Introducing "LOG"
 

"LOG" is the combined-technique regimen of: Pulse & Glide (P&G) with Engine off Coasting (EOC) and Driving with Load (DWL). "L" for load, "O" for off, and "G" for glide. It is not to be confused with "GLEN," which stands for the regimen of glide, load, and engine neutral. As I have been re-learning to drive these last few months, I discovered what many of you know: that these are ideally sequenced and combined techniques. Giving it a name seems like a good teaching tool for newbies.

The base is the Pulse and Glide technique. The pulse is by driving with load. On my Civic I set throttle at around 22% seeking 70-80% load, usually descending from 80% to 70%, shifting at 70 (often at or near 2500 RPMs when I shift). The glide I do engine off ("LOG") or on and in neutral ("GLEN").

Sharpening this technique has me up at 62 mpg so far (after adjusting for probable Ultra Gauge over-estimation).

:thumbup:

EDIT: I added throttle position target and the explanation of the LOG acronym. Forgot those pieces.

A couple minor civic-specific suggestions that may help: I try to keep 80% LOD by adding throttle as the rpm increases. I shift sooner, more like 2100 rpm.

The throttle is sticky though, eh? It tends to lurch forward as you depress the pedal, always has done that so I have assumed that's the way it is. I think you shift at 75% load, no?

I aim for a constant 80% LOD through the whole pulse. That means I have to be adding throttle slowly as speed and rpm increase. It's possible that other cars do better with other lod values. A friend with an '03 Elantra reports his best at 70 LOD. I usually quote 75 for general purposes. With (basically) the same car I think we can get more specific.

I haven't found the throttle to be terribly sticky. It's certainly less tricky than many new cars with drive-by-wire throttle. With those it's more of a "think about moving your foot" proposition.

emulation
 

Just wanted to say that I began emulating your target of 80% load, sustained through the pulse. I can't say for sure if it is better but I think you are correct. Also wanted to add that if you follow my entries in my trip log labeled "Local freeway routes" you will see me testing the "GLEN" technique in a loose ABA style--"GLEN" being pulse and glide with the engine on in neutral. I use that technique on the freeway, and I think I could get over 60mpg @ 60mph on FLAT freeway stretches using it. In this technique I have also adopted your 80% load target. Cheers, james

Good to hear!

Let me add a curveball to your anacronym. What if you are lean burning while you pulse? That's what I like to do :)
Would that be a LBOG ;)

Or "BLOG" (because that won't confuse anyone) or "Le BOG" (for the French among us). :D

Just some feedback from outside the Honda community. I try to maintain a steady 83 load in my Scion xB during pulses. That similarly requires an increase in throttle pressure during pulses. I try for 1500-2500 rpm in low speed pulses.

I also glide in neutral, engine on, at freeway speeds. I have to push the engine to 3000 rpm in top gear pulsing, because my transmission is geared too low (3200 rpm @ 60 mph).

Anybody have a rule of thumb for difference in speed at start and end of pulse. It seems to me that anything less then 10mph makes it inefficient. I.E. I try to top out at 60mph and then glide down to 45mph. This on a 65mph road with little traffic. Only coasting down to 50mph seems ineffecient. If I pop the clutch put the throttle where I think the LOD should be about 75 -- by the time the SG starts reading its back to 60 and time to glide again.
Any community wisdom here?