Pulse and Coast Log for my SUV

[smoothtrooper]

This thread is going to be a log for my results of my new driving technique, the pulse and coast. I have recently bought a OBDII bluetooth adapter and I am using the Torque app on my android phone to view my live MPG's, avg MPG's, and Trip total MPG's.

SUV: 2000 GMC Jimmy SLT 4.3L V6
Driving normally I would see between 15 and 16mpg on my way to work, mixed city and rural roads.

Last week was first full tank using Torque app. I was seeing great results right away averaging 20MPG on my way to work, and 24MPG on the highway. The only problem was when I got in the city when visting so friends. All thoes lights and stop and go killed my mpgs big time.

Results from first Tank before Pulse and coast.
13.6gallons of fuel used to go 236.7 miles = a little over 17MPG.


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Start reading Ecomodder tips again, light goes off try "Pulse and Glide" AKA Pulse and coast for us non hybrid owners.

Day1. Pulse and Coast on my way home from work, 25 mile commute.
Download Torque's logs and do the maths. AVG live = 30MPG!!!!! WHAT?! This cant be right.
Re check the maths, check the Overall AVG MPG's = 30.2MPG WHAT? No flipping way, is what I am thinking. I will keep a few weeks of logs and check the data VS the tank AVG.


Day2. Car pool day only have to commute 5 miles.
Going to Park and Ride this is city/town driving dense traffic.
I do the Maths on the log Live MPG's is 22.71MPG This looks better but it was alot of stop and go. Looks like Pulse and Coast is working.
Drive home.
5 mile commute results after the maths on the live log 23.29MPG. This is looking good.

Maybe changing the nut behind the wheel will really pay off.

[user removed]

That size engine probably burns .4 gallon (per hour) of fuel coasting. Multiply your speed by 2.5 to get your mileage and you can see how much it can help. Coasting at 40 MPH is 100 MPG. Even for a fairly short distance glides that can add up quickly. If you have any hills see if you can coast the downhill grades as much as possible.

regards
Mech

[smoothtrooper]

I have been coasting down all the hills, my goal is to reach a 30 MPG tank average.

[Joggernot]

Originally Posted by Old Mechanic

That size engine probably burns .4 gallon (per hour) of fuel coasting. Multiply your speed by 2.5 to get your mileage and you can see how much it can help. Coasting at 40 MPH is 100 MPG. Even for a fairly short distance glides that can add up quickly. If you have any hills see if you can coast the downhill grades as much as possible.

regards
Mech

This info is good. My 2.0 V6 Honda automatic uses .43 g/h at idle (SG II). That is the reason I've found that the fuel cutoff with coasting in gear works better for me and my driving (about 26 miles one way, mostly highway).

Joggernot

[smoothtrooper]

I am glad someone ells is seeing great results from "pulse and coast".

This morning I had to drive the wife to work. Its going to snow 12 inches here today in Maine.

The commute was 75% highway 25% city.

Downloaded the logs from torque.

Real time MPG today was 28.23!
Average MPG total 28.41!
Trip average 27 MPG.

I was in 4wd for about 65% of the drive today. Pulse and coast even works in 4wd. This is aewsome

[smoothtrooper]

Had to pick the wife up today from work.
Torque app data for driving down to the city Live MPG = 30.11MPG Reached my GOAL! Not sure if I believe the data, so I am going to post some screen shots.



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Driving on the way back was Bad, bumper to bumper in a blizzard.
Live MPG on the was home was 21.95MPG.

[smoothtrooper]

Drive to work instant mpg average was 24.49MPG.

Drive home instant mpg average was 27.23MPG.

[Econoguru]

I don't want to put a downer on this but Torque is not exactly accurate out of the box. I have been using it for a while and to calibrate it isn't very straight forward. I use Fuelly etc to record actual mileage compared to fuel used, then compare this to what Torque has worked out then trim from there in the 'Settings' menu. Unless you have already done this I would take your results with quite a huge pinch of salt, out of the box Torque was under reading by 25% for me. Reading on the internet large variances are not uncommon in this app.

[Arragonis]

I added a thank for this

Originally Posted by smoothtrooper

Maybe changing the nut behind the wheel will really pay off.

Yep it is the biggest change.

Question :

Originally Posted by Joggernot

My 2.0 V6 Honda automatic uses .43 g/h at idle (SG II).

In D or N ?

Originally Posted by Econoguru

I don't want to put a downer on this but Torque is not exactly accurate out of the box. I have been using it for a while and to calibrate it isn't very straight forward. I use Fuelly etc to record actual mileage compared to fuel used, then compare this to what Torque has worked out then trim from there in the 'Settings' menu. Unless you have already done this I would take your results with quite a huge pinch of salt, out of the box Torque was under reading by 25% for me. Reading on the internet large variances are not uncommon in this app.

TBH no instrument works well at all, the instant feedback is all you can rely on to see if you are improving or not.

When I used the SG2 on my Aygo in town driving it would be .1 gallons (imp) off at the worst and a lot of times dead on. When I ended up doing motorway (i.e. high speed) it was almost 1.5 gallons out. When I adjusted it for that it was 1.5 gallons out the other way when I switched back to town driving.

That tapped I'm having fun just now with the SG2 vs the on board display on my A6 Vs real tank to tank. The OBD is always optimistic for my daily MPG. However MPG2 (tank) is pretty much dead on. The SG2 is inside .3 gallons at fillup time but it's MPG is different.

I've kind of given up, and I use the SG2 MPG/AVG values to check whether I am getting better or worse on a trip and use the on board display to check the range remaining.

[Joggernot]

Question :

Quote:
Originally Posted by Joggernot View Post
My 2.0 V6 Honda automatic uses .43 g/h at idle (SG II).

In D or N ?

Answer: in N