Quote:
Originally Posted by abogart
Alright, I'm reviving this thread. I have been pondering this very same question for.... well, a long time.
It seems sometimes as though we drivers of automatics are shunned from the efficiency discussion. Unfortunately, my good ol' 3100 with the 4 spd is all I have for the time being and I have to make due with what I can get from it. Nevertheless, I see no reason not to at least TRY for better fuel economy, even if the transmission isn't the best tool for the job.
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Sometimes we drivers of automatics are deliberately shunned from the discussion here.
I'll tell you the best tips I know for getting better FE with older vehicles that are automatics and less sophisticated (read: Chevys). (I have two of them.)
For highway driving the idea is to accelerate moderately briskly to get into the highest gear and enter torque converter lockup
ASAP and stay there. Usually that is around 45 MPH on a Chevy, so maintaining a constant speed of 45-55 will do best. If you go much faster than that you are using more fuel than at that ideal speed for efficiency. If you are driving slower than that the automatic is also inefficient due to the shift points of it.
City driving is a real challenge, and your FE will automatically be lousy (no pun intended). Any time you can avoid coming to a total, dead stop, do so, for that really eats gas up, especially on a heavy vehicle. (But watch out for cops at stop signs and red lights, as getting a ticket is not worth the gas saved!) What does help some is coasting in neutral. But I recommend you
only do it when you know you can coast to a near-stop. Most automatic transmissions are potentially susceptible to damage if you re-engage them back into drive at higher speeds.
Let's say there is no traffic and you are driving along a long block with a stop sign at the end. Accelerate briskly enough to cover the distance needed to coast, then shift it into neutral and coast to the stop sign. However don't do this when approaching a red signal, because if the light turns green your shifting back into drive at speeds of over 10 MPH might damage your tranny.
That's about all you can do with an automatic without putting it at risk.