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I topped off today and got some good results. It turns out that my SG 2 still needed a slight tweak. SG reported 43.6 but my calculated mpg was 44.42. If I did my math right, this means my SG was under reporting by 1.88%; close but not close enough.:p My return trip home was pretty good too. After the tweak, the SG 2 showed 5.9 miles and an mpg of 51.4 for 55.75% above EPA.:woot: :bananajump: No help from the Prius this time.:(

go saturn go!! haha what a car , its funny to see you drive the same car twice!

go saturn go!! haha what a car , its funny to see you drive the same car twice!

It must be all of the plastic on it.:p If I had waited a week, this would have been my car. Oh well. I have a couple more good segments to report. Today, on my way from my work to my wife's work, I got 52.7 mpg. The miles were 9.1 and the average speed was 44 mph and the max was 62. Then, on the way home from registering my daughter at school, in 4.6 miles I got 54.8 mpg with an average speed of 34 and a max of 50. For the whole day, so far, I'm at 49.2 mpg after 41.9 miles with an average of 36 and a max of 62 mph.:woot:

I had another good segment again today. On my way home from work tonight, my SG 2 was showing 55.6 mpg at 5.9 miles. So far today the SG is showing 51.0 after 11.4 miles. Today was a bit different since I didn't have to take my wife to work or pick her up this evening. I was able to stay on rural county roads and go as slow as I wanted while cruising and during FAS:woot:

Hi Larry:

___Time to start using a stronger P&G technique. From the time I start up the Accord to the first stop sign from work, I usually see 65.x mpg. Start the timing, rate, and range experiments because if you have a country road with a Saturn rated at almost 35 combined, 70 should be in the bag for a segment and a 65 mpg tank is not nearly as far away as you would think. It is the country roads that will save you!

___If you are up for it, would you like to do a road trip up to Milwaukee this weekend for the MHG meet Saturday morning? I think we discussed this before? Even if I cannot make it to the meet, you drive right by my home and I should be able to help you get that extra 10 + mpg with a 15 – 20 minute clinic?

___Seriously think about it because I am getting ****ed bored lying around all day doing nothing but sleeping and watching vids as of late ;)

___Good Luck

___Wayne

Hi Larry:

___Time to start using a stronger P&G technique. From the time I start up the Accord to the first stop sign from work, I usually see 65.x mpg. Start the timing, rate, and range experiments because if you have a country road with a Saturn rated at almost 35 combined, 70 should be in the bag for a segment and a 65 mpg tank is not nearly as far away as you would think. It is the country roads that will save you!

___If you are up for it, would you like to do a road trip up to Milwaukee this weekend for the MHG meet Saturday morning? I think we discussed this before? Even if I cannot make it to the meet, you drive right by my home and I should be able to help you get that extra 10 + mpg with a 15 – 20 minute clinic?

___Seriously think about it because I am getting ****ed bored lying around all day doing nothing but sleeping and watching vids as of late ;)

___Good Luck

___Wayne

I'll tell you what, if you are up to a mini-clinic I would be willing to come to your place just for that; as long as it won't be too hard on you. I think that those who are watching this thread would "have my hide" if I had anything to do with encouraging you to go to Milwaukee.:p If my agreeing to come to your house will keep you from going, I'll do my best to make plans to come up. PM me with directions to your house. I will be coming from the Elkhart, IN area via the toll-road unless you can give me a more FE friendly route.:) I would love to learn from the "master."

wow your so lucky larry i'm super jealous that you get to visit the master and recieve his blessings!!!!

I tried a little harder today and it paid off. I went the same route and I kept the speed around 30-35 on the level and it got up to 40 on one of the downhills. About 1/2 mile from home I used a downhill stretch to kick it up to 45 for the FAS to my driveway. I should note that there was a corner in the middle of that FAS so I was down to around 10-15 mph by the time I got to my driveway. When I got to my driveway, the SG was reading 61.9 mpg. My driveway is 1/10 of a mile up a slight incline so that by the time I got to the top and got turned around for tomorrow morning's FAS to the road, the SG was reading 60.7.:woot: Here is how the route goes: From a stop I went 1 mile until I made a right turn. After that, another mile to a stop. Then another mile to a stop. Then, 2 miles to the right turn in the middle of the FAS to my driveway. 65, here I come!:D The only problem is that today was the last day for awhile that I don't have to pick my wife up after work.:(

Hi Larry:

___That last segment is the start of some beautiful music!

___This entire membership of CleanMPG brothers and sisters are really starting to come together and kick the EPA numbers in the teeth from my perspective and it could not have come at a moment to soon! Thank you for leading the charge today! God knows what Laurie, Tarabell, Randall, Debbie, Lakedude, Hot Georgia, Tim, Tom, Sno, Sledge, Gary, Dan, and any other number of hypermilers here are going to put up but today is your day and I am **** glad you achieved what you did!

___I also want you to really consider coming up on early Saturday morning for the Milwaukee Hybrid Group Meet in Oak Creek,WI. if at all possible. The drive through the Dan Ryan, Kennedy, and the Eden’s on early Saturday morning will be a piece of cake and the total distance is less then what Tom and I usually cover on our way up to the Madison Hybrid Group meets ourselves. Do not take the SkyWay (I-90) as the toll is not worth it and the slightly shorter distance is worth all of about $0.30 in fuel plus you will have to stop for that expensive toll booth … There is another Southsider with an HCH-II who I am going to try and contact later today to see if he wants to make it up but we shall see about him … I can put you up for Saturday night if you think the drive home is to much on the way back. It would not be an inconvenience for me in the least. I have some roads around here where we might be able to find out what your Saturn is really worth if you know what I mean :D

___Good Luck and congrats on your achievement through your own daily grind!

___Wayne

Thanks for the compliments. I very much appreciate it.

___I also want you to really consider coming up on early Saturday morning for the Milwaukee Hybrid Group Meet in Oak Creek,WI. if at all possible. The drive through the Dan Ryan, Kennedy, and the Eden’s on early Saturday morning will be a piece of cake and the total distance is less then what Tom and I usually cover on our way up to the Madison Hybrid Group meets ourselves. Do not take the SkyWay (I-90) as the toll is not worth it and the slightly shorter distance is worth all of about $0.30 in fuel plus you will have to stop for that expensive toll booth … There is another Southsider with an HCH-II who I am going to try and contact later today to see if he wants to make it up but we shall see about him … I can put you up for Saturday night if you think the drive home is to much on the way back. It would not be an inconvenience for me in the least. I have some roads around here where we might be able to find out what your Saturn is really worth if you know what I mean

If you give me an address/good directions, I may consider that. Also, about how long will the meet last? If I could be back home again to Indiana by midnight or so it could be doable. Would there be a possibility that I could ride with you from your house to the meet? *ulterior motive-learning time:D * If you want to give me a call, PM me and I can give you my cell and/or home phone so we can discuss details. If you have a Verizon cell the call would be free.:)

Hi Larry:

___I sent you my addy via PM yesterday IIRC (still a little loopy upstairs so don’t hold me to it ;)) and I just PM’ed you with my CEL.

___Good Luck and I hope to meet you this Saturday. Terry is going to kill me but I am feeling better over the last 9 hours then the previous 5 days …

___Wayne

I think I'm going to suffer the same penalty if I go and you do too.:D I have another good segment to report. The route was basically the same but it was a bit longer and had 2 more stops. Also, my wife was with me. I should note that this trip and the one earlier was with the windows down and no A/C; it's broke.:( :) The route was 7.? miles and I was at 60.0 mpg when I got posistioned for my drive tomorrow. The average speed was 25 mph with a max of 47 when I was setting up for the final FAS to my driveway.

Hi Larry:

___I sent you my addy via PM yesterday IIRC (still a little loopy upstairs so don’t hold me to it ;)) and I just PM’ed you with my CEL.

___Good Luck and I hope to meet you this Saturday. Terry is going to kill me but I am feeling better over the last 9 hours then the previous 5 days …

___Wayne

Well, I have some good news and some bad news. First the bad news: The SG 2 was off a bit. The good news is, it was under-reporting. I topped off tonight for my trip to Northern IL in the morning. I went 286.49 miles and used 5.900 gallons for 48.56 mpg.:woot: The SG only reported 48.0(1.17% off?) Now, for some even better news. Wayne, you have to promise not to jump up and down for this one.:p On the way back home from the station I took the exact route I took yesterday for my 60.7 mpg segment. My average speed was actually 3 mph higher than yesterday's 25 mph but the segment came in at 62.8 mpg by the time I got into position; this is with the new SG calibration.:woot: :woot: :woot: This is a new personal best.:D

Hi Larry:

___Not jumping up and down just yet but when I see 60 + from a non-hybrid, now you are talking top of the game no matter what you are driving … Great job!!!

___Good Luck

___Wayne

Today was an AWESOME day! My son and I drove to Wayne's house this morning then rode with him and Tom and Tony in Tony's Priapus:p up to the Milwaukee meet. Before we left though, I went to school. Wayne, my son and I went out in my Saturn and we anhialated the EPA rating for my car which is 33 mpg combined. With Wayne's coaching, I managed a 70.8 segment after 17.0 miles.:woot: :woot: :woot: This is 215% above EPA. This is a new personal best for me. Thanks Wayne. On the way up to Wayne's, the SG was reading 49.5 mpg and the return trip was 51.0 mpg. The tank is at 49.8 mpg and the total for today was 49.7. The distance to his house was a tick or so over 153 miles.
I think after seeing the different hybrids today, when I ever get one(soon I hope), I want an HCH. I open it up for discussion as to whether it should be a 1 or 2 in another thread. More of my commute is highway and an Insight just won't hold my family of 4.:( This is not to say at all that Tony doesn't have a nice car, he does. Thanks for a great day guys.

haha Tony! I got to him last ;) I swayed him to the dark side.

haha Tony! I got to him last ;) I swayed him to the dark side.

I am going to totaly freak out if you start telling me, "I am your father.":D I think the Prius is an awesome tool but it may not work as well as the HCH 1 or 2. Besides, you can slide sideways around corners in an HCH.:p

share the details on what wayne taught you to gain that extra 10 mpg?
that's wicked mileage for a saturn, you put some cars (including hybrids) to shame! Hm I'm surprised on your choice to overpick the hch I over the prius but i guess when it comes to price it is the right choice. Although if congestion was an everything day for you would you reconsider?

But i have to give you the props for mentioning the corneringt ability... my civic felt like a feather compared to the bloaty feeling of the prius, however it has a much better view of the road imo.

Anyway wow your car is so much cheaper than mine and it gets more mpg than I ;( really reflects EPA shows very little of what ANYONE's car is capable of.

share the details on what wayne taught you to gain that extra 10 mpg?
that's wicked mileage for a saturn, you put some cars (including hybrids) to shame!

Basically, he showed me how to take P&G and FAS to new extremes(for me). I also learned how to use my emergency flashers for FE in combination with ridge riding. These help to persuade the proctologists to go around instead of tailgating. There were times when I was going so slow that I couldn't bump start and had to use the key. Also, do not let the rpms go over 1500. This is very difficult in my car since, as soon as the car starts moving in 1st, it's at or above 1500 rpm's.

Hm I'm surprised on your choice to overpick the hch I over the prius but i guess when it comes to price it is the right choice. Although if congestion was an everything day for you would you reconsider?

Actually, price has little to do with my decision. In fact, I just went to Honda's site and did a price&build on an HCH2 and with the options I chose, the cost was similar. My choice has more to do with what each car is good at and how my commute relates to those characteristics. As for re-considering, yes. If my area had a sudden population explosion and the roads became heavily congested, the Prius would be the better tool for the job. The Insight is the car I really want but my family of 4 would fit without serious protests from 2 of them.:) One of the things I learned at the meeting today was the need to educate the general public on Hybrids. I think this needs to be not only how to drive them but also how to choose the right one for them to begin with.

But i have to give you the props for mentioning the corneringt ability... my civic felt like a feather compared to the bloaty feeling of the prius, however it has a much better view of the road imo.
Anyway wow your car is so much cheaper than mine and it gets more mpg than I ;( really reflects EPA shows very little of what ANYONE's car is capable of.

To your car's credit though, I think it is better known for it's reliabilty/endurance. And, if I figured right, 43(?) mpg isn't so bad for your car. I would suggest getting real serious about FAS & P&G and you may very well be able to do better than me; I hope you do. Although, after Wayne's clinic, I would say that a good set of ***** could be a prerequisite for extreme mpg.:p

hm even reading the ridge riding detail for so many times, I can't figure out when to reconize it when I'm on the road... does anyone have a pic where my wheels should be?

ya the emergency lights trick is pretty creative... but I'm not at that level yet :P

congestion is getting really bad in my area... since my area recently got a population boom.

43 mpg is my lifetime average, my last tank netted me 47 mpg ;)

i'd love to exploit longer FASES just ya I have to learn to deal with the motorists from time to time.

Nice job Larry, I'm sure your newfound knowledge will net you good mpg for the rest of your life!

If this isn't correct I hope Wayne will clear it up but, in the case of using ridge riding the way I did to deal with traffic from behind, you would want to stay as far to the right as possible. Left if you are someplace that drives on the "wrong" side of the road.:) Just kidding. Anyway, I take the definition to mean that you should pick the part of your lane that has the least amount of water on it during a downpour. I suspect that whether that is in the center or the right side varies from road to road or even in different stretches of a specific road. The emergency lights are going to take some serious getting used to on my part. I would say that when you are going to extreme measures for FE that a good set of...nerves;) are invaluable.

interesting... makes me wonder how often can one really abuse the emergency lights... haha what are one chances of running into the same motoritst again considering how many there are! Hm I guess ridge riding has its purpose on the highway roads since there is barely any space in the city to fit more cars without opposing oncoming traffic!

Sometimes I use the other side of the road... but that's when the yellow line is broken :)

I always use tire sound for the best spot.
Where ever produces the least "Shhhhhhh" sound is my area to be in..
If I'm in traffic I don't want to hug the left line too much, but also don't want to go too far on the Right because of nails and other debris on the shoulder.

I used to occasionally drive on those rather unused areas (Painted medians, shoulder etc) when ever it was safe, nobody else around and would favor FE.

Two of my tires have one plug and one has two plugs, all have occured on the Right side. (Take into account tire rotation).
Since I've stayed pretty much in the well traveled areas the screws/nail trouble have ended.

Hi All:

___Larry has it dead on. I use RR all the time myself as even at 55 - 65 on a 55 - 65 mph limited roadway, there are always those moving far to fast no matter what lane they should be in let alone the lane they are actually in. Place those right tires on the far right white line and you are RR. This is the safety aspect and it works 99.9% of the time while traveling at or between the limits … Sometimes even slower then the limits when traffic permits ;) Anyway, this is the definition of RR when its dry in terms of safety …

___When it is raining or snowing. You want to find the least depth of water/snow/snow cover and with no traffic on the road ahead, 90 + % of the time you will find the least amount of water depth during a rain occurs while riding the ridges. Left tires on the center ridge and right on the white line or very near it. You will hear the water lift as you are traveling in this condition and you want to simply reduce the amount of water lifted let alone pushed out of the way (the water splash noise) as you drive down what seems like one continuous puddle …

___Steve, I have only had one low tire pressure situation from a screw in the sidewall of the Insight and nothing else over the last 850,000 + miles and I have been RR for at least 400,000 miles of that distance. It is one thing to have the right tires on the far white line, it is another altogether to have them in the maintenance lane (I sometimes use that to let the faster traffic go by when pushing for records and for teaching during clinics and stuff myself) but overall, as long as you are on the roadway which includes from the left side solid white line to the right side solid white line, any debris that may have been there should have been blown far back into the maintenance lane and/or onto the gravel shoulder depending on the type of road you are traveling in minutes … I cannot think of a small metal object that could withstand an 18-wheeler’s blast driving by as slow as 50 mph let alone any faster although we know flats do happen from road debris because many of us have certainly had a flat due to road debris of some sort in the past?

___Good Luck

___Wayne