driving for fuel economy

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B

bcman

Senior Member
Alright everybody, let's get a discussion of driving techniques to improve fuel economy. I'll start it off:
1. stay in the highest gear possible for your current speed.
2. consolidate short trips into one, so your engine stays warm.
3. keep your tires properly inflated.
4. coast in neutral down hills.
5. minimize A/C. just run the fan, if you can stand it. if you can't, though, A/C is usually more efficient than open windows at freeway speeds.

feel free to refute these suggestions, verify them, or add your own.
 
i posted this before so ill just quote it from the other thread

i have an insight... they have a MPG gauge that tells you your current MPG as well as your average for the life of the car as well as one for both of the tripometers... so it makes it pretty easy to tell what methods work and what ones dont

i got my insight with 64000 miles on it... its lifetime MPG average was 53.3mpg... i have put about 12K on it since i got it, and i have already raised the lifetime average to 53.8mpg

i drive the car rather agressivly and i still average around 60mpg (last tank averaged 67.2mpg current tank is at 62.2mpg)

i have yet to average below 55mpg on any tank since i bought the car (including when i have autocrossed it)
shit even in the picture i took at 108mph i was still getting 20mpg... i really cant immagine how the fuck people are managing to average 33mpg

all of my driving has been mixed city/highway... i have not taken the insight on a real road trip yet sad.gif i am pretty confident i can get 70+ for a tank on the highway (i usually do around 75mph)

the biggest reason for people getting shitty MPG in hybrids from what i have seen is generally poor shifting practice (shifting too soon)
hybrids are all about cruising milage... ie: the faster (shortest distance) you get up to speed means the more time (distance) you spend cruising in the uber milage range

lets say you are accelerating away from a stoplight/sign....

first method... low RPM shifting / slow acceleration... when shifting at low RPM (2-3K) your underpowered engine does not have ANY HP (at 2500 RPM the insight puts out a ground pounding 30 HP ) this means you are heavier on the throttle (lower MPG) and this means you will take longer to reach your desired speed (more distance covered at lower MPG = lower MPG average over all)

second method... higher RPM shifting / quick acceleration... reving out to a higher RPM (4K+) and accelerating quickly will usually yeild a lower MPG for the time that you are accelerating (maybe 5 or 10mpg lower)... but you will reach your desired speed in a far shorter time/distance allowing you to go into "cruising mode" sooner (better overall MPG)

quick acceleration is definatly key to better overall MPG... i have tried several methods of driving since getting the insight.... its almost a game now to see how high i can get the MPG average (my highest for a full tank so far was around 70mpg)
Click to expand...


note: since that was written my highest average for a full tank is 73.2mpg


higher tire pressures will yeild better mpg (less rolling resistance) i keep the tires on my insight at about 45-50psi


heres 2 articles from the insight forum i am on, about fuel efficiency (it is specificly for insights... but most of the info should work for any car)

http://www.insightcentral.net/KB/faq-quicktips.html

http://www.insightcentral.net/KB/faq-efficiency.html
 
mike your in texas and dont have all the hills and shit that i have around me
you should easily see 85+ regularly :thumbsup:
 
Hmm. Not driving in Houston I wouldn't- 70mph is our minimum speed limit on the highway, not the maximum. My A/C would be on 24/7 too.

:)
 
good tips E. I've heard the "accelerate briskly" idea before but was never sure what specifically that meant. Are you accelerating at full throttle, or more like 50-70 percent throttle?
 
i generally do 50-70% throttle... dont really go 100% full throttle unless im racing
 
I find that you can feel what gear the car wants to be in. All you have to do is pay attention to your foot.

If you are doing 45 mph in 3rd gear, take note of how much throttle you are giving it. Then, upshift,and take note of how much throttle you're giving it.

You'll see a difference, and of course it changes for uphill travelling.

For a Honda, and other twin-cam motors (And especially Wankels) More RPM, less throttle. Since I've given my Civic to my dad, he shifts at 3200 rpm most of the time, and then makes up for it with fuel. That's giving him a lot less mpg than I got. Also, I'm driving the MR2 now, and I'm getting 60-80 more miles of a tank than my GF, who gathers inertia by using the supercharger. (Read: More fuel)

-> Steve
 
Originally posted by E_SolSi@Jul 12 2004, 02:25 PM
i generally do 50-70% throttle... dont really go 100% full throttle unless im racing
Click to expand...

Ah, 100% throttle is one of the most used portions of my fuel map. :lol:
 
Years ago I read an article in Motor Trend or Car and Driver about Civics that got about 100 mpg.

These were just your basic stock Civic.

Some university was testing them to see how to get better mileage.

They noticed two things.

Wind resistance really hurts gas mileage.

Engines are more efficient at WOT.

They rigged the engines so they would cut off at 10mph and then cut back on at 5 mph. They also had them at WOT all the time. I dont really remember how they did it.

Anyway they got 100 mpg by not going over 10mph and accelerating at WOT every time. So your are right about getting the best mileage by accelerating briskly.
 
I always drive at WOT and shift at around 2800 or 3000 right when full boost builds. Should I be shifting right before boost or a little bit into it? my guess would be right before...
 
I used to believe that partial throttle acceleration was the key to better MPG. I was getting 41.6 mpg using WOT. However, I got only 36.3 mpg taking it easier on the throttle during accel. Not only does it save gas to use WOT, it's just more fun! :D
 
not boosting a daily driver and running msd 72lb/hr injectors with a 255lph fuel pump.
dont haul a pile of papers, clothes, system, spare tires, extra people, back seats, stuff like that.
my moped gets 125 miles to the gallon, and holds 1.5 gallons, and does 65mph(70cc kit, bigger carb,jetted, exhaust)
 
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