Dumb questions from a Newbie...

[Snax]

Neutral coasting benefits are heavily dependent upon the transmission setup. I found it to be of significant benefit in our pickup because it always seemed to be providing limited compression braking when left in Drive. I could actually feel the gears dropping down as speed bled off, with first gear creating a significant braking effect down to about 5 mph.

[Bill in Houston]

Originally Posted by kitcar

I drive a manual daily too. Love it. In the 1970s though (for you young guys, this was right around the time we invented fire and the wheel), I bought a brand new kit car (hence my nickname)-this was a Plymouth Volare, 2 door high speed pursuit (2.75 diameter front torsion bars), 360 Cu. In. Direct Connection stock car engine, stock car wheels, adjusting blade NASCAR approved rear spoiler, window retainer tabs, no A/C, etc. etc..

What a car... I never knew a Volare could be "ricey".

[slowmomma]

Ok sometimes I am undoubtedly going slow enough for that to happen especially during those times that I have to rock back and forth in my seat to get over the top of the hill. But once I start down watch out. sbayer

[LxMike]

slowmomma, what kind of car do you have??

[slowmomma]

A 93 buick skylark atomatic. It must have been made for crappy milage... power everything, no overdrive, and it's HUGE. In my defense... it wasn't my choice. I needed a car when my manual dodge neon took a poop and I needed something, anything to drive. My husband brought it home from work (he bought it from a co-worker who would take payments).
Shannon (slowmomma)

[brettds]

Originally Posted by Bubba Bob

My gear selection indicator doesnt work and I thought i was in drive, when i was actually in overdrive. oops hehehe

Most (all?) auto's will let you shift between neutral and drive simply by pushing up or down on the gear shifter without releaseing the lock. That way you can be sure not to accidently overshoot into reverse.

Brett

[diamondlarry]

Originally Posted by slowmomma

Thanks for all of the assistance guys! So... am I abnormal??? I clocked my commute last night (keep in mind I very rarely see another vehical in the middle of the night on my way home) it took over 20 minutes to drive 4.5 miles. Hehehe I admit it is hilly so I coast a lot and I coast to the stop signs. Am I over doing it if I am the only one around?! My Rpms don't even hit 1500 and speeds like 30/40/50 just don't apply. Although the speed limit is 35mph.
Feel free to laugh at me. I don't mind.
Shannon (slowmomma)

Your routine sounds very much like mine except I usually do it when it's still light out. So no, you're not overdoing it. I used to drive a '92 Gran Prix and, in that car anyway, it didn't make much difference between coasting in gear or in neutral. The best tank I ever did in it was 27 mpg which doesn't seem too bad for a 3.1 V-6.

One of my son's friends let me drive his '95 Camaro 6-speed earlier tonight. I was realllllly bad. After I got the smoky burn-out with 2nd gear squeel out of my system , I showed him a few hypermiling techniques. At 55 the engine was only turning ~1500 rpm's and bump starting in 6th was so smooth it was as if the engine just spontaneously started running. I really think that 30-35+ mpg would be possible with that car with the right amount of effort.