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- kacymartin, on 10/12/2007, -2/+32Driving with the tailgate down actually causes you to have worse MPG (if you've seen the Myth Busters experiment you know what I'm talkin about). It creates more drag which causes worse gas mileage.
- merreborn, on 10/12/2007, -4/+24"Freon probably causes cancer"
The freon in your AC never leaves your AC. You're right, it's not safe to breathe in, but it's in an enclosed system. - phobozad, on 10/12/2007, -2/+20They found that windows down was better at lower speeds, but at higher speeds it saved gas by using the A/C
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -2/+19"I don't run A/C because I don't like breathing "fake" air."
What the hell is fake air? A carboard cutout of air?
There's nothing different from that air, except for a cooler temp. - OrangeTide, on 10/12/2007, -2/+17driving with your tailgate down is hard on the hinge too, and can collect water inside the hinge resulting in rust. tailgates were really designed to be left in the latched position.
- bigdoug2005, on 10/12/2007, -4/+18"MYTH 3 - You need the best octane
And even engines where it's recommended you use premium gas can run on regular without any problems."
Yeah, unless it starts knocking, reduces your gas mileage, and screws over your engine. - seanlynch, on 10/12/2007, -2/+15"And even engines where it's recommended you use premium gas can run on regular without any problems."
That's just wrong. High-end sports cars that require premium gas typically have very high compression ratios in the cylinders of the engine. Using a low octane fuel can cause pre-mature combustion of the fuel/air mix in the cylinder before the piston has reached the peak of its cycle. It's called "knocking" and it's really really hard on your engine.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engine_knocking
You'd expect CNN to check these things before they start telling people to ignore their car's manufacturer. - tech10171968, on 10/12/2007, -4/+17Here's another gas saving myth: some folks around my town seem to think that driving a pickup truck with the tailgate down increases aerodynamic efficiency and saves gas. In reality this is patently false; there is little to no advantage to doing this (don't they realize their trucks were already tested in a wind tunnel during the design phase?)
- MalDON, on 10/12/2007, -3/+13Something like this was on the Myth Busters a while back.
- merreborn, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10high octane improves performance IN CARS DESIGNED TO USE IT.
Important distinction. High octane isn't gonna do ***** for your Yugo. - Nougat, on 10/12/2007, -4/+14Actually, the freon in your car AC system will leak out eventually. The AC pipes are joined together by rubber o-rings, and after some time under the hood (hot cold hot cold wet dry wet dry), those o-rings will fail. Even with o-rings that aren't leaking dramatically, some freon will slip by. Freon is tricky like that.
- Nougat, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9Octane ratings on gasoline have to do with when the fuel will combust under compression without a spark present. Higher octane - more compression required to ignite the fuel sans spark. If you run low octane fuel in a car that has a high compression engine, the fuel will pre-ignite, giving you "spark knock" and low performance. However, if you run high octane fuel in a car with low compression (which would not have spark knock with 87 octane), you're paying more for your gas and getting very little benefit (some fuel vendors put more additives in premium gas, purported to clean injectors and whatnot, but I call shenanigans).
So - if you have a little compact car, putting premium in it isn't going to make it run any better than regular unleaded. That one is true. - NerdyNinja, on 10/12/2007, -10/+19None of these are particularly shocking. Wont keep me from rolling the windows down on nice days, though. Freon probably causes cancer just like everything else, anyway.
- TheWestExit, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8digg down please
- chuffdogg, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7Actually they determined that windows down beats AC when going < 40MPH. Above 40MPH AC wins.
- saroth, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8The problem I have with the way the Mythbusters did that experiment is that, if I'm remembering correctly, they used a pickup truck. Pickup trucks are not as aerodynamic as most cars, so opening the windows does not mess up the aerodynamics as much as in a regular car.
- Chompy, on 10/12/2007, -3/+9"My Saturn ION has a HEPA filter"
Hey, that thing got a HEPA? - Urusai, on 10/12/2007, -2/+8I recently recharged the AC on my '73 Eldorado...R-12 is nearly $80 a can! The car's 500+ ci engine is such a gas hog, I don't get mileage, I get yardage.
- OrangeTide, on 10/12/2007, -9/+14windows down beats AC at low speeds, at highway speeds it's the other way around. Which is funny because rolling the windows down doesn't help much when you're going slow and you'd rather run the A/C, but it can really cool off a car quickly at high speed.
I don't run A/C because I don't like breathing "fake" air. Plus it makes me feel more manly to not need to be comfortable at all times. :) - swanny89, on 10/12/2007, -3/+8I thought rolling down your windows reduced gas mileage by creating a sort of "parachute" with the interior.
- shaun944, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6yep, high compression engines and specifically cars w/ turbos require better octane to prevent knocking. Some newer cars have sensors that will automaticallly retard the timing if they detect knocking, but that just means the car isn't making proper horsepower.
This is the reason race gasoline is much higher octane (100+) than street gasoline. - tnerb, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4I remember reading an article about what happens in cars that 'require' premium gas. It said that the computers in cars are more sophisticated now (especially on high end cars). The idea is that they can use the knock sensor to adjust settings to stop the knocking. This will result in a decrease in performance, but no real damage.
wish i could find the article, but i think it was in the local newspaper - zweben, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Hell, I don't care if A/C takes off 5MPG. If mine worked, i'd be using it in this heat.
Unfortunately... it does't work. - cduquette, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4You don't have to be all smug about it. :P
- merreborn, on 10/12/2007, -5/+8If you've got a car expensive enough that the mfg. suggests high octane, you've got enough cash that you really don't care how much you're spending on gas -- 1) the car must have cost $50k+ 2) You didn't buy it for fuel economy -- if you wanted that, you'd have bought a small and/or hybrid car.
- kacymartin, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4@OrangeTide
actually if you drive a GM truck (Silveraldo or Sierra) the hinge that holds the gate on has a tendency to snap off damaging the tailgate (it slams into the bumper and dents the hell out of the tailgate) - jakhtar, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I tried regular gas in my Jetta 1.8T (turbocharged gasoline engine). The enginer started knocking horribly at low speeds. At high speeds it was better, but I think that's because the rpm's were lower in 5th gear at cruiding speed - the turbo only activates at 2800+ rpm.
Still - it stressed me out enough that I've always used premium since then - it's only an extra $4-5 per tank. - webcrumb, on 10/12/2007, -3/+6"Here's another gas saving myth"
That one comment was more informative than the entirity of the CNN article. I mean, what the hell was that? A generic top 5 list?
*A car's MPG depends on how you drive it, not the manufacturer's figures. Well, duh.
*Additives don't improve efficiency. They can make the engine run sweeter, meaning you don't drive as hard, meaning... oh...
*Higher octance burns cleaner and more efficiently. Emmisions are reduced, and a more efficient engine means... oh...
*Rebate cards? Seriously? That's number four?
*AC... here's a tip. Turn it on going downhill or level. Turn it off when you need to accelerate or go uphill. That way you don't need to burn more fuel to get the power back the unit is taking from the engine. - EpicSA, on 10/12/2007, -5/+8Exactly. Like I am going to go by an article written by someone without even providing facts. My car requires high octane and I will be damned if I put something else in there based on this article.
Reported as inaccurate. - TheWestExit, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2There was a digg posted long time ago about 62 ways to save gas. Never got enough diggs for the front page.
http://digg.com/tech_news/62_Ways_to_Save_Money_at_the_Gas_Pump - Salvo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2The best way to prevent the A/C Gaskets and Hoses from Deteriorating is to run the Air Conditioner.
Hot Weather in Summer; Run the A/C to Cool and Dry the Air.
Cold Weather in Winter; Run the A/C with the Heater to Prevent the Windscreen from Fogging up.
You're engine will also run smoothly year-round; you won't notice and drop in Performance with the A/C on or off, and the Hoses and Gaskets will last longer. - gothamcityprjct, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2It was 96 degrees out today with over 50% humidity.
No doubt, I was ABUSING my A/C.
OF course, when I lived in Seattle WA (think forest/rainy area), I hardly EVER used A/C. Curse you Florida and your wicked sunshine! - mdowney00, on 10/12/2007, -6/+8My Saturn ION has a HEPA filter
- wistar, on 10/12/2007, -6/+8Are any cars still using Freon? I thought that was banned a decade or more ago.
- nerdgoturd, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2They had an episode like this on Mythbusters. The myth was that if you drove a pickup truck with the tailgate down then your gas mileage was better than driving with it up. however driving with it down created drag which inturn reduced gas proficiency.
http://kwc.org/mythbusters/2005/11/episode_43_seasickness_cures_f.html - natterca, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2sure. give me all your money and house now. I'll drive you out into the woods and leave you there.
- mandidp, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2There was also a gas-saving episode of Brianiac.
- EricPeters, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2MythBusters are God.
- misxn, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3You feel it going slower because the A/C unit draws power from your engine. If you have a 4-banger (4 cylinder engine) then it is more pronounced. An 8 cylinder car, you might only hear the compressor come on but the power drain is much less noticeable, if at all.
The actual difference in the amount of gas it uses is because your engine is outputting less power to the wheels while the compressor is on, thus we step on the pedal more. Which then leads to consuming more gas. - talz13, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2003-07-30-premiumgas_x.htm:
``All Porsche engines are designed for premium, too, but it's not available everywhere. "Our cars must be able to drive all over the world, and so we are able to run on regular," says Jakob Neusser, director of powertrain development at Porsche's research and development center in Weissach, Germany. "You don't have to feel that a mechanical problem or anything else will happen" using regular gas, even in the highest-performance, regular-production Porsches.`` - velocipenguin, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@Urusai:
Where the hell did you find R-12? - PurgueFlantar, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I"m constantly surprised by seemingly intelligent people that use high octane gas in their vehicles with no idea what it does and they have no call for it - they believe it's somehow good for their car nevertheless - and they don't want to hear otherwise.
- NoNom, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Mythbusters used Ford suvs and rolled down all of the windows. So the results should not apply to a sedan or compact with only 1 or 2 windows rolled down because bodies, ride height, and interior space are completely different.
- raptorGT, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Get a room!
- Twango, on 10/12/2007, -0/+11. The blurb says: "Think you're stretching out your gas dollars by not running your car's air conditioning? Think again."
2. Then, at the very bottom, the article says: "According to Edmunds.com, the air conditioning compressor does pull power from the engine wasting some gas"
a. They actually had to consult an expert to figure out that drawing energy from the engine uses gas.
b. The 2nd statement completely contradicts the first.
TOTAL airhead fluff award! Trashcan - raptorGT, on 10/12/2007, -0/+11. The MPG rating is designed for a cruise speed of 48mph. Woohoo. I can almost feel the air rushing past my chinny chin chin. I cruise at 60-70, sometimes 80mph depending on the zone for the highway. Out in the middle of BFE, speeds can top 90mph because hey, what are you going to hit out there? A bug?
2. Newer filters and technology from real, no-***** companies does make a difference. I gained 50 miles more from a tank just from putting on a new filter versus the older paper filter from the factory.
3. Think about this for a moment. Octane. Octane chains determine the Octane Rating on the gas. Most engines are tuned for 90, yet can run on 87. This is why they say to run a slightly higher octane or use an octane booster to eliminate "pinging" in your engine. The pinging comes from a short-lived duration of lower octane gas or "predetonation" in the engine. This happens when gas explodes as soon as it's sprayed into the combustion chamber due to higher than normal heat and BEFORE the spark plug has a chance to fire. When this happens, the powertrain control module (PCM) advances the timing on the spark via the ignition module resulting in a faster spark so the gas doesn't have time to predetonate. In some cases, a weaker ignition module will create a low-yield spark and the gas fails to ignite and instead just burns off with no bang. More advanced engines have an exhaust gas recycler (EGR) built into it which is a seperate bypass feeding the fumes back into the engine via the intake manifold for re-burn. EGRs can increase MPG because less "new" gas needs to be injected into the engine every four cycles. Using a higher octane gas is also the same reason we cook things with butter for a crispier browning versus straight up oil. Thicker, higher viscosity gases and oils don't break down as easily. And speaking of oil, oil DOES make a difference in your engine! For more aggressive driving, be sure to run at least a synthetic blend oil. If you don't mind a higher price (about $8 US) per quart for full synthetic, get it. It not only lasts longer mileage-wise, but is more thermally dynamic and efficient than your traditional $1.25 per quart 10w30 from the gas station. Royal Purple is THE best synthetic oil you can get on the market and remember, the typical American car uses about 4.5 to 5 quarts of oil. Some larger vehicles such as full-size trucks may require upward of 7.5 to 8 quarts!
4. Gas Rebate cards can go straight to hell. If you want to save money, get a credit card. Rebate cards shown at the pumps in those cute little pamphlets are a waste of YOUR money and benefit only the company trying to sell it to you. Ignore them, they're a scam. If you miss one payment, they bend you over and have their way with you.
5. Air-conditioning does USE gas, but it doesn't "waste" it. Point is, when your engine is running, a flywheel attached to the crankshaft of your engine turns a belt connected to the other "accessories" on your engine such as oil pump, water pump, power steering pumps, alternator/generator (for you older VW guys), and in some cases, forced induction systems like super or turbo chargers (that's a whole other chapter). All of these are necessities on your vehicle and modifying them WILL have an effect on how your car runs. There are kits out there called "underdrive kits" which replace the size of the pulleys on some of the accessories. Depending on what sort of climate you're in, you can attach the desired kit to change certain aspects of the car such as the way the engine cools. This often results in losses or gains in horsepower and/or torque. Some kits will void factory/extended warranties, so consult your paperwork before doing something stupid! As for forced induction, these often require advanced cooling devices to regulate engine temperatures and are good for one thing: more power. Superchargers are best for low-end torque (getting off the line) and turbos are great for high-end horsepower. Some newer cars come with both! By using forced induction, more air is forced into the engine, often raising compression ratios, but at the same time, fully atomizing gas in the combustion chamber resulting in a cleaner burn, less wasted gas, and a little more "kick" when you hit the long, skinny pedal! :-D There's tons more to how all this works and I simply don't have the time to explain it all, but yes, there are ways to save gas and knowing how your car works is 90% of the battle. Since belts and physical matter take more energy to move, most newer cars are fitted with electrical servos for throttle bodies, power steering pumps, fuel pumps (inside your gas tank replacing the old vacuum-driven siphoning system in older carburated systems), and much more. - spectre_25gt, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Turbo cars often need premium gas to avoid preignition and will often even see a performance increase on race gas (104 octane). I don't know who came up with these, but they're completely stupid. Reported as inaccurate.
- Buelldozer, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1The problem is that you don't undestand aerodynamics! At lower speed, say below 45MPH you're better off with open windows. At higher speed, say aove 45MPH, the open windows create sufficient drag to make the A/C more efficient.
In laymens terms it's like this: To double the speed, the engine needs to produce four times more power. - raptorGT, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1You are absolutely dead-on correct! The reason for the colder-humid climate and not being able to start your car is in my response to the article just below your's. The 87 will burn immediate since it has a shorter carbon chain than the 93. This is why Pentane and Hexane come with warning labels that would make hairspray envious! Not only does it burn quickly, very hot, and mostly without smell, but you can't really see the flame either! lol
Turns out most of the people replying to that ***** article on Digg are sharper than the people graduating from UTI! Go Diggers! - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3I love wasting gas, it just feels good.
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