+1 for anticipation - change up to highest gear possible while remaining sympathetic to engine, coast (in gear) avoid braking where possible and imagine there is an egg between your right foot and throttle.

13 hours ago, nta16 said:

didn't start driving until the 1970s, I took my test as soon as I could when I was 17 in 1977 but I had to drive old bangers which were cars that were 10-15 years old, back then cars weren't as long lasting generally and unlike today where a 10-15 year old car can be pretty decent they weren't then, if you kept them a year or two more that was it

For me it was the 90s. I couldn't wait to start leaning in the late 90s. Interesting I always heard and learned growing up that  the old cars and other were made to last, often would hear "they don't make them like they used to". Maybe it's the cars I knew of who knows. I agree though if you look after your car generally it will last a while at least. 

 

13 hours ago, nta16 said:

The only tip my IAM mate gave me was to go on the high performance day as I already drove a car that he saw as high performance, I thought high performance was Fezza and Lambo, the other mate wasn't an instructor off the clock, and I'd known both well before, during and after them being instructors and how they both actually drive on the road. 🙂  On club events as a passenger I've been out on the normal roads sometimes showing track instructors, or one-time a magazine test driver, the route, these guys drive so smoothly you have to look at the speedo to realise the speed (all within the law) they could maneuver the car on the road, the test driver was so serene he seemed almost asleep and barely moved but out maneuvered the supercars (we didn't have hypercars in the club then), we were in an excellent handling British made car though.

I can just imagine being around them during those times that would be something to Behold. Quiet amazing. I would have learned so much from them

 

13 hours ago, nta16 said:

When you have been driving cars without driver aids and convenience applications for decades through all sorts of weather and conditions you learn to adapt more, without the safety devices and crash and crumple zones to avoid accidents more as they can hurt wallets, bodies and minds and thus you

learn more about the need for driver maintenance of the vehicle.  Until a couple of years ago I was driving a car that didn't even have electric relay switches let alone electronic drive aids, the model before didn't even have a cabin or boot light, parking wipers and headlight flasher were novelties 😄  - yet somehow I survive late last century and 2020s traffic easily.

 

Yes that's true I agree. Some modern driving aids can go a bit too far and be worse too intrusive like lane keep. A lot of improvements though are good and make driving easier and safer.  For me when i started lesrning with cars just having aids just basic ones if at all. From memory I learned  to always drive "defensively" don't know if I'm referring it correctly. Basically to look out for others, and to drive to conditions. Also its important to note that people will make mistakes or non mistakes so it's important to drive in a way that sort of covers them.  I've never had the experience with a car that has no electrical relays. How old was the car and others those must have been quiet old.   

 

13 hours ago, nta16 said:

@LuxoviaRS the video Stonekeeper put up covers it, though I'd disagree about the Eco setting for the tyres as the extra 5 psi tyre pressure on my wife's Fabia seems to give less rolling resistance (the car rolls along easier and further, noticeable with foot off accelerator) so foot can come of accelerator sooner, downside is harsher ride and less handling.  He did have an unusual drive so about as good as it could be for economical fuel driving.

It's a great video I have learned so much and will try to apply to my driving as much as possible even though with traffic and lights lane closures etc it can be a bit hard to drive exactly just like him.  His drive is so ideal that he done. If I had that drive to work I'm sure I could get a lot better mileage. Though I'm sure now I can be even better. I must have missed the eco settings for the tyre pressure. Ok hmm maybe my psi is good being at 39 it has less resistance. Exactly ideal drive.

 

 

13 hours ago, nta16 said:

If he had a dial to show the PS or horsepower needed or used at various points I'm sure you'd be surprised how low it would show on that journey with mild acceleration, no real steep and long rising slopes/uphills, very few electric items on, just the driver (as he said weight does make a difference for accelerating), aerodynamic as reasonably possible.  You would be especially surprised at the figure at 50mph on the straight level road without accelerating,  a very small fraction of what you have available. 

Yes exactly I agree no major hills etc, just him and everything else you have mentioned too. Though  at times you need and also want those electric elements on for various reasons i understand it affects the fuel economy but its no fun being overly frugal, you want to enjoy the drive too.

On 14/06/2024 at 21:50, Warrior193 said:

There are separate settings in the maxi-dot display - one for 'consumption' and one for 'average consumption

Yes I have looked into it but I think my one may be different than other models I can only see since refuelling. 

 

 

 

 

The other thing it displays is the speed,

 

and the map.

 

 

If I want to reset I can only reset the long term or since start.  I have to either use the right or left side display wheel and go to the since refuelling (I used the right display) 

 

 

Then press the right arrow to go into the menu and go down to find the reset for long term and since start. 

6 hours ago, Stonekeeper said:

A good fuel saving method is to try to drive without actually coming to a full stop (stop signs excepted)

 

There are videos used in Midas training that show how. (No sound on them)

 

 

Even though in some situations it almost appears to stop, the vehicle is still rolling.

 

On roads in general if you don't drive on the bumper of the car in front you can save a good deal of fuel. Your focus has to be on the whole road ahead reacting to the traffic at the furthest point you can see. If you drop back you see more

Thanks I'll have a look at this too 

39 minutes ago, LuxoviaRS said:

It's a great video I have learned so much and will try to apply to my driving as much as possible even though with traffic and lights lane closures etc it can be a bit hard to drive exactly just like him.  His drive is so ideal that he done.

You can't always drive exactly like that, or want to, but just following the principles will help with general driving and save a bit of petrol perhaps.

 

 

39 minutes ago, LuxoviaRS said:

Ok hmm maybe my psi is good being at 39 it has less resistance.

Eco setting on my wife's car is +5psi but I've no idea about Aus as from past communications from Aus drivers their tyre pressure they run sometimes seem high or very high compared to UK but the tyres and roads and surfaces may be very different.  Start with the pressures the car has on it, standard or Eco and see how they go, pressure readings need to be taken when the tyres are 'cold' (usually first thing in the morning before the sun starts to heat things up too much and with a reliable and accurate pressure gauge often the ones on pumps and in garages can be unreliable.

 

Wow those dial gauges make me seasick just looking at them in your post, so many bright colours so busy and congested, to me more PlayStation than real life (not that I've ever used PlayStation), I'll leave it to others that know the controls and buttons on your model to set the displays.  But I will point out that having the oil temperature on display is a good idea until you learn about when it will get to fully warmed running temperature, see your owners manual for normal running temperature, the oil wants to be at about 90c to be fully warmed.  Depending on your winter temperatures, short journeys particular in winter may not get the oil fully warmed to about 90c and thaat's not ideal or particularly good.

 

In previous models with actual gauge and needle coolant temperature dial the dial was biased set to show a rock steady 90c even though the actual temperature could be an amount either side of this and moving up or down - I don't know if this is the case with your digital display.  The digital oil temperature on my wife's 2015 Fabia does go up and down.

 

  

52 minutes ago, LuxoviaRS said:

I've never had the experience with a car that has no electrical relays. How old was the car and others those must have been quiet old.   

1973 model, some bits of it were from that year still.  I was driving this as an 'everyday' car as it was my only car until a couple of years ago for the previous 16 years and for club events, tours and holidays in the UK and parts of Europe (and never carried a spare wheel, or jack and brace, just a manual footpump).  I did fit a modern fully electronic distributor as soon as it became available for my model and had to fit an electronic indicator flasher unit for the LED indicator bulbs, old cars have small light, you need to be seen (and see) on the road.

 

If you're interested, this was done by my neighbour for his website just out of Covid lockdown in the UK, hence the "lockdown locks" (unruly hair) on a s/h Go-Pro cheap copy camera and free editing software.  To turn the heater on or off you stop the car, open the bonnet and turn the tap on or off, using your sleeve if the engine was already hot, the heat was very good for a small cabin but was either on or off and nothing really in between so the passenger particularly could have hot feet and/or warm head if the footwell flaps were closed depending on if the hood was up or down. -   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GWowHiIktA&list=PL7v-I2NzS0sRip1E9JWAlrxAl-bEmJqyM&index=7

 

 

The same driver in the video above during lockdown, but in traffic

 

 

20 hours ago, nta16 said:

You can't always drive exactly like that, or want to, but just following the principles will help with general driving and save a bit of petrol perhaps

👍

 

20 hours ago, nta16 said:

Eco setting on my wife's car is +5psi but I've no idea about Aus as from past communications from Aus drivers their tyre pressure they run sometimes seem high or very high compared to UK but the tyres and roads and surfaces may be very different.  Start with the pressures the car has on it, standard or Eco and see how they go, pressure readings need to be taken when the tyres are 'cold' (usually first thing in the morning before the sun starts to heat things up too much and with a reliable and accurate pressure gauge often the ones on pumps and in garages can be unreliable.

I don't understand this +5 psi for eco setting, I've never heard this before.  Does it mean that you inflate your tyres 5 over the recommended. I don't know if it's different for Australian roads. Yes cold and if you do check when warm according to bridgetyres add extra 20 to 50 kpa, (2.9 -7.25 psi)

 

20 hours ago, nta16 said:

Wow those dial gauges make me seasick just looking at them in your post, so many bright colours so busy and congested, to me more PlayStation than real life (not that I've ever used PlayStation), I'll leave it to others that know the controls and buttons on your model to set the displays.  But I will point out that having the oil temperature on display is a good idea until you learn about when it will get to fully warmed running temperature, see your owners manual for normal running temperature, the oil wants to be at about 90c to be fully warmed.  Depending on your winter temperatures, short journeys particular in winter may not get the oil fully warmed to about 90c and thaat's not ideal or particularly good.

There not the bad when you're in the car, I think it's just the way they are presented on screen.  You can always lower the brightness. Yes I leave the oil temperature there, as warming the engine for more freer higher rev driving is reliant on higher oil temp rather than coolant temp. So for me I don't really push under 100c I've also read that it's best to wait till the oil is past 104c for more open throttle not that i really push it that much.

 

21 hours ago, nta16 said:

In previous models with actual gauge and needle coolant temperature dial the dial was biased set to show a rock steady 90c even though the actual temperature could be an amount either side of this and moving up or down - I don't know if this is the case with your digital display.  The digital oil temperature on my wife's 2015 Fabia does go up and down.

 

Yes my digital one fluctuates in temperature and displays it like your wife's Fabia

 

 

20 hours ago, nta16 said:

1973 model, some bits of it were from that year still.  I was driving this as an 'everyday' car as it was my only car until a couple of years ago for the previous 16 years and for club events, tours and holidays in the UK and parts of Europe (and never carried a spare wheel, or jack and brace, just a manual footpump).  I did fit a modern fully electronic distributor as soon as it became available for my model and had to fit an electronic indicator flasher unit for the LED indicator bulbs, old cars have small light, you need to be seen (and see) on the road.

Thanks for sharing.  It's a long time to keep such a classic vehicle. You take good care of your car.  What model was this one.  Was it a Morgan. 

 

20 hours ago, nta16 said:

If you're interested, this was done by my neighbour for his website just out of Covid lockdown in the UK, hence the "lockdown locks" (unruly hair) on a s/h Go-Pro cheap copy camera and free editing software.  To turn the heater on or off you stop the car, open the bonnet and turn the tap on or off, using your sleeve if the engine was already hot, the heat was very good for a small cabin but was either on or off and nothing really in between so the passenger particularly could have hot feet and/or warm head if the footwell flaps were closed depending on if the hood was up or down. -   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GWowHiIktA&list=PL7v-I2NzS0sRip1E9JWAlrxAl-bEmJqyM&index=7

Yeah sure I'll take a look at it

13 hours ago, LuxoviaRS said:

👍

 

I don't understand this +5 psi for eco setting, I've never heard this before.  Does it mean that you inflate your tyres 5 over the recommended. I don't know if it's different for Australian roads. Yes cold and if you do check when warm according to bridgetyres add extra 20 to 50 kpa, (2.9 -7.25 psi)

 

 

Driving education in Australia (and UK) is pretty bad! Totally unlike the thorough driving student education required in Scandanavian countries.

Once you pass your basic driving test you pretty well learn through the school of experiences survived and hard knocks, which is really not the best way.

 

Do yourself a favour and enrol in a one-day Defensive Driving course where you will first learn on a track to perform emergency braking and then steering while emergency braking. I have done the same course twice, several years of car technology apart, and really recommend them.

 

One of the main points they make was that the manufacturer's normal recommended pressures are mainly for comfort and not for safely coping with emergency braking. They recommend about 5 psi over recommended pressures (for a given weight) to avoid the front tyres deforming under heavy braking causing loss of tyre contact with ground and therefore maintains better braking performance.

Coincidentally the extra pressure usually coincides with the best economy pressures from the manufacturers, and it can give a noticeable improvement in fuel consumption. 

 

As mentioned above, set the pressures when the tyres are cold.

Too high a pressure can be dangerous, cause uneven wear across the tyre, and make for an uncomfortable ride on rougher roads. Too low a pressure for the weight in the car with high speeds can cause tyres to overheat and destruct.

 

 

 

Edited 17 June, 20241 yr by Gerrycan
Clarity