All of the above, plus:

remove unnecessary weight (e.g. take your toolbox etc out of the boot)

keep tyre pressures up

keep oil topped up

where there's a choice, drive on the quietest/newest road surface

don't use aircon unless you have to

The cruise does nothing for fuel economy, it's too keen to maintain speed so it boots it.

The cruise does nothing for fuel economy, it's too keen to maintain speed so it boots it.

Found this on the Mondeo. For economy, I don't need to maintain the same speed all the time and I'm happy to let the car slow down slightly on gentle hills and feed in a bit of throttle if the speed drops too much rather than carrying on at the same speed. Seen a 4mpg increase in fuel economy since abandoning cruise as there's plenty of hills around here which the car loves to go flat out up to get back up to speed

You can also coast down hills to save fuel (put the clutch in and let the engine idle) although I don't believe the IAM approve of this

Chris

through 2 city centres ?

thats incredible. Im not doubting you' date=' but as someone elses post driving with mpg at the forefront of my mind i have never achieved anything like that.

In fact I could only ever see 64 average on a purely downhill stretch !!

How many miles has your engine done, im only on 3k still ...[/quote']

nope I can get that too if there isn't much traffic about. Just letting it tick over, being gental with the gogo pedal and reading the road way ahead of you so you dont have to come to a full stop.

Mines got 28k on it now and it seems to be gettin better all the time

Through Leicester city can consistently get 55 if you get the lights right' date=' without driving too differently if you look ahead. 40-odd mile run to Warwick (granted slow and dull) then through Warwick (which is always where it drops). Can hit warwick at over 70mpg if you drive like a b1tch!

The cars on about 11k now, but I started seeing good returns about 6K.

Edit: When I say drive like a b1tch, I mean it! :thumbdwn: Have only seen over 70mpg once.[/quote']

55mpg in Leicester City centre?! Wow, you must be EVER so lucky with the lights! The city is a pig to get around what with all the roundabouts,lights and pedestrian crossings. Which bit of Leicester do you manage to acheive that in?

You can also coast down hills to save fuel (put the clutch in and let the engine idle) although I don't believe the IAM approve of this

Chris

No I think this is illegal as well as you are not in full control on the car, the highway codes says something about coasting. :thumbdwn:

Yup, I was going to say if you're no longer breaking the speed limit in order to maintain maximum economy, you can carry on infringing what's right by coasting.

I'll admit I do it quite often. Sometimes, can drive a couple of miles with no throttle as it's downhil from a high speed NSL to a 30 zone

No I think this is illegal as well as you are not in full control on the car, the highway codes says something about coasting. :thumbdwn:

Pretty sure it's not illegal! Frowned upon though as you should be "driving" the car......

Chris

PLus if you put it into neutral you are still using fuel to keep the engine turning over.

If you leave it in gear with no throttle then gravity keeps the engine turning and you use no fuel at all.

That's reminded me of a friend who nearly wrote a rover off when he used to turn the engine off completely to coast down hills then had to do an emergency stop once.

Without the engine running the brakes were next to useless

These are apparently over 50% efficient - would that help?

(Yes, I know it's a pea-roast, but I'm just so impressed! I want one! )

As a serious point, though, diesel engines use virtually no fuel at idle, but a relatively large amount when starting up. This is why truck drivers often leave their engines running when they park - same as how if you're going out of a room with fluorescent lighting for less than 15 minutes, it actually consumes less electricity leaving them on...

That's reminded me of a friend who nearly wrote a rover off when he used to turn the engine off completely to coast down hills then had to do an emergency stop once.

Without the engine running the brakes were next to useless

Probably worse than that...I know of someone who decided to coast down a multi-storey car park.

Started the car, drove it to the ramp, switched the engine off and (for some bizarre reason) took the key out of the ignition. Reach the end of the first ramp, turn the wheel, steering lock engages and they plough into a concrete pillar...

Rob.

Join the Forge FMIC group buy. Cooler more dense air, better MPG

55mpg in Leicester City centre?! Wow, you must be EVER so lucky with the lights! The city is a pig to get around what with all the roundabouts,lights and pedestrian crossings. Which bit of Leicester do you manage to acheive that in?

Get over 50 almost every day I try! Going from Just past Oadby down A6, down Welford Rd, Past Morrisons, round past Tigers ground, past St Nicholas Circle onto Vaughn way, down past Renault Leicester & Peugeot garage and toward my mates house, then a46 to J21a and onto M1S.

Join the Forge FMIC group buy. Cooler more dense air, better MPG

There's a lot of MPG's in

This shouldn't work, but it does. In town with light traffic I leave my car (5 speed PD100) in 5th gear and let it pull itself along at near idle. It's deathly boring, but it doesn't use any fuel and it sits at a perfect 30mph. 4th does a nice 22mph, which is good through the Rotherhithe tunnel.

I'm not a hippie, but right now I am doing a lot of cycling for trips around town. From home to work takes 35mins in a car, or 25 mins on a bicycle. Home to Tottenham Court Rd takes 20 mins on the tube + 10 mins on the bus, or 35 mins ragging it on the bicycle. And you can skip red lights, shout at people and generally behave like a ******.

Probably worse than that...I know of someone who decided to coast down a multi-storey car park.

Started the car' date=' drove it to the ramp, switched the engine off and (for some bizarre reason) took the key out of the ignition. Reach the end of the first ramp, turn the wheel, steering lock engages and they plough into a concrete pillar... Rob.[/quote']

I know someone that did this. Used to take the keys out of the car, put them in his mouth and coast down the road. One day he did it on the corner and the car wouldn't straighten-up again. Write-off! What a plonker.

There's a lot of MPG's in

This shouldn't work' date=' but it does. In town with light traffic I leave my car (5 speed PD100) in 5th gear and let it pull itself along at near idle. It's deathly boring, but it doesn't use any fuel and it sits at a perfect 30mph. 4th does a nice 22mph, which is good through the Rotherhithe tunnel.

[/quote']

Ross told me I think that the biggest abuse on your engine is driving at low speed in a high gear and imparting undue stress on the engine...

Ross can you give us more info on this ?

PLus if you put it into neutral you are still using fuel to keep the engine turning over.

If you leave it in gear with no throttle then gravity keeps the engine turning and you use no fuel at all.

yep

perfectly correct.

Did anyone see the top gear when clarkson drove an A8 (i think) the length of the country on a single tank - used this technique heavily at times....

The engine doesn't feel strained - does it still cause problems at low revs? Oh... and what's the reason (Ross!!!).

Pretty sure it's not illegal! Frowned upon though as you should be "driving" the car......

Chris

Chris I would check because with most cars with power steering if the engine stalled you would loose the ability to steer easily and also brakes would be alot harder to use as well as the engine aids the master cylinder does it not ? :rubchin:

##edit## OK just spoke to Andy Ellis (Driving instructor) - Coasting isn't illegal but at the same time it is classed as not being in control of your car which is illegal so we are both right in a way !

Ross told me I think that the biggest abuse on your engine is driving at low speed in a high gear and imparting undue stress on the engine...

Ross can you give us more info on this ?

Rolling along in 5th at 20mph for example wont do the engine any damage per say. What will do the damage is rolling along in 5th at 20 mph and then plonking the foot down. The torque request is huge and is a very quick way to ruin the dual mass flywheel.

cool, thanks for clearing that up Ross

Jamlip - keep on keepin on

(I don't know what a dual-mass flywheel is!)