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-   -   Why Hypermiling With A Radar Detector Is Smart (https://ecomodder.com/forum/showthread.php/why-hypermiling-radar-detector-smart-10464.html)

Jammer 10-04-2009 02:23 AM

Why Hypermiling With A Radar Detector Is Smart
 
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/c...f?t=1254632731
Valentine One radar and laser detectors
Ok, I'm sure many of you think I am crazy for Hypermiling with a powerful CB Radio with a 7 foot CB Antenna on the roof, a fairly expensive dual horn radar detector called a Valentine One, a GPS, a cell phone charger and even more.

So it came to no surprise when a member advised me to lose the cb antenna, but I am a faithful supporter of my powerful cb that allows me to talk to other drivers as much as 20 miles away through mountains. Then next, in another active thread a good member pointed out that I wont need my radar detector no more. This was GREAT TIMING because of what just happen to me in the daylight hours, only a few hours ago:

OK, for all of the drivers here that drive on flat land, you may not need a radar detector if you are Hypermiling. What I have to say is for drivers that regularly drive through hilly areas and/or drive in mountains.What it boils down to is all of the drivers here that practice driving in EOC a lot! Have you ever came down a long steep slope that levels out and is just perfect to let the car run on gravity all the way down the hill to then use such high speed to coast you right on for another mile to a stop sigh (for example). Well has anyone else been on say a 55MPH road and think nothing of going 65 or more at the base of the hill, after all you do not expect to be cruising at this speed for more than a few seconds, right?

Here is what just happen to me today (Oct 03 2009) in the few seconds, please check it out:

Not far from where I live is a tall mountain which has a very safe 3 lane road that winds down from it in a steep incline which latter flattens out in the Vally and one can stay in EOC all the way down to the first stop sign and the speeds are perfect. Well, the speeds are perfect if you allow your little car do go 65-70MPH for a few seconds before hitting the base of the mountain, and it's a 55 zone. I bet you already see where I am going with this!

While I was driving in EOC going down the hill there were 2 other cars about 1/2 mile in front of me. My radar detector started beeping and the arrow was pointing straigh in front of me, no chance of a false alarm. I had plenty of time, and I just hated having to hit my brakes while I past the state boy going up the hill as I was moving at 53MPH. If it was not for that detector I would of likely of been clocked at 65 to 70 MPH because I use that speed to let my car unwind all of the way to the stop sign down in the Vally, then I bump start about 20 feet from the stop sign. It works perfect.

So word to the wise, even though were all doing things that are pretty safe and to save fuel, whenever your going down a hill or mountain either watch your speed and keep it under PS, OR at least invest in one of the better radar detectors (Escort Redline, Bel, Valentine One) and buy only what you can afford of these brands and you should be less likely to get a ticket for hypermiling over the posted speed limit. Avoid the Cobra brand detectors because the reviews are poor, and it's a fact they leak out microwaves which, in turn, sets off other brands of radar detectors and it should be safer for the driver to use a RD that is not broadcasting signals. Its bad EMF, the better detectors are very well shielded and should be harmless to drivers..

Also please understand that the police can pace your car to get a speed with no gun, and if you are the only car on the roads for miles, a cop will wait to spot a car he suspects is speeding and then they got ya. So if your running EOC off the top of a large hill with enough incline to move your car 10-20 MPH OVER the posted speed limit, then a detector will most likely only go off as the police lock in your speed, thus making a detector useless. They work if there is light to moderate traffic, as a good detector will alert a driver to the radar use directed at the cars in front of you, which gives you time to brake or gear down. :thumbup:

The same rules apply to Laser speed guns, however be warned that MOST Laser detectors only go beep AS THEY CLOCK YOU. Of all the detectors on the market, my information from various sources show The Valentine One wins out when compared to other brands at picking up police laser gun up to 1000 feet, maybe more, away.(most laser tests stopped at 1000 feet, so the V1 did not have a chance to show it's REAL range on laser guns) Of course that is just enough to slow down, and barely time for that if your speeding real bad! Otherwise most every review shows other brands of combo radar/laser detectors have very poorer reception on laser. Another note - Be advise that police LASER guns can NOT be used when they are driving their cars. Laser speed detection only works right when the police officer stops and keeps the gun perfectly still, normally braced on something, So if you pick up laser from a moving car, it's most likely the sun setting, or the LED headlights fooling the detector because the light spectrum is in reality what laser is- LIGHT.

Also radar detectors are great for letting drivers know where the police may be patrolling at after DARK! A V1 will point right to the radar source, so this information can be used along with your hypermiling skills at night. :)

UPDATED: Thanks to the comment by 99Metro below were reminded that anytime we are driving very slow as compared to the posted speed limit (especially late at night!!) that we all should treat our radar detectors in the opposite way that most drivers use them- SPEED UP TO P.S. UPON WARNING AND KEEP ENGINE ON UNTIL THE POLICE ARE NO LONGER WATCHING. We could easily appear to be intoxicated if we are driving too slow, especially late at night with little to no traffic around us.

99metro 10-05-2009 12:29 PM

I use my radar detector to let me know when to SPEED UP! I don't want to get caught driving below the "minimum" speed limit. But I hear you about the CB. I am a little behind equipping all my vehicles with CBs. I think a CB antenna will have minimal effect (although SOME) on aero compared to the usefulness. As slow as I drive, I doubt it will have ANY affect on aero!

I have a very old Whistler, but it still does the trick.

PaleMelanesian 10-05-2009 01:36 PM

How fast are you cresting the hill / mountain? If you start at a slower speed up there, you'll end at a slower and legal speed at the bottom. (in many cases)

Christ 10-05-2009 01:58 PM

I engine brake down hills, even if the engine is off. (In manuals, not automagics.)

I don't coast more than a few MPH over the speed limit, remaining well within the 85th percentile, which is a rule applied to roads in all parts of this country. Prove that you were within the 85th percentile of motoring speed, and you're off on the ticket anyway. The only speeding tickets I've ever had to pay were for like 93 in a 65, 101 in a 55, 73 in a 35, and 125 in a 25. All of those, I got pleaded down to traffic offenses, because in each case (I took them all to court - never plead guilty.) the cops couldn't remember anything about the particular incident, and thus were found incompetent to defend their position in issuing the citation. For each case, I offered the Judge a deal instead of having to go through further deliberation, and in each case, I got off much lighter than I should have, because the officers don't expect that the driver will actually know the law.

Jammer 10-05-2009 07:06 PM

Hey Christ, I'm far from being a mechanic so I need to ask what may sound like a dumb question. Do you know if I am driving in EOC downhill in my Cobalt XFE that by gearing down wont waste gas? See in my warped mind I keep thinking that when that engine starts turning over, yet can not start due to the ignition key being "OFF" that somehow the motor is pumping gas into cylinders with no spark. That is the only reason I have not drove that way YET. I can not shake this idea that even with the key off if I put my car, say in 4th gear to keep me within the posted speed limit that gas is still being introduced to the pistons, and it's just the lack of spark in the plugs that keeps the engine turned off. Can you help me more fully understand how this really works? (Or anyone else that can help)

Oh a big THANK YOU TO: 99Metro! I forgot to post that concept of using a detector to be reminded to SPEED UP! Yes it is really a good thing to know, especially late at night, if your driving in ECO and a cop clocks you going 30 in a 45, there going to watch you for awhile and see if you drive like your intoxicated. Lets be real here, how many of us have never seen a person that smoked way too much weed, or some other intoxicant and instead of driving too fast, they act paranoid and drive way too slow!? We could easily be mistaken for intoxicated drivers just because were taking advantage of no, or little traffic to drive in EOC to the ut most. That's a very good point to bring up, especially for night time driving in which we may not even be able to see well enough to tell if it's the police driving on our bumper.

Thanks.

dremd 10-05-2009 07:49 PM

I have a detector in the Golf as well; MOSTLY so that I know when to speed up (I get stopped for anything under the speed limit here).

I do have to admit that EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE I do get the "need" to drive fast and speed for a while however I'd say 90% of the use is when to speed up . . .

Christ 10-05-2009 08:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jammer (Post 131933)
Hey Christ, I'm far from being a mechanic so I need to ask what may sound like a dumb question. Do you know if I am driving in EOC downhill in my Cobalt XFE that by gearing down wont waste gas? See in my warped mind I keep thinking that when that engine starts turning over, yet can not start due to the ignition key being "OFF" that somehow the motor is pumping gas into cylinders with no spark. That is the only reason I have not drove that way YET. I can not shake this idea that even with the key off if I put my car, say in 4th gear to keep me within the posted speed limit that gas is still being introduced to the pistons, and it's just the lack of spark in the plugs that keeps the engine turned off. Can you help me more fully understand how this really works? (Or anyone else that can help)



Thanks.

Think of your injectors as a NC switch (normally closed). When you turn the key on, the ECU individually grounds them based on signals from the CPS (crankshaft position sensor)

As long as you're running key off, you won't have the problem. If you have to coast with key-on, it might be a different story.

Normally, there is a single power circuit to the injectors that gets split in the harness to go to all of them. If you can find it, put a switch on it, and use it for your engine cut off.

Spark can keep happening without damaging anything, but you don't want raw fuel flowing through your engine.

EDIT: If you switch the reference wire to the CPS, problem solved. NOTHING in the FI system works without the permission of the CPS.

The problem with either of those is that you might end up with a CEL from what the PCM will read as a "dead sensor". (The injectors, though they aren't, are randomly referred to as output sensors. They're technically actuators.)

EDIT TO THE EDIT: OF course, I'd think about the simple thing right after the edit... In the ignition circuit, you can find the single wire that is the turn on lead for the ECU/Fuel Pump main relay. If you put a switch in it, you can leave the key on, but switch off the ECU/Fuel Pump, which would still act as an engine kill switch. This may alter your odometer readings, though.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Umm... I think I'm done editing now.

Jammer 10-05-2009 10:50 PM

Thanks for your time.

I think my head was in the clouds when I asked you that question. Because I pretty much have to turn my key back to ON because of all of the sharp curves and the brakes on a Cobalt are one of the weak spots to start with (Drum rear brakes!! NO ABS on mine either)

SO- In my normal way of going down a hill in EOC with the ENGINE OFF BUT THE KEY IS IN "ON" - RPM=0 Then if I gear down my engine will bump start- DUU I feel like an idiot for even asking.

So exactly how do YOU gear down to slow down when in EOC without it re-starting your motor? I'm at a lost as to how it can be done without burning gas. Do you have a kill switch?

Christ 10-05-2009 10:53 PM

I leave the key off. Not "lock", but "off". If the key is off, the ECU/Fuel pump are off, and can't read signals or send fuel.

RobertSmalls 10-05-2009 11:29 PM

Most modern cars do DFCO - they turn off the fuel injectors when you're above a certain RPM with your foot off the throttle. So in my Subaru, the engine braking is 100% as effective whether the key is on or off. You should EOC when you want to conserve momentum, and DFCO when you don't want your momentum.


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