Fuel Efficiency and Slow Driving?

vile8 writes "With the high gas prices and ongoing gas gouging in my hometown many people are trying to find a reasonable way to save gas. One of the things I've noticed is people driving exceptionally slow, 30mph in 45mph zones, etc. So I had to take a quick look and find out if driving slow is helpful in getting better mileage. I know horsepower increases substantially with wind resistance, but with charts like this one from truckandbarter.com it appears mileage is actually about the same between 27mph and 58mph or so. So I'm curious what all the drivers out there with the cool efficiency computers are getting ... of specific interest would be the hemis with MDS; how do those do with the cylinder shutoff mode at different speeds?" Related: are there any practical hypermiling techniques that you've found for people not ready to purchase a new car, nor give up driving generally?

I don't own a car.

[Anonymous Coward]

But I've noticed I get less tired if I walk rather than run :-)

Take advantage of aerodynamics

[kbrasee]

Do like everyone else does, drive about 6 inches behind me at 65 mph.

The best way to increase gas milage

[YokoZar]

Related: are there any practical hypermiling techniques that you've found for people not ready to purchase a new car, nor give up driving generally?

Drive downhill.

jack rabbit starts

[Ydna]

I'd say the way people blast off from the green light like their in a Formula 1 Grand Prix* is probably doing a bigger number on fuel economy in city driving more than anything else.

* or not if you were Hamilton yesterday.

Re:Fuel economy

[aliquis]

Btw it wouldn't be my funeral bill would it!?!

Thanks!

[ciaohound]

I always thought those people were assholes, and I'd fly into a rant about how dangerous and reckless that behavior was. But they're just trying to save money. People really are basically good after all!

Re:Fuel economy

[mustafap]

>not to mention your spigot bearing.

Is that something a doctor would sort out, or a mechanic?

The leanset way to drive...

[i]

..is accelerating relatively fast to something like 70mph,
then pull of the engine and roll with no gear until You reach
something like 10mph when You start the engine and repeat.

This is the empirically show best method.

But it will probably irritate other drivers...

Re:Fuel economy

[morgan_greywolf]

Actually, most cars nowadays with manual transmissions will actually no longer consume fuel.

Wow! That's wierd. There must be something wrong with my 5-speed Ranger then, because it's constantly consuming fuel. About 24 MPG worth in combined city+hightway.

Re:Missing?

[InfiniteLoopCounter]

That's not an acceptable answer for most. Plus, you can get the same fuel efficiency and still drive. You just have to make one or two small compromises.

Essentially, the idea is to only drive downhill by letting go of the brakes and coast the rest of the way. If you run out of sufficient momentum to carry you along, or want to go uphill, you just have to push the car for a bit.

So, you just choose your workplace at a higher elevation than your home and push your car up in the morning after a hearty breakfast. Then, at the end of the day, you just coast down back home. Easy.

Re:Fuel economy

[bhtooefr]

Which is why the real hardcore people not only go into neutral on downhills, they also shut their engines off.

Re:Fuel economy

[BLAG-blast]

And when the pilot bearings wears out, it causes vibration on the input shaft to the transmission, which causes the input shaft seal to fail, which let's the oil drip out, which gets on the clutch plate, which causes the clutch plate to slip, which creates heat, which causes the fly wheel to crack, which chews up the clutch plate, which causes the clutch plate to grip, and every thing seems work fine again, for a little while anyway, this is when to sell your car and get a new one.

Re:Take advantage of aerodynamics

[coolgeek]

I've found this is the most effective way to piss off the jackass in the Prius going 65 in the fast lane. Start drafting 'em. They get out of the way quick when they realize I am sucking their fuel efficiency over to my ride, like my car is some kind of mechanized vampire.

Re:Use bricks

[VisceralLogic]

Think binary! You need a 1 MPH brick, a 2 MPH brick, a 4 MPH brick, etc. Just build up a stack.

Re:The Jesus Bearing

[Migraineman]

The throwout bearing is also known as the Jesus bearing to those who wrench on cars. Usually after rebuilding the engine, installing it in the car, and topping up the fluids, you'll notice the Jesus bearing sitting on top of the toolbox.

Re:Fuel economy

[Kvasio]

Morpheus: Do you think it is fuel, that your car is consuming?

Re:Fuel economy

[crossmr]

isn't this discussion getting a tad too manly for slashdot?

Re:Fuel economy

[FictionPimp]

which flips the man into the pan...the trap is set...