View Single Post
Old 06-15-2010, 11:10 AM   #8 (permalink)
brucey
A madman
 
brucey's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: WV
Posts: 1,018

Pequod - '17 Subaru Outback
90 day: 22.79 mpg (US)
Thanks: 73
Thanked 183 Times in 98 Posts
Send a message via AIM to brucey
As for going into DFCO going downhill, I only do that if my speed is picking up above the speed limit, since otherwise I'm going to have to brake anyway.

Even in DFCO I will still have to brake sometimes on some of the steeper parts. I'll turn the headlights on for the extra drag (minimal) and the A/C compressor even (you can actually feel the drag when it comes on) but sometimes doing that will kick the car out of DFCO. Silly thing. But Once I'm nearing the bottom of a pass I'll knock it back into neutral and hold my speed till a few miles under the speed limit.

As I said, climbing it will get 16~20 mpg IF I can keep the torque converter locked (35 TPS on scangauge) and if not, it will hit 11's or 12's, so I try my best keep it locked.

Anywho, on the stretches of the journey where I normally would have it in neutral, I was in DFCO to keep my speed at the limit. At the bottom of the grades where I'd normally have to start gassing again, I was still coasting and not even losing speed. For having an extra 400 lbs in the car, the engine really didn't seem bothered by it.

I'll do a test this weekend, I might be able to squeeze my entire weekend travel from one tank (hoping)
  Reply With Quote