To Save Gas, What Would You Do?

[Tikker]

If running out of gas is an issue I tend to do the following:

1. Drive a more conservative speed, usually 5 mph under the limit or lower if no one else is around. Racing to a gas station is a loosing battle.

2. On long slopes or hills, I will put the transmission in neutral to lower the RPM's. Easier in a manual, but doable in an automatic.

3. Plan on any stops or lights and coast as long as possible. I also use neutral for this as well since it'll lower your RPM's, once you stop set it back in drive.

4. A/C or Heat off, crack the windows if it's too hot but not full open windows to cause any drag.

5. I tend to feather the gas pedal, or even pulse like motions to keep a steady speed or a way to gradually come up to speed. I think people in the fuel saving forums call it hypermiling.

I don't follow others too closely on the road, depending on the person driving in front of you, having to drive their style/speed can be more detrimental to fuel savings than having them cut the wind for you. Slow and steady saves the most in my experience.

 

[H2O MAN]

#3 doesn't help modern vehicles, keep your windows up with the AC on.

Ditch excess weight, and carry a 5 gallon jerry can.

 

[OttoMan]

If running out of gas is an issue I tend to do the following:

1. Drive a more conservative speed, usually 5 mph under the limit or lower if no one else is around. Racing to a gas station is a loosing battle.

2. On long slopes or hills, I will put the transmission in neutral to lower the RPM's. Easier in a manual, but doable in an automatic.

3. Plan on any stops or lights and coast as long as possible. I also use neutral for this as well since it'll lower your RPM's, once you stop set it back in drive.

4. A/C or Heat off, crack the windows if it's too hot but not full open windows to cause any drag.

5. I tend to feather the gas pedal, or even pulse like motions to keep a steady speed or a way to gradually come up to speed. I think people in the fuel saving forums call it hypermiling.

I don't follow others too closely on the road, depending on the person driving in front of you, having to drive their style/speed can be more detrimental to fuel savings than having them cut the wind for you. Slow and steady saves to most on my experience.

Very nice post SIR.....
Right on...!!!

 

[zesty]

Vehicles are usually most efficient around 55mph.
- Wind resistance has an exponential drag effect. It's a much greater after 45mph. Windows up with AC on if going faster than 45mph.
- Cruise control is not efficient. You're better off slowing down a bit going up hills and letting gravity speed you up going down hills. Gravity is free energy (gas).
- Using a brake pedal wastes energy (gas). Use the brake only when really necessary. Try to coast to a stop if you can.
- Make sure tires are aired up
- Reduce any weight you can

I practiced this quite a bit back in college with a stick shift small car. I was able to improve my mpg about 4-5 mpg over normal driving.

 

[OttoMan]

Vehicles are usually most efficient around 55mph.
- Wind resistance has an exponential drag effect. It's a much greater after 45mph. Windows up with AC on if going faster than 45mph.
- Cruise control is not efficient. You're better off slowing down a bit going up hills and letting gravity speed you up going down hills. Gravity is free energy (gas).
- Using a brake pedal wastes energy (gas). Use the brake only when really necessary. Try to coast to a stop if you can.
- Make sure tires are aired up
- Reduce any weight you can

I practiced this quite a bit back in college with a stick shift small car. I was able to improve my mpg about 4-5 mpg over normal driving.

Another great post right here...

Now we are reading the Survival Guys.....

 

[zesty]

Another great post right here...

Now we are reading the Survival Guys.....

Thanks. couple more thoughts...

Like Tikker said, easy on the gas. You don't have to drive like a grandma, but kinda. Accelerate slowly. Hard to explain but you can kind of feel if you're getting good fuel to acceleration transfer.

From the first post question - You'd have to drive very close behind another truck to get "vacuum air"* advantage. When Nascar drivers draft off another car, they are almost bumper to bumper. If you drive at a moderately safe distance, you get turbulent air which is actually way worse. You're much better off keeping distance from the vehicle in front of you so you can take it easy on the pedals.

 

[joel2000]

Drive it like you stole it and call AAA when it quits

 

[roundhouse]

Our company pickups , all chevy Silverado’s have cards in them that work anywhere.

but we’ve had several people put diesel in the gasser trucks and gas in the diesel trucks.

I always fill up on the way home ,
Cause I don’t want to have to stop in the mornings on the way to a job site, and on very rare occasions I have to go to a job site after hours.

2:09 AM cell phone rings :
“ snort, mumble , croak, hello ?”

“Mr Roundhouse? this is lieutenant Johnson from the Newnan Fire Department……..I’m calling about the job site on Brown Road , your number was on the Gate. How soon can you get here ?”



some of the trucking companies now, will plan the route they expect
The driver to take and tell
The driver where they have to fuel, and they program the credit card so it will only work at those locations.

that’s taking micromanaging to a whole new level. But as you’ve seen, big fleets do not pay the price advertised on the sign and who knows where that rebate money winds up ?

some truck stop franchise just got in lots of trouble for not giving the companies discounts they had been promised.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.knoxnews.com/amp/847407001

 

[Swede]

Those NV200's have a CVT transmission, they were built to get great gas mileage with city driving. I believe rated at 27mpg in town. They will get crappy mileage at highway speeds. The best way to conserve fuel in is to slow down