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Hi all,

I stumbled onto this site yesterday and decided to give it a try. Why? Well, I do care about the environment, but I also care a lot about my wallet since I'm a college student (so I'm not raking in the dough).

I got a brand new 4 cyl, automatic transmission Accord in May 2005. Gas cost about $2.20 and I tracked my mileage for the first year or so, averaging in the high 20s or low 30s depending on the city/highway breakdown.

Now I'm committed to improving my MPGs... At work this summer I usually have very short commutes or work trips, but I also make about 2-3 200 mile round trips that are all interstate. Some of the interstates are pretty flat, but I-81 (in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia) is full of mean tractor-trailers and some serious hills. The town the school is in -- Lexington, VA, has 25 mph speed limits and lots of hills and stop lights. I barely get 22 mpg if I drive a whole tank in town. I'm a little nervous about trying any of the advanced stuff like shutting off my car while going 55 and have no idea what Pulse and Glide means. Let's just keep it simple for now.

So here are a few basic questions that I'd like help with:

1. When I do these long interstate drives, how much will it help my MPGs to go between 65-70 instead of between 70-75?

2. How can I milk better mileage in Lexington when I've got to go 25, stop every 3 blocks at lights and don't often have other cars around to trip the sensors for me?

3. If I'm going to be sitting for 15 seconds at a light, should I shut off the engine? What about 30? 60 seconds? At what point does it become worth while?

Thanks for the help. I appreciate that people with more experience are willing to help a novice. I'm sure I'll have additional questions that I'll add later.

Hi and welcome to CleanMPG.
Be sure to read THE article: Beating the EPA (http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1510)

1. It will help a bunch. On my Odyssey,
70 mph = 25.1 mpg
65 mph = 27.0 mpg
60 mph = 29.5 mpg

2. That's tough with an automatic. Just be very light on the throttle, and only give it enough power to make it to the next stop. Let up as soon as you can and coast for the rest of the time.

3. At a stop, it's worth it to shut down for anything above 10 seconds.

welcome !

speed kills

my car in 6th gear:
45 MPH = 50 MPG
50 MPH = 45 MPG
60 MPH = 35 MPG
65 MPH = 28MPG
70 MPH = 25 MPG
75 MPH = 20 MPG

you are on the right track - try the simple stuff first only after you get comfortable with these techniques add the others.

If you have a iFCD - try DWL in the hills.

BTW - pump up tires to max sidewall and get rid of the junk in your trunk always helps.

Last night I turned my car off at every stoplight where I knew I'd be there more than 10-15 seconds. On several occasions I also shut off the car when I was within 20-30 yards of a red and coasted in... it that an FAS? Am I doing that right? Then I would put it in park wait for the other light to turn and restart my car as the other light turned red and mine turned green?

So, am I on the right track here? I've got a 200 mile round trip on the highway coming up tonight (Norfolk to Richmond) and am eager to see how good I can do.

It sounds like you are on the right track. You also want to coase in neutral with the car running any chance you get. You may also want to consider the pulse and glide technique described in the article, Beating the EPA, referenced above.

Also, before your trip make sure your tires are aired up to the max psi listed on the sidewall and keep your speed between 50-60mph and you should see some impressive results.

keep us posted.

I've read the pulse and glide section a few times and still have trouble understanding what exactly it wants me to do. Let me see if I'm understanding this right:
While going through town (at 40, let's say) I turn of the engine and coast along as the car slows down. Then when I need to get my speed back up, I turn the engine back on (with car in neutral) and put it in gear and start picking up speed again.
This sounds like murder on my auto transmission. Am I misunderstanding what I need to do?

One other question: I don't think it's really feasible to drive 55 on a busy stretch I-64 without putting myself and others at risk. But if I drive 65 instead of 70, I should see a noticeable improvement, right? I guess the real question comes down to whether I can convince my brain/body that the extra driving time is worth the gas savings.