Hello from Missouri
 

Hello all! Been watching this site for about a month with interest in fuel efficiency motivated by the fact that I am cheap. I commute about 400 miles per week 95% highway. I currently drive a 2000 nissan altima with a 2.4 liter 4 cylinder engine and 5 speed manual transmission all stock. When I found this site I was in search of information to build a 100 mpg car such as MAX and saw some people with geo metros that got very good mpg. Decided I would employ some of the eco-driving tips suggested her as an attempt to improve before I purchased a new car. The tips employed are 1) Drive speed limit 2) Engine on coasting down hills 3) constant throttle position up hills 4) reduced acceleration 5) traffic light timing. My previous fuel economy was between 25 and 31 mpg, last two fill ups I have been keeping a new log and have recorded 37.8 mpg and 40.9 mpg!! I thought this was unreal and even checked odometer with google maps (I record 100 miles for 100.2 miles on google maps). I might not be in a big hurry for the geo metro now.

It's addictive. Once you get used to the numbers, you're always looking for the next high.

Welcome!

Welcome to the site. Way to go bumping your numbers up!

Change #2 & #5 to "engine-off" coasting. It doesn't matter if you make the light if your motor isn't running . . . . . then when traffic is light, start adding in a little P & G. Get used to bump-starting it back up, and then sit back and enjoy another 7 or 8 mpg on top of what you just pulled! Check out Black Widow's page, you'll see how I added 17 mpg to a car that was already getting 43 mpg

Yep, it's addictive, welcome to the club!

Thanks for the welcome! I can see this becoming an obsession. I am not quite comfortable with turning my engine off on the freeway yet, especially during the "rush hour" times and in typical driving there are potentially only 10 stop lights in my commute (5 to work and 5 back) and I often hit green. As I build more confidence in driving and also fending off looks when restarting at lights I will probably start to employ those tactics. My guess so far is that my driving will have the greatest influence on mpg over other mods.

You nailed it.

All the other mods I did to the Black Widow combined didn't have anywhere near the effect of just changing my driving habits.

You'll get so good at bump-starting and judging distances, etc . . . . it'll become second nature to where you're doing it automatically and don't even have to think about it! I could P&G all the way down the road in traffic and nobody would know I was even doing it, they just thought I was slow, and went on around.

I got so good at hypermiling in the Festiva that I get better gas mileage in it than I do my Insight!

It's definitely addictive! All this hypermiling talk makes me want to go home and fire up the Black Widow, maybe I'll take it to work tomorrow.

Welcome, and congrats on your early improvements!

Also put on the to-do list: get a "game gauge" (ScanGauge, Ultra-gauge or equivalent). Don't underestimate the positive effect of instant & resettable trip average on your motivation & skills.

You can also boost your efficiency further with some aero mods, considering all your highway driving. Another 5% gain with a couple of hours tinkering isn't much of a stretch.

Any recommendation between the Ultra-gauge and the Scangauge

Cut down on looks at lights by watching the lights. When the crossing street's light turns red, you should be starting up. Depending on our car, you can wait longer and still be rolling with the other cars. With my manual I'm already in gear with the clutch down and hand on the key. I can crank it when the light turns green and about half the time I'm the first car moving. The other half, I'm still moving through the intersection with other cars- so I'm not slowing anyone down.

I bump started in traffic this morning. While making a pass. Nothing to see here, just another car in the mob going to work.

Driving style is the first and most important mod, and instrumentation for feedback is the second. I went with the UltraGauge based on price, and it's been great for me. It's good enough that I've never wondered if a ScanGauge would have been better for me.

Thanks! That is the info I needed. Looks like the Ultra will make it on the budget list. On a related note I coasted into a store parking lot and parked next to a guy getting out with the engine off... his look of startled confusion was priceless :) This might be a light tank for me though, the o2 sensor threw a DTC this morning. I will be getting a new universal sensor soon.