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Fuel Efficiency and Slow Driving?

vile8 writes "With the high gas prices and ongoing gas gouging in my hometown many people are trying to find a reasonable way to save gas. One of the things I've noticed is people driving exceptionally slow, 30mph in 45mph zones, etc. So I had to take a quick look and find out if driving slow is helpful in getting better mileage. I know horsepower increases substantially with wind resistance, but with charts like this one from truckandbarter.com it appears mileage is actually about the same between 27mph and 58mph or so. So I'm curious what all the drivers out there with the cool efficiency computers are getting ... of specific interest would be the hemis with MDS; how do those do with the cylinder shutoff mode at different speeds?" Related: are there any practical hypermiling techniques that you've found for people not ready to purchase a new car, nor give up driving generally?

18 of 1,114 comments (clear)

  1. I don't own a car. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    But I've noticed I get less tired if I walk rather than run :-)

  2. Take advantage of aerodynamics by kbrasee · · Score: 5, Funny

    Do like everyone else does, drive about 6 inches behind me at 65 mph.

    1. Re:Take advantage of aerodynamics by coolgeek · · Score: 4, Funny

      I've found this is the most effective way to piss off the jackass in the Prius going 65 in the fast lane. Start drafting 'em. They get out of the way quick when they realize I am sucking their fuel efficiency over to my ride, like my car is some kind of mechanized vampire.

      --

      cat /dev/null >sig
  3. The best way to increase gas milage by YokoZar · · Score: 2, Funny

    Related: are there any practical hypermiling techniques that you've found for people not ready to purchase a new car, nor give up driving generally?

    Drive downhill.

  4. jack rabbit starts by Ydna · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'd say the way people blast off from the green light like their in a Formula 1 Grand Prix* is probably doing a bigger number on fuel economy in city driving more than anything else.

    * or not if you were Hamilton yesterday.

    --

    "The great thing about multitasking is that several things can go wrong at once." -me

  5. Re:Fuel economy by aliquis · · Score: 4, Funny

    Btw it wouldn't be my funeral bill would it!?!

  6. Thanks! by ciaohound · · Score: 4, Funny

    I always thought those people were assholes, and I'd fly into a rant about how dangerous and reckless that behavior was. But they're just trying to save money. People really are basically good after all!

    --
    Oh, yeah, it's not easy to pad these out to 120 characters.
  7. Re:Fuel economy by mustafap · · Score: 5, Funny

    >not to mention your spigot bearing.

    Is that something a doctor would sort out, or a mechanic?

    --
    Open Source Drum Kit, LPLC deve board - mjhdesigns.com
  8. The leanset way to drive... by i · · Score: 5, Funny

    ..is accelerating relatively fast to something like 70mph,
    then pull of the engine and roll with no gear until You reach
    something like 10mph when You start the engine and repeat.

    This is the empirically show best method.

    But it will probably irritate other drivers...

    --
    Mundus Vult Decipi
  9. Re:Fuel economy by morgan_greywolf · · Score: 5, Funny

    Actually, most cars nowadays with manual transmissions will actually no longer consume fuel.

    Wow! That's wierd. There must be something wrong with my 5-speed Ranger then, because it's constantly consuming fuel. About 24 MPG worth in combined city+hightway.

  10. Re:Missing? by InfiniteLoopCounter · · Score: 2, Funny

    That's not an acceptable answer for most. Plus, you can get the same fuel efficiency and still drive. You just have to make one or two small compromises.

    Essentially, the idea is to only drive downhill by letting go of the brakes and coast the rest of the way. If you run out of sufficient momentum to carry you along, or want to go uphill, you just have to push the car for a bit.

    So, you just choose your workplace at a higher elevation than your home and push your car up in the morning after a hearty breakfast. Then, at the end of the day, you just coast down back home. Easy.

  11. Re:Fuel economy by bhtooefr · · Score: 2, Funny

    Which is why the real hardcore people not only go into neutral on downhills, they also shut their engines off.

  12. Re:Fuel economy by BLAG-blast · · Score: 5, Funny

    And when the pilot bearings wears out, it causes vibration on the input shaft to the transmission, which causes the input shaft seal to fail, which let's the oil drip out, which gets on the clutch plate, which causes the clutch plate to slip, which creates heat, which causes the fly wheel to crack, which chews up the clutch plate, which causes the clutch plate to grip, and every thing seems work fine again, for a little while anyway, this is when to sell your car and get a new one.

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    M0571y H@rml355.
  13. Re:Use bricks by VisceralLogic · · Score: 2, Funny

    Think binary! You need a 1 MPH brick, a 2 MPH brick, a 4 MPH brick, etc. Just build up a stack.

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    Stop! Dremel time!
  14. Re:The Jesus Bearing by Migraineman · · Score: 5, Funny

    The throwout bearing is also known as the Jesus bearing to those who wrench on cars. Usually after rebuilding the engine, installing it in the car, and topping up the fluids, you'll notice the Jesus bearing sitting on top of the toolbox.

  15. Re:Fuel economy by Kvasio · · Score: 2, Funny

    Morpheus: Do you think it is fuel, that your car is consuming?

  16. Re:Fuel economy by crossmr · · Score: 5, Funny

    isn't this discussion getting a tad too manly for slashdot?

  17. Re:Fuel economy by FictionPimp · · Score: 2, Funny

    which flips the man into the pan...the trap is set...