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wkiernan, I read the list and was going to post the exact point you just made and Metro answered. Although some of the ideas in the list are good, most of the techniques listed are actually just good ways to trick OBD2 scan gauges into showing you a better MPG than you're actually getting.
The other point of the list is that while it may it may give you better fuel economy it is more likely to encourage other roadusers to expend more fuel. If faking a turn for example might get others to pass you or it might just get them to brake anticipating your slowing down. It might also piss them off, getting them to accelerate to get around you. So you saved 0.1l of fuel hypermiling home but caused other roadusers to expend 2l of fuel avoiding you.
The whole pulse and coast thing is also very specific and if you shut your engine off for the coast will make your general mechanic very happy. Starter motors are engineered to last for X number of starts. It also puts a significant drain on your battery and you then have to expend extra fuel charging it up again. You can bump start the car too but that puts significant wear on your clutch as they are not designed to be shocked in the opposite direction (breaks the steel straps in the pressure plate). So you might save $100 in fuel but spend $1500 on a new clutch.
Also, an accelerating engine produces more emissions and burns a lot more fuel. During cruise many vehicles use EGR and lean running modes to improve efficiency. They don't operate immediately after a start.
Finally, I have one last thing that can be added to the list.
Use the lowest octane fuel approved for your vehicle. Not only is lower octane fuel cheaper but it has more BTU's of energy per litre. Some vehicles do get better economy on the higher octane fuel but most do not. Depends on the tuning of the vehicle from the factory.
-Michael
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