Is my car burning air?

[1993CivicVX]

Just got back from a 243 mile round trip to the airport and back. Moderate hypermiling the whole way. Started off with 173 miles on the odo. Smidge below full tank. Got home, gas gauge was just coming off half a tank. Spent most of the last hour and a half nudging about a CH about every 30 minutes. Now just a smidge below half.

173+243=416 miles at just a smidge below half tank (right before I got home the needle was still wobbling to a CH above half tank). I'm extremely baffled and incredulous. I've had tanks on the E at 416 miles before. Granted I was driving to save gas and EOCed like a madman.

I had a passenger and about 150 pounds or so of cargo on the ride down to the airport. Just me on the ride back. Both ways there near the airport there was heavy crawling traffic which I took advantage of. Slow pulse-- coast (often with engine off) On the ride back I was really able to keep it in lean a lot. I am getting better at feeling for lean burn.

Max speed was 70mph but not for very long (drafting at that speed seems counterproductive). Highway speeds were around 60mph. Most roads (ie route 22) were 55mph with a few towns thrown in for good measure. Started from southwestern massachussetts straight down route 22 to I-684 to Hutchinson River Parkway to 678 Van Wyck Expressway to JFK terminal 7. Hah! I even saw another hypermiler on the drive down! But he was hypermiling it much more than me. Green civic on Route 22. Not sure what county but about a half hour from I-684 around 4:20pm Sunday afternoon. Maybe it was someone on this site?

Anyway, felt like sharing my hypermiling successes of late. Don't hate me for it.

[theholycow]

Congratulations!

Originally Posted by 1993CivicVX

I was driving to save gas and EOCed like a madman.

I had a passenger and about 150 pounds or so of cargo on the ride down to the airport.

How did your passenger react to madmanesque EOC?

Hah! I even saw another hypermiler on the drive down! But he was hypermiling it much more than me.

Why do you say he was hyper-hypermiling?

Heh, maybe we could make a scale like Spaceballs used for speed...you were going at Plaid-FE, and passed him while he was going Ludicrous-FE!

[suspendedhatch]

Your topic title grabbed my attention. A typical car cruising at a steady state typically burns 15 times as much air as fuel. Your VX at cruise will burn upwards of 18 times more air than fuel. Pretty insane when you look at it in those terms. If you quizzed someone on the street, they'd guess that the engine burns more fuel than air. Many people don't even understand that an engine requires air at all.

[trautotuning]

Originally Posted by suspendedhatch

Many people don't even understand that an engine requires air at all.

Hahah i have encountered those types you have nooo idea how many times in the past its sooo funny.

Now imagine throwing lean burn there and burning 25 times more air than fuel! SAVINGS SAVINGS SAVINGS!

[R.I.D.E.]

I think you need a bumper sticker;

Please pass me, I drive slow. I'll see you again when I pass you at the gas station.



regards
gary

[GasSavers_RoadWarrior]

In an idle moment I figured you'd only have to do about 20mpg at 100mph to beat a Bugatti Veyron or Ferrari Enzo Ferrari on a Cannonball.

[Jay2TheRescue]

Originally Posted by trautotuning

Hahah i have encountered those types you have nooo idea how many times in the past its sooo funny.

Now imagine throwing lean burn there and burning 25 times more air than fuel! SAVINGS SAVINGS SAVINGS!

LOL, I can remember from my days of driving an ambulance (hence the 2TheRescue in my name) that was something they taught us. I drove for a rural squad, and it was possible to encounter accidents involving all sorts of farm machinery. They told us that if we didn't know how to shut down a piece of equipment, discharge a fire extuingisher down the air intake for the engine. It will shut down...

-Jay

[1993CivicVX]

My passenger didn't mind too much about the crazy EOCing all the time, but she was a little concerned we'd take too long getting to the airport. She thought it was funny all the motions I make like the clutch in out quickly for the bump start and always turning the key off and on again.

I believe he was hypermiling because he was coasting up to the light (I was not hypermiling to that degree--I had to brake considerably for the same light) and then accelerated from the light very slowly. I didn't get a good look at the driver, but he didn't seem very old so I don't know what other reason he would roll so slowly up to a light for and accelerate so slowly from it. (not to stereotype old people for slow driving, but I do notice--my grandparents for instance--many old people drive well for FE.)

[1993CivicVX]

Originally Posted by R.I.D.E.

I think you need a bumper sticker;

Please pass me, I drive slow. I'll see you again when I pass you at the gas station.



regards
gary

I have a little bumper sticker that says simply 60+mpg. I think I'll put it on my gas tank door as I am now getting 60+mpg on a regular basis.