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189 Comments
- cubbiesx, on 06/25/2008, -3/+100I walk to work. Ultimate hypermilage.
- FuryOfThor, on 06/24/2008, -8/+90I hate paying for gas, but I hate getting stuck behind people going 60 in the fast lane just about as much.
- S7aind, on 06/25/2008, -6/+64No air conditioning and barely cracking the windows on 90 degree days? How obsessed are these people to save an extra dollar at the pump?
- Cargo8, on 06/25/2008, -8/+62Too bad this article could give people very unsafe ideas...
Turning the engine off can lock brakes and steering (at least the article gave warning here) and usually does in most modern cars. Not to mention if people abuse it and do it often, it is null because turning on an engine uses more gas than never turning it off (in some cases & timing-dependent)
Driving below the speed limit is dangerous and can cause traffic for others. Thanks a lot, you improved your gas mileage and killed everyone else's, douche... Not to mention normally ideal gas consumption speed is 55-65 mph (which is why the speed lmit was changed during the oil embargo back in teh day)
Tire pressure is very important to the performance and safety of a car. The wheels/tires are the only 4 contact points between the car and the road, why f*** with that? High tire pressure can cause significantly less grip between the tire and the road in addition to being more prone to blowouts, especially when "far beyond car and tire makers' recommendations"...
Good job guys... - sgiffy, on 06/25/2008, -5/+53So I can endanger my life, suffer in the heat, and waste time getting places for what will probably amount to 40 bucks a month. Sorry but I am ever that desperate I'll just cut back my satellite service.
- virtualonliner, on 06/25/2008, -5/+44Some of the tactics they employ are really useful. But some, if not everyone is hypermiling, are going to increase the consumtion of gas over all. FTA "Hypermilers practice such unorthodox techniques as coasting for blocks with their car's engine turned off, driving far below speed limits on the freeway..." Now if you are driving "far below" speed limit on freeways, you are going to cause traffic congestion. That would decrease gas mileage for cars stuck in there...Just a thought
- nahsrocketeer75, on 06/24/2008, -12/+51Interesting concept and more power to them ... but life's too short.
- inactive, on 06/25/2008, -5/+41We can't all be homeless.
- MacParrot, on 06/25/2008, -1/+26Don't go to Florida. It's an odd mixture of teenagers doing 100MPH in school zones and retirees doing 25MPH in the passing lane of I-95
- SaladCactusKing, on 06/25/2008, -4/+27Oh Hello Officer, what seems to be the problem?
Why, yes I was driving 20 MPH on the 405 Freeway...It's for the environment, you see. - sgiffy, on 06/25/2008, -3/+26Not to mention that shutting off your engine while driving, especially if you have power steering, is rather dangerous.
- GemStar38, on 06/24/2008, -1/+21if it's their hobby/ obsession then they probably enjoy seeing if they can beat their own fuel efficiency records
- Kmap, on 06/25/2008, -3/+22I get unlimited mpg by only driving in GTA4. I live at home with my mum and my right hand is my girlfriend, so there are some drawbacks.
- calenerd, on 06/25/2008, -4/+22The money you save on gas = The time you wasted.
- Ravatar, on 06/25/2008, -0/+17Best part is, occasionally you beat the next red and all those SUCKERS are stuck there for another 3-4 minutes.
- MacParrot, on 06/25/2008, -0/+15Somehow I think stopping in a hurry is the least of these guys problems.
- cardinalb, on 06/25/2008, -5/+20Also over inflating your tyres could have serious consequences when its time to stop in a hurry. Brakes are also often assisted by the engine as well as the power steering so these guys are incredibly stupid. Saying that we do need to do more to save the planet.
- Mistlefoot, on 06/25/2008, -4/+19The 1st guy in the article advises he saves fuel by driving 10mph slower then the speed limit - which takes him an additional 16 minutes per commutes. He also says he gets 100mpg. He is corporate jet pilot.
Math says his commute is around 62 miles in each direction - so 124 miles per day. At 100 miles per gallon he saves 1 1/4 gallons - or $5.00 worth of gas a day. Good to know a corporate pilot's time is only worth $10 per hour.
I also wonder how much more fuel he wastes by blocking all the traffic behind him while driving 45mph on the freeway. - yacks, on 06/25/2008, -3/+17oh screw mileage.. :) I like to floor it off the red just to get to the next red where I floor it again. :) I don't like other people getting ahead of me because of idiots that change lanes in front of you for no reason other than to just go slower than you are.
- doubledoh, on 06/25/2008, -5/+18I definitely hate the people driving 60 in the fast lane WAY MORE. Hell, I'd pay extra at the pump if these "drivers" were off the road.
- Kidtuf, on 06/25/2008, -0/+12Um...the technology of coasting and not using the air conditioner? Did you even read the blurb associated with the article?
- inactive, on 06/25/2008, -4/+15Fred Flintstone already did it.
- aussiessuck, on 06/25/2008, -3/+14Tip #1
Catch a bus. Will save you ALL your fuel. - drewniverse, on 06/25/2008, -5/+15More like Super *****.
- NoZb2k, on 06/25/2008, -0/+10If your riding a motorbike, its a pretty easy thing to do. My 1991 Yamaha Jog gets 100MPG without any special adjustments.
- BLKMGK, on 06/25/2008, -0/+10*****. You've never tuned a car's EFI computer have you? It takes nothing to start a warmed up car, the enrichment value is minuscule and the afterstart RPMs are also tiny. FAIL!
- kpmoore, on 06/25/2008, -1/+10Hybrid cars are already mainstream...
- BLKMGK, on 06/25/2008, -0/+8A warmed up diesel doesn't require glow plug warmup to restart or start at all in warm weather. So long as compression is good and the fuel isn't jelly it's not a problem.
- Konrad9, on 06/25/2008, -0/+8Dude, hypermilers don't do 60 in the fast lane.
Hypermilers do 60 in the far right *slow* lane.
The person doing 60 in the fast lane is on his/her cell phone, not paying attention to the road. - BLKMGK, on 06/25/2008, -0/+7Ummm NO. Thinner quality oil, particularly synthetic will increase mileage without increasing wear. Engines can pick up as much as 16HP at the wheels just by switching to a good synthetic.
Premium octane - higher octane gas explodes LESS easily. It's used in higher compression engines to stave off detonation. Use the PROPER octane for yuor engine. Higher octane on a low compression engine will LOWER MPG and power. Low octane gas on an engine who's compression requires higher octane gas will force the engine to retard timing and LOWER it's MPG and power. It can also cause engine damage over time since detonation must occur in most cars for the timing change to be sensed.
Peak economy will occur at peak torque. Peak torque is where BSFC is highest. Put it in high gear and get the tach to peak torque, not HP, and you'll do the best. you can often find engine power graphs for various vehicles in car reviews or hell just have it tested. Seat of the pants is CRAP for figuring this out. - secrity, on 06/25/2008, -3/+10Great, as long as they aren't being a jerk and blocking traffic.
- mttyd, on 06/25/2008, -2/+9All fun and games untill someone turns off their engine and can't make a turn and kills their family... All to save $3 off their weekly gas bill...
- MacParrot, on 06/25/2008, -2/+9No it's a point of pride to see how many MPG they can get. It borders on impulsive obsession with some of them. I think they're crazy as it really won't make any difference and they are sacrificing time and comfort for really nothing. But hey, it's their lives if that's how they want to spend it.
- ericmac, on 06/25/2008, -0/+720mph? The only time the 405 is uncongested enough to drive that fast is 3am!
- Bodhinature, on 06/25/2008, -1/+7When did 60 become slow?
- LeRenard, on 06/25/2008, -0/+6The weapon of choice of most hypermilers is the Scangauge II, which monitors a ton of engine parameters via the OBD-II computer port. It measures vehicle speed, fuel pressure, injector pulses, air density, 02, etc. etc. and computes the fuel consumption from there. Much more accurate than vacuum but with the same intent. The advantage of the scangauge is that it records averages, peaks, minimums, etc, for entire trips or periods of time, and it also relays otherwise hidden data from the computer for display, like coolant temp, intake air temperature, manifold pressure, voltage, engine load, etc.
- Skwerl, on 06/25/2008, -1/+7In the state of California, if more than three people are held up due to your inability to maintain the speed limit, it's your duty to pull over and let them by.
"21656 Slow vehicle, failure to use signposted turnout or safe area."
http://www2.lmu.edu/publicsafety/VehicleCode/Calif ... - inactive, on 06/25/2008, -3/+8the ***** are you babbling about?
- gutistg, on 06/25/2008, -1/+6I have no problem with people driving 60 in the fast lane, if that's the speed-limit. But as soon as they are able to drive 60 in any other lane, the opportunity should be taken.
You should not be exceeding the speed-limit, there's just no good reason to do it. - layzice, on 06/25/2008, -2/+7Also, just think, after they finally move or there is room to pass on the right... everyone who is behind you, who are now pissed, steps on the gas and flies by you... instantly negating all of your "creative" work.
- inactive, on 06/25/2008, -4/+9Although they're saving gas money, is it really worth all the extra time they're spending and all the discomfort they're enduring? I guess if you're really into it, but.....doesn't really seem worth it to me.
- warbird, on 06/25/2008, -1/+6But theres not much more to life than time! and if Time = money, you're wrong ;)
- salinemist, on 06/25/2008, -0/+5I love driving my wife's MDX and letting her boggle at my 25mpg average, and that's without driving like an ass, just common sense.
- shifty2, on 06/25/2008, -2/+7I think the worst hypermiling idea is to catch the drafts of tractor trailers as they go down the highway.
There is an ***** here on the DC beltway who i have seen several times basically tailgating tractor trailers and trying to stay in their draft to dramatically decrease the air flow drag so he is off the throttle more.
I understand the concept, but looking at his crushed front bumper and hood makes me wonder if its even worth it.
not to mention that causing a huge pile up on 495 would increase everyone's gas mileage. He won't have to worry about it as the beltway commuters would draw and quarter his ass.
lastly, another terrible idea is speeding through corners in neutral so that you don't have to accelerate that much after a turn. sure you saved about a teaspoon of fuel, but you had to run over Billy and his mom as they crossed the street. - johnnyboy239, on 06/25/2008, -0/+4Mostly because that's not true, it takes seven seconds of gas running a car at idle to start a car, with any fuel injected engine.
Meaning that if you are going to be in one spot for more then 7 seconds it's more efficient to turn the car off. - BLKMGK, on 06/25/2008, -0/+4Actually no, a vac gauge isn't that good an indicator. My car actually has a nice digital readout for MPG, THAT is what many people are building and installing into their cars. They monitor injector pulsewidth and speedometer pulses to calculate MPG. HackADay highlighted a gauge being built not long ago, some folks just plug into their OBDII data port for similiar readings.
- aladrin, on 06/25/2008, -1/+5In just 2 more weeks, I'll be able to bicycle to work. I'm so very much looking forward to it.
- BalooUrsidae, on 06/25/2008, -0/+4Actually, if everyone slowed down to ~45-50 all the time, traffic overall would flow more smoothly. Hard acceleration requires hard deceleration when you catch up to an obstacle, which is what causes the jam. Faster traffic causes larger traffic jams, not slower.
- LeRenard, on 06/25/2008, -1/+5That's a good rule of thumb.. but not literally true. Ideal gas consumption points differ from engine design to engine design and the designers and engineers spell that out in the Brake Specific Fuel Consumption (BSFC) map. Its a chart of fuel consumption against RPM and load. In normally aspirated engines, you almost always see the lowest consumption at the RPM of maximum torque output and less than 100% load. My 1NZ-FE powered Yaris has minimal consumption at about 2250 rpm and 70% load. On level ground traveling about 45, I get better mileage in fourth than fifth, even though the car will accelerate fine in 5th from about 35 up and not hit 100% load. My best economy is in whatever gear keeps me closest to 2250 RPM for my travel speed. Forced induction cars can have very unintuitive "sweet spots" in their maps due to the efficiency of the compression mechanisms. Oh, and the EPA recently changed its testing methodology to a higher speed, which is why MPG ratings on 08 vehicles have dropped.
- BLKMGK, on 06/25/2008, -0/+4Wow, like the ONE person posting with a clue and you got dug down? what you said is 100% correct so long as the car is kept in gear when the pedal is let up on - anyone with an MPG computer can see this as the numbers show dashed when you let off the gas on the highway displaying instant MPG. Many of the hypermiler guys aren't keeping it in gear though apparently and yeah that's more dangerous although it does increase cost time since there's no compression losses. Posted it elsewhere but starting the engine doesn't require jack for fuel if it's EFI and warmed up. Just popping the clutch while coasting requires even less
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