audiphile76

Tips you might already know/ dont know!

1. Shifting gears up at the right rpms is crucial for better fuel efficiencies, shifting at too low an rpm creates excessive load to the engine, making it work more. At higher than optimum rpms, the engine has already worked more and hence more fuel has been consumed. Would shifting gears up at 3000-3200 rpms be an optimum figure?

2. Slowing the car: While slowing, its better to let the car cruise at the same speed, and then bring down each gear when the speed is right, till say gear 2 to gear 1 before making the stop. Ofcourse this cannot be attempted in city traffic or busy roads.Cruising on neutral is definitely more fuel consuming than riding on the gear.
(This was actually exhibited in one of the Top Gear programs)

3. Accelerating on higher gears: This will defiinitely consume more gas.When need to accelerate, shift to a lower gear, generate enough power and speed before shifting up the gears

4. Maintain steady speeds: This will definitely help in constant flow of gas. Accelerations will pump additional gas for the acceleration leading to higher fuel consumption

5. Cold start: Do not idle the car for more than 30 secs. Fuel consumption is more. If possible use a plug heater for the engine for the cars parked outside during winters. Reduces fuel wastage upto 10% depending on the outside temperatures.

6. Fram a cold start its always more fuel efficient to drive forward than having to use the reverse gear.

7. Avoid carrying excessive stuff on the car which is unnecessary. Higher the load higher is the fuel consumed. Use of attachments on top of the car for skiis will affect the drag. Remove them during the weekdays when not required and put it back on during weekends.

8. Friction tyres and studded winter tyres reduce the fuel efficiency of the car, change to summer tyres as early as possible.

9. And lastly, fuel efficiency does not depend on the color of the car :P

Comments/critics are welcome
WISHING YOU ALL A MERRY AND WHITE CHRISTMAS

SoCalB7

Good list, thanks. A few other bits:

-I would think that using the engine and gearing to slow the car would be harder on the transmission, and that all things being equal, it would generally be a better idea to rely more heavily on the brakes to stop or slow the car. I would prefer to go through relatively inexpensive brake pads than to wear out a costly tranny.

-A lot of fuel efficient driving comes down to planning, driving style and maintenance. Keeping the engine tuned and tire pressures at optimal levels should help to achieve maximum efficiency. Erratic acceleration and stoplight racing are fun, but they burn more fuel.

-Shifting one's driving to less busy, off-peak times will also help (although that isn't always possible, especially in car dependent North America where driving to work is mandatory for most people). Planning an efficient route around clockwise driving, at least in North America, can help, as right turns on red lights are generally legal, meaning that less time is spent idling in traffic than is the case for drivers who are forced to spend more time yielding for left turns. (Doesn't seem like much, I know, but it helps a bit.)

-And of course, reducing one's driving helps, too. I love to drive, but I live in an area where I can run many of my errands on foot, and I make a point of walking or using a bike when possible. I surely save wear-and-tear on my car and fuel money by doing very little driving for these sorts of things.

cpurick

Not sure about your #2. There's nothing more efficient than a car coasting down the highway at 50mph with the engine at idle. Now, I don't think it's efficient to accelerate to 70, coast to 50 and then accelerate back to 70. But that's only because the drag is so high at 70; not because the mileage is worse when you're coasting. In fact, if you look at your trip computer, you'll see that your mileage goes off the scale when coasting.

So I wouldn't recommend accelerating just to coast. But if you've got to decelerate, then I recommend coasting as much as possible in lieu of braking.

Here's the best tip I have for mileage:

There are two unwritten labels on your pedals. The label on your gas pedal says <i>"burn gas."</i> If you want good mileage that sounds bad. But it's the label on your <i>brake pedal</i> that worries me -- that label says <i>"waste gas."</i>

My point is: drive in such a way that you <i>never</i> have to use your brakes.

Think about it: your accelerator converts gas to kinetic energy as it moves your car. That energy is lost, in the form of heat, as your car disrupts the air, as it warms your wheel bearings and tires, as it turns your motor during engine braking. But nothing converts your car's kinetic energy into useless heat faster than the brakes. After all, when you think about it, that's really what they're designed to do.

So, traffic permitting, I recommend an overall driving strategy that minimizes braking. Don't limit your awareness to the one or two cars in front of you; keep a bigger picture that includes all the traffic you can see. And then try to keep your car in the lanes that are moving, and try to get into those lanes without using your brakes.

This really works. I got a real-world 35.5mpg in mixed driving -- over 620 miles on a tank. That's highway mileage around town, and for the same reason: because you don't use your brakes on the highway.

Accelerate gently. Coast when you can. Brake only when you have to, and drive in such a way that you won't have to.

And remember: Quartz gets better mileage. So if you see a Quartz A4 approaching from behind, try to get out of his way so he doesn't have to use his brakes...

RichAA

Nice!

Mooselook

Where does silver fit in the gas mileage hierarchy?

RJsAudi

Drive your car with the Instant MPG guage on, it can teach you how to drive your car very efficaint. But for me I have too much fun shifting thru the gears after a stop, I still got over 30mpg on the way home tonight. My best advise is if you guys are so concerned with Max MPG buy a VW TDI and enjoy your Audi Quattro 6 MT!
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays to Everybody!

RichAA

It's fine. In fact the mileage ranges for each probably overlap at some point.

audiphile76

Well, its easier to get out and push your car to avoid the engine running and to avoid shifting gears. That way, you will wear out only your inexpensive shoes and yourself - instead of a costly car.

I dont agree that the transmission is affected badly. As long as the rpm does not go very high (4000rmp and above), its very safe to downshift before coming to a stop.

And remember, they are not made of plastic or some other material that will crumble on first touch. Using engine braking is effective when you do not need to slam on the brakes - and it gives you more power and control especially when cornering and coming out of a turn.

I use engine braking almost exclusively when turning or entering a corner. And a combination of engine braking and normal braking when having to stop (say at a traffic light). It also has the added advantage of you having maximum power to accelerate away should the light turn green as you are slowing down

SoCalB7

In the US, we have only the gas/petrol-powered 2.0T and 3.2 engines to choose from, no diesels. (Although the idle on the 2.0T may **sound** a lot like a diesel at idle, it runs on premium gas...)

SoCalB7

I'm not alone in generally avoiding the use of engine braking.

According to transmission maker ZF:

"Do not brake the vehicle by shifting down with the clutch. The clutch would have to do the job of the brake and wear quicker."

Not necessarily authoritative, but Wikipedia makes this comment:

"Using the manual transmission to stop the car is inappropriate under normal driving conditions. Simply put, when using the engine to slow the speed of the transmission, the clutch and synchronizers are unnecessarily being worn out for what the car brakes are designed to do. In comparison, the clutch typically costs around US$1000 to fix as opposed to US$300 for new brake pads and installation. The method is provided only because one may find it occasionally necessary or useful to use engine braking (when one needs to decelerate more quickly than usual, for instance)."

While engine braking might make sense for large trucks, due to the amount of stress placed on the brakes by their heavy weight and because of the risks of jackknifing and accidents by relying solely on brakes to stop, this situation does not apply to a regular passenger car.

Once upon a time, auto brakes were weak, subject to overheating and generally unreliable, but in the modern era with four-wheel discs, ABS and radial tires, braking systems are highly reliable if maintained, and much cheaper to service than a tranny or a clutch.

Links:
ZF -- http://www.sachs-boge.de/direkt.php?link=owx_61_63682_2_6_0_00000000000000. html

Wikipedia -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manual_transmission_driving_technique