Fuel Economy Issues
Thought I'd share these fuel economy tips from Transport Canada:
Driving Habits:
- Develop good driving habits. Tests have shown conclusively that different drivers using the same vehicle on the same road and under the same weather conditions experience up to 20% variation in fuel consumption.
- Slow down. Most vehicles burn about 20% more fuel at 70 MPH than at 55 MPH.
- Plan your driving by looking ahead at the traffic. Anticipate. Avoid sudden braking or accelerating.
- Make 1 longer trip instead of several shorter ones. Starting a cold engine and taking short trips (less than 3 miles) burns more fuel - regardless of the season.
- Shut the engine off if stopping for more than 1 minute. Restarting uses less fuel than idling.
- If carrying a load, try to pack your roof rack with rounded items front and rear, following the general aerodynamic shape of your vehicle.
- remove portable roof racks when not in use.
Taking care of your vehicle:
- Have your vehicle serviced regularly. A poorly maintained vehicle typically consumes up to 15% more fuel.
- Check tire pressures once a month when they are cold.
- Incorrect wheel alignment or brake drag will increase fuel consumption.
Other factors:
- Low temperature lab tests show that at 32F consumption increases about 8%, and at -20F by about 30%, using identical fuel.
- Driving in snow increases fuel consumption due to tire slippage and resistance to vehicle motion.
- Driving into a 20 mph headwind has almost the same effect as increasing speed by the same amount.
Driving Habits:
- Develop good driving habits. Tests have shown conclusively that different drivers using the same vehicle on the same road and under the same weather conditions experience up to 20% variation in fuel consumption.
- Slow down. Most vehicles burn about 20% more fuel at 70 MPH than at 55 MPH.
- Plan your driving by looking ahead at the traffic. Anticipate. Avoid sudden braking or accelerating.
- Make 1 longer trip instead of several shorter ones. Starting a cold engine and taking short trips (less than 3 miles) burns more fuel - regardless of the season.
- Shut the engine off if stopping for more than 1 minute. Restarting uses less fuel than idling.
- If carrying a load, try to pack your roof rack with rounded items front and rear, following the general aerodynamic shape of your vehicle.
- remove portable roof racks when not in use.
Taking care of your vehicle:
- Have your vehicle serviced regularly. A poorly maintained vehicle typically consumes up to 15% more fuel.
- Check tire pressures once a month when they are cold.
- Incorrect wheel alignment or brake drag will increase fuel consumption.
Other factors:
- Low temperature lab tests show that at 32F consumption increases about 8%, and at -20F by about 30%, using identical fuel.
- Driving in snow increases fuel consumption due to tire slippage and resistance to vehicle motion.
- Driving into a 20 mph headwind has almost the same effect as increasing speed by the same amount.
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That's another question -- how does premium fuel factor in?
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so I'm punching out the OD on the money run daily, and living with 11.8 mpg on the winter blend of DWI gasohol.
previous posts indicate your normal gear ratios lead to OD and lockup at about 50 mph on exploders.
whatever, OD hunt is not a nice thing on everyday driving. if you're finding you're always driving at or near the select speed, you have to decide whether to pay the gas man now or the service man later.
Maximizing fuel economy is simple. Buy an inexpensive vacuum gauge and about 8 feet of rubber hose. Install the gauge so it's visible from the driver's seat and practice modulating the throttle to achieve the highest vacuum readings. The higher the reading, the less the ecm increases injector pulse width, the less fuel is injected, and the better the mileage is.
The reason for that is: I heard it is bad for the starter and the engine if you start and shut it off frequently. On my way to work, there are 2-3 long light, if I follow the 1 minute engine shut off, will it hurt the starter (or at least shorten the life of it)? Does it really worth the saving on gas to abuse the starter like that?
RE: overdrive--you don't want to be pulling hard in o/d anyway. As Alcan suggests, a vacuum gauge can tell you a lot.
It is quite possible to use MORE fuel in o/d or cruise control if you are pulling too much load in a very high gear, to say nothing of the stress on engine and drivetrain.
Lugging an engine is the surest way to kill it off prematurely.
keep your tires inflated to the max pressure printed on the side of the tire.
Check your air filter regularly and replace as needed.
Don't use the drive thru window. Park your car and go inside That big M.
pull into the first parking place you see. Don't drive around the mall three times to find that premium spot right by the door.
when going to lunch with friends always ride in their car.
Rather,they found that FULL Throttle acceleration to you intended speed gave the best economy-it's counterintuitive-but that's what the BMW guys came up with.
Anyone remember this test?
I have always gotten the best mileage driving in such a manner as to induce Green-influenced passengers to attempt to exit the car at high speeds, lest they witness any further, um, carnage. That "slow and steady" stuff is propaganda paid for by the Union of Concerned Tortoises.
1) Anticipating traffic is probably the biggest thing you can do to save gas, save wear and tear on your vehicle and be kindler to the passengers in your vehicle. If you find yourself tapping the brakes a lot in heavy traffic, you are following too close or driving too fast. Slow down, relax and pay attention! That impenetrable pack of idiots ahead of you isn't going anywhere fast either. When things start to move again, take your time accelerating. Instead of going from zero to 45mph and then back to zero again a couple of seconds later, try leaving more space in front of you and pacing yourself better. Try to average a 25-30mph in that situation instead by leaving braking and accelerating space ahead of you. When driving a standard, try to maintain a pace that allows you to idle in first or second gear rather than constant starts and stops that waste gas, raise your blood pressure and heat up your brakes. People WILL jump into that space ahead of you once in a while. That's OK. DON'T let it upset you! Maintaining that cushion of space, you've lost maybe 20 feet which is an insignificant amount of distance in 10-20+ mile trips. It's no big deal.
2) Tire pressures. I run my right at or near maximum and in 20+ years of driving, I've never had a problem doing this. Check and fill them when perfectly cold (first thing in the morning before the sun hit them) and adjust them as the seasons change. You just need to know that you will have a little less grip in most situations with the inflation this high. Running on a severely underinflated tire can feel like your parking brake is stuck on. It's also very dangerous as the vehicle is more prone to blowing a tire. Also, skinnier rims and tires get better mileage than fatter ones because of less rolling resistance. Taller (greater circumference) rim and tire combos will effectively increase your final drive ratio and may boost fuel economy but this will throw off your speedometer by the same amount and might rub on the inside of your wheel wells. Experiment gradually and with caution.
3) Use thin (and/or synthetic) oils in your engine and tranny. These reduce drag which will save fuel. If you are concerned about wear, replace them a little more often than you normally would. This can save around 3% all by itself.
4) Replace your ignition components (spark plugs, wires, cap. etc ...) using the shortest intervals recommended. Use good quality, high-performance (but not racing) brands. Use Platinum plugs only if your car calls for them. I've found a good, copper plug (NGKs) to provide the best mileage, better than platinums. Don't waste your money on Splitfire plugs or other, similar gimmicks.
6) Using the A/C puts a load on the engine and increases fuel use. Roll the window down at low speeds or use the vents and electric fan at highway speeds but do not drive with the window rolled down at high speed. This causes so much drag that you are usually better off using the A/C. This brings me to aerodynamics ...
7) A clean car (freshly washed and waxed) is more aerodynamic than a dirty car and this might make a difference on extended highway-speed trips. Minimize any roof-racking, etc ... and forget about the do-nothing spoilers on the back of most cars. They do nothing but add weight and a little drag.
8) Be sure to change your air filter regularly. Dirty, restrictive air filters cause your engine to run richer. I use a K&N cone which flow more and require less maintenance. Running a dirty air filter kills your mileage and running around in a rich condition can foul up your entire motor, its crankcase oil, the emissions equipment, etc ...
9) I don't carry around a lot of junk in my car. This saves weight. You can go wacky and anal with this idea trying to strip your car down but between insanity and animal house is a clean vehicle without hundreds of pounds of superfluous junk in the backseat and trunk. Another way to reduce weight in your vehicle: stay single, don't have kids and don't date fat chicks. >;^)
10) Drive a vehicle with a standard transmission (not an automatic). They and their fluids weigh less, don't lose any power through a fluid coupling, sometimes feature a higher final drive ratio and make you a better driver overall. Better drivers, all things being equal, get better fuel economy. >:^)
11) Use a good fuel injector cleaner regularly. Clean injectors fire a spray that is well atomized, burns more completely giving you greater power and economy as well as cleaner emissions. If you don't believe in the bottled stuff (some are better than others), get it done professionally every 3 years or so.
12) Plan routes well minimizing back-tracking while running errands. Unnecessary miles uses unnecessary fuel.
13) Never use the drive-thru window unless there is only 1 or 2 cars ahead of you. It's better (and faster) to park and quickly run in.
Likewise, I usually shift at 3,000-4,000 rpms on the open road. Surely, running along at 45mph in 3rd gear at 5,000 rpms is less fuel efficient than 5th gear and 2,500 rpms but as was previously stated, lugging the engine wears out the bottom and wastes fuel because of the high load. There is a happy medium. Find it and reside there.
Premium fuel should have no effect on fuel economy unless your vehicle calls for it. In that case it doesn't really give you 'extra' mileage, but you will rob yourself of fuel economy by using a lower grade ... and possibly damage your engine as well.
I liked the advice about not traveling around the parking lot looking for that 'perfect' parking spot. Besides, to be honest, most of us could use that little bit of extra exercise. >;^)
I know some kids who like to put their standard-shift cars in neutral and coast to a stop thinking they're saving fuel. This is silly. While your car is in neutral, your engine has to use extra fuel to idle and stay running. It does not have to use any when decelerating and still in gear. Leave your car in gear as you slow and only pop it into neutral just before the motor begins to stumble.
Lastly, if I know I'm going to be at a really long light I will shut off my car. This is especially true if I know it will be 2+ cycles of the light before I can get through it and I can roll up to it (say, at the bottom of the hill). Just be sure not to lock your steering by removing the key or turning it all the way off/back and compensate for the lack of power brakes. Obviously, I do this rather infrequently ... maybe not even once each week. But, when traffic is STOPPED on the highway because of an accident I definitely shut my car off. That can be minutes to an hour or more. Well worth it. People who leave their cars idling for 5-10+ minutes (often sitting in parking lots) are a serious pet peeve of mine. Unless the vehicle is a diesel, there is NO reason to do this, not even in the winter! It just wastes gas, increases pollution and wear & tear on your vehicle.
--- Bror Jace
Support Terrorism- buy an SUV!!!
Other than that, I agree with the rest.