How To Save Fuel - Economy Driving Techniques

[Bungle]

Originally Posted by NH Dan

For those of you with petrol cars, take a look at the inside of your petrol flap.

"Premium/Super 95RON"

Hondas, along with most other modern cars, are designed to run on stuff like Vpower and BP ultimate, hence the fact that most of us who fill up with the cheap gunk don't get anywhere near the manufacturers quoted mpg's. Yes, its more expensive but YES, you WILL go further on it.

Dan, 95RON is normal petrol herei the UK. You have to look hard to get 'normal' petrol. The special stuff like BP Ultimate and Shell Optimax etc are 98RON.

I personally don't bother with the high octane stuff, have tried it and saw/felt no difference. The slight improvement after a good few years might be more noticable, but I don't intend on keeping my car for more than 5.

[angie4m]

Originally Posted by Bungle

Dan, 95RON is normal petrol herei the UK. You have to look hard to get 'normal' petrol. The special stuff like BP Ultimate and Shell Optimax etc are 98RON.

I personally don't bother with the high octane stuff, have tried it and saw/felt no difference. The slight improvement after a good few years might be more noticable, but I don't intend on keeping my car for more than 5.

It actually says Super Unleaded with a minimum ron of 95 not just unleaded with 95 ron minimum.

I use V-power which is 99 ron and i'm currently getting 37.4mpg in a type r and i've not been taking it easy. It may be more expensive by 5p but its actually the same price for V-power as it is for 'normal' BP unleaded and I get better mpg. I choose not to use BP ultimate as its only 97 ron and 7p more than V-power but I find the good stuff works very well for me.

Started using it in my Mini before when someone I know with an EP3 found their mpg increased with Optimax as it was then

[Nick7]

Octane itself will not give you any boost in power or mpg.
Higher octane just allows gas to be more prone to self-detonation (aka knock in engines). Also note that for higher octane gas it needs to have extra additives to achieve that.

However, depending on quality of gas it may have different energy ratings, and this is something where you may feel difference (power, mpg), although usually it's very small difference.
As for octane rating, higher octane can allow for timing to be moved forward a bit, which can result also in some extra power, however very few ECU's actually take advantage of that (due to risk it involves).

[Munro]

Originally Posted by lxf2442

park it up and walk!

This definetly works ! Short journeys are very fuel inefficient (cold engine) and causes the most wear per mile on your engine.

Walking or taking a bike ride instead of driving is good for your health , your car and your pocket !

[the pilot]

Originally Posted by Munro

There are a lot of good ideas on various civinfo threads for economy driving. I thought it would be a good idea to collate them. With the huge increase in fuel prices every idea helps.

Much as I enjoy the VTEC and, er, sports driving on an open road it is still worth using these techniques when cruising. Some of the ones I use are:

- Anticipation - read the road ahead to avoid excessive braking.
- Drive as if your brake pads are made of gold.
- Cruise control, which is great on the motorway and avoids the temptation to floor the throttle when bored !
- Coasting when you want to maintain momentum (Need to be very careful as you loose steering and brakes if your engine cuts out)
- Using engine braking in gear when you need to slow (cuts fuel supply)
- Maintain momentum thru corners - the fun part!
- Make sure your tyre pressures are correct
- Generally leave the air con switched off - only use it when you need it
- Use premium fuel like V max to keep the engine clean and at its best
- Change up gear early ie first to third to sixth , you only need the other gears for max acceleration.
- If you are in lots of traffic dont bother overtaking, you wont get there any quicker. Chill out !

Like someone mentioned on another thread, the Institute of Advanced Motorists IAM course / test is well worth doing. It will improve your driving skills and reduce risk of accidents as well as save fuel.

I did my Advanced driving test a number of years ago through the I.A.M and have been a 'Demonstrator Driver' with them for most of that time. Whilst training to drive the 'advanced method' i.e using the 'system of car control' I immediately noticed a dramatic improvement to my fuel consumption in the order of 10% or so. Furthermore most other members have also reported similar figures. Not only do you achieve fuel savings but you also benefit from much less wear and tear on tyres, clutch and brake parts simply by adopting a radical shift in your driving skills and on - the - road attitude. There is simply no going back to your old ways of driving once you have done it. The sense of acheivement from passing what is fundamentally the Police method of driving (you are examined by a Police Class 1 driver, the highest driving qualification in the world no less) ensures your driving pleasure is raised to orgasmic heights...we'll not quite, but behind the wheel of a car which has been designed to fully meet the exacting demands of advanced driving I believe 'man and machine' exist as one!!!! How many cars have been designed by a genius, only to be driven by an idiot, I see them all the time. You are how you drive.
I would like to point out that driving safely and efficiently must take precedence over trying to drive as economically as possible. Coasting along either clutch depressed or 'God forbid' in neutral is not only dangerous but illegal.
Tailgating or 'slipstreaming' is most certainly not a method I would endorse as this too will invariably compromise a safe following distance (ideally 2 seconds or more), not to mention wearing out your brake pads by 'riding' on the brake lights of the vehicle in front.
I just love people who slow down going up a hill simply because they won't increase throttle pressure to compensate the effects of gravity and then wonder why there's a bunched up queue of frustrated drivers behind what is now a 'moving hazard'. I think it is a fallacy to think you will save fuel by allowing your revs to 'drop off' below the optimum engine speed/power output/fuel consumption point, after all its going to take you more time to get up the hill so the time factor must come into the equation somewhere. I try to use my cruise control whenever I can even... in a 30mph zone, believe you me the computer is whole lot better at keeping a constant speed than I am and it gives me more time to concentrate on the road ahead rather than checking to see if i've gone over the limit especially where speed cameras are looming up. It also allows me to pre-position my right foot over the brake pedal if aproaching a hazard thereby reducing my reaction time quite substantially.
Block gear changing is something the I.A.M have been teaching for a long time, so skipping a gear or two whilst accelerating utilises the full capabilities of what is truly an outstanding engine Honda have put under your bonnet. Don't be afraid to get your revs up well beyond the 12 oclock position on that rev counter. I regularly use 1st,2nd,to 4th gear to get to 30 or 40mph, 1st 2nd 3rd,to 6th gear to get to 70mph and still average low 40s mpg on my 1.8es man, 50mpg + on a long run.
Try adopting the 'advanced method' of car control when slowing down or coming to a stop. Basically you leave the gears alone in whatever gear you are in and then only make one gear change after you have completed braking.... do not overlap braking and gear changing. That way you maintain engine braking assistance but without all the unneccessary wear and tear on the clutch and gear box by going 6th,5th,4th,3th,2nd and eventually1st.... phew!! Also to note is every time you take your hand off the steering wheel to change gear you have compromised your ability to control 'directional stability' i.e steering, and especially whilst braking at the same time! You also have no control over the engine speed whilst braking, consequently when you do release the clutch the mis-match in gearbox speed and engine speed causes even more wear and tear on clutch and gear box. Remember "gears are for going, brakes are for braking"
Finally if you really want to know how to drive then enroll on the I.A.M course, it really is very cheap (£100) and you will recover your costs in no time at all.

[Pottsy]

The pilot,

Nice post. The only point I would make is that CC on the turbo cars costs you about 5 mpg. The electronics constantly adjust the "throttle"* position to accurately maintain speed - and this can cause the engine to go on and off boost (using more fuel).

I find that it doesn't need a constant throttle, but more a steady throttle with slow and careful variation. If there are no other cars around (this is typically on the motorway at 0400) then I can let the speed wander 2 or 3 mph, but even with other cars around you can maintain speed by simply adjusting the throttle a bit and holding that position - and this still saves the constant changes made by the CC.

* I know the 2.2 doesn't have a throttle, but it's easir to write than "fuel flow control".

[HappyMan]

I now live in a country where 'speed is king' and for a while I got caught up in this way of driving. I took the view ' if you can't beat 'em, join 'em ' and for a while it was great fun but fuel economy took a great hit. And I live in what is classed as a 'poor' country - well when it comes to driving and using petrol it definitely isn't poor .

Recently I have changed the way I drive to a more leisurely way. I basically rev up to between 2500-3000rpm and have seen a huge improvement in economy. I have changed petrol and seen a huge difference too. I haven't tried the gear changing idea yet but I am going to give it a go to see if it helps.

Actually making the simple changes above in my driving has brought the MPG figure a whole lot closer to Honda's official figures so I am a lot happier. The thing is the car is still a whole lot of fun to drive even when not revving the heart out of it.

With petrol prices around £1.19 a litre here in Poland now, I am happy to try all methods of reducing my petrol bill.

[Unknownsoldier]

I agree, I do what you do too, and if I resisted Vtec and using the 2 miles of D/C near my house (tbh it's probably better for my fuel that the 12 miles it would add to my journey going round it.). I've gotten closer to 40mpg than ever before.

Tom

[Munro]

Just looked up the Institute of Advanced Motorists website. Here's the Link for those thinking of doing the training / test:

Institute of Advanced Motorists | Welcome to the IAM!

They have also just put up a driving tip on how to save fuel:

DRIVING TIP
NUMBER 26
27June 2008
Save pounds at the pump

As soaring fuel prices continue to hit the headlines, motorists cannot fail to be interested in ways to get the most miles out of every tank of petrol.

Regardless of your choice of vehicle, there are techniques you can use to save fuel and at the same time minimise your impact on the environment. These techniques are part of the IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists) course, which has delivered eco-benefits through fuel efficiency methods since the IAM was established in 1956.

Ask yourself: "Do I really need to drive?": Short journeys that are generally less than two miles cause the most pollution and are inefficient in terms of fuel consumption. A straining cold engine will produce 60 per cent more pollution than a warm one. Walk or cycle where possible instead.

Plan your route: Take the most direct route and go at off-peak times if possible to save fuel and time. Sitting in congestion means you are often doing zero miles per litre. Consider car sharing, Park and Ride schemes or public transport.

Have your vehicle serviced regularly: Inefficient, under-serviced engines can reduce fuel economy by 10 per cent or more. Catalytic converters are environmentally friendly - but only if they are properly maintained.

Check your tyres: Correct tyre pressures reduce wear and helps fuel economy. Under-inflated tyres need replacing more often (itself an environmental problem) as well as being dangerous. Make a point of checking them at least once a week.

Obey the speed limits: Try to ‘feather’ the throttle when you reach your cruising speed. Doing 56mph uses 25 per cent less fuel than 70mph and a smoother driving style can bring significant fuel saving.

Reduce the drag factor: Remove roof racks and carriers when they’re not in use as well as unnecessary boot luggage and heavy accessories. Driving with the window open and using air conditioning increases drag and lowers fuel economy, so use the vent settings instead.

Buy green fuel: And use less of it. If you get stuck in traffic, switch off the engine. Find out if you can buy low sulphur diesel (city diesel) or cleaner petrol (low sulphur/aromatics) locally.

Use “accelerator” sense: Save fuel by planning ahead and reading the traffic in advance to gently join a queue rather than braking suddenly as you hit traffic.

Reverse when you park: The engine will be cold and at its most fuel inefficient when you start it. If you can drive away without having to reverse when the engine is cold, you will save fuel and have better visibility.

Watch your levels: If you fill your fuel tank up to the brim, you may be carrying around additional fuel which in turn means that you have more weight on board than is necessary and this will itself reduce fuel efficiency

I am not sure how the reverse parking one is supposed to work though ??

[Unknownsoldier]

Reverse gear is gear for high torque and low speed, therefore it is a highly inneficient gear to use, so if you have to reverse out of a space with a cold engine you are increasing wear, emissions and fuel.

Tom

[Steeph]

Originally Posted by Pottsy

The only point I would make is that CC on the turbo cars costs you about 5 mpg. The electronics constantly adjust the "throttle"* position to accurately maintain speed - and this can cause the engine to go on and off boost (using more fuel).

I find that it doesn't need a constant throttle, but more a steady throttle with slow and careful variation. If there are no other cars around (this is typically on the motorway at 0400) then I can let the speed wander 2 or 3 mph, but even with other cars around you can maintain speed by simply adjusting the throttle a bit and holding that position - and this still saves the constant changes made by the CC.

I don't really see the difference between constant and steady throttle. Do you mean that the CC switches off the throttle which causes the turbo to spin down?
I find that unlikely, the minute changes the CC applies to the throttle would be in the same order as the minute changes if you throttle by hand (or foot ). Manual changes are probably even bigger as you vary the speed more.

Pottsy, please enlighten me
Thanks

[streakybird]

Originally Posted by minisweeper

I assume you guys (UK ones at least) watched Top Gear on Sunday? This whole discussion goes out the window when you learn that the BMW M3 is more efficient than a Toyota Prius and the Audi R8 is a very efficient car...!

But obviously they become more efficient because they were flooring the prius (way out of its comfort zone) and doing 70mph in a car that is used to speed far greater than 70mph (perfectly in its comfort zone). So if your going to test a car that would be the most efficient car, obviously the BMW would be better because its in its comfort zone, whereas the prius driving at the fastest speed it can possibly do, WILL make it less efficient! So this test i assume is pointless.
Just put a 1.2 car against a 2.0 letre and see whos the most efficient at 70mph... we all know the answer to that...

just a thought....

[Pottsy]

Steeph,

Bad choice of words really! I find that a constant throttle gives a good result, because it avoids the continuous spooling up and down of the turbo. But constant is not practical, so I set and hold for a while, then set and hold for a while, and so on.

The CC causes the instantaneous MPG to vary wildly between 30 and 80. The overall is about 51 mpg (this is all cruising on the motorway at 70 mph). Doing it myself gives 54 to 56 mpg, at the same average speed.

I find the CC is worst at the bottom of hills. Instead of just letting the speed drift up a bit, it suddenly finds itself going to slow as the uphill bit starts, and then aggressively applies throttle to regain the speed.

Just my findings, on endless boring motorway journeys with nothing else to do!

[Steeph]

Originally Posted by Pottsy

Bad choice of words really! I find that a constant throttle gives a good result, because it avoids the continuous spooling up and down of the turbo. But constant is not practical, so I set and hold for a while, then set and hold for a while, and so on.

Ok, it's more like you keep applying the throttle to keep the turbo spooling, while the CC completely shuts down the throttle when it needs to slow down which then later is not so efficient because it needs more fuel to get the turbo spinning again.

I guess I never noticed this as Holland is quite flat so the CC doesn't have much thinking to do about slowing down or speeding up and it basically just applies a constant throttle here with only very minute changes.

[shieldy2k7]

Originally Posted by angie4m

Good Post Munro. Think a Lot of drivers especially those in the R's will find it hard to stick by, but my FN2 is living proof that if you do whats listed then you can get a lot more miles from your tank.....478 to be exact

What size tank? take its a bigger tank than on the 1.8l?

[NEEMSTAR]

Originally Posted by shieldy2k7

What size tank? take its a bigger tank than on the 1.8l?

nope 50 L

[shieldy2k7]

Well how does the Type R get more than a 1.8? - i cant get past 370 to a tank lol

[Munro]

Another Type R owner on here managed to average 38mpg, so I gave it a go and managed it over 1600 miles. This is for mixed driving and going at least as fast as the rest of the traffic.

The best I have achieved on a short Journey of 32 miles is 52mpg using coasting (not a good idea).

Temptation to enjoy the Type Rs performance has my overall average @ 32mpg, which is pretty good considering !

38.2 mpg gives a range of 420 miles on 50 litres
52.1 mpg gives a range of 573 miles on 50 litres

So Angies claim is possible - she obviously knows the techniques.

[angie4m]

Originally Posted by shieldy2k7

Well how does the Type R get more than a 1.8? - i cant get past 370 to a tank lol

Do you have a manual or an i-shift? And i'm currently getting 37.4mpg and thats been while coming back from Crewe. But not hammering the car all time, keeping up with the flow of traffic not speeding by it helps and I don't drive in town or in rush hour. When I use motorways and bypasses I use the cc. Oh and I only use V-Power

Originally Posted by Munro

Another Type R owner on here managed to average 38mpg, so I gave it a go and managed it over 1600 miles. This is for mixed driving and going at least as fast as the rest of the traffic.

The best I have achieved on a short Journey of 32 miles is 52mpg using coasting (not a good idea).

Temptation to enjoy the Type Rs performance has my overall average @ 32mpg, which is pretty good considering !

38.2 mpg gives a range of 420 miles on 50 litres
52.1 mpg gives a range of 573 miles on 50 litres

So Angies claim is possible - she obviously knows the techniques.

Yeah Munro, while i'm doing long treks I don't horse it for the fact its not going to do me any favours. Thats when I got 478 miles from the tank.

I like to have fun in the car, but there is a time and a place for it and its not in traffic, built up areas or on long trip. I just like to cruise when travelling, but put it on track and i'm lucky if I see 22 mpg.