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Old 05-16-2008, 10:45 AM   #8 (permalink)
JohnnyGrey
Master EcoModder
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Earth
Posts: 303

Pushrod - '02 Chevrolet Cavalier
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Thanked 8 Times in 4 Posts
Quote:
This scares me but I need to do it and would love to be able to do it on my own. I'm not terribly mechanical and this doesn't sound too hard. Where do I get the filter kit? At Pep Boys or similar store? So if I go in there asking for a filter kit for my car they will know what I'm talking about? Where is the overflow hole?
The overflow hole should be on the driver's side of the transmission. I got my filter/gasket kit from Advance Auto, but I'm sure Pep Boys has it as well. It's a behind-the-counter part, but very common.

Quote:
This is great thanks. You've been a huge help. So are you saying I need to coast in drive to take advantage of your last point? I was experimenting with this yesterday on the way home and noticed that while coasting in drive i tended to slow down, but in neutral there seemed to be less resistance and I was able to accelerate coasting even on a modest down slope. Should I just leave it in drive or shift to neutral?
Yes, if you coast in neutral, your engine will burn fuel. While coasting in drive, it will not. At highway speeds with no stops in sight, you may benefit from coasting in neutral because your high speed outweighs the 0.3GPH or so the engine burns at idle. As a rule of thumb, if you're coasting above 2000 RPM (or 2500RPM with the A/C), and don't want to lose speed, you will probably see gains in neutral. In most cases, you're better off staying in drive. It wears your transmission less too.

A scangauge will not register this fuel cutoff, but it is definitely there. Also, the fuel cutoff is more aggressive on the automatic cars than the manuals because the ECU doesn't have to anticipate a sudden gear change or clutch disengagement. It has complete control over the transmission, so it can cut deeper than the 1500RPM minimum threshold of the manual. The auto idles at 600RPM (300RPM lower than the manual) which is also good for economy as well.
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