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Old 10-12-2015, 11:44 PM   #10 (permalink)
litesong
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Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Everett WA
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One of the easiest examples to understand vehicle acceleration is with one of the least popular(at least in the beginning) automatic transmissions, a Continuously Variable Ratio Tranny(CVT). My own CVT was a Nissan CVT, that was adapted to be used in a 2007 Dodge Caliber. The CVT was said to be most efficient when driving at 2000 rpms. At 60mph, rpms were 2000. When accelerating, set the throttle so your rpms are 2000, & you could accelerate slowly to 60mph. When both conditions could be met, cruising at 2000rpm & slow acceleration at 2000rpm, Caliber would give pretty good mpg, despite the car itself, not aerodynamic or the engine, particularly thrifty. Any divergence from 2000rpms & you should expect less thrifty mpg.
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