New MPG record!

[Ecky]

Many newer vehicles will advance timing if they detect higher octane fuel.

[sheepdog 44]

My best tank was 73.5mpg in a 01 CVT non-leanburn Insight. Last summer i didn't have a tank below 70mpg. I live in a really hilly area too. If you guys try as hard as i did to get 73.5, you can blow me out of the water!

Of course i have a 3 mile commute now. My current tank fcd display from the winter is so low i'm ashamed to say.

[cowmeat]

My best tank was 73.5mpg in a 01 CVT non-leanburn Insight. Last summer i didn't have a tank below 70mpg. I live in a really hilly area too. If you guys try as hard as i did to get 73.5, you can blow me out of the water!

Sheepdog,

What methods are you using that have the biggest effect in getting that kind of mpgs? I'm always looking for pointers to increase my mileage! Right now I've kind of leveled off a little under 70 mpg in Ron Burgundy, and of course I'm wanting go increase from there.

I haven't modded this car at all so far, but I plan on adding the three-button shifter and a full belly pan if I ever get a free weekend.

Good luck at Watkins Glen, man!

[sheepdog 44]

Turn off your AC and keep it under 55mph. Avoid the city cycle. My old commute was 20 miles one way. If you have to 58mph is ok. But that is just for my non-leanburn car. If you did that you would get over 80mpg i would think. All i've done was just drive with load with the engine always on, and the windows rolled up over 35mph. Only mod was a partial grill block.

[JohnAh]

I have no intention to be a teaser, I just found this thread in the Ecomodder newsletter and a few hour earlier i set a new personal record that made me both proud and slightly shocked. -My 40 year old Saab 96 got 4,3 l/100km (=66 mpg) today! -And that's a mix of 80% highway and 20% through the heart of Stockholm, the capitol of Sweden.

The Saab has a V4 1500cc carburetted stock engine with 4-speed gearbox. No engine mods, no aeromods, just efficient driving! Well... I have been around 4,7-5 L100 (56-60 mpg) for some time now, but that dropped even lower, probably with some help from the 7% larger front tyres (225/70/15").

The big magic is a more and more extreme use of the P&G, or as I prefer to call it, Burn & Glide driving. These old saabs have a gearbox freewheel, a rather amazing little device that makes shifting gear and engine on/off a lot easier. I have done this B&G for over a year now and the starter don't show any signs of wearing out yet. Obviously I'm getting quite skilled with the driving style.

[JohnAh]

Originally Posted by sheepdog 44

...and keep it under 55mph. Avoid the city cycle.

The way I perform the B&G, (B&C, P&G or whatever names they call it) I accelrate with about 80% throttle to 85 km/h (53mph), turn the engine off, glide down to 60-70 km/h (35-45 mph) and repeat the cycle over and over again as long as the traffic allows me to. In city traffic I just give the car a litte push and shut down the engine again. City traffic can actually be a helper to keep fuel consumption low, but you realy have to work hard for it.

By practising B&G you get a lot more observant and skilled at planning your driving. You look a lot wider and also think way beyond normal driver's capacity in the stressive city traffic. Even though I somtimes keep an annoyingly low pace I often pass by the heated BMW-people after a few traffic lights, sometimes more than once. I just love their faces!

[herberpower]

in December last year, the job car is not working. He is missing car at work. I started to use my car to work.

at work they are often short trips and the engine is cold. most days it's cold winter and at night. making it necessary to put the lights, fan and heated rear window.

now it is not cold. night is only part of the time.

to start using the car to work. climbed fuel consumption.

I made a modification. change tires 195 / 55R15 to 175 / 65R14 (origuinal measure). I put the tires covers.

at first start working consumption was 6.5 l / 100 (36 MPG US) . consumption is the work and private use.

consumption before leaving to use the car for work was 5.7 l / 100km (41 MPG US)

without using the car to work. since early May.

the last consumption was 4.3 l / 100km (54 mpg US). this is the consumption lower than I succeeded.

I think some things influenced the consumption.

Winter consume more. to put more lights. fan. Heated rear.

changing tires for a more narrow. and lighter. takes some of consumption.

the most important fact. how to drive. putting the longest speeds. accelerating treading the 80/100% throttle. if possible by the traffic. coming more slowly to traffic lights and stop.

I'm doing the same thing on the motorbike. but with worse results.