Trainman Posted April 30, 2006 Share Posted April 30, 2006 From the Driving section of Fridays Vancouver Sun (one of the big Canadian dailys) "]http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/dr...4-d98287a460b5] Full test details are in the article. Gas mileage: You hold the key With gas prices at record highs, everyone is looking for ways to use less of it. The staff of the automotive website Edmunds.com did some tests and found you don't necessarily need to change your vehicle to get major gas savings. Philip Reed and Mike Hudson Vancouver Sun Friday, April 28, 2006 With gas prices so high, the media is awash with lists of gas-saving tips. Well how's this for a tip? If you listen to us, you can see hybrid-type savings without having to buy a new car. By changing your driving habits you can improve fuel economy up to 37 per cent right away (depending on how you drive). Combine several tips and perform routine maintenance and you will save real dollars, not just pennies. A miracle? All we did was take several of the most common tips out there and put them to the test over a remote 88-km route in the high desert of California. Some of them worked like a charm. Some of them didn't work at all. We'll give you the breakdown. These tests were done under real-world conditions -- not in a government lab somewhere. Our results can be matched by anyone -- even you. The wonderful part about what we found is that improving your car's mileage is just a matter of changing your habits. Stack a few of these winners together and we'll bet that you'll see a substantial savings at the pump -- without the need for a new car. Test #1 Aggressive driving vs. moderate driving - Result: Major savings potential - The Cold Hard Facts: Up to 37 per cent savings, average savings of 31 per cent - Recommendation: Stop driving like a maniac. Test #2 Lower speed saves gas - Result: Substantial savings on a long trip - Cold Hard Facts: Up to 14 per cent savings, average savings of 12 per cent - Recommendation: Drive the speed limit. Test #3 Use cruise control - Result: Surprisingly effective way to save gas - Cold Hard Facts: Up to 14 per cent savings, average savings of seven per cent - Recommendation: If you've got it, use it. Test #4 A/C On, windows up vs. A/C off, windows down - Result: Nice in theory; not true in practice - Cold Hard Facts: No measurable difference (unless you open the sunroof, too!) - Recommendation: Please, make yourself comfortable. Test #5 Check your tire pressure - Result: Important for safety and to reduce tire wear - Cold Hard Facts: No measurable effect on the vehicles we tested - Recommendation: Check your tire pressure often but don't expect a big savings. Test #6 Avoid excessive idling - Result: More important than we assumed - Cold Hard Facts: Not idling saves an average of 19 per cent - Recommendation: Stopping longer than a minute? Shut 'er down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unccpathfinder Posted April 30, 2006 Share Posted April 30, 2006 i actually heard some things about if ure over 55mph close the windows and use ac b/c ure drag increases to the point that it affects milage and below 55 use the windows but Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lextronix Posted April 30, 2006 Share Posted April 30, 2006 I beleive they proved that wrong on mythbusters as a side question to go along with the tail gate issue on pickups. -Lex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SC88Pathy Posted April 30, 2006 Share Posted April 30, 2006 Recommendation: Stop driving like a maniac. No thank you. Recommendation: Drive the speed limit. Then how in the hel would I get anywhere on time?! Use cruise control Cruise control scares me. And where I drive there is NEVER a constant flow of traffic. A/C On, windows up vs. A/C off, windows down My AC don't work and one of my windows don't roll down, so its window down for me! - Recommendation: Check your tire pressure often but don't expect a big savings. Wait there's air inside tires? I thought they were solid rubber. - Recommendation: Stopping longer than a minute? Shut 'er down. OK this one I can agree on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slick Posted April 30, 2006 Share Posted April 30, 2006 (edited) i noticed after taking 2 long trips driving at 55-60mph (over 45 miles per trip freeway each way) that my gas mileage improved 2 fold. i used to drive 65-70 and get MAYBE 200-220 out of a tank of gas..... last weekend.. went wheeling, plus drove there at 55 and went 97 miles round trip onna 1/4 tank. :o yesterday.. drove over hills to transworlds house, doing 55-60mph all the way.. and went 137 miles round trip on just over 1/4 tank of gas.... no more 65 for me!!! -bounce- Edited April 30, 2006 by Slick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derogate Posted April 30, 2006 Share Posted April 30, 2006 I beleive they proved that wrong on mythbusters as a side question to go along with the tail gate issue on pickups. -Lex whats the verdict on that tailgate thing anyhow? my friend does it all the time and swears by it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slick Posted April 30, 2006 Share Posted April 30, 2006 (edited) don't drop yer tailgate. i have never understood why people do that. the trucks were designed with the tailgate UP. it actually can cause more drag than with it up. tell your friend not to waste his time dropping it anymore Edited April 30, 2006 by Slick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88pathoffroad Posted April 30, 2006 Share Posted April 30, 2006 Yeah, they busted that myth on TV on a couple of shows. It works much better with the tailgate up cause the air doesn't flow over the roof and then straight through the bed, it makes a bubble of air that circles the inside of the bed. That bubble keeps the drag down on the rear of the truck. Toss a semi-inflated sandwich bag back there when you're on the freeway and you'll see it do circles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unccpathfinder Posted April 30, 2006 Share Posted April 30, 2006 hmmm...$ scheme idea in the making build "cones" for that attach to the front of SUV's b/c it'll reduce the drag and increase ure gas milage by 15%* *in an independant study (this being at no load with no wind) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derogate Posted April 30, 2006 Share Posted April 30, 2006 hmmm...$ scheme idea in the making build "cones" for that attach to the front of SUV's b/c it'll reduce the drag and increase ure gas milage by 15%* *in an independant study (this being at no load with no wind) lol.. you MIGHT have some overheating problems... just a thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted April 30, 2006 Share Posted April 30, 2006 Wow, good read, but nothing earthshattering... Drive mellow and slower and you will save gas No brainer to me. Cruise control scares me. And where I drive there is NEVER a constant flow of traffic Exactly !! I rarely get a chance to use CC The best way to increase gas milage is ride a motorcycle, or walk out to your driveway, wind up and throw the Pathy ignition key as far as you can with your eyes closed, then walk back inside the house... B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmd0311 Posted May 1, 2006 Share Posted May 1, 2006 LOL... Just drove 220 miles. Filled up before I left.. Set the Trip and took off. Drove about 80 miles there, 80 miles back. The rest was driving in the city. So the drive there I was doing 80-85, on straight aways sometimes a couple of times 90. In the city, 40-45 non aggresive with a 20 mile strip where I drove with 9 people in the Pathy. It was like a clown act. The way back... I did 75-80 all the way. Got 15mpg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k9sar Posted May 1, 2006 Share Posted May 1, 2006 I usually kick it into neutral if there is a long hill or something that I'm going down. I'd rather be at 700 rpm than 3000rpm for that length of time. It does add up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pezzy Posted May 1, 2006 Share Posted May 1, 2006 Yeah, they busted that myth on TV on a couple of shows. It works much better with the tailgate up cause the air doesn't flow over the roof and then straight through the bed, it makes a bubble of air that circles the inside of the bed. That bubble keeps the drag down on the rear of the truck. Toss a semi-inflated sandwich bag back there when you're on the freeway and you'll see it do circles. did they touch on how a tonneau cover on a PU affects mileage??? That is what i did on my old truck, as I too believed the tailgate lowered my mileage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucky92 Posted May 1, 2006 Share Posted May 1, 2006 Maintenance is pretty key too. I know we all love out Pathy's but I know some people who push the oil-change envelope a bit too far. I average 17 city/19-20 hwy. Yes it's the 3.0. Not heavy-footed but not "Granny Featherfoot" either. Some folks forget about all those little fluids and wires and spark plugs and let that kill their mileage. But it's still a b***h to fill up at $3 a gallon, regardless of how far you can go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k9sar Posted May 1, 2006 Share Posted May 1, 2006 though gas is only as expensive as a 5 foot hose and a 5 gallon can Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted May 1, 2006 Share Posted May 1, 2006 Dont forget a good set of tweezers for picking the bird shot out of your butt... B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nycxice13 Posted May 1, 2006 Share Posted May 1, 2006 Best tip of all, WALK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SC88Pathy Posted May 1, 2006 Share Posted May 1, 2006 I usually kick it into neutral if there is a long hill or something that I'm going down. I'd rather be at 700 rpm than 3000rpm for that length of time. It does add up. That's illegal in California. did they touch on how a tonneau cover on a PU affects mileage??? That is what i did on my old truck, as I too believed the tailgate lowered my mileage. No but they did in Road and Track a while ago. They did some wind tunnel research and as far as drag coefficients go tonneau covers where best, vs tailgate up and down. However they didn't mention the effects of a camper shell. Although I suppose a camper shell could vary a lot due to differences in shapes between manufacturers, whereas a tanneau cover is the same no matter who makes it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k9sar Posted May 1, 2006 Share Posted May 1, 2006 That's illegal in California. really? how the hell woudl they know? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrailChaser Posted May 1, 2006 Share Posted May 1, 2006 That law is valid in just about all states. I think it mainly applies to big rigs. They call it Georgia Overdrive. I got 19mpg on the way back to Houston from Corpus using 4ozs of acetone to 15 gallons of gas. That was 245 miles on 3/4 of a tank. I'm wondering if it was all acetone. Other factors include: New (unwanted) Gears. 4.3xx instead of 4.6xx which lets me cruise at 70 with the RPM's at 2,300 with the torque converter locked up. Also the whole trip was on FLAT ground (except overpasses) with hardly any wind. Last but not least I followed a couple of car lengths behind an 18 wheeler running 70mph for about 85% of the trip. I had to fill up twice on the way down. The wind was blowing so hard I had to turn off the OD to maintain 65-70mph. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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