Hypermiling - the Skill of Coasting

An easy technique to improve gas mileage

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• hypermile
• hypermiling

[milowilli]

Yes you starter life is dramatically reduced and they are expensive to replace depending on model.

[gershonbenfranja]

Do you have any actual data that shows starter life is reduced? I haven't had a starter go out since 1975 and I tend to keep cars a long time.

[gershonbenfranja]

The rule of thumb is if the engine will be off for 10 seconds, it's better to turn it off. As for wear on the starter, they don't seem to wear out like they used to.

I'd suggest trying just this one tip for a tank and see how it works.

[averagejoeusername]

@StevoElsupremo I'm calling BS. 43mpg? Most guys are getting less than 30 on fuelly.com with the BASE model cobalt. Is that the dash-mounted dream-o-meter youre getting those numbers from?

[dave360dave]

@StevoElsupremo haha kill on demand. 93 f 350 with 6 mpg so you drive your cobalt and save gas for me cause i need it. oh ps hope you like goverment motors and its only a cobalt dont get to excited.

[StevoElsupremo]

My cobalt SS has a 260hp engine and gets 33MPG when I hot dog it... but when I drove sensibly I've gotten 43MPG....God bless you GM, I've got a car that can save gas and still kill on demand :D

[TheIVJackal]

Dont ride the clutch! Wont save you money if in time you have to replace those worn parts... Much easier to just put it in neutral and the either revmatch or just put it into a lower gear when ready to accelerate again. -Aaron

[jalit]

Then pop the clutch in gear, no starter needed.

[urbex2007]

High tyre pressure means lack of grip and it makes the car bounce. You should not do this! In modern cars the fuel is shut off when your foot is lifted and you're driving, so it uses MORE by putting it in neutral! The VW Golf used to switch the engine off at lights in the 90s but people hated it as the battery kept going flat. Just buy a diesel, I get 72mpg from a 1.9turbo at 60mph. 1400rpm!

[TimpBizkit]

It's obviously better to keep the '99 taurus in a high gear as it will use less fuel than it will by automatically revving itself to match the 'new gear'

Of course, engine off uses even less fuel, but remember the brakes turn poor once the engin is off and the residual fluid pressure is used up!

[RealityCheck1970]

Most of these ideas are great. Coasting needs help. My '99 taurus will not coast properly. I have to shut off the engine to prevent it from trying to match the speed of the transmission (2k-3k rpm). I get better mileage in my Chrysler T&C which allows neutral coasting at idle - 28MPG in the city! I also have PPH60 partial plug in hybrid controllers in each vehicle.

[horse60fb]

simple hypermiling techniques: effective coasting, low speed, and no AC...got my 96 mercury to 30 highway, 25 city..i was averaging 17-18 before i changed my driving style

[k9feces]

Do you use the tires max pressure or the pressure thats on the inside of the door?