How then, do we move backwards? How does a society, with most of the people having no clue of future events, move from being dependent on a vast and intertwined network of goods and services produced by the indigenous people of whereever, to a local resource and renewable energy based society, and do so in the timeframe available (20-30 years using the most liberal extimates, 10-20 with resonable estimates, 5-10 with worst case scenarios), all the while prices on everything increasing, world politics getting more militaristic, governments continuously reducing civil liberties, shortages of goods on the market and weather patterns resembling bad Hollywood movies?
Posted: Mon Oct 08, 2007 8:18 am Post subject: Re: Who here is into hypermiling?
The Prius is also relatively lightweight and pretty aerodynamic. Using the batteries/motor to minimize ICE use and regenerate is icing on the cake. The best way to save gas with a conventional automobile is to (a) don't drive unless you have to (doh) and (b) slow down! By coasting to stops, etc. you're effectively reducing your average speed which makes the trip more economical.
Joined: Mar 07, 2007 Posts: 288 Location: Houston, TX
Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2008 10:58 am Post subject: Re: Who here is into hypermiling?
I am a big time hypermiler both for the fun and for environment oh and of course savings
My only problem is the large trucks piling behind me whenever I slow down before a red light maybe 100 ft before. They horn and look at me like a dumb.
Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2008 5:28 pm Post subject: Re: Who here is into hypermiling?
kjmclark,
RE: an instant fuel economy gauge, install a vacuum gauge mounted where you can safely refer to it as you drive. It's a simple rubber hose connection, which you hook to a "tee" fitting in any manifold vacuum line, easily found as a small rubber hose at the base of the carburetor, or fuel injection throttle body.
The gauges are available from auto accessory dealers, and can be had with suitable mountings.
The gauge reads inches of manifold vacuum. A higher reading indicates essentially a lesser throttle setting which is more economical, and vice versa. Makes it easy to learn how to "drive like you have a rotten egg on the gas pedal", an old axiom for frugal driving.
Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 1:56 am Post subject: Re: Who here is into hypermiling?
gg3 wrote:
Agreed about not turning the engine off altogether. We don't need to go darwinizing ourselves; in fact we need to become the dominant subspecies ASAP.
If ya can't turn the engine off w/o a self professed risk of darwinization you want to reassess any notions of becoming the dominant subspecies. _________________
Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2008 1:22 pm Post subject: Re: Who here is into hypermiling?
As I've posted before, my lifetime mpg on my Insight is 63.6. It could easily be 75 if I drove slower. The above is averaging 70 on the freeway. I've measured fairly accurately a 1/v2 dependence on speed above about 60 mph (due to air resistance), and can routinely get 75 mpg if I go 60. The easiest way to get better gas mileage is to go slower.
I've also noted a rough linear dependence on temperature (Kelvin) since colder air is denser. So my winter mileage sucks.
I've also done the tailgate behind a semi, that does work, I've gotten up to 90 mpg for short distances; but it's very dangereous and I've heard the cops will stop you if they see it.
Posted: Sun Feb 24, 2008 12:14 pm Post subject: Re: Who here is into hypermiling?
I routinely use hypermiling techniques in my driving and have been doing the engine-off coasting for the better part of a year. And so far I have had to nail the throttle in an emergency a grand total of ZERO times. As a matter of fact, the only times I have ever had to use the throttle to rescue myself from any driving condition have been when I was exceeding safe driving speeds to a significant degree (while racing or on snow or ice). So that emergency throttle argument is just a ridiculous one statistically, and an impractical one in reality because the vast majority of the driving public wouldn't know what to do with it anyway. So let's just throw that silly argument aside ok?
Ok, with 'emergency throttle' put to bed, one cannot ignore the other issues with braking and steering. Both can be serious issues if you don't know what to expect without power or vacuum assist. In other words, if you can't comfortably steer or stop your vehicle without the assistance of the vacuum booster or power steering, for the love of fuel addiction, DON'T FREAKIN' DO IT! Obviously this includes anybody who's steering locks with the ingition in the accessory power position as well!
What I have found however is the majority of my engine off coasting can in fact be done in gear. (For vehicles with fuel injection and manual transmissions only of course.) Left in 5th, the additional drag of turning the motor is miniscule, yet I still save considerably on fuel consumption without sacrificing either my power steering or vacuum assist since the motor continues to both turn the steering pump and generate vacuum. This technique has the added benefit of reducing wear on restarts, presuming they are done before coasting below the threshold speed for doing that. It also skirts the legality issue of coasting in neutral. (To my knowledge there are no laws that state the motor has to be running at all times.)
All it takes to refire the motor is a quick flick of the key back on - something that can arguably done more quickly than say trying to put the transmission back into a useable gear.
I won't deny that this extra step to refire the motor adds delay and potential risk, however one should not rule out the reality that most people using this technique are probably looking much further down the road than the average driver anyway. So to that I say 'whatever'.
Drive safe.
Last edited by snax on Sun Feb 24, 2008 12:27 pm; edited 1 time in total
Joined: Dec 18, 2004 Posts: 4027 Location: One Mile From the Columbia River
Posted: Sun Feb 24, 2008 12:19 pm Post subject: Re: Who here is into hypermiling?
I'm in neutral on almost all downhills. I thought I was the only one practicing this neat little gas saving trick. Glad to see others doing it too! _________________ Everything is Impermanent. Shakyamuni Buddha
Joined: Jun 13, 2007 Posts: 3251 Location: Minniesotuh
Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2008 5:49 am Post subject: Re: THE Hypermiling Thread (merged)
AAA: 'Hypermiling' can be dangerous to motorists
Scott Powers | Sentinel Staff Writer 11:07 AM EDT, June 27, 2008
The AAA auto club issued a warning this morning that some gas-savings techniques being popularized through a "hypermiling" fad can be dangerous and should be avoided.
The rapidly-rising price of gasoline has increased popularity in a movement among drivers called hypermiling, in which drivers seek ways to increase gas mileage through driving and vehicle maintenance techniques that range from common sense to extreme. AAA lauded some methods, such as when drivers seek to keep cars in top mechanical condition, or avoid aggressive driving maneuvers. But the auto club expressed concern that some hypermilers appear to be going too far. …
Orlando Sentinal _________________ "RRrrruuuunnnn!!!" ~Apocalypto
Joined: Dec 06, 2005 Posts: 823 Location: Stopped at the border.
Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2008 9:56 am Post subject: Re: Who here is into hypermiling?
misterno wrote:
I am a big time hypermiler both for the fun and for environment oh and of course savings
My only problem is the large trucks piling behind me whenever I slow down before a red light maybe 100 ft before. They horn and look at me like a dumb.
How to getaway from this?
Here's what I do. I find my courage and I say out loud to myself, 'I will not be intimidated.' Of course, if it came to that, if somebody wanted to mix it up because my conservative ways caused road rage they would be in for more than they expected. Somehow people associate weakness with small cars. They expect a weak man or a woman to be behind the wheel, not somebody that can take them out with one punch. _________________ "Hope encourages men to take risks; men in a strong position may follow her without ruin, if not without loss. But when they stake all that they have to the last coin (for she is a spendthrift), she reveals her real self in the hour of failure."
Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2008 10:15 am Post subject: Re: Who here is into hypermiling?
snax wrote:
Ok, with 'emergency throttle' put to bed, one cannot ignore the other issues with braking and steering. Both can be serious issues if you don't know what to expect without power or vacuum assist. In other words, if you can't comfortably steer or stop your vehicle without the assistance of the vacuum booster or power steering, for the love of fuel addiction, DON'T FREAKIN' DO IT! Obviously this includes anybody who's steering locks with the ingition in the accessory power position as well!
I just thought this worth emphasizing.
The difference in the amount of effort required between power assisted and without can be extreme. KNOW what that difference is and drive accordingly.
Joined: Dec 18, 2004 Posts: 4027 Location: One Mile From the Columbia River
Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2008 10:41 am Post subject: Re: Who here is into hypermiling?
evilgenius wrote:
misterno wrote:
I am a big time hypermiler both for the fun and for environment oh and of course savings
My only problem is the large trucks piling behind me whenever I slow down before a red light maybe 100 ft before. They horn and look at me like a dumb.
How to getaway from this?
Here's what I do. I find my courage and I say out loud to myself, 'I will not be intimidated.' Of course, if it came to that, if somebody wanted to mix it up because my conservative ways caused road rage they would be in for more than they expected. Somehow people associate weakness with small cars. They expect a weak man or a woman to be behind the wheel, not somebody that can take them out with one punch.
I practice some hypermiling techniques too. I agree. One drag about it is that when I'm nearing a controlled intersection (stop signs too) and notice the light change to 'orange' I immediately flip it into neutral and begin coasting. People behind me are generally still conditioned to race up to the light and then slam on their brakes when they're very close. They often have no idea why someone would be coasting slowly toward the intersection.
Yesterday, a large white pick up was right on my bumper as I coasted gently toward a red light, so I went as far to the right as I safely could (remaining on pavement to maintain momentum), as I usually do, and waved him by with a smile. He returned a very angry facial expression, but I'm not ever giving up with this practice. in time, they too will either join us or perish.
My neighbor who owns a Corvette and several fast motorcycles recently bought a Yaris to save gas. I explained hypermiling to him a few months ago and he now brags to me about his high mileage using this system. He claims 49 mpg. He's quite excited about it, and this shows it may be catching on.
One more point. If you still have access to real gas rather than fuel poisoned by ethanol, you'll do much better. In Oregon, crop burning and promoting worldwide starvation is the latest pop fashion, so 10% ethanol is all we're allowed to sell.
But across the bridge in Washington, where some common sense and environmental awareness still prevails, real gasoline is still available so I take the two mile hop north to the first exit and gas up there. That move alone gains me 10% more mileage. _________________ Everything is Impermanent. Shakyamuni Buddha
Joined: Jun 20, 2008 Posts: 67 Location: Quebec/Ottawa, Canada
Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2008 11:59 am Post subject: Re: THE Hypermiling Thread (merged)
Ferretlover wrote:
AAA: 'Hypermiling' can be dangerous to motorists
Scott Powers | Sentinel Staff Writer 11:07 AM EDT, June 27, 2008
The AAA auto club issued a warning this morning that some gas-savings techniques being popularized through a "hypermiling" fad can be dangerous and should be avoided.
The rapidly-rising price of gasoline has increased popularity in a movement among drivers called hypermiling, in which drivers seek ways to increase gas mileage through driving and vehicle maintenance techniques that range from common sense to extreme. AAA lauded some methods, such as when drivers seek to keep cars in top mechanical condition, or avoid aggressive driving maneuvers. But the auto club expressed concern that some hypermilers appear to be going too far. …
Orlando Sentinal
FTA:
In the advisory, the Lake Mary-based AAA warned that such hypermiling techniques as cutting a vehicle's engine or putting a vehicle in neutral to coast on a roadway, tailgating or drafting larger vehicles, or rolling through stop signs and driving at erratic and unsafe speeds should not be used.
Unsafe speeds ? Are they talking about ultra-low speeds or like 45-50 MPH on a 60-70 MPH highway ? Anyone who hypermiles will not be driving fast, so I assume they must be talking of low speeds. IMO, unless you are going REALLY slow, this safety issue is more due to those who go faster than speed limits (actually difference in speed, but they are the ones breaking a law.)
I think I understand "erratic speeds". I presume that refers to pulse and glide where you are constantly changing speed. What's the danger there ? Other drivers who don't adjust or who are inconvenienced ?
I bought a Prius about 1 month ago and love it. I've been learning hypermile tricks, but some, like Pulse and Glide and driving the 37-43 MPH speed limits on my commute, I've given up on for now. Cruise control is much more relaxing than P&G, and saving a few cents in gas by getting to work or home 5 minutes later isn't worth it IMO.
I've gotten as much as 70 MPG at low speed, and about 60 MPG at 6 MPH over limit. I save about 0.04 gallons or about 21 cents Canadian at $5.50 per gallon by getting home 5 minutes later. Not worth it financially at this time, but could be useful in future.
Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2008 3:34 pm Post subject: Re: Who here is into hypermiling?
eastbay wrote:
One more point. If you still have access to real gas rather than fuel poisoned by ethanol, you'll do much better. [b]In Oregon, crop burning and promoting worldwide starvation is the latest pop fashion, so 10% ethanol is all we're allowed to sell.
Correction, in Portland Metro/Multnomah County, 10% ethanol is mandated. Outside of Portland, they are still allowed to dump the excess benzene from the refining process into our fuel, contributing to increased pollution and cancer. Unlucky Portland!!
I'm not even going to go into to the ethanol vs. food argument, but rather point out that Willamette Valley farmers have been sacrificing good growable land to grass seed production for decades. How big is your lawn?
As for efficiency, I have a hard time believing that 10% ethanol equates to a 10% economy penalty. Even E85 only runs a 30% penalty. Regardless, it's effect cannot be discounted.
Joined: Dec 18, 2004 Posts: 4027 Location: One Mile From the Columbia River
Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2008 5:04 pm Post subject: Re: Who here is into hypermiling?
snax wrote:
eastbay wrote:
One more point. If you still have access to real gas rather than fuel poisoned by ethanol, you'll do much better. [b]In Oregon, crop burning and promoting worldwide starvation is the latest pop fashion, so 10% ethanol is all we're allowed to sell.
Correction, in Portland Metro/Multnomah County, 10% ethanol is mandated. Outside of Portland, they are still allowed to dump the excess benzene from the refining process into our fuel, contributing to increased pollution and cancer. Unlucky Portland!!
I'm not even going to go into to the ethanol vs. food argument, but rather point out that Willamette Valley farmers have been sacrificing good growable land to grass seed production for decades. How big is your lawn?
As for efficiency, I have a hard time believing that 10% ethanol equates to a 10% economy penalty. Even E85 only runs a 30% penalty. Regardless, it's effect cannot be discounted.
A 10% reduction? Well, my quick research has shown that people are claiming a reduction from 5% to 20%. In my case, with my '05 Civic, it's a drop from 44 to 40 highway and from 38 to 35 or so city. I rounded to 10% which is also about the average of what people are claiming under real conditions.
I have no lawn... well, a tiny patch near the two pear trees and another near the fig tree... does that count? I can just about stretch myself across them if I try.
Corrected once for sloppy syntax. _________________ Everything is Impermanent. Shakyamuni Buddha
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He returned a very angry facial expression, but I'm not ever giving up with this practice. in time, they too will either join us or perish.
