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Old 04-02-2012, 12:53 PM   #12 (permalink)
Mulder25
EcoModding Lurker
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: United States
Posts: 25

F.O.R.D - '87 Dodge Dakota LE

Failure - '01 Toyota Corolla CE

Aveo - '07 Chevrolet Aveo LS
90 day: 36.87 mpg (US)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by larrybuck View Post
I always slow my cruise speed down to compensate for strong headwinds.

I haven't ever had the opportunity to do it, living in a relatively light wind area, United States wise; but I would think that for a strong headwind, if you have a tach. in your vehicle, and slow down to match your normal un-windy cruising rpm's; that as long
as your speed wasn't too slow in that you might be lugging, that action would
help you to dial in windy day solutions!
I take it you don't have a tach... and have an automatic with like 8 gears...
When you stomp on the gas pedal, if you are in gear, the RPM doesn't just fly up, it is proportional to the speed you are traveling, as determined by the gear ratio relative to the speed of the axle. Traveling at 55 on a windy day, and 65 on a light wind day will have wildly different RPM readings, for me, this is a spread of 400RPM. So you cannot just hold the RPM steady. This would be different if you had an automatic transmission with an excessive amount of gears, or a CVT, but if you have those, odds are you are so rich that you dont care about gas, or do for environmental reasons, in which case, you think you have done your part already with your prius or leaf.
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