Hypermiling Cheat Sheet

[Wayneburg]

I'm trying to come up with a little cheat sheet for fuel efficient driving that will be stuck to my dashboard or steering wheel somewhere. There are so many tips out there that it's hard to keep them all memorized. I want one that is easy to read and not very big. I think it will serve two purposes. It will help me remember the tips and my wife may end up using the tips too.

I want to include tips that are the most fuel efficient. BIGGEST BANG FOR THE BUCK.

One side will probably be for urban and suburban driving and the other side for highway driving.

These are the tips I'm considering:
URBAN - SUBURBAN DRIVING
-Avoid stopping (keep the momentum) when safe and legal.
-Avoid traffic.
-Crawl in high traffic. In bumper to bumper traffic, leave a big space in front and try not to stop. Keep a slow steady speed.

HIGHWAY DRIVING
-Keep windows/sunroof closed at 45 MPH or faster.
-Drive at lowest legal speed.
-Only use cruise control on flat roads.

Can you add to these lists?

[bestclimb]

I know I do not have the highest over EPA or what ever but in the end it's just money we are saving and there is more than enough frustration in the world. Do what you can and don't sweat the little stuff.

[GRU]

I wouldn't do that, if you can't remember some things you should probably not read a paper on your steering wheel while you drive, especially when you're trying to drive in a new way...you might end up in an accident...

just remember, spend the least amount of time accelerating (foot on the gas)...in time you will realize how to do that without even thinking about it...

conserve momentum, so, if you're aproacing a red light but know it will turn green soon, start slowing down much sooner than other drivers and even brake hard if you need to, so when the light turns green you arn't stopped, instead moving (because you took your time getting to the light slowly)

[bestclimb]

Originally Posted by GRU

I wouldn't do that, if you can't remember some things you should probably not read a paper on your steering wheel while you drive...

This.

Add one or two techniques until you have a good bag of tools for ecodriving.

[Ecky]

This probably belongs in Driver's Ed.

You should generally avoid using engine braking and coast down instead. Even though you use zero fuel when engine braking in a fuel injected vehicle, you stop much sooner than if you put it in neutral and coast down, so overall it's less efficient. I only engine brake if for instance a light unexpectedly turns red in front of me, or if traffic suddenly slows down.

[nbleak21]

I think a cheat sheet is a great idea, but agree with the others on not having it strapped to the dash.

Instead, how about doing something in line with both your's and bestclimb's suggestion, and make a checklist, utilizing one or two new techniques when the others become fluid.

Also, knowing what kind of vehicle you have and whether it's manual or automatic will help with gaining proper suggestions, so what have you?

[Wayneburg]

Okay maybe having it there for reading while driving may be a safety issue. But, having it available just before driving should help.

Here are our cars:
2009 Hyundai Elantra automatic. It has tint and tire pressure valve caps that tell me if the tires need to be filled. We plan to add other mods.

and a...

2000 Kia Sephia automatic. No mods.

[bestclimb]

Start with driving without brakes, add fuel economy redouts.

[Frank Lee]

My first impression was of something I did once way back in school... I made a cheat sheet for a test, and a clever way of concealing it, but by the time I had it all ready to go I realized that by making the sheet I then knew the material so it wasn't needed or used. :/

Second thought was, don't clutter up a cheat sheet with the obvious things that you already know (or should). Put the things that are more obscure to you down.

[Wayneburg]

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

My first impression was of something I did once way back in school... I made a cheat sheet for a test, and a clever way of concealing it, but by the time I had it all ready to go I realized that by making the sheet I then knew the material so it wasn't needed or used. :/

That reminds me of an episode of Growing Pains. Kirk Cameron writes the answers on his shoes, but ends up learning the material in the process. Art imitates life.