How Can I Maximize Fuel Economy?
02-21-2008, 07:13 AM
#11
Senior Member
Join Date: 07-17-2006
Location: Dallas, GA
Posts: 6,050
We've been getting the 10% blend her for winter for a few months now. My mileage has not changed one bit on that. 10% is very low for a ethonol content and should only "hurt" mileage marginally at most.
We have flex fuel vehicles at work, I have done a lot of road trips the past couple of weeks. I fill one of them up with E85 (signed stated winter blend down to E70 max). Running 87 I got a steady 25.7 and on the E85 I got a steady 23.3. This was all (95%) Interstate/highway driving with a 2006 Taurus with only 6K on the clock.
Heater won't hurt your mileage, but the defrost can due to the A/C cycling. Do a manual check on your mileage and compare that with the window sticker numbers (sorry, my metric is rusty
). Don't trust the DIC reading.
We have flex fuel vehicles at work, I have done a lot of road trips the past couple of weeks. I fill one of them up with E85 (signed stated winter blend down to E70 max). Running 87 I got a steady 25.7 and on the E85 I got a steady 23.3. This was all (95%) Interstate/highway driving with a 2006 Taurus with only 6K on the clock.
Heater won't hurt your mileage, but the defrost can due to the A/C cycling. Do a manual check on your mileage and compare that with the window sticker numbers (sorry, my metric is rusty
). Don't trust the DIC reading.
02-21-2008, 11:11 AM
#12
Join Date: 05-29-2007
Location: Motor City
Posts: 6
check sidewall of tire & inflate to max air press
the hhr doesn't lose a lot of speed when you let foot off of gas pedal as the
trans doesn't downshift when your in "D", so coast whenever you can rather
just jamming on the brakes, ex don't race to a red light & then hit the brakes
at last minute, in traffic when the car in front of you is getting closer, adjust
your speed w/ the gas pedal rather than the brake pedal ( use common sense
w/ this technique )
Your best mileage is w/ eng under 2500 rpm
Your best mileage is w/ trans in overdrive (o/d), o/d kicks in around 40 mph
if your under 40mph & you don't see the rpm dropping indicating your in o/d
you can trick the trans into o/d by letting off on the gas briefly & it will
upshift into o/d
avoid kicking it into passsing gear, long warmups
if your in stop n go traffic in city w/ lots of trafific lights close together your
mileage will suffer, my mileage will be 22-25 mpg in this situation
in suburban/ highway i avg 27-28 mpg, highway driving I avg 31-33 mpg
change your oil every 3k miles, as oil breaks down it gets less "slippery"
I don't trust the DIC oil monitor, imo its just a glorified timer
Tom
the hhr doesn't lose a lot of speed when you let foot off of gas pedal as the
trans doesn't downshift when your in "D", so coast whenever you can rather
just jamming on the brakes, ex don't race to a red light & then hit the brakes
at last minute, in traffic when the car in front of you is getting closer, adjust
your speed w/ the gas pedal rather than the brake pedal ( use common sense
w/ this technique )
Your best mileage is w/ eng under 2500 rpm
Your best mileage is w/ trans in overdrive (o/d), o/d kicks in around 40 mph
if your under 40mph & you don't see the rpm dropping indicating your in o/d
you can trick the trans into o/d by letting off on the gas briefly & it will
upshift into o/d
avoid kicking it into passsing gear, long warmups
if your in stop n go traffic in city w/ lots of trafific lights close together your
mileage will suffer, my mileage will be 22-25 mpg in this situation
in suburban/ highway i avg 27-28 mpg, highway driving I avg 31-33 mpg
change your oil every 3k miles, as oil breaks down it gets less "slippery"
I don't trust the DIC oil monitor, imo its just a glorified timer
Tom
02-21-2008, 12:21 PM
#13
Senior Member
Join Date: 10-19-2007
Location: Temple Terrace, FL
Posts: 196
Not to mention risking picking up water and trash in your fuel system.I answer to someone else's question it is fairly easy to get gas without ethanol mixed here in Florida
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