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Old 06-03-2011, 11:31 PM   #7 (permalink)
bestclimb
Smeghead
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: South Central AK
Posts: 933

escort - '99 ford escort sport
90 day: 42.38 mpg (US)

scoobaru - '02 Subaru Forester s
90 day: 28.65 mpg (US)
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What you do with the kinetic energy you have at the top of an acceleration is more important than how you get up to speed. (Within reason, don't lug it and keep out of enrichment) If you can avoid the brakes you won't be wasting fuel used to accelerate.

I skip gears to get into 5th if a lower gear is not needed to get up to speed. Going up hill I go a little farther into the gear (let the engine rev a little higher) Going down hill I shift up sooner.

Instantaneous fuel consumption information is very key, an MPGuino or the like will help a great deal.

The method I use is to push the throttle in until the rate of acceleration stops increasing then back off a fraction.
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