Driven to Save -- Opinions Needed! (hypermiling book author seeking feedback)

[Tango Charlie]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

Is this the common rule in the U.S.?

The Indiana code is pretty vague (italics are mine);
"IC 9-21-3-7
Signals exhibiting colored lights or arrows; requirements; explanation of colors
Sec. 7. (a) Whenever traffic is controlled by traffic control signals exhibiting different colored lights or colored lighted arrows successively, one (1) at a time or in combination, only the colors green, red, or yellow may be used, except for special pedestrian signals under IC 9-21-18.
(b) The lights indicate and apply to drivers of vehicles and pedestrians as follows:
...
(2) Steady yellow indication means the following:
(A) Vehicular traffic facing a steady circular yellow or yellow arrow signal is warned that the related green movement is being terminated and that a red indication will be exhibited immediately thereafter.
(B) A pedestrian facing a steady circular yellow or yellow arrow signal, unless otherwise directed by a pedestrian control signal, is advised that there is insufficient time to cross the roadway before a red indication is shown, and a pedestrian may not start to cross the roadway at that time."

I was taught that yellow means, "if you're in the intersection or can't safely stop, get on through the intersection. If you're approaching the intersection, prepare to stop." So I think you may be both (half) right. Maybe Mr. Rowe could say, "Don't think that speeding up to get through a yellow light is a mortal sin or anything; yellow means “safely clear the intersection,” not “you have to stop NOW.”

[euromodder]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

In Ontario, amber means stop, unless you cannot safely stop.

Should be the same in all countries that are party to the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic - but the US isn't.

[euromodder]

Originally Posted by Diesel_Dave

In my opinion, the notion that fuel-cutoff is the holy grail is one of the biggest falicies out there in hypermiling. The ideal of course is engine off in neutral, but in some cases even idling in neutral is better than motoring with fuel-cutoff.

For me, coasting while idling in neutral has been the trick to get below 5L/100km - above 47 mpg.

Before that, I used engine braking a lot.
Now I often coast to slow down, even on the motorway.

[redpoint5]

Originally Posted by jamesqf

That's wrong, because torque is an angular quantity. It's the product of a force applied times the distance from the axis at which it's applied. (Think of a torque wrench.) And of course pounds and feet are just English units: in metric it'd be measured in newton-meters.

Exactly right. If I hung my 185lb body from a lever that is attached parallel to the ground at a distance of 1ft from the fulcrum, I impart 185ft/lbs of force. Whether anything moves is irrelevant.

Automotive texts refer to torque when tightening various bolts. Tightening a lug nut to 75ft/lbs means to turn until that much resistive force is encountered. It says nothing of what distance to turn.

[PaleMelanesian]

Originally Posted by Diesel_Dave
In my opinion, the notion that fuel-cutoff is the holy grail is one of the biggest falicies out there in hypermiling. The ideal of course is engine off in neutral, but in some cases even idling in neutral is better than motoring with fuel-cutoff.

Originally Posted by euromodder

For me, coasting while idling in neutral has been the trick to get below 5L/100km - above 47 mpg.

Before that, I used engine braking a lot.
Now I often coast to slow down, even on the motorway.

Absolutely right.

[SentraSE-R]

I'm disappointed. I PMed the OP before last weekend, but never received the book to review. Bummer, as I'm retired with lots of time to read.

[Diesel_Dave]

Same here. I never got anything either. Maybe he got caught in the weather. Will one of you who did recieve it volunteer to pass it along to some of the rest of us?

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

In Ontario, amber means stop, unless you cannot safely stop.

And if you can't stop safely, you speed up to get through before it turns red, no?

[MetroMPG]

james: Nope. If I've passed the "point of no return", I just hold my speed through the amber. If I have to speed up to avoid catching the red, I probably could have stopped (assuming no tailgater). Maybe the amber lights are longer around here?

---

Darrell & Dave: I emailed Richard to let him know there are others who would like a review copy.

EDIT: fyi, he listed his location as Ocala, FL

[NachtRitter]

You guys are probably keeping him really busy with all your excellent feedback!

Tropical Storm Debby hit the gulf coast of FL, but doesn't seem to be nearly as bad as the power outages and heat they are seeing in the Mid-Atlantic...