How to accelerate in P&G mode?

[R.I.D.E.]

Look at a Brake Specific Fuel Consumption Map.

There is an area on the map that represents the most horsepower for the least fuel. I like to call it the "sweet spot".

The most basic and essential component of effective P&G is to understand that you try to stay in the "sweet spot".

The Sweet Spot is easy to determine even without special equipment.

Put your car in a gear that is higher than you would normally use. The Sweet Spot is the point where when you apply increasing amounts of throttle, you get almost no difference in acceleration.

It takes a very long time for my VX to accelerate from 1200 RPM to 2000 RPM in 5th gear, compared to using second or third gear, or even fourth gear.

Given the option by the traffic around you, use the highest gear at the lowest RPM for the pulse.

In some cases I actually have to downshift in order to accelerate more rapidly. After driving for 42 years, my shifting is second nature, including any rev matching. I don't look at any instruments, it's pretty much instinctive.

I have to stay within a minimum and maximum range of average speed to keep in time with traffic lights. When it works I can go through 26 lights without idling for 1 minute total time in a 20 mile drive.

This requires me to accelerate faster than I would if I had no lights or traffic to deal with. MY success at "adaptive P&G" is reflected in my mileage.

If I was on Route 17 north of Gloucester VA, where the road is 2 lanes, divided, with a 55 MPH speed limit and virtually no traffic, I could probably get close to 70 MPG, without EOC.

I read here that turning off the engine on a VX, causes the lean burn system to not work for 30 seconds after a restart. I may test this one day when I have time, and I am working on a very simple system for topping off my fuel tank in increments of less than a gallon, so I can make precise comparisons under identical situations without haveing to drive 250+ miles between fillups. That range of distance for me only uses about 40% of my tank capacity.

regards
gary