edmunds.com — Edmunds.com tested a lot of lore on how to change your driving habits in order to save money on gas. Some of the results:- 65 mph instead of 75 mph saves 12 percent- smooth driving instead of aggressive driving saves 37 percent- turning your car off instead of idling when you stop at a light or the drive-thru saves 19 percent
May 7, 2006 View in Crawl 4
inthrallerMay 7, 2006
"Not to mention the fact that many automatics won't let you crank the engine unless you're in park"You can put an automatic in neutral and start it. It's a good tip to know if you happen to be driving down the road and your car dies,if you were going fairly fast and you're still rolling, don't pull over and put it in park to try to restart first try putting it in neutral and restarting while you are going down the road, if you're lucky it will start back up and you won't have to come to a stop. Unfortunately, whatever made the car die is probably not going to let it restart, but there's always hope.
dwatchMay 8, 2006
Even if the 'earth as a crude oil generator' theory were correct (which I doubt) then we are still going to hit a wall where supply cannot equal demand. We have been finding oil in the easiest places so far, the 'low hanging fruit' so to speak. After we use up the pockets of oil that are close to the surface and easy to find, it will get harder and harder to find the oil, causing us to go places that no man would want to live (like the arctic), and drill deeper, or extract from sources that cost more to harvest from (like the Canadian reserves). All these obstacles will result in the flow of oil slowing down. Even if we get lucky and find an unlimited oil reserve somewhere that allows us to fuel our needs for the next few centuries, I don't want to leave that kind of world to future generations. I'll probably get modded down for saying this, but maybe its a good thing that oil prices are getting higher, as it will spur research and development of an environmentally safe alternative. Maybe in a few centuries we will have fusion plants supplying us with unlimited electricity, and we will have much better battery technology to drive vehicles, or some form of hydrogen fuel cell solution. Whatever it is, its got to be better than dumping CO2 into the air constantly.
loki1983May 8, 2006
a corvette could do that on the highway prolly going 80-90 too
jo42May 8, 2006
I surprised hardly any mention of getting rid of brick shaped, house-sized SUVs, Pickups and Minivans...
carveMay 8, 2006
They only said the AC and windows down used a similar amount of gas. They didn't compare it to a control group that DIDN'T use AC and had the windows up.They were also on the highway. In city driving, AC will use significanlty more gas. It has to work harder as there is no airstream against the condenser, and it is often the only sizeable load on the engine while idling. Also, the drag from windows down is far less at lower speeds around town.
carveMay 8, 2006
That is right, but just so everyone gets it, the small car is probably still using less fuel to run it's AC, even if the mpg difference is bigger.e.g., going from 12 mpg to 11 mpg means you'll burn an extra 0.8 gallons on a 100 mile trip. Going from 40 mpg to 34 mpg means you'll burn an extra 0.44 gallons on a 100 mile trip. MPG figures can be very misleading that way. They way the measure efficiency in Europe makes a lot more sense. They measure it in liters per 100 km.For instance, some peopla ask how much MPG adding a bike rack costs. The guy with the Hummer says "not much- only about 2 mpg". They guy with the Civic says "A ton- about 9 mpg!". In reality, the bike rack will require about the same amount of extra gas on either car, regardless of the mpg change. The same holds for AC (although you need a bigger AC compressor on a big vehicle as well.)
dan100May 9, 2006
Nearly but not quite.Braking slows your car by converting its' kinetic energy into heat in the brake pads. The trick is to back off the gas and let your car coast and gentley slow down at stop signs etc. That avoids expending energy (keeping the throttle open) only to waste it (using the brakes).
bswanJun 22, 2006
Nice discussion, especially the effects of drag. But, there's a whole lot more here than just looking at speed, gear ratios and torque or horsepower. The simple fact is that the only way to directly determine miles per gallon is through comparing miles driven (from the odometer) to fuel pumped from the tank (measured with a fuel flow meter). Some cars have this - instantaneous readout of MPG, number of miles remaining on the fuel load, and avg mpg for last tank of gas. Chrysler products had/have this in some vehicles. Just drive one and watch your steady 22 MPG at 30 MPH drop to 4 mpg when you accelerate hard and then rebound to 40 mpg when you let off the throttle. And don't confuse best miles per gallon with efficiency. Efficiency is the most power generated per unit of fuel consumed (most output with least input). It sure seems like that would be the peak of the torque curve. The layman's definition of torque is the ability to move 550 pounds a distance of one foot. It is a twisting force in an automobile, usually measured at the flywheel of the engine. When you measure it at the rear wheels it is a lower number because of all the spinning components in the transmission, drive shaft, rear axle and wheels that consume torque. A simple example is to imagine how easy it is to pedal bicycle with little wheels compared to one with gigantic wheels. The engine is the same - you - your rear wheel torque will be higher on the little bike. This perfection point can occur at an RPM so high that you are gobbling a lot of fuel per mile, but you are also generating a ton of power in the process. And you have to generate that power to overcome things like wind resistance and drive train load. Your best MPG may occur at a much lower point where loading is less, but engine efficiency, by definition, is also less.
vnutzMar 9, 2007
A similar study was done (which actually cites this one) by OmniNerd using a Jeep Wrangler and the OBDII port to interface with the car computer. Everything from speed, engine load, acceleration, cruise control and even cold air intake were tested for changes in fuel consumption.Improve MPG: Factors Affecting Fuel Efficience available from <a class="user" href="http://www.omninerd.com/2006/07/16/articles/57">http://www.omninerd.com/2006/07/16/articles/57</a>
gary777gMar 7, 2008
To save gas, you must be able to use the gas pedal in a way that maximizes acceleration with minimal vacuum. A vacuum gauge is the best way to train yourself. Very light pressure on the pedal, never a fast start, NEVER accelerate UP hills and coast DOWN (as cruise control does). You must fight the urge to press the pedal as the hill slows you down - just let it slow you down! And then, with the help of gravity, you gently speed up after you crest the hill. It will drive people crazy who are behind you - but too bad! You will save alot of gas with this technique. NOT by using cruise control, as so many 'experts' tell us to do. THEY ARE WRONG> Cruise control ALWAYS wastes more gas compared to an experienced high mpg driver. MY other tips: use Mobil One, put Nitrogen in your tires (and add a couple psi), let your car inhale and exhale more easily by changing your intake (about $50-70), and your exhaust ($50 in my case), leave EARLY for work and drive SLOW, pick routes with the longest straightest roads, preferrably where others can easily pass you since you'll be going slower than traffic. Case in point: NOT using these techniques my car got 20-22mpg. Using them I can acheive 30 mpg! And even 'half using' them I can still realize 24-26 without making other drivers mad. Just remember: "You cruise - You lose!"
vramos11Apr 26, 2008
Turning off your engine at a light is inherently dangerous and possibly illegal in some states. Coasting in neutral I know is illegal in most states. AC costs about 3-5 MPG to run. Defrost also uses AC compressor. DOing 55 in a 65 zone can cause accidents. Car pooling is only good for those who work close to each other. Ask poolers about the late days and hassles that come with it.America is a 'time oriented' society. Slowing down is not an option for those who want to get ahead (or for those starting a family). This whole global warming oil shortage scam will 'evaporate' after the election. It always does. Once the economy rebounds, as its showing signs of doing NOW; people of all kinds will resume their hyper-consumption and borrowing against their future.So speed up and get a better job, for prosperity is just around the corner!!
sentaiSep 6, 2008
<a class="user" href="http://www.gu9.info">http://www.gu9.info</a> I appreciate the good advices written in this article