HyperMile

[ericthepig]

This relates to oil in that it can extend an OCI.

I wouldn't call this an obsession just yet - but I'm having fun with it. I started applying the Hyper Miler techniques while in my Mazda (5 spd stick). I did an mpg on my regular driving habits - all short trips to coffee shops, etc - which is where I work when not working from home office (once my kids get out for summer most all my days will be at coffee shops and the library) - the '88 323 got 26+ mpg on this last "normal" run (no hiway). That's with me driving it pretty hard (I like to goose it). Now I've started hyper miling, which is very easy to do in my stick shift, no power steering, no power brakes car.

Key essentials to hyper miling (as I understand them so far) -

Try not to use your brakes (brakes just negate the energy your gas just gave you).
Turn off engine when possible.

The above means I try to time stop lights (ie, so that I don't have to stop). I brake as little as possible in corners. I brake as little as possible period. On long down hills (west Little Rock is almost all hills) I turn off the motor (keep the key on "start" - at the end of the run, I use the clutch to start it - my car is very smooth with this - an external observer would never know I did it). I can get some very long runs with this. I also can turn off the motor and get some long runs into parking spots.

I'll report back on my next mpg.

So now I'm one of THEM weirdos.

 

[blackcherry06]

OMG please stop turning off your engine and letting your car freewheel down hills. You're going to kill yourself or someone else.

 

[ericthepig]

how will I kill myself or someone else? I can start the car in approx 1 second (no lurching). Plus, I don't do this in heavy traffic - I'm always on just suburban back roads.

 

[Steve S]

Against the law in some states as well as putting the car in neutral and coasting. Not using the brakes is a real good idea when it is SAFE to do it. A rear end collision from someone behind you not paying attention will eliminate all the savings you will ever get.

 

[ericthepig]

I wouldn't do the coast thing if I've got someone behind me. Perhaps my situation is unique - the roads where I'm coasting there's typically very little traffic (outside of rush hour). I understand that you have to have power in order to manuever - so I'm not doing this in situations where I'd have to manuever (or someone else manuever around me).

 

[ericthepig]

But if I've got plenty of clean road ahead of me, and no traffic behind, I'm cruising right along using zero gas (and we have some LONG hills).

 

[blackcherry06]

Originally Posted By: ericthepig
how will I kill myself or someone else? I can start the car in approx 1 second (no lurching). Plus, I don't do this in heavy traffic - I'm always on just suburban back roads.


If you're coasting downhill at 40mph with your engine off, steering and braking input are severely muted by lack of boost to either system. If someone pulls out in front of you or stops suddenly, you will be wasting valuable seconds starting the car when you could already be braking or steering around the problem. By the time you get the car running, you may very well be 6 feet up someone's @ss with an airbag in your face (if it deploys).

 

[96hb]

I hypermile all the time in my Civic, doing the things you just stated, and my mileage has increased from 38-40mpg up to 50-52mpg. All the negativity towards this style of driving is rediculous to me. I'm like the OP. I only engine off coast on back roads or when there is no traffic around me. It's not like we are doing this in rush hour traffic in LA or something. I do turn my engine off at lights if I know it will take longer than 10 seconds for it to change. I shift around 2k rpm's and cruise in 5th as much as possible. You really can save alot of gas using these techniques, and you don't even have to EOC. That is an advanced technique. Just slowing down and doing the speed limit will increase your FE a good bit.

 

[ericthepig]

NO! Nobody understands me. You guys are all tunnel visioned in on your late model this or that.

This is a 88 Mazda 323 - there is NO power steering (steers as easy with engine off as when on), there is NO power brakes (brakes work perfect with engine off). It's a very smooth stick shift - I have my hand on the stick and can be very smoothly be in fourth gear almost instantly. There is essentially no difference in driving down that hill with the engine off or on in this vehicle.

I don't know if air bags existed when this car was made.

This probably shows my age. They probably don't make cars like this anymore.

 

[blackcherry06]

Well, believe it not that does make quiet a difference. Expanding on your very unique set of circumstances could've yielded more understanding. I'm sure I'm not alone when I assumed you had power brakes and steering, which are next to useless with the engine off. Usable, but not great.

I haven't seen a car without power brakes since my sister's 79 Mustang

 

[rationull]

Are you sure the car has no vacuum brake booster? Cars have had those for a long time (much longer ago than in the 80s). No power steering, sure, but I'd be very surprised if it didn't have a brake booster. Can you confirm?

 

[Gary Allan]

Quote:
All the negativity towards this style of driving is rediculous to me.


Counter opinion wouldn't seem so bad if it was void of some "punitive" element. It's not like you're urinating in public or anything

It also appears to assume that you're an idiot doing idiotic things and that you're incapable of doing anything in an intelligent manner ..however unconventional it may appear.

Take a look at the semi drafting thread. Regardless of how you qualified the execution of the technique, it was always labeled as unsafe. What it really turned out to be is "it annoys me". Some people like to control/influence other's behaviors regardless of the need.

 

[glennc]

Seriously, no power brakes? In an '88? You sure?

 

[ericthepig]

Ok, so I lied.

I just called my brake guy (Stuart's Brakes, Little Rock AR) - he said my 323's brake are "vacuum boosted" - this gives just a little help in pressing down the brake pedal, but the brakes still work perfect even with the engine off.

With the type of driving I do with this Mazda (very little hiway) - I may see some very significant mpg increase (I'm running around everywhere with my engine off).

 

[Brett Miller]

Turning off the engine is a ridiculous notion! You lose power steering and power brakes.

 

[ericthepig]

Originally Posted By: Brett Miller
Turning off the engine is a ridiculous notion! You lose power steering and power brakes.


Yes. Not to mention the fact that if I accidently push the security system on my keyring, all heck will break lose. But that's why I had NavStar installed from the factory.

 

[ericthepig]

There's also the issue of getting lost when the GPS powers down.

 

[Gary Allan]

Heck, I wonder how I managed to drive over 300 miles without a clutch cable years ago. Most mere mortals would have curled up and cried. Amazing capacity the human being has for adapting to challenging environments.

Then again, I don't get up to change the channel on my television anymore either

 

[Cutehumor]

you can be the king of hypermiling, if you push start your car

 

[96hb]

Originally Posted By: Gary Allan
Quote:
All the negativity towards this style of driving is rediculous to me.


Counter opinion wouldn't seem so bad if it was void of some "punitive" element. It's not like you're urinating in public or anything

It also appears to assume that you're an idiot doing idiotic things and that you're incapable of doing anything in an intelligent manner ..however unconventional it may appear.

Take a look at the semi drafting thread. Regardless of how you qualified the execution of the technique, it was always labeled as unsafe. What it really turned out to be is "it annoys me". Some people like to control/influence other's behaviors regardless of the need.


I don't draft semi's. The techniques I use, I use on open roads when no other cars are behind me. My car does not have power steering, but yes, it does have power brakes. But you can get 3 or 4 good pedals out of it before you lose all the vacuum assist, so it's never been a problem. Obviously, some cars just don't work as well as others when it comes to hypermiling. Fortunately, mine does great.