Eco-modder makes FE presentation to Sierra Club

[Frank Lee]

Questions:

Pg 9 "cruise control is a crutch"? For most people (and even me on long drives) cc = better fe

Pg 11 "brake hard" Oooooooh, power brakes might get a hard pedal with engine off.

[TheMarkofPolo]

Thanks for the input! Yes, I plan to provide a full disclaimer for the methods and mods discussed (safety, local law, etc). Since I'm still rather new to this forum, I'm 'stuck' with my automatic Vibe, and I'll be pressed for time, I will mostly focus on the things I've learned with my car. (Someday I'd like to SEE some of you folks in manuals in action to get a better feel for some things). But I think I'll be able to take questions in stride. Pictures will also help out. Luckily, many in this forum do well with visual documentation.

Going to focus on:
Why bother? Why care? (Money savings, pollution, time at the pump, observant driver, etc.)
Knocking off jackrabbit starts and stops
Anticipating traffic lights
Appropriate highway speeds
Summer/Winter
General road rules
ScanGauge or other FE instrumentation
Tires
Tips for automatics (most college students I would say)
Basic mods like grill blocks, block heaters, removals (roof rack, dead bodies in the trunk).
Advanced mods like engine swaps, kammbacks, boat tails, truck aero caps.
Others??

[Angmaar]

Nice presentation Wonderboy. It gave a nice outline of all the hypermiling and ecomodding techniques.

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by TheMarkofPolo

Others??

You might have a tough time fitting what you already listed in 15 minutes!

[toc]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

You might have a tough time fitting what you already listed in 15 minutes!

I agree, the better option I think is to encourage curiosity, then, have resources on offer (i.e. link to website, handouts covering possibilities and where to get information).

I wouldn't be here writing this post, or even looking at fuel economy if it wasn't for something on this website in my searching for something unrelated.

I was actually looking to make a data logger of speed, etc. for law enforcement related purposes (cop says I was going X when I can prove I wasn't as an example).

Finding as much information on fuel economy as I have - has encouraged my curiosity, and replaced the idea of a data logger (though could easily be added).

[TheMarkofPolo]

Some of those points will probably just turn into short bullet points, I'm guessing.
Which points do you all think are vital? Which do you think will spark the curious folks to learn more?

1. Why bother? Why care?
Money savings
Pollution
Time at the pump
Observant driver
2. What to do first?
Adjust nut behind wheel
Tire inflation
ScanGauge or other FE instrumentation
3. General road rules
Kill the jackrabbit
Anticipating traffic lights
Highway tips (if time)
4. Summer/Winter Tips
5. Tips for automatics (or specify a couple differences between MT and AT)
6. Basic mods like grill blocks, block heaters, removals (roof rack, dead bodies in the trunk).
Lots of visual examples (less time explaining)
7. Advanced mods like engine swaps, kammbacks, boat tails, truck aero caps.
A few visual examples.
8. Resources and References.

[euromodder]

Originally Posted by TheMarkofPolo

6. Basic mods like grill blocks, block heaters, removals (roof rack, dead bodies in the trunk).
Lots of visual examples (less time explaining)

And explain these aren't geek modifications, but that they are being done on many recent cars by just about every car manufacturer.

Excluding removing the dead bodies that is.


Eco-modding just takes it a step further to a level that the car manufacturer doesn't dare to do, as 1 of their cars might one day be driven through Death Valley in summer, loaded to the brim and towing a big caravan.

[Kodak]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

I'm actually also doing a presentation sometime in May. Can I steal from you?

No objections about using EM's stuff. (With the usual disclaimers about safety first & being considerate behind the wheel.)

Can't speak for Will about stealing his stuff though.

You might be interested in researching a persuasive speech format called Monroe's Motivated Sequence. It depends on your audience. If you're speaking to people who are already interested in fuel efficiency, you can get away with getting right to the information. However, if you're speaking to the average consumer, you have a little more work to do.

The basic premise is that before you can tell someone what to do to, you need to tell them why they need to do it. You create a need step (most likely by discussing rising gas prices, wasted energy, emissions, economics etc...something that is easily relatable) and by the end the audience is asking YOU: 'what can I do!?', rather then you trying to convince them.

When done right, this is an extremely effective method of presenting to an audience that understands the implications of your topic, but simply is not as enthusiastic as you are.

In past presentations (non-hypermiling) I've made the mistake of getting too detailed with information, and unfortunately no matter how insightful the presentation may be, you usually lose the attention of the audience.

Hope this has helped.

[Wonderboy]

Questions:

Pg 9 "cruise control is a crutch"? For most people (and even me on long drives) cc = better fe

Pg 11 "brake hard" Oooooooh, power brakes might get a hard pedal with engine off.

Looking back on it, I probably misused the word crutch and meant "cruise control: a valuable tool for the lead footed" If you can't be attentive enough to drive the whole thing with your foot, then it is indeed better to tell cruise control to keep you at 55-60 than at 65-75 if your only concern is not wanting to think about or constantly move your foot for a long haul. I know I don't have to tell you this Frankly... just a clarification.

the "brake hard" thing: I don't remember that being in reference to when the engine is off, although it is indeed important to remember that you need to push harder during EOC, and to be cautious if you are applying the brakes DURING a bump start where a surge of force is liable to be applied to the brakes due to the restored brake assist vacuum.

What I believe I meant by "brake hard" was a technique I use in certain situations that I believe is also mentioned in EM's "official" list of techniques. For instance, I may be coming up on another car, an obstacle, a traffic light that is likely to clear out in a perceived amount of time. If I'm a certain distance away with no one behind me, it's sometimes better to apply brakes more forcefully than "normal" or gracefully. The reason for this is that if I'm EOCing (I probably am at most given points), the hard application of the brakes buys more time for the obstacle ahead to clear out while still conserving enough momentum to bump start. So what I do is quickly brake down to a speed that I feel will carry me THROUGH the obstacle for a decent distance while giving the obstacle the maximum amount of time possible to clear out. My working theory is that graceful braking would carry me closer to the obstacle faster, increasing my likelihood of being forced to stop. Sometimes the obstacle clears out faster than expected and you think "shucks, I wish I didn't waste all that momentum I just had a second ago", and other times I wish I'd crept slower, but I think the bell curve of these situations is covered well with what I called the "brake hard" technique.


SCIENCE!

[Frank Lee]

Yes, when I'm droning along for 7 hours through the flats, I don't want to be troubled to wedge my foot in there somehow when the cc will do virtually the same thing. Is it an attentiveness deficit problem after that amount of time? Conditions... Actually the coupe doesn't have cc but I sure would like to have one or better yet, a throttle lock.

I doubt I'd ever recommend to a bunch of newbies "brake hard"- it's ripe for misinterpretation and that's how the clods are driving now during their Stoplight Gran Prix.