What would you pick as your five top, tried and true, tips?
 

Doing a little research for something (secret) that I'm writing. What all would you call the top 5 you would recommend to others?

Thanks!

-Benjamin

Here is my list;

1-Slow Down, to at least the speed limit
2-Increase tire pressure to max PSI rating or 50 psi which ever is safer for you
3-Learn to coast, stop speeding to a stop
4-Remove unecessary drag, roof racks, mudflaps, etc ..
5-Avoid Drive thrus

Those five so far have taken me from 27mpg to 41mpg, my log doesn't lie ... LOL

1.) Slow down
2.) Don't idle
3.) Park in the periphery
4.) Look 3 traffic lights ahead
5.) Pump up your tires

1.Slow Down
2.Up the PSI in your tires to at least 45
3.EOC whenever possible
4.Don't idle unecessarily
5.Plan your stops

Slow Down
Increase tire pressures
time red lights to keep momentum up
Unnecessary idling
Weight reduction

You can find these same tips repeated ad nauseum every time a news outlet does a report on fuel economy. It's not much of a secret.

Top five tips for...?:D

Yeah, but I'm not trying to get the same five tips as everyone else, I'm trying to dig up some of the less common sense, just as effective things.

I'm not going to parrot what has been said, but I would put Scanguage first. It taught me what speeds are best and what routes are best. I could go the perfect speed on a poor route and get bad mileage.

Most effective for me would be,

Visit ecomodder
read
cognitively process
make effort
repeat

1. Mod your car like the aerocivic.
2. Scanguage
3. Parrot above posts.

1) Don't use your brakes, explain that they just wast energy/ fuel. (everyone I tell this to "gets" in and changes their driving style)
2) Speed matters much more than you think, but don't over do it, time is also valuable (wording is critical)
3) Don't Idle unless it is useful in some way
4) Tire pressure up up up. Mention that when road racing I run higher pressure than on the street . . .
5) A good quality thinner oil definitely helps especially on larger engines (did 1.3 mpg/10% + for my dad's 5.4 E-350)


That's my opinion, I go for things I think that people will actually do, once they start seeing savings, they will look harder for them selves.

1) Pulse and glide
2) Driving without brakes
3) Reduce highway speeds
4) Accelerate properly (low rpm, high load)
5) Pump up tires

I would like to change my answers .. LOL I agree ^^^

But to simplify that it would be

1. Make Effort
2. Repeat
3. Make Effort
4. Repeat
5. Make Effort to tell Others

In the order I would recommend to others:
1) Pump up tires
2) Slow down
3) Anticipate conditions
4) Scangauge
5) Pulse and Glide

In order, that I use:
1) P&G
2) Scangauge
3) tire pressure
4) anticipate
5) slow down (my routes are reasonable to start with)

Pulse and glide does nothing for me. Guess my cars are too unaerodynamic.

I only have 3.

1. Proper vehicle maintenance (proper alignment, no dragging brakes, well tuned and emission controls working properly, tires at least at rec'd PSI, etc.).

2. Be frugal with the gas and brakes. Plan ahead so that you use just enough power to get to speed / next corner / stop / hilltop in such a way that you will use the brakes the least amount possible. And when you don't need power, coast or shut the engine off.

3. Give yourself enough time so that you aren't in a rush.

Top 5 for me (and i'm new at this, but the numbers don't lie)
1) Slow down
2) Inflate the tires (in my case, up to the rec'd psi)
3) Coast whenever possible (neutral for me, I don't have the guts for EOC)
4) Only accelerate just enough, no need to mash the pedal
5) Leave early

Driving without brakes is easy for me, mine are almost gone! ;)
I'd do the "over" inflate the tires thing, but mine are bald and leaky

1. Slow down
2. Engine off coasting or at stop
3. Eliminate unneeded weight
4. Inflate tires
5. Proper maintenance

BONUS tip: Pulse and gliding in neutral (Engine On)

(1) Live closer to the places you go.
(2) Bum rides.
(3) Drive the most efficient vehicle for the task.
(4) Keep it in tune.
(5) Work less.

I would go with 5 main areas to expound on in more detail.

Instrumentation
Drive with a purpose
Pay attention(Situational awareness)
Follow the law and drive posted speed limit
Car in good working order.(tire pressures, engine, etc)

I'm primarily a highway driver with an automatic, so here's my list (no particular weighted order of importance):

1. Sufficient Practice from Instrumentation (know your vehicle)
2. Scan the road ahead for adjustments (similar to situational awareness)
3. Proper Tune (including underhood mods) and tire inflation -- (includes the engine block heater as an efficient "head start")
4. Aero: Read the wind and adjust speed accordingly / avoid speeds over 60-65 unless coasting downhill / make aero tweaks if able
5. Avoid idling

RH77

- Drive like a granny
- Off-peak commuting
- Drive like a granny
- Use wifey's car for short low-MPG trips (thank you wifey :thumbup: !!!)
- Drive like a granny

CarloSW2

My secret shame also revealed! :p

But then I get...

"I had it up to 32.7 and now it's at 32.3 -- what's up with that???"

Uh oh. :o

RH77

1. Diesel engine
2. Manual transmission
3. Numerically lowest gearing possible
4. Clean up your aerodynamics
5. Keep EGT below 600 degrees and RPM below 2000

Maybe a bit esoteric but not repetitious.

top 5 maintenance items:
1) Check for normal operating temperature. Install new thermostat if too cool.
2) Set ignition timing.
3) Make sure ignition advance mechanisms work correctly.
4) Make sure fuel mixture is correct by measuring oxygen sensor output or sniffing the exhaust. Replace oxygen sensor, temp sensors, vacuum hoses, intake manifold gasket or timing belt if needed. Check air filter and choke if engine has a carburetor.
5) Check for easy rolling by pushing the vehicle with the transmission in neutral on a level surface. Inflate tires, fix brakes or adjust wheel alignment if needed.

Top 5 modifications:
1) Warm air intake
2) Grill block
3) low viscosity synthetic engine oil
4) Fuel heater connected to heater hose or radiator hose
5) Hydrogen injection with lean fuel mixture (see www.hhowater4gas.com)

top 5 driving tips:
1) Drive between 30 and 60 MPH when possible.
2) Avoid excessive braking by allowing enough following distance, slowing early for stops.
3) Accelerate gently to avoid downshifts or release of torque converter lockup.
4) Follow large trucks on the highway to reduce wind resistance.
5) Shift to neutral when descending mild hills or slowing down gradually.

My goal was to list the things that give maximum benefit for the minimum cost and effort.

What?:rolleyes:

Do you mean you don't know what hydrogen injection means or you don't think it would help? The idea is to use about 100 watts of electrical power to generate some hydrogen and oxygen gas from a tank of water and mix that with the intake air. The hydrogen is supposed to speed up the fuel burn and allow the engine to run on a lean mixture. I haven't tried it myself but I've read about it from several sources and believe it should work. It was recently discussed on a "Coast to Coast AM" radio program. You can read about it here:

http://www.coasttocoastam.com/shows/2008/05/08.html

I think that the fuel economy improvement might not be much unless the fuel system is modified for a leaner mixture. I think it might also be useful to mix some steam with the intake air.

How much is shedding extra weight worth? Is there some scientific formula out there, like for every 100# less there is a corresponding percentage increase in MPG? Is it cost efficient to replace parts with carbon fiber molded parts etc.? New to the group and searching for advice.

My list:

1) Slow Down on the highways
2) Increase tire pressure to max sidewall rating (or 1-2 psi less)
3) Pace traffic, anticipate the change of lights to minimize use of throttle and brakes
4) Remove unnecessary weight from the vehicle
5) Don't idle – avoid drive-thrus, warm-ups, etc …

I think these lists are worth repeating as the media does such a poor job covering this and other technical issues ... look at that recent article on CNN.com (link available elsewhere on this forum). :rolleyes:

CarbonBuilder, that's a good question. Of course, I don't think there's an easy answer. I think weight matters more in stop-and-go driving and less on the highway where momentum works for you while weight works against you ... so they help cancel each other out.

One of the best tankfuls I ever got with this '06 Civic (about 42.5mpg) was when I was moving last year and my car was loaded right to the gills. BUT ... my move was in the middle of summer, almost all of the trip was highway and the traffic late in the morning and early afternoon was very light ... and the return trips (I made a handful) were completely empty.

good stuff :thumbup:drafting helps my old truck :D

I guess I made a mistake. These are supposed to be tried and true tips but I've never tried a grill block, fuel heater or hydrogen injection. I just think they would be worth doing based on what I've read. Here's my updated list of modifications.

Top 5 modifications:
1) Warm air intake
2) Remove engine driven cooling fan if equipped, replace with an electric fan.
3) Use low viscosity synthetic engine oil.
4) Retard the camshaft(s) a few degrees. This may require ignition and fuel mixture adjusments. Note that if the timing belt is old, the valve timing may already be retarded. Tightening the timing belt tensioner (if not self adjusting) will retard it a little more. If the distributor is driven by the camshaft, the ignition timing may become retarded. Advance it at least to specifications to get better fuel economy and power. If it is advanced too far, the engine may knock during acceleration. Note that retarding the camshaft will reduce low speed power but it may increase power at high RPM. If you have slow acceleration you might not want to do this.
5) Optimize the ignition timing, including centrifugal and vacuum advance curves.

You know, maybe our suggestions should be based on intended audience. I give entirely different pointers to different people based on what I think that they will do. Of-course SVO Boy will filter accordingly . . .

1) 0w-30 synthetic motor oil helps significantly over 10w-30 (oil pumps work hard to push cold oil).
2) 75-90 synthetic gear oil in the rear end (or wherever your vehicle uses 80-90)
3) pre heat the engine in colder climates but don't over do it as you are wasting electricity if you do.
4) coast in neutral wherever possible UNLESS your hill requires braking and your injectors automatically shut off during deceleration.
5) Drive even slower yet into the wind. Compensate for lost time by driving faster with the wind. It will all even out time wise.

I'm not sure about this one as a strictly fuel saving statement.

It works on the bike, :p

I don't know about that one either. More then likely you're developing the same amount of watts but it's the perception of ease with a tail wind. But I'm getting the thread to OT. Might make a good thread for driving into headwinds.