"Hypermiling" easy 28.6 MPG in the Ford Escape 4x4

[stevek]

Guess what Steve, I'm not in your way. I go when it's green too. I just don't charge red lights at 60 mph and slam on my brakes. If I wanted to turn my fuel to heat, I would just set it on fire! I'm a pyro! You're getting all stressed out driving, that's nice you're enjoying yourself, but we'll still both arrive at point "B" at the same time, or maybe 30 seconds apart. Hope that was worth it.

Chad you might not be in my way. But everyday there are more and more people taking forever to leave a green light. So instead of sitting through one red light you sit through 2 or 3. Now you add more people (some not to smart I might add) trying to hypermile, turning off their car at lights and you sit through more red lights. In Columbus there are intersections that that last 2, 3 or more minutes to cycle.

You would enjoy the outer belt here in the morning and afternoon. 65mph and if you do that you will get run over by people cruising by at 80+.

[pyro]

Chad you might not be in my way. But everyday there are more and more people taking forever to leave a green light. So instead of sitting through one red light you sit through 2 or 3. Now you add more people (some not to smart I might add) trying to hypermile, turning off their car at lights and you sit through more red lights. In Columbus there are intersections that that last 2, 3 or more minutes to cycle.

I've driven the outer belt, Columbus has a nice freeway system, and a nice city too, until you get inside the outer belt.

Those 2 or 3 minute-cycle lights, you might want to kill the engine while you wait for those. You could be saving a lot.

[catmando]

I drive the speed limit or above. When the light is green I go. I dont pussyfoot around. If you can't afford it don't drive, get a bicycle or motorcycle. If you aren't driving the speed limit pull over, you're in my way.

I used to feel that way too. I was a courier for six years, running a Ranger SC all over the D/FW Metroplex. I had to drive fast, dart in and out of lanes, always drive the fast lane, take the HOV(when I thought I could get away with it lol) and generally try to save time any way I could. I drove that way even when I wasn't on the job.

Now since I quit that job I've had to almost completely change my driving habits. The Dodge dually I drive now starts sucking down the fuel over 2000rpms so I stay right around those rpms which is 65mph in my truck. I have also had to move out of the fast lane which has been very hard for me to do, but I'm not in that little truck running 75-80mph any more. I know guys who beat on their diesels, full throttle acceleration, hard braking etc etc but now I found it's much better to drive sensibly and save wear and tear on the truck plus save fuel.

And my stress level is so much lower now. My hair is even starting to grow BACK.

[Pro300x24LD]

Pyro, I have no problem with you trying to save mileage, I do it every chance I get when the boat is not behind me. But I do have a problem with people turning their cars off in traffic...

First, How many gallons of fuel do you REALLY think you are saving shutting your car off?

I bet my 5.3 liter V8 burns what half a gallon an hour of idle time? That is definitely not worth the wear and tear to the battery, the chance of an accident, etc.

Throw it in nutral down hills if you want, I do, my instant mileage calculator shows me that it saves me a whole bunch of nothing. Letting off the gas down hills, does save me fuel....

There is a point where I think it has been taken too far, you reached that point a couple gas savings strategies ago.

[pyro]

It depends on the type of vehicle. A sleek sports car with the throttle kpet constant can easily pick up speed going down hills without taking on too much wind resistance, and then carry that momentum up the next hill as it loses speed. I practiced this technique with my Avenger and it resulted in significant gains.

Trucks, wagons, and SUV's however, get such poor mileage above 60 mph, it makes it counter-productive to let them pick up much speed going downhill. The power curve and gearing allows some of these vehicles such as mine to creep from 45 to 60 mph at near-minimum throttle, even with a slight up-grade. If the down-side of that said up-grade is long enough to carry me for a half-mile at idle, then I shut off the engine, rather than idling for a half-minute.

This morning was a good commute. No up-ahead left turns, didn't catch too many lights, only idled for about 25 seconds during the 45 minute drive, I probably coasted without power for 4 or 5 miles total worth of my 35-mile commute.

Switching to neutral doesn't accomplish anything for me, there's no significant engine drag in Drive vs neutral. My biggest friction enemy is the 4WD, which turns an extra set of CV joints, along with some other components.

You can say what you want about "this doesn't work, or that doesn't work", but the numbers don't lie. I found a 25%+ fuel savings, which would amount to a ~ $700 annual savings in my case.

I found a way to save money, and I thought I would share it with everyone.

[Pro300x24LD]

It depends on the type of vehicle. A sleek sports car with the throttle kpet constant can easily pick up speed going down hills without taking on too much wind resistance, and then carry that momentum up the next hill as it loses speed. I practiced this technique with my Avenger and it resulted in significant gains.

Trucks, wagons, and SUV's however, get such poor mileage above 60 mph, it makes it counter-productive to let them pick up much speed going downhill. The power curve and gearing allows some of these vehicles such as mine to creep from 45 to 60 mph at near-minimum throttle, even with a slight up-grade. If the down-side of that said up-grade is long enough to carry me for a half-mile at idle, then I shut off the engine, rather than idling for a half-minute. Umm No. Anytime you can go faster with less IE downhill the resulting momentum is worth it. As for turning your truck off again do the math, I'm not trying to pick on you, but you are not saving jack. Figure your 4 cylinder burns less then my v8, I burn half a gallon an hour, do the math, what is 30 seconds of turning your truck off getting you?I'll tell you, it is saving you .004/gallons for every 30 seconds your truck is off @ idle. That means your saving 1.6 cents for every 30 seconds you coast with your car off with gas at $4 a gallon. So say in your big long commute you are able to coast for 1 minute, or 2 minutes round trip, x5 days a week, 52 weeks a year, guess what you save? $17.33 Congratulations. Now consider the fact that your car probably burns LESS fuel then my example.....If instead of lollygagging around with your car off you just got to work on time, you'd make that $17 back in your houlry wage in the first week.....

This morning was a good commute. No up-ahead left turns, didn't catch too many lights, only idled for about 25 seconds during the 45 minute drive, I probably coasted without power for 4 or 5 miles total worth of my 35-mile commute.

Switching to neutral doesn't accomplish anything for me, there's no significant engine drag in Drive vs neutral. My biggest friction enemy is the 4WD, which turns an extra set of CV joints, along with some other components.

You can say what you want about "this doesn't work, or that doesn't work", but the numbers don't lie. I found a 25%+ fuel savings, which would amount to a ~ $700 annual savings in my case. I drive 500 miles PER week at a minimum. 1 mpg saves me 247 per year. 5 mpg saves me 1,000 per year so I realize the savings are there....but turning your car on and off is stupid.

I found a way to save money, and I thought I would share it with everyone.

Did you find a way for the government to take care of everyone so none of us will have to work?

[pyro]

Jeeeeez, I'm not advocating that everybody do it, I just thought it was a neat experiment. The fact that modern gas engines are made to idle while they're not moving is pretty absurd. Gas golf carts start up each time when you press the accelerator.

[Moonshot180]

I thought that cranking an engine burns more gas, and causes wear and tear? I think it's cool what you are trying but I would have to think that if it really was a practical thing to do we all would've been doing it along time ago??

[pyro]

The fuel usage thing on startup is only true with carb motors. Wear and tear on startup is mostly associated with cold starts after sitting a long time, where the engine parts are under-lubricated before the oil system gets flowing. Additionally, I use Mobil 1 synthetic.

UP_ROKTOY and Luke, you've each said "that won't work, that burns more gas", but the numbers say otherwise. You cited a bunch of calculations based on estimated numbers and assumptions, that's your kind of math. Mine lives in the REAL world, no estimating or assuming, just numbers on the gas pump and the trip odometer, and simple division.

The same vehicle got around 22-24 MPG summer average without doing any hypermiling, just "typical driving." Now I'm looking at 28-30 MPG. Yield, skeptics! The numbers don't lie. I can easily save 20% or more.

[Pro300x24LD]

[baja200merk]

You can say what you want about "this doesn't work, or that doesn't work", but the numbers don't lie. I found a 25%+ fuel savings, which would amount to a ~ $700 annual savings in my case.

700 a year, that should cover the annual starter replacement


Kevin

ps since im back in nyc my trucks computer is reading 9.8

[jmg944t]

Pyro, I have no problem with you trying to save mileage, I do it every chance I get when the boat is not behind me. But I do have a problem with people turning their cars off in traffic...

First, How many gallons of fuel do you REALLY think you are saving shutting your car off?

I bet my 5.3 liter V8 burns what half a gallon an hour of idle time? That is definitely not worth the wear and tear to the battery, the chance of an accident, etc.

Throw it in nutral down hills if you want, I do, my instant mileage calculator shows me that it saves me a whole bunch of nothing. Letting off the gas down hills, does save me fuel....

There is a point where I think it has been taken too far, you reached that point a couple gas savings strategies ago.

I get better mileage than everybody And I leave it running. My instant MPG computer goes to --- (over 200 mpg) down hills even if I am slightly on the pedal to speed up. Coasting in neutral can add 4 MPG to my trip average in one long hill. Coasting in gear and OFF the pedal adds 6 MPG. This is of course car specific as my car stops injecting diesel with zero throttle over 1200 rpms. Now things are a bit different with the f350 4x4 dually diesel. Coasting down hills brings it from 65mph to 40 mph in neutral. The Jetta TDI picks up 15 mph on the same hill. You can not really apply some of the techniques to vehicles with a large frontal area that work like a charm on a car. TOO MUCH AIR TO MOVE.


Just figured I would stick these pics in here for a point of reference

[baja200merk]

i love the tdi but that average mpg is a bit off on that tank..

Kevin

[pyro]

i love the tdi but that average mpg is a bit off on that tank..

Kevin

If you're used to driving cars the way most people do, the hyper MPG numbers can be hard to believe.

[baja200merk]

If you're used to driving cars the way most people do, the hyper MPG numbers can be hard to believe.

oh so it must be the average of a couple of tanks, cause my calculator is showin 802/14.8=54.1

cant tow the boat with the bike in the back and a couple hundred lbs of tools and junk
3200+miles a year wit a car... however i could with the 7700lb rated toureg v10 tdi

escape starters might be cheaper on ebay keep ur eyes open

Kevin