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Why!?
In my opinion, and by no means do I mean any disrespect, I think that almost the entirety of this list is BS. I drive a 1999 BMW 323i, and on the freeway, I get 30mpg, around town, 22-25. If you cannot afford the gas, DON'T BUY A CAR!!!!! The one that erks me the most is "shut off your engine if you are going to be stopped for more than a few seconds." This is an all around bad idea. Here is my reasoning:
1) The gas required for a vehicle to idle is almost none at all. You WILL NOT be at a stop light long enough for it to matter. The gas required to start your car with the engine shut off requires much more gas than sitting at idle. Just watch your tachometer next time you start your car, the needle jumps up doesn't it? Just remember simple physics, "...an object in motion tends to stay in motion, an object at rest tends to stay at rest..."
2) By starting your car, you are draining the battery. The engine will have to use more power from the alternator to replace this power, therefore increasing the auxiliary load on your engine, therefore lowering fuel economy.
3) Increased wear and tear on your engine and starter. By shutting your engine off, you are then draining your oil back into the oil pan. Thus relying on the oil left "hanging" on the parts to sufficiently lube all the moving parts on start up. This is why it is said that starting your engine is the harshest thing you can do to your engine. The increase in maintenance cost will offset the savings in fuel cost.
I apologize for the rant, and I mean no disrespect, but some of these ideas are ludicrous. You should just drive normally, and you will not cause an accident, and you will not beat your engine up.
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