How to Get the Most Fuel Economy

[02SE]

Reminds me of the media Karen’s that went after the H3 … got the same MPG as many big sellers at the time …

We had a Ford Excursion at one time. It was vandalized by cowards numerous times.

Ohh the humanity, an SUV that's the size of every 3/4 ton pickup...

 

[4WD]

We had a Ford Excursion at one time. It was vandalized by cowards numerous times.

Ohh the humanity, an SUV that's the size of every 3/4 ton pickup...

Lady at church still drives that original Excursion diesel …
I can remember when it was full of Little League players.

 

[ka9mnx]

Coasting in neutral with a manual has saves gas down the hills you don't need engine braking, or when coming up to a stop.

Cars don't cut fuel much at all when coasting in gear to avoid lean burning and to keep the cat nice and hot.

1. Illegal here in the States
2. Fuel is cut off when throttle is closed on FI engines.

 

[FordMan59]

Back in the early 90s when I first started working after college, I quickly figured out that if you drive the speed limit on the hwy and don't gun it could go 5 days of commuting without having to fill up on Thursday. My job was about 35 miles one way and i was driving a 4 speed Toyota Tercel at the time.

Told this to one of my coworkers at the time he had a Volvo 240 and he started doing the same thing. Not many people can drive this speed and keep their sanity.

Years ago I probably couldn't have driven at the speed limit but now as long as I don't have to be somewhere at a certain time I can drive 40 MPH and often have since the Corona virus came around. Back early on during the pandemic my wife and I would get in the car and ride around just to get out of the house. Often I catch myself on back roads driving with the c/c set at 40-45 MPH and just enjoying the scenery.

 

[OVERKILL]

Being an enviro guy, I'm surprised you don't have something like a Lotus Evija.

I averaged ~10.5Mpg over my last couple of tanks. Short in-town trips, cold weather, no highway use to really speak of and I enjoy driving spiritedly.

While I'm aware of all the things mentioned in the OP, as I'm sure a large portion of enthusiasts are, driving like my dad doesn't appeal to me.

Just think, right now it is possible for guys that like to drive hard to buy an EV and, depending on where they live, create less pollution driving how they like than if they were driving a traditional sports car or performance vehicle like there was an egg on the pedal.

 

[FordMan59]

I don't think you are right on this. When decelerating, the engine RPMs are higher and more air is being pulled through the engine. In order to keep the fuel/air ratio in the range that prevents excess NOx emissions, the computer has to add extra fuel. With carburated engines, the extra vacuum causes additional fuel to be pulled through the idle circuit.

Jurko is correct. Do a google search for deceleration fuel cut off. Most modern cars have it and it's activated a large portion of the time when a car is coasting.

 

[userfriendly]

After many decades of experiments the answer is obvious yet it is not what people talk about. The test cars:

Heavy SUVs as the extended versions of the Expedition and Navigator, 6 - 7,000 lbs.
Heavy sedans as a Maybach 57, Flying Spur Speed, a Ghost, 5,500 - 7,000 lbs.
Sporty cars as an Enzo, Murcielago, 2,500 - 3,500 lbs.

Improving fuel economy is particularly important in these cars that may otherwise "suck it up."

Let's go over some of the factors involved. Typical use as an example is the Ford Expedition EL weighing in at about 7,000 lbs. The EPA figures on my last one were 16 and 20 if I remember correctly. Incidently, over the years the EPA numbers improved for the vehicle mostly because they have increased the number of gears in the transmission. My first Expedition had 4 gears and the EPA was something as 11 and 14 MPG. Over the years the SUV moved to 6, 8 and now 10 speed transmissions. With each increase was better EPA milage. Anyway, in no particular order:

Tire Pressure
This is so often overlooked yet plays a major role, easily 1 - 2 MPG. Let’s say the recommended amount is 35 PSI. I always pressurize at least 5 PSI over that which is spec’d. I check monthly and more often when the weather is cooling. My tires never got down to 35 PSI during the interval. Most people set it to 35 PSI and let it get down 5 or even 10 PSI before bringing it back to 35. Tire failures are often related to under inflated tires. I have NEVER seen the “dreaded” central wear pattern of the “over inflated” tire. Not once. Except for the one time when my wheel alignment in the rear was off, all tires have worn evenly.

Proper Wheel Alignment
I have no data on this. For the most part, my tires have worn evenly therefore they were set appropriately for the way I drive. But certainly there would be a penalty with increasing mis-alignment. I cannot give you an estimate but common sense should prevail. In the same department would be proper suspension operation and wheel balancing. Sometimes we recheck this when the tires are about half worn as both my wife and I can feel small differences.

Motor Oil Viscosity
I cannot say that I have noticed a difference going from a 5-30 to a 0-20 grade oil. But maybe as much as a 0.5 MPG increase from using a 40 grade in one step down to a 20 grade oil. Viscosity does make a difference but small. Maybe we should change the oil more often as long term oxidative thickening occurs with motor oils.
I do prefer using thinner oils most of the time. I feel more comfortable revving the engine up sooner running them. And there is definitely more get-up-and-go feeling as the oil is less honey like even at summer Florida temperatures. Who would not like a sportier feeling car? But using thinner oils is not giving me meaningful better fuel economy.

# ONE, Driving Habits
I normally get around 20-21 MPG (around town) the way I drive the SUV. My wife gets a mile or 2 less as she drives as most others. If I try to get the best MPG, I can get as high as 28 - 29 MPG around town. The trouble is that this type of driving annoys the people behind me, you must be careful these days. How is this achieved?
My definition of a good driver is one who rarely uses the brakes. This is done by constantly looking as far ahead as you can, in some cases a mile or so. In areas where you know the pattern of red lights and traffic patterns you can improve on fuel economy by 5 or 10 MPG assuming all else is correct with your vehicle. You anticipate what will happen in front of you. You will maybe slow down a little as you approach a traffic light but rarely stop. Take turns a little faster. Coast as much as possible.
Some cars are limited because they automatically down shift or use regenerative braking when you lift your foot off the gas pedal. If you are the type of driver who does not look ahead and anticipate then maybe this works for you. But if your car coasts well and you can predict what will happen ahead of time coasting is the key. If you brake you are turning kinetic energy into heat, a waste of energy. You have put energy into your car to get it going then you waste it by braking.
Also, though soft starts are of benefit they are not nearly as important as not using the brakes. If you start up faster you get to speed faster then use less gas to maintain your speed sooner. Most of the energy you put in goes to getting you up to speed. But braking is a total waste of energy.

The EPA should concentrate on teaching people how to drive conservatively and take proper care of their vehicles. Here’s another tip. Instead of trying to get to a destination sooner by weaving in and out of traffic, leave earlier!

AEHaas
Your fuel saving driving habits work on frieght trains too. Everything from 25,000 ton potash to 14,000 foot long double stack container trains. The only difference is thinking and planning 10 miles ahead instead of 6 blocks.
PS: Next Topic - Coal Burning Cars

 

[ctrcbob]

I love you guys with three ton vehicle worrying about fuel economy.

Get rid of the SUV or Pickup, and get a smaller car.

Regular in my area now $2.899 cheap. Possible $4.00 by mid summer.

 

[userfriendly]

Why did you bring my girlfriend into this ?

Do all of your ex's live in Texas?

 

[Rmay635703]

1. Illegal here in the States
2. Fuel is cut off when throttle is closed on FI engines.

Georgia overdrive is only illegal on a semi

Also Driving a manual transmission car would be illegal every time you stop

 

[ZeeOSix]

"Fuel economy, fuel economy? ... We don't need no stinkin' fuel economy !!"

 

[Bryanccfshr]

After many decades of experiments the answer is obvious yet it is not what people talk about. The test cars:

Heavy SUVs as the extended versions of the Expedition and Navigator, 6 - 7,000 lbs.
Heavy sedans as a Maybach 57, Flying Spur Speed, a Ghost, 5,500 - 7,000 lbs.
Sporty cars as an Enzo, Murcielago, 2,500 - 3,500 lbs.

Improving fuel economy is particularly important in these cars that may otherwise "suck it up."

Let's go over some of the factors involved. Typical use as an example is the Ford Expedition EL weighing in at about 7,000 lbs. The EPA figures on my last one were 16 and 20 if I remember correctly. Incidently, over the years the EPA numbers improved for the vehicle mostly because they have increased the number of gears in the transmission. My first Expedition had 4 gears and the EPA was something as 11 and 14 MPG. Over the years the SUV moved to 6, 8 and now 10 speed transmissions. With each increase was better EPA milage. Anyway, in no particular order:

Tire Pressure
This is so often overlooked yet plays a major role, easily 1 - 2 MPG. Let’s say the recommended amount is 35 PSI. I always pressurize at least 5 PSI over that which is spec’d. I check monthly and more often when the weather is cooling. My tires never got down to 35 PSI during the interval. Most people set it to 35 PSI and let it get down 5 or even 10 PSI before bringing it back to 35. Tire failures are often related to under inflated tires. I have NEVER seen the “dreaded” central wear pattern of the “over inflated” tire. Not once. Except for the one time when my wheel alignment in the rear was off, all tires have worn evenly.

Proper Wheel Alignment
I have no data on this. For the most part, my tires have worn evenly therefore they were set appropriately for the way I drive. But certainly there would be a penalty with increasing mis-alignment. I cannot give you an estimate but common sense should prevail. In the same department would be proper suspension operation and wheel balancing. Sometimes we recheck this when the tires are about half worn as both my wife and I can feel small differences.

Motor Oil Viscosity
I cannot say that I have noticed a difference going from a 5-30 to a 0-20 grade oil. But maybe as much as a 0.5 MPG increase from using a 40 grade in one step down to a 20 grade oil. Viscosity does make a difference but small. Maybe we should change the oil more often as long term oxidative thickening occurs with motor oils.
I do prefer using thinner oils most of the time. I feel more comfortable revving the engine up sooner running them. And there is definitely more get-up-and-go feeling as the oil is less honey like even at summer Florida temperatures. Who would not like a sportier feeling car? But using thinner oils is not giving me meaningful better fuel economy.

# ONE, Driving Habits
I normally get around 20-21 MPG (around town) the way I drive the SUV. My wife gets a mile or 2 less as she drives as most others. If I try to get the best MPG, I can get as high as 28 - 29 MPG around town. The trouble is that this type of driving annoys the people behind me, you must be careful these days. How is this achieved?
My definition of a good driver is one who rarely uses the brakes. This is done by constantly looking as far ahead as you can, in some cases a mile or so. In areas where you know the pattern of red lights and traffic patterns you can improve on fuel economy by 5 or 10 MPG assuming all else is correct with your vehicle. You anticipate what will happen in front of you. You will maybe slow down a little as you approach a traffic light but rarely stop. Take turns a little faster. Coast as much as possible.
Some cars are limited because they automatically down shift or use regenerative braking when you lift your foot off the gas pedal. If you are the type of driver who does not look ahead and anticipate then maybe this works for you. But if your car coasts well and you can predict what will happen ahead of time coasting is the key. If you brake you are turning kinetic energy into heat, a waste of energy. You have put energy into your car to get it going then you waste it by braking.
Also, though soft starts are of benefit they are not nearly as important as not using the brakes. If you start up faster you get to speed faster then use less gas to maintain your speed sooner. Most of the energy you put in goes to getting you up to speed. But braking is a total waste of energy.

The EPA should concentrate on teaching people how to drive conservatively and take proper care of their vehicles. Here’s another tip. Instead of trying to get to a destination sooner by weaving in and out of traffic, leave earlier!

AEHaas

PS: Next Topic - Coal Burning Cars

So basically maintain the vehicle and drive using the Smith driving system. You will be safer and more efficient.

my self pacing cruise control doesn’t does Ore hard braking Than my foot does. Not as efficient as it is convenient and an extra set of sensors Looking for people cutting out in front of me is nice.

 

[DGXR]

DFCO does not happen every time the throttle is closed. I wish it did. Depends on the vehicle of course but I think the RPM needs to be under a certain number (maybe 3000), or maybe it's related to vehicle speed, not sure. My Tacoma will not begin DFCO above 65 MPH, tried this many many times, so annoying. My Corvette feels like it will not begin DFCO above 75 MPH but I'm less sure about this one. I know that the Corvette engine temp takes a radical dive when DFCO is active coasting in gear down a local grade, especially during the hot summer days around here. The digital temp gauge goes 194, 192, 190, all the way down to 182F very quickly. I assume this is because there's coolant flow and air flow but no combustion due to DFCO.

 

[simple_gifts]

Do one's thinking prior to the purchase, not after.

 

[PimTac]

One aspect not covered here is consolidating trips. Driving less saves a lot more fuel than any of the other ideas.

This really applies to those who drive to get a coffee and back home then drive to pick up lunch and drive home then drive to a appointment and drive home, and so on and so forth.

 

[AEHaas]

One aspect not covered here is consolidating trips. Driving less saves a lot more fuel than any of the other ideas.

This really applies to those who drive to get a coffee and back home then drive to pick up lunch and drive home then drive to a appointment and drive home, and so on and so forth.

That's a great one! I try to be ultra efficient. My list of things to get from stores, especially home improvement stores is often big. But I always wait until that item I need right Now comes up before I go there, then only on the way home from work as an example. Same for mail order. I often get things from Amazon (hate to in reality). But I do not put the order in until that item comes up I need right now. Going to the grocery store once a week or two instead of every couple of days... There are so many examples of ways to cut back on the number of trips to the store.

Great one. Thanks for bringing it up!

AEHaas

 

[doublebase]

I try to average above whatever mpg the car I own claims I can get, and I always do.

I love to glide/coast as often as possible and avoid braking (within reason) and avoid hard acceleration (within reason). You can always back off the gas pedal once you are cruising along at several speeds on a level surface and you can time hills and descents. It really is amazing what you can do if your habits allow, but it takes a little experience and practice.

I too, like to set my tire pressures 5 pounds or so above recommended.

Warm weather really helps compared to cold weather. I can usually average 2 mpg better in warm weather (above 40 degrees), compared to bellow it.

If I can average 68 mph on the highway, I can save compared to going over 70. But it’s not always possible because I don’t like to slow everyone down. And cruise control is a huge advantage...I can’t feather the gas pedal like cruise control can and it’s effortless to do so. I don’t have to consistently try to accomplish what cruise can do all of the time. I use cruise control 80% of the time on on the highway, and even use it on backroads a lot.

 

[2EHA]

Picking the right speed and avoiding the right lane meant I limited my exposure to them. Driving the limit in NH usually has me nodding off.

inability to use the lanes properly is a huge problem here, brings traffic to a halt. it’s 10x worse when you’re driving a commerical vehicle and have to be somewhere.

when i’m in a normal car and actually enjoying the roads, the left lane hogs are even dumber. when you see somebody rapidly approaching with the high beams on, please move over

 

[IndyIan]

Jurko is correct. Do a google search for deceleration fuel cut off. Most modern cars have it and it's activated a large portion of the time when a car is coasting.

Everyone says that, but do you have any evidence? Other people saying it somewhere else online? Even the engineering explained guy assumed this is true without actually testing his cars. My scangauge reads what the ECU is doing in real time through the OBD port, and in my cars true fuel cut off is only at rpms way above what you use in top gear. At 60 mph rolling down a hill in top gear every car I've owned uses about 30% more gas coasting in gear than idling in neutral, plus you are using engine braking to loose speed. It seems crazy that's what they do for emissions, but that's what they do.
I believe SUV's and trucks have slacker emissions standards and they do cut fuel completely more often, I haven't tried the scanguage in the Outback yet, but our 2003 Tracker would completely cut fuel when coasting down to near idle speed. I don't recall if it would do that before the engine was at normal temps though.

 

[CheezWhiz]

if i overinflate the tires on my 2500hd, the money i save on gas just goes to the dentist