View Single Post
Old 12-22-2007, 10:21 AM   #1 (permalink)
MetroMPG
Batman Junior
 
MetroMPG's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: 1000 Islands, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 22,532

Blackfly - '98 Geo Metro
Team Metro
Last 3: 70.09 mpg (US)

MPGiata - '90 Mazda Miata
90 day: 54.46 mpg (US)

Even Fancier Metro - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage top spec
90 day: 70.75 mpg (US)

Appliance car Mirage - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage ES (base)
90 day: 62.14 mpg (US)
Thanks: 4,082
Thanked 6,978 Times in 3,613 Posts
Technique quandary: gliding toward a stale green light - to pulse or not to pulse?



A hypothetical, hair-splitting, nit-picking technique question, inspired by Newton's thread - Idea for government: Traffic Light Timers

Here's the hypothetical situation (OK, this actually came up for me last week). What would you do - assuming your goal is maximum fuel economy?

The scenario:

You're alone in your lane (nobody close behind), in a med/low speed glide approaching a stale green light which does NOT have a pedestrian count-down timer, or even a walk/don't walk signal.

You think the light is controlled by sensors for cross traffic. There's a vehicle on the sensor. In other words, the light may change at any second, but you can't predict when with any certainty.

Your options:

1) throw in another pulse as you approach the light, and hope you make it through on green;

2) continue gliding down, considering that if you don't pulse, you'll more or less roll to a stop at the light (which may still be green when you get there);

3) some other option?

__________________
Project MPGiata! Mods for getting 50+ MPG from a 1990 Miata
Honda mods: Ecomodding my $800 Honda Fit 5-speed beater
Mitsu mods: 70 MPG in my ecomodded, dirt cheap, 3-cylinder Mirage.
Ecodriving test: Manual vs. automatic transmission MPG showdown



EcoModder
has launched a forum for the efficient new Mitsubishi Mirage
www.MetroMPG.com - fuel efficiency info for Geo Metro owners
www.ForkenSwift.com - electric car conversion on a beer budget
  Reply With Quote