ideas for saving fuel???

[Neil]

'dont use the gearbox as a brake'? thats an odd one.

Why?

A lot of old timers do - change down, sequentially through the gears, with partly some engine braking in mind.

Thing is, though, as a generalism, people tend to stick to how they were taught, and how they did things at first, and this shapes how they continue to do things for decades - or 'til they stop. Whether the advancement of age affects that, or whether most tend to stick to how they were taught with no re-evaluation or revisiting.

 

[unkleGsif]

Thing is, though, as a generalism, people tend to stick to how they were taught, and how they did things at first, and this shapes how they continue to do things for decades......

Really?

I was taught really well, then drove like an utter twat for 10 years, and now drive like a IAM instructor

G

 

[Neil]

Thing is, though, as a generalism, people tend to stick to how they were taught, and how they did things at first, and this shapes how they continue to do things for decades......

Really?

I was taught really well, then drove like an utter tw*t for 10 years, and now drive like a IAM instructor

G

Technique, yes (conveniently ignoring the handbrake for a second), best practice, not necessarily.

What I meant was that several decades ago, people were probably taught to go up and down the gearbox, sequentially, at all times (well I know some where) - and for people taught to drive like that, they tend to stick to that.

True enough, people probably don't stick to the shuffling of the steering wheel, or plenty of other things, that people tend to write off on merit - as well as things people tend to write off despite merit (use of handbrake).

All I meant to say, though, is that there are some driving techniques that people were taught - the gearbox thing would have been a long time ago, as an example - that they may well cling to, and never really change, even if reasoned debate on the subject ensued.

 

[mass199]

It's a shame that as the price of Diesel goes up so does the price of veg oil

 

[unkleGsif]

I was being sarcastic Neil....


G

 

[Neil]

I was being sarcastic Neil....


G

I get that - but you have a valid point - there's as much that people abandon, as they cling to.

But oddly, in my experience, how people were taught to change gears has tended to stick with them.

 

[legrandefromage]

Engine braking is great. Whilst reading up on Bosch injection systems, they cut the fuel when not accelerating or when engine braking/ overrun etc.

As for driving. I have to gain as much mpg as possible to make my job worthwhile so adjusted driving accordingly

 

[Neil]

Engine braking is great. Whilst reading up on Bosch injection systems, they cut the fuel when not accelerating or when engine braking/ overrun etc.

I would have thought practically all semi-modern EFI systems cut fuel on the overrun, so long as revs are above a certain point.

Often, you can feel when the ECU starts injecting fuel again, as the revs drop.

As to the gears thing, probably started as an IAM thing - that or roadcraft - "gears to go, brakes to slow...".

As for driving. I have to gain as much mpg as possible to make my job worthwhile so adjusted driving accordingly

Not that I'm accusing you of it, here, but most taxi drivers seem to have a (albeit with some degree of logic) compulsive urge to be in the highest gear possible, as soon as possible, under the belief (albeit quite flawed) that greatest fuel economy will always be when driving in the highest gear that the car / speed will just about tolerate.

 

[legrandefromage]

I was researching my RS1600I from 1983....


As for taxi drivers - the cars I borrow all have 39mpg from other drivers. When I hand them back they will be back in the high 40's. Thos black cabs with their 2.7NIssans barely reach 27 mpg which does nobody any good.

 

[lewis1641]

what is the issue with engine braking? i was taught that way and certainly find it smoother than using the brakes

as for mpg, i have a young friend who has just bought an ond 2.5 bmw as a daild driver as at 30mpg in is getting twice the mileage of his mk2 golf gti!