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Hi great hypermilers of the world!

My name is Roby and I am from Bandung, Indonesia and I know about hypermiling from a popular article This Guy Can Get 59 MPG in a Plain Old Accord. Beat That, Punk (http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2007/01/king_of_the_hypermilers.html) linked from reddit (http://reddit.com) (salute to Mr. Wayne) and ever since, I have been obsessed with improving my mileage.

My ride is a Toyota Camry 2007 2.4V and it is not hybrid. It is a shame really but hybrid cars have not caught public attention (http://english.people.com.cn/200601/24/eng20060124_237929.html)very much since oil price is relatively cheaper in here than it is in USA (around $0.6 per L, but then again, some of us are quite poor). There is only Honda Civic Hybrid here in Indonesia and the price is relatively higher than other models.

And I have some questions:
1. I have been applying some hypermiling techniques listed here and I have been getting some good results(9km/L), but some friends tell me that shifting gears D to N back and fro will tear out the gears (even the engine?) faster. Is this true? Any solutions to this?
2. Any other sites that discuss non-hybrids doing hypermiling especially Toyota Camry in my case?

Thanks very much for your answers :D

Welcome to cleanmpg!

I'll defer some of the answers to the more senior members, but one thing you may see mentioned here that is helpful is the ScanGuageII. It will give you real time feedback on mileage for your driving strategy.

One question to come up will be transmission type. Automatic or manual?

Welcome to hypermiling!
I'm pretty new here myself (since 13 Feb '07) but I'm very pleased to be here.

You asked about transmission damage from shifting D-N-D? So I guess your car is automatic transmission. Correct?

I'm no mechanic but - my belief is that if you match rpm's there should be no damage or strain. Of course you need a tach for this. If you have no tach, I think ScanGauge II has a tach function?

Learn the engine rpm's at various speeds. Then before you shift from N into D-Drive, first adjust engine to proper rpm so that it does not change speed when you go into gear.

Example - suppose that cruising in Drive at 100 km/h is 2200 rpm. You are coasting at 110km/h and will shift into D when you reach 100 km/h. So you gently bring engine to 2200 rpm just before you shift into D. Of course you have to learn the rpm's for your car at the different speeds.

OK?

Yes, it is automatic transmission.

Maybe I'll consider buying a ScanGaugeII in ebay.

Interesting theory brucepick and thanks for your thought and I will try examining the rpm and the speed tomorrow, but can you or someone else back your statement with articles/proofs? I really want to make sure because repairing the transmission box is supposedly expensive.


Thanks.

Yes, it is automatic transmission.
Maybe I'll consider buying a ScanGaugeII in ebay.
... Can you or someone else back your statement with articles/proofs? I really want to make sure because repairing the transmission box is supposedly expensive.
... Thanks.

Here in the US transmission repair IS expensive. You definitely want to take care of the transmission. I'm sorry I don't have any articles or proof that you will not hurt the tranny using rev matching when you coast in N and then shift into D.

Do we have references on this? Please help us guys. I'm a newbie here myself. I'd like to be able to give those referecnes to my good wife so she will stop thinking I'm going to kill the tranny with this excellent FE technique

Anyway, make sure you change the transmission fluid per maintenance schedule. Usually needs changing every 20-30K miles, or I guess something like every 30-50K km. See your owners manual. And check it for color now and then. Should be clean red. When it starts to change towards dark red or brown you definitely need to change it. (I think some new type fluids are yellow when new - so you have to know your own truck).

And I have some questions:
2. Any other sites that discuss non-hybrids doing hypermiling especially Toyota Camry in my case?

Thanks very much for your answers :D

Some hypermiling sites include:
http://www.gassavers.org/
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/maxmpg/
http://www.mpgresearch.com/

Some hypermiling sites include:
http://www.gassavers.org/
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/maxmpg/
http://www.mpgresearch.com/

Wow, I consider myself informed and haven't been to any of 'em... Got lots of reading to do over spring break... Nice list

11011011

Some hypermiling sites include:
http://www.gassavers.org/
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/maxmpg/
http://www.mpgresearch.com/

Thanks for the links basjoos!
I'll have a look at them tonight.