My commute is pretty brutal. Going to school the roads are almost completely flat.
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I usually manage 20 mpg just by trying to get out of the snow-filled cul-de-sac, turn right onto a 4 lane street that has speed humps because it's a school zone
(40km/h maximum).
I usually do 45km/h in 4th gear down this road and if I'm lucky, I can get about 300 feet of FAS'ing to a stoplight.
When the light turns green, I continue down the road, do a 500 foot FAS to the traffic lighted intersection at Highway 33 (Arcola Avenue). I usually bump-start my car just before making the right turn on highway 33 since it's a free-flow turning lane, however sometimes I need to sit behind dorky drivers that wait until it's completely clear so they can cross all 3 lanes when they turn.
After the turn, I immediately need to accelerate and merge into the left-most lane. Highway 33 has a speed limit of 70km/h but everyone is flying to the next stoplight, so I'm no doubt going to cut someone off at 50km/h. There's 2 traffic lights I need to go through
(at the interchange) before I'm able to make a left turn onto the TC Highway
(which is a challenge due to the fact that there's tons of cars coming toward me at this left turn).
This onramp is virtually the only downhill in the commute, yet I can't EOC because I need to accelerate and merge. I usually shift into 3rd at 30km/h, 4th at 40km/h and then 5th at 55km/h. Accelerate and set the cruise control at 70-80km/h. Nearly get smoked off by someone who is impatient and accelerates like a mad man just before I make the merge.
I continue to do 70-80km/h on the highway with the scanguage showing an average of 45mpg at the speed because my car is cold as hell, well not literally. The temperature guage finally creeps up for the "C" position on the instument panel just as I take the University exit. I do a short 600 foot EOC as I exit
(since I'm only doing 70km/h) and need to hit the brakes at the Research Drive exit. It is usually the most slippery part of my commute and I can't go very fast around it.
After the turn is completed, I bump start again and accelerate to 40km/h
(speed limit) and immediately do another FAS as I loop around the turning circle
(also very slipery). I do some more Fas and bump starts before ending my trip at the university parking lot. Immediately shut off engine and at this point the SG shows ~40mpg trip and the temperature gauge shows 170*F
(not even fully warmed up).
The only reason why my tanks aren't 38-41mpg all the time is because I do a heck of a lot more driving that just my commute. For comparison purposes, my dad says that whenever he drives my Geo, the SG trip usually hovers around the 27mpg mark.
I had the moon disc, 1/4 panel wheel skirts and side mirrors removed for the whole tank. Winter's gone here, warm temps should be around for a while now. I've got a sluggest O2 sensor that I plan on replacing in the next couple of weeks so that should also help.
.
. I'll report my mpg for that new route tomorrow. Thanks MetroMPG.
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