Anybody else done much of it?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypermiling

The basic idea is to change your driving habits to increase mpg. People get into it for various reasons - mostly the domain of Save the Whales types, but others do it just do save money, or to reduce our dependence on oil from folks that aren't so nice.

I've just started in the past few weeks, and I'm convinced I'll continue. It's kind of a challenge, and I always liked games that you can't "win" but only continuously improve.

In my '01 automatic 4-spd Escort, that the EPA says should get 22 mpg in the city, 30 highway - I just filled up with mostly city driving getting 37 mpg.

It saves me $50+ a month, with the only problem being I have to leave for places with an extra buffer of time.

The basic methods are described on the wikipedia page and elsewhere. But you need both a thick skin and a lot of patience. And your head screwed on straight so you don't cause an accident in a single-minded pursuit of mpg and get yourself killed.

Anybody else?

I ignored the methods a couple times because I was running late, but I look forward to being consistenly over 40 mpg when others in the same car get 25. And it only lengthens my trips by about 15%

[Edited on April 14, 2008 at 4:45 PM. Reason : a]

4/14/2008 4:42:43 PM

i used to do something like this (well, the driving part, not necessarily losing mass, changing tire pressure, etc) when it was late and/or i had a couple beers in me (not drunk, but perhaps near .08).. i called it the gas mileage game..

i didnt do it for the mileage, tho.. it was just a way for me to keep my driving in check (not too fast or agressive).. i had a display in the car (it was a 2002 vw gti) that showed trip average mpg as well as instantaneous mpg...

[Edited on April 14, 2008 at 4:49 PM. Reason : good luck seeing that amount of gain, tho]

4/14/2008 4:49:04 PM

The basic principles are sound, but I'd rather not get shot coasting to a stop. I couldn't do it I only really drive in morning/evening traffic with 1,000's of hurried people.

People have disputed several of the methods listed, btw. Shutting off your engine and coasting for a 1/2 may sound like a great way to save 5 cents-until a deer jumps in front of you and you have no power steering or brakes.

4/14/2008 4:50:41 PM

Not to be a dick, but "hypermiling" takes all the fun out of driving. That'll be gone in a few years anyway so I might as well enjoy it now. That being said, I still do some of this stuff naturally anyway.


Some of this makes sense. But, unless my physics fail me, the gains from coasting to a stop are minimal since you're dissipating the same amount of kinetic energy, just over a longer time period. I was an Econ/Bus major so this could be completely wrong.

4/14/2008 4:50:42 PM

If you turn your car off while coasting, you are breaking the law, and endangering everyone around you.

4/14/2008 4:51:07 PM

I don't do that, and that's only for the insane people.

Though, I do not have a problem (in a manual) coasting in neutral for long stretches. Braking and steering stay normal, and the number of potential accidents that require quickly accelerating is almost negligible.

jcash - I actually find this more fun. But maybe it's in a "I just got a new video game and though it's stupid, I'm addicted" kind of way. And yeah, you're wrong on the benefits of coasting to a stop, whether in neutral or engine off.

[Edited on April 14, 2008 at 4:56 PM. Reason : a]

4/14/2008 4:54:26 PM

Quote :

"There are many reported accounts of road rage and tailgating by aggressive drivers, when hypermilers drive in a manner that other drivers are unaccustomed to, such as coasting to a stop."

I can't imagine anyone getting angry because some guy in a Impala is going 42 MPH in a 55 zone to get 5% better gas mileage or coasting the last 1/8 mile before making a turn.

Sike, lol. Run over those people.

4/14/2008 4:56:32 PM

It gets you WAY more than 5%....in my case, not even doing all of it, I got 50% better mileage.

And I have the benefit of working an off-schedule job, so I'm rarely on a single-lane road with someone behind me. I'd probably still do it, though

4/14/2008 4:58:37 PM

What are the gains of just keeping your AC off?

4/14/2008 4:58:37 PM

I'm going to say minimal, but I'm sure google knows a pretty solid answer.

Bringing it down to the lowest level and on really cold vent settings should be plenty, and staying hot won't get you much better than that, but you'll be a lot more comfortable.

I've found a lot of folks don't think ~50% difference in mpg is worth it, but when I put it the other way (that my gas is X% cheaper), they're interested. Kinda funny.

[Edited on April 14, 2008 at 5:07 PM. Reason : a]

4/14/2008 5:03:56 PM

Quote :

"If you turn your car off while coasting, you are breaking the law, and endangering everyone around you."

It also wreaks havok on some automatic transmissions apparently.

But there are definitely benefits to:
-More air pressure in tires.
-Accelerating slowly. Ex.: Light turns green, take your foot off the brake, count to 2, then accelerate slowly.
-Keeping the windows up when traveling faster than 40mph.

Maybe it's all the years of driving trucks, but accelerating slowly and running the speed limit comes naturally to me, and I really don't care what other people think. I don't like the tailgaters, but I'm certainly not going to change my driving habits for them and all my vehicles could use a free paint job anyway.

As for that hypermilling poster-child that gets 50mpg in an Accord, he's a dangerous nutjob and shouldn't be imitated. If he was really concerned with gas mileage, he'd buy a small motorcycle instead of risking everyone by tailgating and coasting through stop signs. Instant 100mpg.

4/14/2008 5:27:58 PM

Quote :

"And yeah, you're wrong on the benefits of coasting to a stop, whether in neutral or engine off. "

I figured I might be, but I'd be interested in the explanation for my personal benefit

4/14/2008 5:34:17 PM

Quote :

"in my case, not even doing all of it, I got 50% better mileage."

you didnt mention any before mpg numbers... you only mentioned EPA rated numbers which are not really that accurate...

4/14/2008 5:37:45 PM

25-27 beforehand.

It sure seems that would be kind of obvious, considering you knew 37 mpg was about a 50% improvement.

[Edited on April 14, 2008 at 6:06 PM. Reason : a]

4/14/2008 5:40:50 PM

Quote :

"If you turn your car off while coasting, you are breaking the law, and endangering everyone around you."

It is also illegal in a lot of places to coast in neutral/out of gear/clutch disengaged. I don't see how it helps gas mileage, either. A modern ECU should be able to cut fuel to almost nil when it isn't required, but it does take fuel to idle.

4/14/2008 6:06:27 PM

^

Yes but its a trade off

engine BRAKING VS. neutral COASTING


I can hypermile my parents prius to routine >60mpg. I cant do my civic as well I only get gas every 2.5 weeks >.< so its hard to tell if its working. At lights i know are long i completely turn my engine off. I would turn my engine off while coasting but A) it is dangerous and B) for some reason my trip meter doesn't increase so I cant track gains.

4/14/2008 6:32:36 PM

Quote :

"At lights i know are long i completely turn my engine off. "

Wouldn't the constant stopping and starting of the engine wear out parts more quickly and cost more to replace than it would to save gas?

4/14/2008 6:51:57 PM

Quote :

"It is also illegal in a lot of places to coast in neutral/out of gear/clutch disengaged. I don't see how it helps gas mileage, either. A modern ECU should be able to cut fuel to almost nil when it isn't required, but it does take fuel to idle."

It's illegal, but it's also impossible to be caught and is not dangerous.

The problem with the second part, for me, is that the Escort loses speed more rapidly with just my foot off the gas than it does in neutral. Taking my foot of the gas just makes me put it right back on in short order. So, the gas spent to idle still saves me gas overall. I know there are cars that aren't like that.

4/14/2008 6:53:53 PM

yeah, that's completely fucking retarded. at most you might save a few drops

Quote :

"A modern ECU should be able to cut fuel to almost nil when it isn't required, but it does take fuel to idle.""

most modern engines use NO fuel while engine braking but have to use some fuel to idle in neutral. i've played with fuel mapping tables on enough cars to know this as fact, and seen enough wideband O2 read outs to be even more sure of it.

[Edited on April 14, 2008 at 6:59 PM. Reason : asdf]

4/14/2008 6:55:18 PM

I didn't even know there was a word for this! I've been doing this stuff since I started driving. (I don't turn the engine off though. I'm not convinced that the wear of constant on/off is worth the gas)

For example, when approaching a red light I watch the lights facing the other way. By timing my braking/coasting I can often roll through at 10mph or so when the light turns green. Also in heavy traffic I leave a big space between me and the next car. That way, when that car stops I can just slow down and put the gas on when he starts moving again. If done right, you don't have to stop! Being able to see a ways in front helps, so you can see when the line of cars begins to move and judge when the car in front will catch on.

4/14/2008 7:07:43 PM

Quote :

"Wouldn't the constant stopping and starting of the engine wear out parts more quickly and cost more to replace than it would to save gas?"

I guess you have never looked at parts for a 1992 honda civic. A starter is more to ship than it costs.

The prius turns the engine off at stop lights. I'm assuming Toyota did their research.

FWIW my car idles at like 300RPM because its fucked up. That may help my cause.

[Edited on April 14, 2008 at 7:16 PM. Reason : .]

4/14/2008 7:15:35 PM

Quote :

"yeah, that's completely fucking retarded. at most you might save a few drops"

I like how you start your post with an insult.

Next you randomly make up an amount " a few drops" of what it "might" save you.

To finish it off you post what we already know is fact.

What was the exact point of your post?



Q: What uses more fuel?

Coasting down in neutral with the engine at idle gaining speed due to terrain
OR
Coasting down engine braking having to periodically put the car back in to gear to achieve the speed limit


I would be curious for any input that isn't a knee jerk insult. IE: "youre a retard" or "you wont save but X drops" isnt helping.



If all else fails correct the following grammar mistake: You're car is fuel efficient.



[Edited on April 14, 2008 at 7:24 PM. Reason : ]

4/14/2008 7:22:55 PM

^ I imagine it would be possible to design a car for which the second one is more efficient. i.e. less fuel is used when the car is getting pulled than when it is at a full idle. That said, I don't think cars are made this way and the first one would be more efficient.

4/14/2008 7:59:46 PM

I thought this thread was about RDs girlfriend

4/14/2008 8:15:48 PM

Quote :

"The prius turns the engine off at stop lights. I'm assuming Toyota did their research."

The Prius doesn't use the starter to turn the gas motor back on. I don't even know if the Prius has a starter (probably not).

4/14/2008 8:34:35 PM

it must . it will turn the engine back on for heat if you sit still long enough.

i didn't think they used the electric engine as the "starter". i think you are correct thought. it makes the most sense.

4/14/2008 9:18:09 PM

last tank i started really changing how i accelerate, how fast i run and things like slowing down by coasting. i have gotten some wonderful tailgating honks, lights flashing and people blowing by me and cutting me off, but i always at least run the speed limit, and still run about 9 over like i normally did, I just get there a little slower. So the last tank just ran dry and I went from 16.5 to 18 mpg. I also changed some of the roads i drive on and consider things like stop signs and lights which SUCK down your fuel economy.

I'm on the 2nd tank just today and on the trip home I got about 21 mpg according to the computer on the truck. I am very interested to see what I can do on this tank. With diesel going for $4.00+ i've got to make some changes. being a 3/4 ton crew cab 4wd the people tailgating me and trying to blow by me don't bother me. and the best part... i'm still making it places in the exact same amount of time.

one other thing you can do is find out your optimum RPM range in each gear, if you have an automatic find out in what gear and rpm your torque converter locks up, and do some research to find out where the sweet spot is for fuel efficiency. a quick google search hooked me right up. Now onto exhaust, intake and maybe a programmer.. it's my quest to get 25mpg back and forth to work

now i'm not going all out with the weight stripping (pointless in a truck my size), and all the other stuff, but I am thinking of running B100 soon, which is said to increase mpg by 2-5 mpg... we'll see

4/14/2008 10:33:35 PM

i don't mind paying a little extra to have fun while driving instead of doing this crap

4/14/2008 10:35:31 PM

this is a good way to cause road rage

4/14/2008 10:39:42 PM

i always go 60 in the right lane of 440.

I have noticed it really piss's people off who want to get off on lake boone (inner exit).

they make a point to use the off ramp to accelerate in front of my car. They then look over at me with the "i showed you face" and slam on the brakes to take the exit ramp.

It may cause them road raige but it is funny.

I also own a sports car but I don't speed around on the highway. Its the most boring kind of road. May as well go 60mph.

4/14/2008 11:09:46 PM

I hate that kind of driver. I'm the first guy to get pissed if someone wants to go 50 in the passing lane of a 55, but the right lane? As long as there is no minimum speed-limit, that is all yours buddy.

4/15/2008 12:22:04 PM

^That's the way I see it. If I'm in the far right lane, I can go as slow as I please, within, say, 10 or 15 mph of the speed limit.

I only feel sorry for others when there's only one lane each way. I don't feel sorry enough to speed up, but I do feel sorry.

[Edited on April 15, 2008 at 12:43 PM. Reason : a]

4/15/2008 12:42:59 PM

i hate people that tail gate in the right lane.... im already going 9 over (about) left lane is fucking deserted, yet your ass is parked on my bumper... *time to spray the windshield

4/15/2008 2:30:15 PM

I've had a fucker (he was mexican so go figure) tailgate me while i was driving 10+ in the right lane of US64 heading up to raleigh. I guess he did not realize that in America we pass on the left.

4/15/2008 2:57:39 PM

Quote :

"People have disputed several of the methods listed, btw. Shutting off your engine and coasting for a 1/2 may sound like a great way to save 5 cents-until a deer jumps in front of you and you have no power steering or brakes."

Haha, manual steering and brakes ftw! No problems there :p But I totally concur that shutting the car off is dangerous and shouldn't be imitated.

4/15/2008 3:18:08 PM

^^was this mexi in a mustang?

4/15/2008 3:24:14 PM

For the most part there's nothing wrong with being a smart driver and conserving gas where it's possible and convenient. Several things jumped out at me as being overly retarded in this thread though. Namely:

Quote :

"-Accelerating slowly. Ex.: Light turns green, take your foot off the brake, count to 2, then accelerate slowly."

It's this type of cuntsmear attitude that makes driving in places like Crossroads completely unbearable (although something tells me that 90% of the time the problem isn't from people trying to save gas, but more likely soccer moms paying more attention to their cell phone conversation than the road.) There are few things that piss me off more than being 20th in line at a light, seeing it turn green and then seeing some slow ass trickle of cars drive off at half the speed of smell, knowing that if I'm lucky I'll only have to sit through 2 more light cycles before I can finally get through the damn thing. If there's more than 2-3 cars behind you at a light, you should get the fuck out of the way as soon as possible. Certainly there's no reason to wait 2 seconds before "slowing accelerating". Unless you're just trying to be an asshole.

and

Quote :

"I would turn my engine off while coasting but [...] for some reason my trip meter doesn't increase so I cant track gains."

Maybe they never considered that anyone would be dumb enough to want to gauge how far they had traveled WITH THE FUCKING ENGINE SHUT OFF.

4/15/2008 3:28:01 PM

^ luz

4/15/2008 3:28:46 PM

It is also bad for automatic transmissions to roll in neutral with the engine not running.

4/15/2008 4:50:53 PM

until i'm old and arthritic, i don't think i'll have any desire to have an automatic

4/15/2008 4:52:49 PM

Quote :

"until i'm old and arthritic, i don't think i'll have any desire to have an automatic"

even then i'll bear through the pain for the excitement of 6 speed sequential i have right now

4/15/2008 8:53:10 PM

so has anyone see this douchebag on the road lately?

4/28/2008 8:57:16 PM

I tried this for a tank in the Lotus.

Before hypermiling: 21-22mpg.

After hypermiling: 28.5mpg.

Thats very mixed driving, about 60/40 city/highway time. The car is rated for 23 city, 29 highway.

Reports from lotustalk.com have people getting 40mpg+ on long highway trips. Pretty damn good.

4/28/2008 9:01:44 PM

Quote :

"so has anyone see this douchebag on the road lately?"

The fact that you respond this way to someone who accelerates slowly and goes at, or slightly under, the speed limit in the right lane says a lot about you as a person.

4/29/2008 9:49:13 AM

But what about when there's only one lane?

4/29/2008 10:06:45 AM

I tried this, and even with driving fast on a highway (about 75) for half a tank, I got up to 32 mpg from 27.

4/29/2008 10:11:58 AM

I need to try this. $3.70 gas is making me grumpy...over the course of 2 fill-ups this weekend I spent over $120. I currently get on the order of 14 city/21 hwy, that could certainly improve. Plus the speeding ticket I got last night may be an incentive to slow it down a little bit...

4/29/2008 11:55:58 AM

^I've had more success with lower mpg vehicles. My ford truck is supposed to get 12/17...usually end up with 21. On a percentage basis, it's a lot of saving.

4/29/2008 12:12:48 PM

oh, this is the try not to use the brakes at traffic lights game. fun times.

4/29/2008 12:17:38 PM

Just be careful coasting through lights, especially at a light with a protected left turn. Assuming you drive the average amount of 12,000 miles/yr and gas is $4/gal then improving from 20 mpg to 30 mpg will save you $800/yr. But if this happens, then it'll cost you more in the long run:

4/29/2008 12:21:53 PM