The single most important improvement to FE you can ever do. FREE.

[basjoos]

Originally Posted by CO ZX2

Sorry, I first thought your reply was directed to someone else.

I have done no official tests on uphills but have been driving in the manner you describe by accelerating before and quite often during uphill climbs. I almost always do this on hills not too long, i.e., that I can see the crest. I am sure I have improved my uphill FE with these methods.

Longer climbs I get questionable payback for increased approaching speed. But during long climbs I will accelerate if my instant MPG drops below 30 MPG. When my SG II drops into the 20-30 MPG range, extra throttle does not lower the MPG reading substantially(when it's that low, how much lower can it get?). Quite often I can level off after acceleration to a higher speed and see much improved MPG readings for a time. I downshift only when absolutely necessary and when I do I will accelerate immediately to gain enough momentum to get back in 5th gear as soon as possible.

If you drive this way, I would like to hear your assessments.

My main hill is a 1000 foot climb up to the North Carolina state line. The 1st part of it is a steep 3rd gear climb for about half of the elevation increase, then a stop sign before getting onto US25, which is more gradual 4th gear climb. I used to maintain cruising speed (40mph) to the base of the hill, then go to 80% throttle and drop into the lower gears as my speed dropped off during the climb, coasting to the stop, then 80% throttle accelleration up to 4th gear on US25, then using the minimum throttle needed to maintain 40mph for the rest of the climb. But for the last few tanks I have been accelerating up to 55mph at the base of the hill then going to full throttle and dropping gears as my speed dropped off in the climb. So I am spending about half the time in 3rd than I used to. The rest of the climb is the same as before. Tank mileage seems to have improved by 1 to 2 mpg since I made this change. When Yoshi cranks up production of the MPG SuperMID, I'm planning to get one so I can get faster and more specific feedback on changes in my driving technique.

[Gary Palmer]

Originally Posted by cfg83

skewbe -



For me, the only question is whether I can get a "free brake" + hydraulics with the engine off/in gear/downhill. I know it will slow me down, but my traffic density is so dangerous that I don't have many spots where I feel safe enough to coast downhill/engine off/in neutral. I need my brakes and steering on the 710 going South because the semis are taking crap to and from the Long Beach Harbor (literally by the boatload).

Any time the tire rolls forward with no gas to the engine is an MPG benefit, period.

CarloSW2

If you have the engine off, but you have it in gear, it will still generate a vacume in the intake manifold and you will still have vacume assist, for your braking need's. Another thing to keep in mind is that even if the vacume goes completely to zero, you still have braking, you just have to realllly stand on it to get it to slow down because of the lack of mechanical leverage you have lost, because of losing vacume.

I agree with you about driving in L.A. You need all of your car's capabilities fully functional 100% of the time with no fiddling around.

[Ted Hart]

Originally Posted by ELF

I blew up my share of mufflers back in the day. I used to do that all the time. I found out that a regular glass pack would not blow up the way a regular mufflers did. I was pretty disappointed when I got my first FI vehicle, no more BANG!

No more "bang" because there is no fuel in the exhaust to go "bang"!

[Ted Hart]

Originally Posted by CO ZX2

diamondlarry. Thanks. What do you see for MPG during your glide before you get 9999? What I meant to ask of in Current Trip mode is the MPG reading during glide. You should be showing a steadily rising MPG number as you glide. Also do you show a reading of GPH in Gauge mode when injectors are shut off.

Have you talked with DeLong about your SG? What does he say?

Will someone please answer a question for me about the Scangauge? All this dependency on Scangauge readings causes me to wonder...how (if at all) is the Scangauge calibrated? Is there a calibration step? How? -Ted Hart

[CO ZX2]

landspeed: 10,000 ft . I wish I lived that high up!.

landspeed, This is beautiful country but I don't know a soul who lives here for gas mileage. I lived here for 10 years and just accepted the mountain climbs as part of my reward, never dreaming that FE could be accomplished to any degree. When I leave Denver, 75 miles away, and wind my way home, I climb over a mile in altitude. Not much 60-70 MPG there. If it wasn't for scenery it would be depressing if you let be.

Most people here are too timid, too lazy, too scared, too stubborn, and with a multitude of excuses to make any honest attempt for FE. I guess the same types exist everywhere. I would like to have the money spent on fuel for all the SUVs @ 8-10 MPG on this drive for just 1 day. Beyond that economy cars are lucky to get 20 MPG. All of them do very little, if any, better for FE travelling the opposite direction. Come on in. We have plenty of wide open spaces.

[skewbe]

Originally Posted by Ted Hart

Will someone please answer a question for me about the Scangauge? All this dependency on Scangauge readings causes me to wonder...how (if at all) is the Scangauge calibrated? Is there a calibration step? How? -Ted Hart

RTM, it does a trueup at fillup.

[landspeed]

Originally Posted by CO ZX2

landspeed: 10,000 ft . I wish I lived that high up!.

landspeed, This is beautiful country but I don't know a soul who lives here for gas mileage. I lived here for 10 years and just accepted the mountain climbs as part of my reward, never dreaming that FE could be accomplished to any degree. When I leave Denver, 75 miles away, and wind my way home, I climb over a mile in altitude. Not much 60-70 MPG there. If it wasn't for scenery it would be depressing if you let be.

Most people here are too timid, too lazy, too scared, too stubborn, and with a multitude of excuses to make any honest attempt for FE. I guess the same types exist everywhere. I would like to have the money spent on fuel for all the SUVs @ 8-10 MPG on this drive for just 1 day. Beyond that economy cars are lucky to get 20 MPG. All of them do very little, if any, better for FE travelling the opposite direction. Come on in. We have plenty of wide open spaces.

I wouldn't move there simply for FE, but it sounds like the kind of place I like (I'm from Scotland!). I have been to the US once before, to Georgia, and it wasn't really my kind of place, but I have seen pictures of the Rockies and it seems very nice.

The problem would of course be emigration - I work in medicine so I think I would have to do the transfer test (OK), but I wouldn't want to have to start from my junior years again .

[LxMike]

Originally Posted by Ted Hart

Will someone please answer a question for me about the Scangauge? All this dependency on Scangauge readings causes me to wonder...how (if at all) is the Scangauge calibrated? Is there a calibration step? How? -Ted Hart

here's the online manual. it the same thing you get with the scanguage.


http://www.scanguage.com/support/pdfs/SGIIManual.pdf

[CO ZX2]

Yesterday we drove to a town we visit occasionally. 206 miles roundtrip by same route. I used my bottle level for the first time as a help in recognizing coasting opportunities. Level worked well for me despite some jiggling on bumps. Definitely accurate enough to help me pick coasting spots. I looked back on my records and this trip was by far my best MPG on this route.

I posted my bottle level and more explanation(post#5) yesterday on:
http://www.gassavers.org/showthread.php?t=2805

[CO ZX2]

Originally Posted by CO ZX2

Two days ago I drove 20 miles to the top of a mountain near me. I wanted to do a concrete test of the benefits of Engine Off Coasting in a manner that anyone can understand. I already know that this is the longest coast in my area.

My test would compare Engine Off Coasting in high gear with Engine Off Coasting in neutral. Engine on coasting can only be worse in each case.

Turned out to not be much of a test at first. In gear, car would not even roll downhill on a sizable grade. No problem with that in neutral.

So I decided on a running start from 55 MPH for each scenario. I would travel down the mountain till car speed slowed to 30 MPH, stop and note the miles travelled, immediately turn around and drive back up to the start.

1. Engine Off Coast in 5th gear. Car slowed immediately after engine was shut off. Fastest speed recorded with ScanGauge was 53 MPH. Average speed was 36 MPH. Distance travelled 5.1 miles, much of it near 30 MPH. Even so, no fuel was used. Turned around and drove back up mountain to start. At that point, SG current trip 47.2 MPG for 10.2 miles. This is a climb that would indicate about 25 MPG without the coast being involved.

2. Engine Off Coast in neutral. Car gained speed from the start. Fastest speed recorded 76 MPH with hitting the brakes twice to stay near 75 MPH. Average speed was 56 MPH. Distance travelled 8.7 miles. No fuel used.
Turned around, drove back to start. SG current trip 67.4 MPG for 17.4 miles.

This amounts to 70% more miles travelled and +20 MPG over the 17.4 miles.

I ran each test a second time and results were so close they don't bear repeating.

I attribute much of my FE success to this very thing. I honestly believe this is the single most important ingredient of my FE. And it's all FREE.

New coasting info. 3/15/07

I have had both my front fender skirts finished for a couple days. For the last 3 months I have been refining with left side only.

Link to front skirt project: http://www.gassavers.org/showthread.php?t=2173

Yesterday I drove the coasting route used in tests above. Coasting speeds were significantly higher at every point. Where I had braked twice before to stay close to 75 MPH, I had to brake 6 times yesterday.

When I reached the point where I had slowed to 30 MPH before, I was going 40 MPH yesterday. This extra 10 MPH allowed me to clear a rise at 32 MPH that I had never cleared in many tries at any speed. There was enough additional downgrade to coast another 3.8 miles till I slowed to 30 MPH.

This coast was 12.5 miles vs 8.7 in original test. These runs were Engine Off in neutral.

Reminder. Coast with Engine Off in 5th gear till slowing to 30 MPH in original test 5.1 miles. I did not repeat this run yesterday because of the obvious uselessness of doing so. Yesterday's coast was near 2.5 times as far.

Don't you think everyone should be Engine Off Neutral Coasting at every available opportunity? Even if you have to make your own opportunities.