Fuel Efficient Driving Techniques

[Russ]

I usually release eth acceleratoe when I spot a red light in front, or when I see heavy traffic in front. I uaully glide my car to a stop, and hardly work my brakes hard.

 

I changed the front brake pads for my last car only at its 4 1/2th year. Rear brake pads unchanged from new.

 

My tyre pressure is 240KPa (pump when tyre is cold)

 

Me too

I did not change my brake pads for my Corolla for the 5 years I had it - it still looked very thick/new after 5 years - 8mm.

 

My tyre pressure also 240/230 F/R on my Legacy

[Redboy]

Let me explain why these delivery trucks always speed.

 

Do you know why?

 

Because their companies expect them to be superman.

 

My company uses DHL.

 

The poor DHL man is always so stressed.

 

Once as I was talking to him when he delivered me some 25kg empty boxes, he said that he has 40 other companies to visit by 1pm.

 

I said: This is impossible, but he said it can be done, provided he speeds, which is what he always does.

 

He said that he gets penalised if he does not deliver them by schedule, although he refused to elaborate on the penalties.

 

Of course, when DHL man speeds, the jobs can be done within time limit.

Then you never ask DHL man, if he speeds and gets summon, who will pay?

If I am not wrong, commercial vehicle max speed only 70kmh, isn't it?

Edited August 27, 2007 by Redboy

[Vit4wd]

Original Corolla brake pads must be very durable.

 

What's your mileage when you changed them?

[Shull]

bro..whats this pulse and glide method? care to share?

 

and how high is higher pressure? 10-20kPa above the recommended? or higher?

[Kohks]

Hi Shull,

 

i would recommend you to read the articles from the website first (as posted in the first few post of this thread) as there are quite a number of information. It also details the risk, too.

 

about the tyre pressure, some bros here got reservations about the risk of high tyre pressure due to safety issues such as lesser grip, aquaplanning on wet roads, less stability during cornering. so i would recommend using manufacturer recommended tyre pressure settings. I will PM you my settings and what other folks have tried.

 

as for pulse and glide method, it is like what Genie47 said, most taxi and heavy vehicles drivers uses. they will step on the accelerator and let go. they will do it frequently to maintain constant speed. I think the execution is not smooth.

 

based on what i read and tried recently, i think the proper method is to accelerate smoothly (read slowly. this is the pulse phase) to target speed, say 75km/h. then ease off the accelerator slightly. there should be no engine braking. the engine should feel as if there are no load at all and smooth....ie gliding phase. the speed will drop slowly. let the speed drop till, say 60km/h. then repeat pulse again.

 

you should be able to achieve gliding over a significant distance say, 1 to 3km.

 

everything should be smoothly executed. you must be able to feel the car gliding or floating during the glide phase. any slight engine braking or jerk is undesireable.

 

i am still practising this method. it is not easy to make it smooth during each phase.

 

i hope i did not make it sound complex. it is quite an easy method.

 

if you try, please share your results (your fuel efficiency result from your on-board FC meter, if your car have). i am interested to know if my intrepretation and understanding of the finer points is correct.

 

thanks, man.