Drafting, it puts me beside myself with laughter

[max_frontal_area]

Hey Mech,

Originally Posted by Old Mechanic

Divide your speed by 16 and the mulitply it by 60 and you have your MPG. Example 64MPH divided by 16 is 4, times 60 is 240 MPG coasting at 64 MPH with no AC.

isn't there a bit more to it like vehicle size, weight... e.t.c. or is your formula based on a coasting draft?

[user removed]

I had one for 3 miles coming down the mountian near Va tech at Blacksburg Va. I was using 4th and a little 3rd gear in my VX with DFCO to keep from running into the rear of a big rig at 85 MPH, coasting in neutral then going to 5th 4th and even 3rd to slow down.

Infinite mileage with DFCO engine braking.

regards
Mech

[max_frontal_area]

Mech, what steepness grade were you driving on?
i find even a miniscule grade kills it. for this to be real it has to be flat.
we have 8, 10, 15 even 30 mile continuous descents here in CA which I do
EOC with all windows and if possible trunklid pointed up to minimize brake pedal use. additional loads on the alternator help if the engine is running.
i have some cargo chutes as well as lightweight racing chutes i had made myself
but have avoided their use since CA is almost chapter 8 and our fuzz are a big part of local fundraising.

[user removed]

Max, I would estimate that grade at 6%. Around here where I live the max grades are much less but the Altima seems to have good aero and I have shifted to neutral and back into drive at speeds as high as 70 MPH in the Altima. It has the CVT and normal tach reading is about 2400 at 70.
Williamsburg Va is at the beginning of the Piedmont section of Va. Go west and you have hills. East the elevation is pretty flat. My home is 79 feet above sea level and my normal eastern destinations are almost at sea level, only a few feet above.
7 miles east of my home the greatest changes in elevation are overpasses and I do glide down them when traffic allows.

regards
Mech

[Sven7]

That's crazy. 4 "free" miles?

Originally Posted by Old Mechanic

Divide your speed by 16 and the mulitply it by 60 and you have your MPG. Example 64MPH divided by 16 is 4, times 60 is 240 MPG coasting at 64 MPH with no AC.

If that were true my last tank would have been about 150 MPG.

Originally Posted by trebuchet03

Because drafting is not the same as changing your transmission gearing Drafting reduces aero load

Yeah that was a bit strange. I'm guessing the gear is so high that the needle was basically in the same place?

Also, what's DFCO stand for?