In my attempt at being ecofriendly I wanted to learn how to get the most MPG out of my EX.

While researching Hypermiling I have found a link to 105 techniques to getting better gas mileage.

Here the link: http://ecomodder.com/forum/EM-hypermiling-driving-tips-ecodriving.php

Now I know other people are as crazy as me. :crazy:

Has anybody tried to advance the timing in there truck? Would this help or hurt the gas mileage?

That is a pretty good list. I do a lot of those. A hybrid makes it much easier to follow some of those tips - e.g. the engine will shut down automatically at stoplights or even when moving when not needed.

I am amazed at the high percentage of people that will gun it past me just to slam their brakes on at the red light ahead. Ok, dude, you won, you beat me to the red light. LOL.

Re: Adjusting the timing - advancing the timing will generally give a little more efficiency as long as you don't overdo it and get preignition. However, on most modern engine control systems (e.g. EEC-IV) it is not adjustable except possibly with an aftermarket chip.

I had seen (somewhere) that by slotting the Crankshaft Position sensor (CMP) on a first gen EX you can manually advance the timing without a chip. (OBD-I)

Has anyone done this mod?

If I slot the CMP, would I rotate it clockwise or counter clockwise to advance the timing manually?

these people obviously don't know what they're talking about....

37) Drafting: close behind (not recommended!)
1) At highway speeds there's no doubt that driving close behind a large vehicle dramatically reduces fuel consumption. 2) It's a stupid thing to do.

It's not recommended for many reasons, not the least of which is that it's illegal in most areas, and doing so sacrifices the foundation of safe and defensive driving: your ability to see well ahead.


but then....

50) Use the 'racing line'
Knowing how to pick the "racing line" through a corner, when safe, can help to preserve momentum. Generally, the racing line is the path through a turn with the largest possible radius. It may permit a higher speed with more comfort (less body roll and g-forces), and less tire scrub.

Note this isn't advocating high speed turns, where the cost of increased tire wear may outstrip fuel savings. Even at low speeds, choosing the "racing line" has benefits.


So maybe they do...


lol.... very good info, but some down right rediculous stuff. it's almost cult-ish.

LOL!

Some of the ideas I think are good. I do alot of them inherently. (Driving like a little ol lady)

Others are certainly OUT THERE. :crazy:

Yes, I am stupid enough to turn off my engine and coast in neutral. Stay way from my truck. Very far away.

Savings in gas, a few cents. Cost of a new starter, $150.00 plus installation. Dee dee dee.....

33) Lights on for safety; lights off for MPG
In certain driving environments / conditions, the use of daytime running lights (DRLs) or manually switching on headlights during the day increases safety.

Depending on the vehicle, power demands of the lighting system ranges from a few watts to well over 100 watts, all of which is ultimately powered by gasoline. In the US, where DRL implentation is voluntary, automakers have an exemption from CAFE testing which permits vehicles' fuel economy to be tested with the lights switched off.

Switching off DRLs where their safety contribution is minimal (eg. driving on a divided, controlled access highway) will save a small amount of fuel.


Anyone care to explain this one to me? How the hell does the alternator spinning burn more fuel?

Anyone care to explain this one to me? How the hell does the alternator spinning burn more fuel?

When you pull more current from the alternator, the pulley is harder to turn and it takes more power from the engine to turn it. You burn more gas to produce more power.

It is harder to tell on modern cars, but in the old days you could easily demonstrate this by letting the car idle and then turning the lights on. You could hear the change in idle speed when the alternator had to put out more current for the lights. It is harder to tell with newer cars because the IAC does a good job of compensating to keep the idle speed constant.

Gotcha, makes sense. I just always assumed that the alternator would only spin as fast as the engine and wouldn't put any additional strain on it. Learn something new every day.

I would assume the added fuel consumption is negligible, but this may very well end my recent run of keeping my lights on during the day.

Its probably not a big factor on a larger vehicle like an Explorer. It may be noticeable on a small car where the alternator load is a higher percentage of the total power needed.

I would try without lights for a couple of tankfuls to see if it makes a noticeable difference.

They do have some helpful tips, but many are over the top.

Personally, I think anybody who turns off their engine while still moving in traffic ought to be arrested. It's very dangerous, when all of the sudden you loose power steering, brakes, ect. All that, just to save a few pennies on gas?

That "Fake a turn" one sounds dangerous too.

Many of the things mentioned are also not worth it for the few pennies you will save each month.

Personally, I think anybody who turns off their engine while still moving in traffic ought to be arrested. It's very dangerous, when all of the sudden you loose power steering, brakes, ect.

Unless you have electric power assisted steering and electrically boosted brakes. :p:

I agree that some of the tips are over the top, but it does get you thinking about some of the practical ones.

The ones that I do:

Don't tailgate.

Try to keep your momentum once you are up to the speed you want. Try to avoid using the brakes as much as possible (not tailgating helps with this).

Take advantage of the terrain to coast when ever possible.

Try to time traffic lights so you don't have to stop. Even if you are just moving 10 mph, it will take less gas to get up to speed again as compared to starting from a dead stop.

Keep your tires inflated. (Credit to Mr. Obama for this one :p: )

Yea, I practice a lot of those as well. It bother the HELL out of me when I'm driving with someone who accelerates towards red lights. I'm sitting there like 'what the hell are you doing? You can coast to that and have it turn green when you're still at like 30 MPH and just roll through'.

My favorite "over the top" tips are:

58) Push it - 1
If you only have to move your car a very short distance - eg. out of the garage - consider rolling it rather than starting it up to move it.

59) Push it - 2
If you're starting out on an incline, give your car a shove to get it rolling as far as possible before starting the engine.


Not in my lifetime. Unless the truck wont start.

How do you like it Mr. Horse? "No sir, Just dont like it." Ren and Stimpy

Next mod: Remove the floor boards so I can push the truck like Fred Flintstone. Not!

Step away from the crack pipe! :smoke:

Idk, pushing out of the garage can make sense, or at least for me, since I have a slight incline. I don't think it's worth it to do that to save gas, though. The reason I do it is to not start the engine for 10 seconds when it's not warmed up.

:thumbsup:Idk, pushing out of the garage can make sense, or at least for me, since I have a slight incline. I don't think it's worth it to do that to save gas, though. The reason I do it is to not start the engine for 10 seconds when it's not warmed up.

You are a better man than I. :notworthy:

Awesome thread thanks.

dont be stupid! these tips are ridiculous. sure taking a "racing" line will be helpful only if you are driving in the mountains where turns are amazingly common. dont drive outside what you are used to unless you are a light to light driver. be easy through the acceleration process and relax when approaching a red light. but the guy who mentioned the alternator pull on an engine is wrong. If it were a generator then yes but for those of you who dont know what a generator is, it is an alternator without the diodes so basically it will produce "x number" of amps and volts per rotation but an alternator will create 2x that because it uses the magnetic polls more efficiently with the help of diodes. Driving and cutting off the engine is flat out dumb. You will not have power steering (which is fine for a vehicle with a manual rack but to overcome hydraulic pressure of the pump and rack flat out sucks.) You will have between 1.5-2 full pedal travels on the breaks but when you really need them, you need them. Completely not worth the risk. Imagine what will happen to your insurance if you rearend someone because you were trying to save a dollar a week on gas. Cutting your vehicles engine off while driving is going to cost you many times more than just driving. If you have a manual transmission then it is easy to restart the vehicle while driving but dont forget what happens to your total driveline. For one you do not have oil being circulated anymore so when you cut the vehicle on doing 30 mph and now your engine runs up from 0 to 2000+ RPM, where is the lubrication coming from? The engine gets turned over by the starter for a reason, it is safe for it! Dont you think the manufacturer has tried to create the best starting option? It is their name on the vehicle so they want to protect it. Now cutting an automatic while driving and then trying to restart it is the dumbest thing. The vehicle doesnt come with a toothed flywheel like a manual trans. The whole transmission is trying to restart an engine which due to the law of compression, does not want to work. Go ahead and replace an input shaft, output shaft, planetary gears, filters, pie-plate, etc. Way more money than just driving. The manufacturer is pressured constantly to make their vehicle the most fuel economical as possible. They have more at stake than you do. So what i am saying is drive the vehicle. You will get the milage out of it per how it is driven. Be smart and drive economical but dont forget that the money you save by doing some of these little fuel saving tips will eventually be multiplied by repairs. That's assuming you do them yourself. Dont forget about the little things either. Properly inflated tires, oil chages, *trans fluid chages, clean airfilter, free flowing exhaust, spark plugs, greased wheel bearing, correctly adjusted breaks, proper timing, etc. Treat your vehicle right and you will be just fine.

Origional 93 Mustang 5.0L with 150k+ getting 24.8 mpg 80mph windows down sunroof out.

However, on most modern engine control systems (e.g. EEC-IV) it is not adjustable except possibly with an aftermarket chip.

Very easy to do with a PCM tune.