Mileage reports: Manual transmission (5MT)

[pb and h]

Good point.

Technique and terrain are the biggest factors of mpg. I don't know how bad German drivers are but Americans are always in a damn hurry!

[Mela_SC]

Thanks for the explanation, pg and h! Makes it easier.

@pcs0snq: The speed limit? No idea , I guess 25. I have to make a 90 degree turn and then it's downhill for maybe a quarter mile until I get to the next stop. I turn the corner in 2nd gear usually and before did shift up to 4th and let it roll (accelerating a little bit), but today found out that I roll just as nicely (if not better) when I shift in neutral and let it roll. Having it in gear slows me down.
Does it make sense to turn off the engine for such a little distance?

Thanks y'all!

[pb and h]

mmm, I think I would have to drive that to let you know. It might be a good practice area for FAS though. A SG would tell you which would be better by comparing the results. I like to think if you can FAS it then do it but that may not be the case here.

I would do this: FAS, do a rolling stop if you can get away with it and keep coasting or bump start, if needed the momentum, then FAS again.

The DFCO/engine braking would be good only till 1500rpms so at that point you are idling again(using fuel) even in gear and your car will feel sluggish if you give it gas at that rpm.

Some people don't like DFCO because it puts more wear and tear on the tranny.

[Mela_SC]

You are welcome to come by and show me how it works

I'll just try FAS (I'm going to work early, so there's not much traffic) and see if I can handle it. Unfortunately, the 2nd stop on my way is on a 4-lane highway, so I have to stop and can't keep it rolling...

[pcs0snq]

Originally Posted by Mela_SC

Does it make sense to turn off the engine for such a little distance?

Now that I have a better fell for what you have..... for sure at 25mph and even close and 1/4 mile you will want to Glide with eng off or in neutral but eng on. Guess it would still depend on how Steep it is? What I explained before, is what I would use on a real hill. No fuel used, no brakes used yet the eng slow the car or in the case of a steep hill maintains the speed.

I was up that way on vacation in July, but further West Bryson City. Roads up that have real hill's lol

Hey what's that stuff in the lower are of you sig?

[Mela_SC]

pb and h: German drivers are a lot more in a hurry than Americans. Recommended speed on the autobahn is about 80, but when there's no limit, you can go as fast as you want.
On my way to work I always catch Grandpa in his pickup truck, driving 20 in front of me when the limit is 35 I'm a calm driver, but that's too much
On my way back to work after lunch I actually turned off the engine before a red light and let it roll. Feels strange, but when it helps my mileage, I'll do it more often!

[Mela_SC]

Hey guys!

I tried FAS today..but didn't do it correctly I guess. I saw that you actually don't start the car with the key again, but instead you press the clutch, let it pop and the car starts by itself? Is that like letting a car roll downhill and then let the clutch go in 2ng gear when it won't start? I guess it's the same thing
Anyways, strange feeling to drive a car without the engine off, but there's a good piece of road with very little traffic where it's downhill a little bit, it's almost a mile I guess, and I'll try to do it correctly next time. Also, I turned off the engine on longer red lights and drove below the speed limit. After all, it was Sunday, I was not in a hurry and my dog likes it better when I don't corner as fast

[pb and h]

Mela, sounds like you got it, it just takes some practice. I didn't like it at first and thought it was stupid, now I can't stop doing it.

[nmfit2008]

Paul asked:
Hey what's that stuff in the lower area of your sig?
**********************
And Mela did not reply, but if you click on her sig icons, it will take you to her German webpage on her mileage.

Of course, it says 6.5 Litres/100 km, which is the metric method of keeping track of gas mileage (only using kilometres). Much of the world uses this method, as they are pumping litres, not gallons, of gas.

Now, 6.5 L/100 km is not good mileage....you want to be more in the 4.5 region if possible, and of course lower is better in that system.

A few Canadians do post their results using these numbers, but most have been nice enough to convert their numbers.

Thanks, Mela, for your good questions and comments.

[Mela_SC]

I tried it again on my way to the supermarket and it worked! Woohoo!

But there's one concern: my husband thinks it might damage the car when you do that (turn it off and then on again the way it should be FAS-ing).

He says that unburnt fuel might get into the cat? He knows a lot about cars, but I researched it and didn't find anything on the internet saying it might do any bad. Is there a tech that can help me out? I'm really curious.
BTW, hubby said that's also the reason why you shouldn't jumpstart a car like this when it won't start...does anybody know?

[Mela_SC]

nmfit, thanks, I didn't see that question. In fact, I keep track about my FE on that German page.
I wouldn't say that 6,5 l is bad mileage..that's about 36 mpg and still decent considering that I just started hypermiling PLUS I mostly drive 3.5 mile distances and only 20% highway.

Is there an english site comparable to the one I use? Maybe one where you can also use it in your signature? I've seen that pb and h has the cleanmpg banner in his sig.

Thanks, Mela, for your good questions and comments.

Always good to have some people who can teach me new tricks

[pb and h]

To my knowledge, no harm - I am not a mechanic but the experts on cleanmpg swear by it.

[pcs0snq]

Originally Posted by pb and h

To my knowledge, no harm - I am not a mechanic but the experts on cleanmpg swear by it.

be careful Shawn, they are FE experts not Oil or Engine experts

[Mela_SC]

I hope to catch one of my techs @ work tomorrow and ask. Have to get my oil changed anyways Maintenance minder light went on today.

What kind of oil are y'all using? 5W20 synthetic?

[pb and h]

Paul, you are right. Again, I am no mechanic, though I do like working on cars.

Mela, don't leave us out on the details.

[Mela_SC]

I'll tell you what they say about that, for sure.
I am a little confused right now, 'cause my hubby was like "WHAT did you do? Turn off you car WHILE driving??" and he told me NEVER EVER to do that on "his" Subie...
Just to be on the safe side, I'll only P&G with neutral tomorrow and not turn it off.

[Mela_SC]

I just talked to one of the techs in my lunch break. What he says was that it's not possible that unburnt fuel can get into the cat like my hubby said.

He said it might happen with a car that has a carburetor though.

But he said you will have more wear on the clutch doing FAS since the clutch slips a little every time you do it.
Is there any long-term "studies" on that? I mean, people who do that for years?
For now, I think I'll try my best without FAS. I turn off the car at lights, try P&G and also coast in 5th or neutral, depending on the situation.
I wonder if I will see an affect on this tank - by now I have half a tank left and 198 miles on it. Before, I usually had 150-160 miles on the trip when the tank was half empty...that's an improvement already.

[pb and h]

Mela - again I will have to refer you to cleanmpg.com saying it puts NO extra wear and tear on the system.

-
In for another tank at 53mpg with 482.3miles and 9.1 gallons used(Paul, I filled to the second click this time since the first click was at 8.9gallons and I new that couldn't be right. So, I looked at the fuel gauge in the car and the gauge was in the middle of the F but not to the right of the F. The second click made it to the right of the F):
Typical driving, EXCEPT for a trip to Carowinds with 200 miles of I-77 - used A/C P&G(ICE ON) from 60-50mph for 100miles and the other 100mi(on the way back) used A/C and went 70-80mph. Also, had lunch in the car which means idling for 25min using A/C

New technique employed was Shifting at 2k this time.

Tomorrow I will be driving to ATL which is like 440miles round trip. So, I will have another tank to add tomorrow or Wednesday depending on how fast I drive back. I know I will loose FE on the way there since I will be using A/C and going the speed limit or faster I have to get to the airport in time which is nerve racking!

[Mela_SC]

Ok, thank you for that information. I've been on the cleanmpg page a lot recently, but didn't find that piece of information yet

Have fun going to ATL tomorrow - I don't envy you. I hate driving around Atlanta and the airport there must be really horrible, too!

Your mileage is really great, I hope to get anywhere near that soon

[pcs0snq]

Great job on the 50.0MPG avg Shawn
Very impressive for sure.