Hey
Im heading out east on friday and wasn't to know if some people could give me a few tips on how to be fuel efficient. I know that I shouldn't be driving on the 401 in 4th gear, even though i like responsivness.
Cheers
the slower you drive in 5th gear, the better mileage you'll get.
also, cruise control! stable speed = better fuel mileage than constantly changing your speed.
(07-07-2010, 12:22 AM)KillaCamST Wrote: [ -> ]Hey
Im heading out east on friday and wasn't to know if some people could give me a few tips on how to be fuel efficient. I know that I shouldn't be driving on the 401 in 4th gear, even though i like responsivness.
Cheers
Correct tire pressure - fresh oil (5W-20)- follow the up-shift light - coast to stop sign or stop light - lose weight (the car that is ... don't carry anything you don't need) - tailgate big rigs.
Ditching a fat girlfriend will help with the mileage and save wear and tear on the suspension.
drive the speed limit even though you might not want to, 5th gear the whole time
and as said, oil change b4, check tire pressures as you go and make sure your air filter is clean (if you have stock one then i cant really check)
Check your plug wires and plugs to make sure they are in good operating order as well.
4th gear probably means its an auto. Light on the gas, even when to pass.
You should be fine. Put the tires about 1 or 2 PSI higher than what your door jam says too. Not higher than that!!!!!!
In my modded Duratec Auto Lastnight I did 204 HWY KM's and only sucked back 75% of a quarter of a tank. Cruising from 120KM to 145KM.
You should be fine.
Enjoy the road and keep the shiny side up.
DON'T use cruise control...especially on hills. BUT, you must be good with the throttle foot...
If I use cruise, I get on the gas and speed up on the down hills so then the cruise doesn't have to mash the throttle 3/4 to the floor to try and maintain speed on the up hill (major gas waster).
With an auto as well, don't lift all the way off the throttle when slowing (on the highway)...this unlocks the direct output in the tranny...if not, when you go to speed up again, your slipping with the viscous drive for a few seconds before it locks back up again.
And momentum is everything. Which means stay off the brakes. Every time you slow with the brakes means you gotta burn gas to get that speed back up again. This becomes second nature when your looking WAY down the road, anticipating traffic and lights.
The most effective way to save gas in a car is your driving habits. But I also like to over inflate my tires a little, stay out of the ruts on the road, draft a little, don't use the AC and turn the engine off when waiting at the drive thru/waiting for a train/stuck in grid lock...
Get a TDI.
i'm going to Quebec City this weekend. ITs 800Kms from my place one way. I like to see if i can get away with one tank for fuel round trip!
i know no way!
(07-07-2010, 08:16 AM)WuNgUnSVT Wrote: [ -> ]DON'T use cruise control...especially on hills. BUT, you must be good with the throttle foot...
If I use cruise, I get on the gas and speed up on the down hills so then the cruise doesn't have to mash the throttle 3/4 to the floor to try and maintain speed on the up hill (major gas waster).
With an auto as well, don't lift all the way off the throttle when slowing (on the highway)...this unlocks the direct output in the tranny...if not, when you go to speed up again, your slipping with the viscous drive for a few seconds before it locks back up again.
And momentum is everything. Which means stay off the brakes. Every time you slow with the brakes means you gotta burn gas to get that speed back up again. This becomes second nature when your looking WAY down the road, anticipating traffic and lights.
The most effective way to save gas in a car is your driving habits. But I also like to over inflate my tires a little, stay out of the ruts on the road, draft a little, don't use the AC and turn the engine off when waiting at the drive thru/waiting for a train/stuck in grid lock...
The idea behind using cruise control is to avoid the inevitable speed-creep ... one minute you're doing a hundred and the next you're doing your usual 120 ... it's really difficult to maintain a slow and steady speed without it. Yes, it burns a bit more fuel trying to maintain speed up hills, but we tend to do that ourselves ... OTH it saves you fuel by letting up on the gas going down ... something that the human right foot is loathe to do ... I've tested it myself ... and for me - I can't beat the cruise when it comes to saving fuel.
Yeah I used the cruise while down in the US (to keep myself out of trouble) and ended up averaging 30MPG for the trip with the A/C on.
NefCanuck
God, how I wish more people would use their cruise control... It get's tiring having to play the yo-yo speed game with those who haven't found the cruise control button.
I set it to my minimum speed and then I don't have to worry about being one of those knuckleheads who speeds up and slows down excessively and needlessly.
(07-07-2010, 11:46 AM)darkpuppet Wrote: [ -> ]I set it to my minimum speed and then I don't have to worry about being one of those knuckleheads who speeds up and slows down excessively and needlessly.
Nothing more annoying than passing and being passed by the same darned car 6 times an hour. Like dude, pick a speed already. I don't really care if you're in front of me or behind me...just choose one...
(07-07-2010, 01:35 PM)OAC_Sparky Wrote: [ -> ]Nothing more annoying than passing and being passed by the same darned car 6 times an hour. Like dude, pick a speed already. I don't really care if you're in front of me or behind me...just choose one...
I dunno, as long as the yo yo isn't doing anything dangerous (
like speeding up to pass you like a bat out of hell and then slamming on the brakes once they are in front of you) then I say let the yo-yo's act like yo-yo's
It's when they're unsafe doing it that I have an issue, otherwise I just laugh at their stupidity
NefCanuck
(07-08-2010, 01:44 AM)NefCanuck Wrote: [ -> ]I dunno, as long as the yo yo isn't doing anything dangerous (like speeding up to pass you like a bat out of hell and then slamming on the brakes once they are in front of you) then I say let the yo-yo's act like yo-yo's
It's when they're unsafe doing it that I have an issue, otherwise I just laugh at their stupidity
NefCanuck
I've got better things to do than play "leapfrog". I set my cruise control at 119kmh on the highway. What's annoying is when you pass someone doing 118, then they speed up and pass you and then slow down to 118 again.
I put on a lot of highway kms, it's bad enough on the 2-lane 401 with tractor-trailers taking 10 minutes to pass one another (because one is doing 99.5kmh and the other is doing 99.55kmh) then you get Mr. "I can't hold a steady speed guy" boxing you in.
Well off topic now, so I might as well add the fucking idiots that stay in the middle lane...especially if your doing 101 Km/h.
I don't care if your doing 149 Km/h, move back into the right lane after passing, because you'll eventually end up holding somebody up, and cause the hammer lane to be over-congested.
