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Folks,
I was just wondering what do you all do that you consider hypermiling? I avoid busy highways and stick to the rural highways (less stop signs, traffic). I coast when I can. I don't much else other then those two things.
My wife and I broke in her new truck with a long drive down PCH. She rarely used the gas pedal. She used the gas so lightly it seemed illegal. We got home 400 miles later with a average MPG of 36 on a new 2008 Ford Escape with a 3.0 V6.
I now keep my revs under 2000 at all times. My mileage has increased to 20 mpg in a 1/2 ton truck.
I use cruise control whenever possible locking it in at the posted speed limit. Don't use cruise control in heavy traffic, rain, or ice/snow.
Release cruise control or take foot off gas early to coast to the stop sign or red light. How early I do this depends on my speed and if there are vehicles behind me.
Accelerate at a reasonable rate (I keep my RPMs at around 2000).
Only things in my trunk are my spare tire, jack, and small air compressor. No junk in my car adding weight.
I check my tire pressures twice a month. I inflate them to the vehicle recommended pressure.
My car is a 2003 Chevy Malibu with a 3.1L V6 and I average 22.5 mpg mostly city driving.
I don't see how cruise control can improve gas mileage in a relatively small car with a 4-cylinder engine. Every time you come to a bit of a hill, the CC slaps it into passing gear and sucks it up the hill at whatever speed you are set at. Does it also do that in big cars? I refuse to use it, ever. I have no problem at all holding a steady foot and keeping a steady speed, and I can hear the difference in speed, so I don't even need to watch the speedometer.
I don't see how cruise control can improve gas mileage in a relatively small car with a 4-cylinder engine. Every time you come to a bit of a hill, the CC slaps it into passing gear and sucks it up the hill at whatever speed you are set at. Does it also do that in big cars? I refuse to use it, ever. I have no problem at all holding a steady foot and keeping a steady speed, and I can hear the difference in speed, so I don't even need to watch the speedometer.
The roads where I live are flat. We do have a few overpasses and under passes. If there's no one behind me then I'll maintain the gas pedal without cruise control. But if there's traffic behind me I leave it engaged. Not everyone pays close attention to their speed. Cruise control helps to maintain a steady speed to avoid the slow down/speed up most people do daily. I used cruise control in my 1994 Chevy Cavalier with a 2.2L 4 cylinder and it helped to increase my fuel economy by about two to three mpg. When going down a hill, the cruise control backs off on the gas until the speed comes down slightly below it's setting and then it increases the gas again so the amount of gas it uses going up hills is slightly offset by the amount it doesn't use when it goes downhill.
I usually dont go over the speed limit.
I usually try to time a red light so i dont need to use the brakes till the last few feet before the stopline as using the brakes is scrubbing off speed that took gas to get to..
Long red lights i turn off the motor.
Keep tires at 35psi and check them at least once a week..
Use 5w-20 Synthetic oil.
My Toyota Yaris gets between 40-50mpg..
When going down a hill, the cruise control backs off on the gas until the speed comes down slightly below it's setting and then it increases the gas again so the amount of gas it uses going up hills is slightly offset by the amount it doesn't use when it goes downhill.
I don't see how that is better than giving a little gas downhill and slowly losing speed up hill. It takes less energy to accelerate downhill then uphill, so why would the reverse use less gas?
Most modern cars have a system called Defco (Deceleration Fuel Cut Off) so that when you are decelerating in gear the fuel gets cut off, Heres a discussion on the matter from a very good hypermiling forum..
I always leave early so that I won't feel rushed. This reduces my temptation to speed and accelerate rapidly.
Let people pass me by, resisting the urge to race them to the next red light.
Look far ahead down the road at the next traffic light to determine whether I should lift my foot off the gas and start coasting.
Drive below the speed limit. If it's 55mph (in the city), I'll drive 55. But if it's 70mph, I'll stay in the lower 60s unless there is heavy traffic going 70+++ and I feel like I'm backing up traffic. In that case, I'll go 70.
Try to reduce the number of trips. Run as many errands as possible without returning home for each (saving grocery shopping for last).
Just to reiterate sailordaves point: NEVER use cruise control in rain. I know of two people that have gotten in serious accidents because of this. The automakers build cars that can detect rainfall and use the info to control wiper speeds. I don't know why they can't use the same technology to automatically turn off cruise control or at least warn the driver.
Very nice guys and gals! I'm going to try that whole not going over 2000 rpms.
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