Get an extra 5km per litre easy peasy!

[Grobbo]

Driving a manual V8 like me (or any other performance car) is a constant battle between temptation and restraint...

I normally use 17.5 Litres per 100km in a mix of 65% city, 35% highway driving.

Yep, I like to plant boot and hear the awesome noise at every opportunity - that's why I got a V8!

But it is quite an expensive hobby - enough to make me consider a 4 cylinder for my next car.

But I read an article about economical driving the other day, it was all common sense but you just don't think about it when you're driving, I decided to give it a go just to see.

Here's the main things I did:

Change up below 2000rpm. Basically keeping the revs as low as possible.

Very light throttle openings.

Anticipate upcoming light changes and traffic stoppages and coast down through the gears rather than sharp braking - this shuts off the cars fuel use during this time.

Turning off the ignition if you know you'll stationary for more than 30 secs.

Sounds boring but it was actually quite fun - it also made the odd burst of full noise that I allowed myself so much more of a treat!

I did miss the odd set of lights by not accelerating fast enough up the road, but this really balances itself out - often the next lights go red anyway, or often they go green by the time you get there - ie if you had've got there faster you would've had to stop.

I reckon I got nowhere any slower or later than normal.

It made me realise that I spend so much time in stop start traffic, planting boot achieves absolutely nothing but drain your fuel tank.

SO, anyway, the result - 12.5 km per litre - the savings are ridiculous! I could not believe what my trip meter was telling me.

I will keep doing I reckon - I'll still have a bit of fun when neccesary, but it just makes so much sense to pay attention to what's happening with the gas pedal - plus you don't have to worry as much about speeding fines.

Oh did I mention it was actually quite enjoyable? Maybe I'm getting old!

[Mr Brooksy]

I remember reading an article that on CarAdvice a few years ago with an interesting discovery from Volvo. They found that putting a cover under the car (creating a flat surface from nose to tail) reduced the drag produced by the vehicle cutting through the air. They saved something like 2-4L/100km. I've wondered ever since why we haven't seen cars employ this idea?

[Grobbo]

Originally Posted by Mr Brooksy

I remember reading an article that on CarAdvice a few years ago with an interesting discovery from Volvo. They found that putting a cover under the car (creating a flat surface from nose to tail) reduced the drag produced by the vehicle cutting through the air. They saved something like 2-4L/100km. I've wondered ever since why we haven't seen cars employ this idea?

The Veyron and R8 have flat bottoms... Maybe it's expensive.

[Dauphin]

Good on you, mate. Soon you'll start noticing the ones who jump to the next red light and you gently pull up next to them or pass them as the lights go green on your approach. It's a pleasing feeling.

But be prepared to frustrate a lot of people in heavy traffic.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by Dauphin

But be prepared to frustrate a lot of people in heavy traffic.

actually thats not quite true. you don't have to go so slow that you are holding up traffic. just drive WITH the traffic flow, even when accelerating.

anticipating the traffic conditions is a safer way to drive also, and the fuel savings are just a added benefit.

i still give my v8 the odd burst but more often than not these days, if i'm in traffic or know i'll be in traffic, i allow plenty of time to get where i need to be and just doddle along with the traffic.

[Falc'man]

Originally Posted by prydey

actually thats not quite true. you don't have to go so slow that you are holding up traffic. just drive WITH the traffic flow, even when accelerating.

anticipating the traffic conditions is a safer way to drive also, and the fuel savings are just a added benefit.

i still give my v8 the odd burst but more often than not these days, if i'm in traffic or know i'll be in traffic, i allow plenty of time to get where i need to be and just doddle along with the traffic.

Good post, and that's a great point you make. If people, especially the younger generation, conformed to this "style" of driving instead of being erratic and stupid, there'd be a lot less tears shed.

I've tried the below and find it quite rewarding/satisfying, plus it keeps one in a relaxed state of mind, as hastiness can be quite a vice.

Originally Posted by Grobbo

Sounds boring but it was actually quite fun - it also made the odd burst of full noise that I allowed myself so much more of a treat

Good thread!

[Grobbo]

Originally Posted by Dauphin

Good on you, mate. Soon you'll start noticing the ones who jump to the next red light and you gently pull up next to them or pass them as the lights go green on your approach. It's a pleasing feeling.

But be prepared to frustrate a lot of people in heavy traffic.

Ha ha yeah that does tend to happen - almost more fun than dragging them off the line like I usually would...

Yeah well if everyone's up my tail I just give it a bit more - but still change up before 2000 - the V8 still has plenty down there!

[grey_esp]

Originally Posted by Dauphin

Good on you, mate. Soon you'll start noticing the ones who jump to the next red light and you gently pull up next to them or pass them as the lights go green on your approach. It's a pleasing feeling.

But be prepared to frustrate a lot of people in heavy traffic.

If he drives in the left lane he wont frustrate anyone, thats where slow cars (or slow accelerating cars) belong.

[sd1800]

Originally Posted by grey_esp

If he drives in the left lane he wont frustrate anyone, thats where slow cars (or slow accelerating cars) belong.

In heavy traffic it's not. No-one is going anywhere when average speed is 10kmph, but you get these 19yr old smarta$$ young girls in thier Rav4's that just have to keep changing lanes to get 3 cars ahead.

Edit: Whoops. Sorry for the thread mine.....

[aussie muscle]

Originally Posted by Dauphin

Good on you, mate. Soon you'll start noticing the ones who jump to the next red light and you gently pull up next to them or pass them as the lights go green on your approach. .

a well set up traffic light timing system will turn green if you sit on the speed limit, which will also punish those who speed (by getting more reds).

[mrbaxr6t]

when I am cruising in my BA XR6T (yes I cruise in it OK) I find that cog skipping (manual) makes the car more economical I am at a loss to explain why my routine is thus - takeoff 1st gear goto maybe 2.5-3k revs then third get to 50/60 then 4th and coast I do this with minimal throttle application too and it returns an average of 12l/100 - now when my wife drives the car I got no idea what the heck she does wrong but it blows this out by 2l/100 sometimes more - and I been in the car with her and she by no means thrashes it BUT grabs every gear on the way up (6 speed manual). When I slow for a corner but don't stop I go back to 2nd then build speed gentle throttle application then 4th and coast at 50/60 - if speedlimit is 80 I usually hit 4th build to 80 then into 5th and if speed is higher than 80 I use 6th it works for me in terms of economy and I keep pace or exceed the pace of other cars around me on the road without a problem.

NOW on the subject of utes hardlids etc make a massive difference I have an old XF ute that is on LPG and the tonneau cover had the hooks on the rear of it stretched to buggery and at 80 kmh plus it would cave the rear of the tonneau into the tray creating a horrendous amount of drag I really do mean alot we are talking reduced the tank range by about 60-70 km when that car will only go around 450- (ish) to a tank of LPG a drop of 60-70 is sizable people in utes that are chasing economy try driving with the tonneau/hardlid off and dropping the tailgate removing the drag completely - guarantee you will notice it over 100km driving esp at highway speeds. Or if you can remove the tailgate and drive with it like that (I have experimented with the ole ute alot believe me) I find the most economical way to drive that particular car is no tonneau and tailgate down - why this is better than off I have no idea but it seems to be so.

Oh and do the other stuff mentioned above as well ;)

[[CaSeY]]

Originally Posted by mrbaxr6t

when I am cruising in my BA XR6T (yes I cruise in it OK) I find that cog skipping (manual) makes the car more economical I am at a loss to explain why my routine is thus - takeoff 1st gear goto maybe 2.5-3k revs then third get to 50/60 then 4th and coast I do this with minimal throttle application too and it returns an average of 12l/100 - now when my wife drives the car I got no idea what the heck she does wrong but it blows this out by 2l/100 sometimes more - and I been in the car with her and she by no means thrashes it BUT grabs every gear on the way up (6 speed manual). When I slow for a corner but don't stop I go back to 2nd then build speed gentle throttle application then 4th and coast at 50/60 - if speedlimit is 80 I usually hit 4th build to 80 then into 5th and if speed is higher than 80 I use 6th it works for me in terms of economy and I keep pace or exceed the pace of other cars around me on the road without a problem.

NOW on the subject of utes hardlids etc make a massive difference I have an old XF ute that is on LPG and the tonneau cover had the hooks on the rear of it stretched to buggery and at 80 kmh plus it would cave the rear of the tonneau into the tray creating a horrendous amount of drag I really do mean alot we are talking reduced the tank range by about 60-70 km when that car will only go around 450- (ish) to a tank of LPG a drop of 60-70 is sizable people in utes that are chasing economy try driving with the tonneau/hardlid off and dropping the tailgate removing the drag completely - guarantee you will notice it over 100km driving esp at highway speeds. Or if you can remove the tailgate and drive with it like that (I have experimented with the ole ute alot believe me) I find the most economical way to drive that particular car is no tonneau and tailgate down - why this is better than off I have no idea but it seems to be so.

Oh and do the other stuff mentioned above as well ;)

im pretty sure mythbusters proved that closed/open tailgate don't effect fuel usage, but i could be wrong

[Jim Goose]

Originally Posted by [CaSeY]

im pretty sure mythbusters proved that closed/open tailgate don't effect fuel usage, but i could be wrong

From memory that is right... most of the airflow seperation happens right behind the cabin. It sits behind the cabin and rotates like a vortex, rest of the stagnent air then litterally sits in the tray.

[Halfmo Rocks]

Originally Posted by [CaSeY]

im pretty sure mythbusters proved that closed/open tailgate don't effect fuel usage, but i could be wrong

i think it was the other way...open tailgate/no tailgate pushed the load down on the back end making economy much worse, and closed gate had the air in the tray circle round...so the air flowing over the top of vehicle didn't push down on the back.
i'd imagine a hard cover would be the same, maybe even better

[mac_man_luke]

Originally Posted by Grobbo

Turning off the ignition if you know you'll stationary for more than 30 secs.

this is the only one id avoid, starter motors are expensive.

And on restarting id imagine it would dump in more fuel than just leaving it running

[nfury8]

Originally Posted by mac_man_luke

this is the only one id avoid, starter motors are expensive.

And on restarting id imagine it would dump in more fuel than just leaving it running

Dont bother switching the motor off, mine only sips away at a rate of 2Lper HOUR, thats a chipped BOSS 260 motor, let me break it down to
seconds>>> 0.5555ml fuel per second,
minutes>>>>33ml fuel per minute

[gtfpv]

Originally Posted by Grobbo

Driving a manual V8 like me (or any other performance car) is a constant battle between temptation and restraint...

I normally use 17.5 Litres per 100km in a mix of 65% city, 35% highway driving.

Yep, I like to plant boot and hear the awesome noise at every opportunity - that's why I got a V8!

But it is quite an expensive hobby - enough to make me consider a 4 cylinder for my next car.

But I read an article about economical driving the other day, it was all common sense but you just don't think about it when you're driving, I decided to give it a go just to see.

Here's the main things I did:

Change up below 2000rpm. Basically keeping the revs as low as possible.

Very light throttle openings.

Anticipate upcoming light changes and traffic stoppages and coast down through the gears rather than sharp braking - this shuts off the cars fuel use during this time.

Turning off the ignition if you know you'll stationary for more than 30 secs.

Sounds boring but it was actually quite fun - it also made the odd burst of full noise that I allowed myself so much more of a treat!

I did miss the odd set of lights by not accelerating fast enough up the road, but this really balances itself out - often the next lights go red anyway, or often they go green by the time you get there - ie if you had've got there faster you would've had to stop.

I reckon I got nowhere any slower or later than normal.

It made me realise that I spend so much time in stop start traffic, planting boot achieves absolutely nothing but drain your fuel tank.

SO, anyway, the result - 12.5 km per litre - the savings are ridiculous! I could not believe what my trip meter was telling me.

I will keep doing I reckon - I'll still have a bit of fun when neccesary, but it just makes so much sense to pay attention to what's happening with the gas pedal - plus you don't have to worry as much about speeding fines.

Oh did I mention it was actually quite enjoyable? Maybe I'm getting old!

YOU NEED TO TRADE DOWN TO A 4CYLINDER !!! :

[Grobbo]

Originally Posted by gtfpv

YOU NEED TO TRADE DOWN TO A 4CYLINDER !!! :

Nah, this way I can keep a V8 without the eye watering fuel bills. I reckon I could go louder on the exhaust too now - before I was gonna go quieter - but keeping it below 2000 is so much less noisy!

[MAD]

I do similar when I see a light change to red in the distance. Straight away the car is in neutral and I'm coasting.
On the way to work there is a set of lights at the top of a gentle hill that if I see them go red I can coast to the lights and only need to apply brakes from about 40km/h instead of 80.
I use the same hill on the return home to coast down as at the bottom of the hill is a signalled pair of right turn lanes that I never catch. I just start to slow below 80 at the point when I pull off the road into the turn lane.
I only do this if there is enough gap behind me as to not annoy other drivers.

[vanman_75]

17.5 thats pretty good why bother

[sgt_doofey]

I tried this in my Peugeot on one drive. I got the litres per hundred down from an average of 6.1 to 4.8. It makes a big difference! And that was doing speeds in all increments from 50km/h to 110km/h.
But, I can't be bothered driving like that all the time, so I just enjoy the torque of the turbo diesel and average 6.1L/100kms.

[Grobbo]

Originally Posted by vanman_75

17.5 thats pretty good why bother

Ha ha yeah ironically I actually didn't used to care, until I was in and out of work for a while...

I could only afford to put in $20 at a time and sometimes I got less than 50km around town - that's about 30L/100...

I was like a petrol crack addict and that article was the intervention I needed!

[vanman_75]

Originally Posted by Grobbo

Ha ha yeah ironically I actually didn't used to care, until I was in and out of work for a while...

I could only afford to put in $20 at a time and sometimes I got less than 50km around town - that's about 30L/100...

I was like a petrol crack addict and that article was the intervention I needed!

it would help if i lived in the city ...but i live in the country always doing 100 or more only way i save fuel is unhook the boat or take the roof top tent off .

though i can understand the reasoning if i lived in the city i would buy a little s box or keep riding me bike and save the real car for pleasure ,guess all our lives incomes and circumstances are different ,hope it keeps you in your pride and joy but

[Rodp]

I think I'll skip shutting the car down if the lights are going to be more than 30 seconds but I pretty much do most of the rest anyway. If I see lights ahead turning red, I'll just kick it out of gear - 2000rpm changes will still put me ahead of the pack from the lights so it's not holding anyone up.

I went from V8 to V6 and now I'm back in a V8 - even going to a V6 go cart which consumed 5l/100kms less and was faster than the V8 it replaced didn't really do it for me. If you're a V8 man, you're a V8 man. If doing these things keeps you in one for longer, keep it up.

[Grobbo]

Originally Posted by Rodp

I think I'll skip shutting the car down if the lights are going to be more than 30 seconds but I pretty much do most of the rest anyway. If I see lights ahead turning red, I'll just kick it out of gear - 2000rpm changes will still put me ahead of the pack from the lights so it's not holding anyone up.

I went from V8 to V6 and now I'm back in a V8 - even going to a V6 go cart which consumed 5l/100kms less and was faster than the V8 it replaced didn't really do it for me. If you're a V8 man, you're a V8 man. If doing these things keeps you in one for longer, keep it up.

Well yeah I thought it was all common sense, but was amazed how much difference it made by really concentrating.

Well see the article said if you leave it in gear it's using no fuel, whereas idling is obviously using a bit, plus wearing out your brakes a little...

Prob not worth it in an auto.

Yeah I might flag the start stop idea too - a new starter will completely f** up my cost/benefit model...

[AC/DC]

Dont forget to Pump Up the tyres !

I did today and they were all under 25 PSI, , as I drove out of the servo it felt like a new car

[GASWAGON]

Originally Posted by AC/DC

Dont forget to Pump Up the tyres !

I did today and they were all under 25 PSI, , as I drove out of the servo it felt like a new car

You can even run your tyres a bit harder than manufacturer says if you do'nt mind a little harder ride.... I run 38psi in mine and tyre wear seems to be fine.
Also try and anticipate lights and try don't rev over 3k.... It all helps.

[LeadFoot81]

The methods in that work a treat, but its so damn hard shifting at 2-2500 revs all the time!

Switching off the ignition is only worth it if you know youll be stuck in an intersection for a decent amount of time (4-5 minutes)

I too am surprised that car makers havent adopted cladding on the underside of the car to make them more aerodynamic and fuel efficient; I guess the cladding would also add to the weight?

[STINKY NINJA]

Dont let your fuel level get too low and you will save fuel because it evaporates more when there is less in the tank

[paule11]

Originally Posted by LeadFoot81

The methods in that work a treat, but its so damn hard shifting at 2-2500 revs all the time!

Switching off the ignition is only worth it if you know youll be stuck in an intersection for a decent amount of time (4-5 minutes)

I too am surprised that car makers havent adopted cladding on the underside of the car to make them more aerodynamic and fuel efficient; I guess the cladding would also add to the weight?

From memory having a flat underside isnt a great thing i remember hearing stories in the 70s of the Lamborghini Muria getting airborne due to the flat underside might just be rumours though