Coasting in gear vs coasting in neutral-04 civic

[doless]

alright cool, i've been trying the engine off method but next tank (tomorrow) i'll start using neutral coasting and see what the results are

[Chrysler kid]

Most likely if you are using the starter to start the car it's using more energy than it is saving.

For bump starting I have always used third gear. If you ever have a dead battery or dead starter you must drop the clutch in third to get the vehicle running.

What I've always heard is that it takes more fuel to start the car than to let it idle, which was especially true in my camaro which puffs gasoline out of the tailpipe when it starts on a cold day. All of the emissions systems are removed but yeah.

[doless]

So another stupid question but I drive a lot right around 30-35mph on the beggining and end of my commute, 5th tear isn't quiet bogging down but would it possibly be more efficient to use 4th at those speeds. I guess I'm trying to say how low is too low (rpm wise)

[oldtamiyaphile]

Originally Posted by Chrysler kid

What I've always heard is that it takes more fuel to start the car than to let it idle,

From an old wife perhaps? BMW and Ford claim the break even point is 3 and 5 seconds for their stop start systems.

Funnily enough, the starter and alternator have about the same rating on most cars, if you have an 80A starter, you'll have somewhere around an 80A alternator. This means if you run the starter for 2 seconds to start the engine, the alt should be able to replace that energy in 2 seconds (battery charge acceptance not withstanding).

[Chrysler kid]

True but we are still using wear items for minimal gains, @40 miles a gallon I doubt I would save $3 turning the engine on and off all the time at stop lights. Again referring to non bump start and engine off coasting. To me it's just added wear and tear on the vehicle, risking a $120 starter and a $120 battery for the sake of less than a gallon of gas per tank is not worth it.


I've driven a few start stop vehicles and was displeased with the experience and wished the cars had an option to disable the feature. Extremely bothersome when inching forward to see cross traffic to pull out into traffic. While nearly un noticeable for a majority of driving, trying to make a turn across an intersection was extremely un comfortable and un nerving

But again for my style I want a vehicle that maximizes efficiency without sacrificing comfort

[oldtamiyaphile]

Originally Posted by Chrysler kid

True but we are still using wear items for minimal gains, @40 miles a gallon I doubt I would save $3 turning the engine on and off all the time at stop lights. Again referring to non bump start and engine off coasting. To me it's just added wear and tear on the vehicle, risking a $120 starter and a $120 battery for the sake of less than a gallon of gas per tank is not worth it.

If you use save one gallon of gas per tank, and use one tank a week, you'd have to be replacing the starter and battery once a year not to break even.

Bosch Stop/ Start is great on my Fiat, if I don't want it to switch off I just have to keep my foot on the clutch. There's also an over-ride button (as I'm pretty sure all systems do). Engine off at the lights (+ EOC) can half my fuel bill, but as they say YMMMV.

[user removed]

Originally Posted by Chrysler kid

True but we are still using wear items for minimal gains, @40 miles a gallon I doubt I would save $3 turning the engine on and off all the time at stop lights. Again referring to non bump start and engine off coasting. To me it's just added wear and tear on the vehicle, risking a $120 starter and a $120 battery for the sake of less than a gallon of gas per tank is not worth it.


I've driven a few start stop vehicles and was displeased with the experience and wished the cars had an option to disable the feature. Extremely bothersome when inching forward to see cross traffic to pull out into traffic. While nearly un noticeable for a majority of driving, trying to make a turn across an intersection was extremely un comfortable and un nerving

But again for my style I want a vehicle that maximizes efficiency without sacrificing comfort

13% of the total fuel consumed in the USA is wasted idling. How many billions of gallons is that?

regards
mech

[serialk11r]

Originally Posted by doless

So another stupid question but I drive a lot right around 30-35mph on the beggining and end of my commute, 5th tear isn't quiet bogging down but would it possibly be more efficient to use 4th at those speeds. I guess I'm trying to say how low is too low (rpm wise)

Constant speed, no. 5th gear is almost never too tall for 30mph. But if you are going to pulse and glide (which works great at that speed range because your aero drag is relatively small so you can glide for a long time) then 4th may be better.

[doless]

hate to resurrect this thread but after getting an SG2 the other week and getting some feedback....


I've been able to consistently get 42-49 on the gauge and up doing familiar city routes (lots of coasting and such) BUT

on the highway i can't seem to get over 40, i've tried consistent speeds at 57-70mpg and the best it seems is around 39 average at around 63-65 mpg

this doesn't seem right, i haven't calibrated the sg2 with the second tank of gas but other than that it should be calibrated correctly. My tires are 37psi, it's getting cold up here (michigan).

Not sure if i'm just driving wrong or what's going on, any input?

[j12piprius]

Air resistance affects the car more at higher speeds.