you want to do it go for it, but I agree with Tim that you should wait until you're sure Gibson has a kit for the 08s.
#6
06-23-2007, 10:15 AM
Re: Picked up an 08 FWD
The engine block heater is only needed in extremely cold climates (e.g. places where winter temps can routinely fall to -20 F or worse). They're most common in diesels, which can be extremely hard to start when they're cold, but even gasoline engines can have problems if it's really really cold. Not only don't you need it in California, it's not even a good idea for fuel efficiency. Ford told us that they looked at all sorts of ideas to pre-warm the engine in an effort to get better fuel economy when a car is first started and in all cases the energy 'spent' to run the heating device was more than the energy 'saved' in improved fuel economy by having an engine that was already slightly warmed up. The block heater is for places where a car might not start at all because of how cold it is... not to improve fuel economy.
As for any mods, there's a lot on the FEH that was done to save fuel economy and could be defeated by mods. The stock rims are lightweight and the tires are low-rolling-resistance tires for better fuel economy. If you replace your rims or tires you'll want to try to find something which is *also* lightweight and a tire that has a low rolling resistance -- otherwise your fuel economy will suffer noticeably.
Anything that adds weight will hurt economy (Ford told us how much to expect to lose in fuel economy for each 100 lbs of weight added but I don't remember how much it was.) All electricity in a car originates from gas. The more power consumed, the worse the fuel economy. For many items it's not noticeable. Some things are quite noticeable (I recall that operating the rear window defogger burns .9 mpg all by itself. The 'fan' running on highest speed burns .4 mpg by itself (just the fan -- we're not talking about the A/C)).
I think if you just keep in mind what the mod will change in terms of weight, resistance, or power consumption to avoid doing anything that might radically reduce your economy. Other than that... mod away!
As for any mods, there's a lot on the FEH that was done to save fuel economy and could be defeated by mods. The stock rims are lightweight and the tires are low-rolling-resistance tires for better fuel economy. If you replace your rims or tires you'll want to try to find something which is *also* lightweight and a tire that has a low rolling resistance -- otherwise your fuel economy will suffer noticeably.
Anything that adds weight will hurt economy (Ford told us how much to expect to lose in fuel economy for each 100 lbs of weight added but I don't remember how much it was.) All electricity in a car originates from gas. The more power consumed, the worse the fuel economy. For many items it's not noticeable. Some things are quite noticeable (I recall that operating the rear window defogger burns .9 mpg all by itself. The 'fan' running on highest speed burns .4 mpg by itself (just the fan -- we're not talking about the A/C)).
I think if you just keep in mind what the mod will change in terms of weight, resistance, or power consumption to avoid doing anything that might radically reduce your economy. Other than that... mod away!
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