Quote:
Originally Posted by t vago
The idea is, once you're at speed, try to briskly accelerate to a few miles above your desired speed, then let off the gas to allow your vehicle to slow down to a few miles below your speed. Then, accelerate to go to a few miles above your speed, and so on and so on...
If you accelerate and you find that your vehicle downshifts on you, you're using too much gas. Back off a little on the gas pedal, and try again. Also, if you have access to something like a ScanGauge, and you find that your ScanGague is telling you that your vehicle goes into open loop when you accelerate, you're using too much gas. If you use your brakes, well... that should be obvious that you just converted some gasoline into brake dust.
I've discovered this method on my daily commute to work, where I would oftentimes be caught in heavy (but still moving) traffic. I used to wonder why I'd get as much as 8% better fuel economy on days that I'd have to deal with heavy traffic, than on days where traffic was relatively light. In either case, my travelling speed was not a contributor to increased FE. Heavy traffic on my commute typically travels about 8 over the speed limit, and I normally aim for 7 over.
So, yes, it is possible to P&G with an automatic. It's just different than for a manual.
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Totally understand, but when doesn't the transmission stay in gear and slow down a lot quicker than when it's not in neutral? I've seen on my commute if I leave it in gear it slows down much quicker that it would in neutral. Wouldn't that help me get my car farther then have the tranny in gear to bring it back up to speed. Sometimes (obviously) when I go downhill I throw it in neutral (around 55mph) and it keeps speed real well than it would do in gear. Most of the time it actually gains a tiny bit of speed.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Old Mechanic
On my 02 Insight I could coast down to 16 MPH and still get 150 MPG with the engine idling. It had an instant FE bar graph on the dash and it would read max at 150 MPG down to 16 MPH coasting in neutral with engine on.
It worked out to .11 GPH idling, while coasting, with no accessory loads including radio.
You needed to rev match the re-engagement of the transmission in the Insight.
On the 08 Altima, also with the CVT, you could coast down to 16 MPH while still maxing out the bar graph instant MPG reading at 60 MPG, which was as high as it could read.
On some of my local back roads with 35 MPH speeds I could get very close to 60 MPG average in the Altima using pulse and coast (engine on).
In the Insight it was close to 90 MPG on the same route.
I never coasted engine off in either vehicle but when coasting engine on, I divided the coasting speed by 16 and the mulitplied it by 60 (Altima) and 150 Insight to get my higher speed coasting MPG. Used wisely it could make a significant difference in overall MPG.
regards
Mech
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Nice, I only turned the engine off like 5-10 times, until I did more research and I found out I'm not supposed to be doing it. Not doing any good for the tranny.
Just curious, how's the CVT working out as in MPG. My manager has the same car, with CVT. From what I know CVT keeps the engine at a "sweet spot" for efficiency I assume. Does it give good basic gas mileage?