Fred 0703
 

I have a 97 Cavalier with 117K on it. Great condition. Just tried hypermiling
and found that my mileage went from 21 in the city to 38. Most of my driving
is downhill, so I coast a lot. Even in my subdivision, i coast from stop sign
to stop sign. It really works. Did the math 3 times just to be sure.
Still comes out 38 and I saved the gas pump receipts with mileage written on
them.
IT REALLY WORKS. No harm to my car either.
Fred 0703

Questions: flr@ fuse.net

Fred, welcome !!!
Good job!!!!!
Bump the psi to 40+

Congrats on your success. The brake pedal is the enemy of good mileage in town.

I'd love to know how 'most' of your driving is downhill, though! :)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi..._Waterfall.jpg

^^
Nice.

Well done, Fred. Now try pumping your tires up to their sidewall maximum and see how you do.

I keep 36# in the tires now. I have basically one road from where we live to where I work. Even on flat ground, I still do D-N-D with much success. My main love doesn't
care for coasting and me with a broken hip mending, she drives us places other than
my work and messes up my mpg. But that is ok. I have low rolling resistance tires by
Cooper and maintain 36# all the time. I will try 40 though. Tires are 3+ years old and still perfect. Rotate every 6K oil every 3K. Just filled up and watch closely. Going home at night is the reverse of going to work, but I coast every foot I can on level places
in between the hills.
A little tricky, but it must work. Thank. Think shortly I will go for the thing that plugs into the obd port to keep a closer eye on everything including daily mpg. Thanks

We live on top of a hill in a subdivision which is about 1 mile or so from the road down
the hill in the valley where I work. Of course I reverse the steps at night when i come
home but there are flat spots on the hill, some about 2-300 yards long before the next
hill comes along. I work at it. The MPG gauge will help, I am sure.
Here is to even better mileage if that is possible. Appreciate the tips. Going to try 40
this week. Sidewall recommends 32 but 36 works and bet 40 will be a little rougher
but with gas at 3.59 here, that is rough also.
Thanks guys for the encouragement.
Fred0703

A digital MPG gauge brings it to a whole other level of fun. There's a reason some people call them "game gauges".

I picked up about 5% by boosting from 35psi to 40.

Up goes the tire pressure to 40. Is that any harder on struts and shocks than factory
recommended 32?
35 is a little stiff but you get use to it pretty fast.

Fred 0703

Its slightly harder on the struts but if you pay attention to road hazards they will wear at about the same rate.

My struts/shocks are the originals from 1991. 215,000 miles on the car. 60 PSI in my tires. :D

I sort of figured that. The original ones are still on and doing just fine.
Sometimes the Cincinnati area becomes pot hole city after a hard winter, with thousands
of the ph's and are slow to deal with them.
guess I would be too.
Thanks

I am still learning where to and not to and the Interstate is not the place to do that unless
you want to be crushed by everyone else Everyone around here drives 70 or +
so I pick my places. Appreciate all you feeding back ideas and what you do. Gives me
more incentive to continue.
Thousands of thanks to everyone
Fred0703

Try to find a backroad with a slower speed limit and leave early! It might be cheaper!

It does make for a harder ride. Yeah, you may go through struts a bit faster. But looked at another way, I'm saving about $1.50 per tank on the basis of my harder tires, which pays for struts pretty quickly.

"Thanks. I get off of the interstate asap and take back/parallel roads so I can save
gas and my butt. Sometimes, it/the interstate, can't be avoided but I am constantly'
scheming to find a way around i-75 OR i-71 but sometimes I can't without running into
btb traffic. I am working at it though. Guys are giving me all sorts of new ideas.
Appreciate and try to incorporate each one as I can. Gas at 3.49 makes me work harder.
Thank you guys, we are gas saving buddies now.
Fred0703