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I have a 2000 Mazda 626 automatic 4 cylinder with ~106K miles and I want to get every last MPG out of it without breaking anything in it. For instance, I'm worried that if I am constantly turning the car on and off to avoid idling the starter will die, or if I'm coasting in neutral and then put it back into drive, at speed, I will burn out the transmission. I just got this car and considering I am a student I need it to last as long as possible, and since I am a student I would like to save as much as I can where I can (i.e.- gas). If anyone has any advice for me please let me know... thanks

Welcome to CleanMPG!!

Starters wear out due to excessive heat -- which you generate with long cranking sessions. If the engine is warm it should start up very quickly and put very little stress on the starter motor. There are plenty of members here who have done that for many tens of thousands of miles. I personally have done it for over 100K miles on my Elantra and it still has the original starter. No issues yet!

As for the transmission, give it a try and see if there is a jarring re-engagement at speed. If so, you probably just need to do an RPM match to smooth it out. Most newer automatic transmissions do this automatically so all you need to do is wait a couple of seconds before pressing the accelerator to allow it to do its thing.

If you tell us what general location of the country you are in and what sort of driving you normally have to do (terrain, traffic, signals and signs?) we can tailor advice to your specific situation. :)

I would not FAS it unless your handy with the wrenches. The car is 9 years old.

I would master the basics and route plan.

If you want to help your car last as long as it can, be sure to take care of the basic maintinence that it needs. Especially since you just got, there may be gaps in its service needs. The initial investment in time and money will pay off in the long run in the life of the car and you also can have a few less things to worry about.

1. Change all of the fluids - engine oil and filter, transmission, coolant and brake
2. Get a fresh air filter.
3. Check your brakes and tires - especially tire pressure!
4. Inspect and replace fan belt and spark plugs if needed.
5. Get your alignment checked - a car that is out of alignment will waste gas and ruin tires.

Also read the hows and whys of hypermiling section - allot of great stuff there.

Good luck and be sure to start tracking your mileage in the log.

Thanks for the advice. As far as my driving conditions, I'm in Chicagoland so there are some hills, my routes change depending on my schedule my routes are only steady for a few weeks at a time, I have to deal with a fairly decent amount of traffic and construction, and traffic lights are all over the place. If I want to rev match, what should I bring the revs up to, how many rpm? And when the gas light turns on, how many gallons should be left in the tank? I'm sorry if my questions are really basic I'm really curious about all this and I just dont want to cause more harm than good to my car or anyone around me. I really appreciate all the help and advice. Thank you.

If I want to rev match, what should I bring the revs up to, how many rpm?
Try it without the rev match first, as most automatics don't need it. If returning to D does result in a thump - more than what you'd feel when shifting from P to D in the winter when the car is in fast idle - then consider a rev match. Assuming the car has a tach, make a mental note of the engine rpm at various speeds and shoot for that rpm-speed relationship for a rev match. Under the target is better than over the target rpm. You never want to run the engine over 2000, for example, and then shift from N to D.

Your car is not flat towable, so keep the engine running when the car is in motion. For the last few car lengths during braking for a long light or railroad crossing, you can key-off, but do not consider doing so if the car is moving well above 10mph or for more than a few hundred feet.

If you are (or plan on) shifting to N while at speed, it is wise to bump the lever from D to N without pressing the button on the shift lever. That button overrides the reverse-block and allows the lever to move to R or P. So get into the habit of bumping the lever forward to N with the palm of your hand with your fingers fanned outward to prevent an accidental button press. It's not pushing the button that can cause trouble, it's hitting a bump and causing the lever to slip further forward to R or P that will cause you to end up dialing Double A *beep* *beep* MCO. If you must press the button to get from N to D again, that's ok as the lever is moving rearward and selecting lower gears while moving forward is not a problem.
And when the gas light turns on, how many gallons should be left in the tank?
Usually you have a gallon or two left, or enough to get you about 30-60 miles. But on older cars, you don't want to rely as much on the accuracy of the gage. It's cheap insurance to fill up when the tank gets to 1/4 or 1/8, as fuel pumps are expensive and they love to overheat when they are run dry for any length of time.

I have a 2000 Protege DX automatic. I've tried it and my advice is to not bother FASing with an auto trans as the electrical power it takes to restart the car [which increases the load on the alternator to recharge the battery again] cancels out any gain you might have gotten. Just let it idle while you're gliding and shift into neutral at lights. I am very impressed with my Mazda for fuel efficiency.

Mike