CheeseheadEarl
Elio Addict
I'm by no means a hyper miler, sometimes I'm even dead opposite when I'm having fun, but I am a cheapskate, and like to make my dollars go as far as they can. So, I thought this might be a good topic to discuss what you do to get the best out of whatever you drive while waiting on that shiny new Elio.
Here's my list, please share anything else you do, and feel free to argue anything you think I got wrong.
Know your mileage. Keep a log, I use a smartphone app called Fuel Log (there's a free version, I paid $4 or so for the pro version so I can download the data). If you don't know what you're getting, you're not gonna know if changes make it worse, better, or no change. I saw a full MPG jump when I switched gas stations, it was unintended, but I noticed. A downward trend with no other explanations might mean the beginning of a mechanical problem as well.
Keep you ride in good shape - tires aired up (I go to the max pressure on the tire rather than the door plate on the commuter car,haven't noticed wear issues despite higher than needed air pressure. The ride is a little harsher, but not bad - we're talking 36 psi vs 32 front/28 rear recommended.) Tune up parts as needed, synthetic oils, clean air filter, etc. A few dollars spent and a little elbow grease can gain a mile or more per gallon. That check engine light you ignore because it seems to run fine could be an $8 sensor that's throwing off your fuel delivery and making your mileage suffer.
There's a rotten egg under both pedals - not just the throttle. Brakes are a necessary evil, all they really do is turn energy you've burned out of the tank into heat. Coast down to lower speed limits, curves, stops instead of flying up to them and clamping down on the brakes. Given dry roads and no hazards, I'll corner at much higher than "normal" speeds so I have less lost energy to recover. Accelerate as lightly as you can stand. I suffer here sometimes...
Have an acceptable range of speeds, rather than a set speed, especially on hilly routes. Rather than holding 55, I'll coast up to 60 downhill, and not try to maintain speed too much until I get down to 50. Cruise is only for flat stretches, it over compensates too much, and often shifts out of overdrive on a hill I can pull with my foot running things in OD.
It's usually cold this time of year up here - though we're enjoying mild weather right now. I don't warm up the car before I go somewhere, just start it before I scrape windows if needed. BLASPHEMY! THAT AINT RIGHT!...Just hang with me for a minute. I drive very easily till I get some heat in the motor - once the gage starts to move I go to normal light driving. It goes from 30° coolant temp to 100° in about 3 minutes, by the time I've driven the mile and a half out to the county road. 3 more minutes and 2 1/2 more miles, it's at 170°, and the computer lets the transmission go to full lockup. I leave the heater on full cold, fan off till then. The reason is that it's basically just another radiator trying to cool the motor while it warms the cab. I'm already dressed for outdoors, I can handle 5 minutes of it. Starting the car and leaving it idle with the heat on, it'd take 10-15 minutes to make it warmish in there, and the transmission is still basically full cold. All that at 0 MPG when you're not moving.
Watch the road ahead, not just the car in front of you, but as far ahead as you can see. If you see brake lights 5-6 cars ahead, start backing off. Watch stoplights and try to time them (some of the newer sensor/traffic based ones suck for this) One of the hypermiler tricks I absolutely don't do is tailgate big trucks. Besides the obvious safety issue, you can't plan ahead if you can't see.
I do most of my shopping on the way to/from work. Even if I have to haul something home in the truck, it's cheaper to make one long commute in the truck than it is to drive it in the car and then make another shorter separate trip in the truck, plus my time is worth something (although not much according to some
).
I do modify my driving habits to stay with the flow of traffic, I'd be mad if I had somewhere to be and there was a jackwagon holding up traffic for another 1/2 mile per gallon, so I go with the flow to be nice to my fellow commuters. It costs a little that hopefully gets paid back in karma.
The floor is now open for discussion, my typing fingers are starting to cramp.
Here's my list, please share anything else you do, and feel free to argue anything you think I got wrong.
Know your mileage. Keep a log, I use a smartphone app called Fuel Log (there's a free version, I paid $4 or so for the pro version so I can download the data). If you don't know what you're getting, you're not gonna know if changes make it worse, better, or no change. I saw a full MPG jump when I switched gas stations, it was unintended, but I noticed. A downward trend with no other explanations might mean the beginning of a mechanical problem as well.
Keep you ride in good shape - tires aired up (I go to the max pressure on the tire rather than the door plate on the commuter car,haven't noticed wear issues despite higher than needed air pressure. The ride is a little harsher, but not bad - we're talking 36 psi vs 32 front/28 rear recommended.) Tune up parts as needed, synthetic oils, clean air filter, etc. A few dollars spent and a little elbow grease can gain a mile or more per gallon. That check engine light you ignore because it seems to run fine could be an $8 sensor that's throwing off your fuel delivery and making your mileage suffer.
There's a rotten egg under both pedals - not just the throttle. Brakes are a necessary evil, all they really do is turn energy you've burned out of the tank into heat. Coast down to lower speed limits, curves, stops instead of flying up to them and clamping down on the brakes. Given dry roads and no hazards, I'll corner at much higher than "normal" speeds so I have less lost energy to recover. Accelerate as lightly as you can stand. I suffer here sometimes...
Have an acceptable range of speeds, rather than a set speed, especially on hilly routes. Rather than holding 55, I'll coast up to 60 downhill, and not try to maintain speed too much until I get down to 50. Cruise is only for flat stretches, it over compensates too much, and often shifts out of overdrive on a hill I can pull with my foot running things in OD.
It's usually cold this time of year up here - though we're enjoying mild weather right now. I don't warm up the car before I go somewhere, just start it before I scrape windows if needed. BLASPHEMY! THAT AINT RIGHT!...Just hang with me for a minute. I drive very easily till I get some heat in the motor - once the gage starts to move I go to normal light driving. It goes from 30° coolant temp to 100° in about 3 minutes, by the time I've driven the mile and a half out to the county road. 3 more minutes and 2 1/2 more miles, it's at 170°, and the computer lets the transmission go to full lockup. I leave the heater on full cold, fan off till then. The reason is that it's basically just another radiator trying to cool the motor while it warms the cab. I'm already dressed for outdoors, I can handle 5 minutes of it. Starting the car and leaving it idle with the heat on, it'd take 10-15 minutes to make it warmish in there, and the transmission is still basically full cold. All that at 0 MPG when you're not moving.
Watch the road ahead, not just the car in front of you, but as far ahead as you can see. If you see brake lights 5-6 cars ahead, start backing off. Watch stoplights and try to time them (some of the newer sensor/traffic based ones suck for this) One of the hypermiler tricks I absolutely don't do is tailgate big trucks. Besides the obvious safety issue, you can't plan ahead if you can't see.
I do most of my shopping on the way to/from work. Even if I have to haul something home in the truck, it's cheaper to make one long commute in the truck than it is to drive it in the car and then make another shorter separate trip in the truck, plus my time is worth something (although not much according to some
).I do modify my driving habits to stay with the flow of traffic, I'd be mad if I had somewhere to be and there was a jackwagon holding up traffic for another 1/2 mile per gallon, so I go with the flow to be nice to my fellow commuters. It costs a little that hopefully gets paid back in karma.
The floor is now open for discussion, my typing fingers are starting to cramp.
