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Currently, I turn my engine off waiting for long trains and very long red lights. I probably could be turning it off more than I do. How can I determine under what circumstances I should be turning off my engine to improve fuel economy.

Usually about 10 seconds (probably less) is the break even point for fuel injected cars.

Anyone have suggestions on when to turn the car back on, if you don't know the light timing?
I know one thing to do if there is a left turn lane. You watch for the opposite left lane to start turning, that seems like a good time.

Any other suggestions. I don't do this if I don't know the light or if it is a minor street.

--des

I usually kick it back on a couple of seconds before I move, typically right when the light turns green if I'm a couple of cars back... little sooner if I'm in front so I don't get run over =)

My reflexes are not quite like yours I guess. If I did that I would be totally annoying. I'm already annoying enough.http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/images/smilies/redface.gif

--des

I usually kick it back on a couple of seconds before I move, typically right when the light turns green if I'm a couple of cars back... little sooner if I'm in front so I don't get run over =)

Around here some of our turn lights are before, and some after, and a few have sensors that if nobody is in the turn lane the turn light doesn't happen, so you have to know the route fairly well. There is only a couple of lights that I shutdown at, most aren't long enough to matter (and I'm getting better at timing them). I usually restart early enough to not be in the way, cuz when ya force the cars behind you to hypermile it usually causes plenty of hyperventilation....lol

Hmm, haven't noticed lights that don't do left turn if someone isn't in them. I'll have to check that out. I just realized my thought on this doesn't work because most lights the left turn is first. Of course, if you aren't in the left turn lane and others are, it work....

I have only done this on major intersections with known long lights when I get to the light as it turns (or very shortly afterward).

Gosh, wouldn't want to make others hypermile. http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/images/smilies/biggrin.gif

--des

Around here some of our turn lights are before, and some after, and a few have sensors that if nobody is in the turn lane the turn light doesn't happen, so you have to know the route fairly well. There is only a couple of lights that I shutdown at, most aren't long enough to matter (and I'm getting better at timing them). I usually restart early enough to not be in the way, cuz when ya force the cars behind you to hypermile it usually causes plenty of hyperventilation....lol

Unless it's a stale red about to go green, I turn off my engine approaching all red lights except for the simplest intersections (which tend to switch back and forth quickly). Any left turn lanes or other complexities, and off she goes. That's almost every intersection in the suburban nightmare I commute through.

Most of the lights here have vehicle sensors, so the left turn signal only goes if there's a vehicle. But at any given interesection there's usually a car in at least one of the four left turn lanes, so I know I've almost always got a good wait ahead of me. And (unlike in MN where I learned to drive, and the left turn lane almost always goes first) there's no rhyme or reason to when the left turn signal goes. Sometimes both left lanes go first, sometimes one left turn lane goes first and the other goes last, you never know.

After driving the same intersections day after day I have a pretty good feel for the patterns, but with vehicle sensors and nearby light rail trains (which change the light timing) you never really know. Just have to be awake and alert and do the best you can.

I've really started to hate the vehicle sensor lights, it makes it impossible to time and I end up having to stop a lot more than what should be needed. Especially when you get in a chain of stop stop stop less than mile apart from each other... just end up trying to go slower so I spend less time stopped, but the roads I go on have a hefty amount of traffic =/ Would be nice if they coordinated the lights that do that.