Getting my son to change his driving habits, what a job

[pascalhorse]

I think I got the right forum this time, I hope anyway. This past Saturday I was going to go to Tulsa with the Lincoln and see if I could get better than 22 MPG. The night before my son told me that he would be home and that we could take the Oldsmobile Cutlass Cruiser. I had mentioned hypermiling to him the week before right after I found out about it and he didn't think much of it. He drives 150 miles a day between Vinita and Tulsa and on average travels 5 to 6 days per week. I told him that by changing the way he drives would save him a lot of money in fuel costs. A couple of days later he said that he tried driving different and he didn't see any increase in his fuel mileage. On Saturday I agreed to take the Olds to Tulsa instead of the Lincoln. Mind you that he has a "LEAD" foot, and I mean heavy. He loves jack rabbit starts, doesn't turn the engine off when he visits his friends, and so on. Since he has been the one driving the car most of the time I asked him what his mileage was on average. He stated that he has been getting about 25 MPG. We filled the car up before leaving Vinita and I drove the car to Tulsa and back. When we go to Tulsa the fuel gauge was still pointing at the full mark. On the way back I asked him what the gauge read when he had 3 quarters of a tank left. He told me about 125 miles is all he could get on a quarter of a tank. When we got back home we had traveled 200 miles and the gauge was reading 3/4 of a tank left. I have been driving the car all week except for Wednesday in which he had to have it. Now it is Thursday and we have driven 405 miles and there is still 1/8 of a tank left. Even when I was driving the car all the time I was never able to get more than 325 miles per tank. He is going to fill it up tomorrow and I am really interested in what the MPG is. Anyway, he is now telling me that he just doesn't believe it and I just snickered at him. I told him that hypermiling really works. Now you have to pay for the jack rabbit starts and such. The only question now is, will he try and change the way he drives or does he really enjoy giving his money to the oil companies.

[Pravus Prime]

Ouch, that's a tough situation. Unfortunately, witthout that gauge or a tank average display, or an open mind, I think it would be a tough job to get him to rethink his position, which is really unfortunate. BTW, welcome to CleanMPG!

[johnf514]

Keep it up pascalhorse! He'll need some convincing - I'm not sure of his age, but most younger folk (like myself) don't take kindly to changes in their "superior" habits. Wear him down and he'll change. You may have to show him a few times though, and he may "try" it but only do it for part of a tank. See if you can get him to drive a whole tank like that.

Hell - show him the site! Maybe that'll get his mind going. Good luck, and welcome to CleanMPG!

[brucepick]

If the car is '96 or later, maybe go 50-50 with him on a ScanGauge II?
Don't just give it to him. He has to have a stake in it.

Or buy one for yourself and let him see it in use. Maybe let him use it in his car for a couple days.