Comments on: 5 Little Things You Can Do To Save Gas http://blog.motorists.org/5-little-things-you-can-do-to-save-gas/ News For Drivers Sun, 08 Nov 2009 07:12:30 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Schwinn http://blog.motorists.org/5-little-things-you-can-do-to-save-gas/comment-page-1/#comment-5259 Schwinn Wed, 04 Jun 2008 23:20:52 +0000 http://www.motorists.org/blog/helpful-information/5-little-things-you-can-do-to-save-gas/#comment-5259 PJ: You got me there. No idea why you're seeing such a large difference in mileage... maybe that particular vehicle is poorly geared, maybe it's losing power at higher revs, who knows... all I know is that it's very different from other vehicles I have experienced - none have shown that much difference (other than large vehicles) for such a small speed difference. In any case, the original point stands - it's very vehicle dependent... as evidenced by your car! PJ: You got me there. No idea why you’re seeing such a large difference in mileage… maybe that particular vehicle is poorly geared, maybe it’s losing power at higher revs, who knows… all I know is that it’s very different from other vehicles I have experienced – none have shown that much difference (other than large vehicles) for such a small speed difference.

In any case, the original point stands – it’s very vehicle dependent… as evidenced by your car!

]]> By: PJ http://blog.motorists.org/5-little-things-you-can-do-to-save-gas/comment-page-1/#comment-4929 PJ Thu, 15 May 2008 13:45:51 +0000 http://www.motorists.org/blog/helpful-information/5-little-things-you-can-do-to-save-gas/#comment-4929 Schwinn: Toyota Avalon 05' Schwinn: Toyota Avalon 05′

]]> By: amcginn http://blog.motorists.org/5-little-things-you-can-do-to-save-gas/comment-page-1/#comment-4921 amcginn Wed, 14 May 2008 20:30:35 +0000 http://www.motorists.org/blog/helpful-information/5-little-things-you-can-do-to-save-gas/#comment-4921 The following link will take you to a detailed and independent study demonstrating that driving with the tailgate down or off of a pickup has an adverse affect on aerodynamics and therefore, we might presume, on mileage. http://ecow.engr.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/getbig/me/363/ghandhi1/pickup.pdf The following link will take you to a detailed and independent study demonstrating that driving with the tailgate down or off of a pickup has an adverse affect on aerodynamics and therefore, we might presume, on mileage.

http://ecow.engr.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/getbig/me/363/ghandhi1/pickup.pdf

]]> By: Schwinn http://blog.motorists.org/5-little-things-you-can-do-to-save-gas/comment-page-1/#comment-4906 Schwinn Tue, 13 May 2008 12:12:41 +0000 http://www.motorists.org/blog/helpful-information/5-little-things-you-can-do-to-save-gas/#comment-4906 PJ - just curious - what kind of car is it, then? That's a big change in mpg for such a small difference in speed, for a car. Maybe it's an aerodynamic "brick" of a car? PJ – just curious – what kind of car is it, then? That’s a big change in mpg for such a small difference in speed, for a car. Maybe it’s an aerodynamic “brick” of a car?

]]> By: PJ http://blog.motorists.org/5-little-things-you-can-do-to-save-gas/comment-page-1/#comment-4902 PJ Tue, 13 May 2008 00:39:25 +0000 http://www.motorists.org/blog/helpful-information/5-little-things-you-can-do-to-save-gas/#comment-4902 Schwinn: "You are incorrect, I have a car not a truck!" Schwinn: “You are incorrect, I have a car not a truck!”

]]> By: Hubcap http://blog.motorists.org/5-little-things-you-can-do-to-save-gas/comment-page-1/#comment-4900 Hubcap Mon, 12 May 2008 20:01:35 +0000 http://www.motorists.org/blog/helpful-information/5-little-things-you-can-do-to-save-gas/#comment-4900 Don't forget mechanical problems. I *doubled* the gas mileage in my '95 Nissan 240. How? I fixed the brakes! The rears went metal-to-metal so I decided since I had to replace the rotors--and there was almost 170k on the odometer--I would overhaul the calipers. I had no idea the brakes were dragging as much as they were. The car suddenly had a lot more pep and a tank of gas now lasts me two weeks instead of one. Those kind of problems build up slowly over time so you don't notice them. Don’t forget mechanical problems. I *doubled* the gas mileage in my ‘95 Nissan 240. How? I fixed the brakes!

The rears went metal-to-metal so I decided since I had to replace the rotors–and there was almost 170k on the odometer–I would overhaul the calipers.

I had no idea the brakes were dragging as much as they were. The car suddenly had a lot more pep and a tank of gas now lasts me two weeks instead of one.

Those kind of problems build up slowly over time so you don’t notice them.

]]> By: Schwinn http://blog.motorists.org/5-little-things-you-can-do-to-save-gas/comment-page-1/#comment-4897 Schwinn Mon, 12 May 2008 12:29:12 +0000 http://www.motorists.org/blog/helpful-information/5-little-things-you-can-do-to-save-gas/#comment-4897 PJ: Some vehicles show a big difference at slightly slower speeds, while others don't. The relationship to speed is largely based on aerodynamics, so a truck/van will have a larger affect with respect to speed compared to a car or sportscar. In fact, based on your "110 miles more" I would say you drive a truck or other large vehicle. I can tell you in my car, driving about 10-20mph slower does make a difference of about 3 mpg, or about 40 miles per tank... so you can see it's VERY vehicle dependent. (Maybe commuters should stop driving aerodynamically-poor trucks! :) Haha!) PJ: Some vehicles show a big difference at slightly slower speeds, while others don’t. The relationship to speed is largely based on aerodynamics, so a truck/van will have a larger affect with respect to speed compared to a car or sportscar.

In fact, based on your “110 miles more” I would say you drive a truck or other large vehicle. I can tell you in my car, driving about 10-20mph slower does make a difference of about 3 mpg, or about 40 miles per tank… so you can see it’s VERY vehicle dependent. (Maybe commuters should stop driving aerodynamically-poor trucks! :) Haha!)

]]> By: mark http://blog.motorists.org/5-little-things-you-can-do-to-save-gas/comment-page-1/#comment-4894 mark Mon, 12 May 2008 01:29:05 +0000 http://www.motorists.org/blog/helpful-information/5-little-things-you-can-do-to-save-gas/#comment-4894 The other thing I have heard you can do to improve your gas mileage is to make sure you have a clean air filter. If you hold it up the filter and can't see light through it, it's time to replace the filter. The other thing I have heard you can do to improve your gas mileage is to make sure you have a clean air filter. If you hold it up the filter and can’t see light through it, it’s time to replace the filter.

]]> By: PJ http://blog.motorists.org/5-little-things-you-can-do-to-save-gas/comment-page-1/#comment-4885 PJ Sat, 10 May 2008 00:36:00 +0000 http://www.motorists.org/blog/helpful-information/5-little-things-you-can-do-to-save-gas/#comment-4885 Drive 60-70 on highway and you will see a huge difference. I started this test about 1 month ago and I am getting 110 miles more on my tank. I am averaging 27 mpg on a V-6 engine. I also keep my tires inflated, which seems to be helping as well. I know it's hard to believe, but I tried it and it works. Before my test I drove 80 on the highway and I was averaging 20 mpg if I was lucky. The reason I started this test was because of the increasing gas prices. At one point, I considered getting rid of my nice car and stepping down to a compact car. I would of lost a lot of money because my car is fairly new, so I decided to try this test. Now I can keep my V-6 car and still save gas. Oh yea and I won't go broke! Drive 60-70 on highway and you will see a huge difference. I started this test about 1 month ago and I am getting 110 miles more on my tank. I am averaging 27 mpg on a V-6 engine. I also keep my tires inflated, which seems to be helping as well.

I know it’s hard to believe, but I tried it and it works. Before my test I drove 80 on the highway and I was averaging 20 mpg if I was lucky.

The reason I started this test was because of the increasing gas prices. At one point, I considered getting rid of my nice car and stepping down to a compact car. I would of lost a lot of money because my car is fairly new, so I decided to try this test. Now I can keep my V-6 car and still save gas. Oh yea and I won’t go broke!

]]> By: JR http://blog.motorists.org/5-little-things-you-can-do-to-save-gas/comment-page-1/#comment-4839 JR Sat, 03 May 2008 06:07:54 +0000 http://www.motorists.org/blog/helpful-information/5-little-things-you-can-do-to-save-gas/#comment-4839 If you draft a semitrailer or bus by about 3 car lengths it will improve gas mileage up to 30%. Confirmed on an episode of Mythbusters. Now before someone replies and says this is illegal or dangerous, I never said it wasn't, I was just stating that it works. If you draft a semitrailer or bus by about 3 car lengths it will improve gas mileage up to 30%. Confirmed on an episode of Mythbusters. Now before someone replies and says this is illegal or dangerous, I never said it wasn’t,
I was just stating that it works.

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