BR's
Web WorkshopThis website is the online retirement workshop for
Black's Rapid Transit Racing
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BR's
Web Workshop This website is the online retirement workshop for Black's Rapid Transit Racing |
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 Getting the most out of every gallonof gas or diesel... | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Updated: November 18, 2008 Contents: Driving down the demand for high-priced fuel Using a ScanGaugeII to monitor real time fuel economy Updated: 9/30/08 - Real World Trip Mileage Daily Use of the ScanGaugeII Let other drivers know you're trying to save fuel Learn more about saving fuel: resources for more information Driving down the demand for high-priced fuel  There's no magic pill that you can drop
into a gas tank or secret device you can purchase that will increase
your gas mileage beyond your wildest dreams. The best way to improve
gas mileage is to have a degree in automotive engineering, a full
understanding of the Laws of Physics and good common sense when you
purchase your next car. Picture: Our 2004 Saturn VUE on the Talimena Scenic Drive near Mena, Arkansas. Yes, I remember when gasoline was $0.25 a gallon and I cleaned your windshield while the pump was filling your tank. Gas will never be that inexpensive again. So the next best way to save money on fuel costs, if you're stuck with your present vehicle, is to simply slow down and enjoy the scenery! After reading "Get More Than 40 Miles Per Gallon Without a Hybrid," a short "how to" article on Wired Online, Katy and I decided to use an unexpected trip to Florida to see if any of the hints in the article would actually help us save money. Our 2004 Saturn VUE has a revised EPA estimated MPG rating of 21 city and 26 highway. The VUE is a medium sized SUV pushing a fairly large hole through the air when traveling. Katy and I then add extra weight in the form of books, computers, cameras and about a half a closet full of clothes for up to 10 days of travel. I don't need a roof rack, and I can still see out the back window, but the whole area behind the front seats is fully loaded. We no longer travel on long trips in our smaller Saturn SC2. Either one of us or our luggage would have to stay home if we did. IF you read and manage to gain some improvement in your gas mileage after reading the above article, AND you wish to learn more, check out "108 hypermiling / ecodriving tips..." a whole range of helpful hints. Again, apply common sense. A couple of their ideas are fairly radical. One or two of the radical ideas are not for the meek or drivers with heart trouble, but it's OK to try the easy stuff first. Example: Leave early and take your time. Excessive speed is your enemy. Back to Top Using a ScanGaugeII to monitor real time fuel economy So impressed was I with the improved mileage following a few simple directions in the two articles, I went ahead and took a chance on the second major step suggested in the first article by purchasing a ScanGaugeII, the electronic trip computer/engine monitor/diagnostic tool. We found one at Maximum Audio Video in Tampa. Mike Barcia showed me the device and made the sale. I easily installed the gauge with Velcro (included), a few handy zip-ties and stick-on retainers and my pocket Leatherman tool trimmed the excess from the zip-ties. This is not an inexpensive socket wrench. You're paying for a specialized computer monitor that easily attaches to your console or instrument cluster. The ScanGaugeII gives you access to the information already available to the sophisticated engine computer that has been built into every U.S. vehicle since 1996. Prices and North American dealers are available on the ScanGaugeII website.  Picture: ScanGaugeII mounts with Velcro tape. Cable connects to the standard port used by service personnel for engine diagnostics. I wanted the gauge as close to my line of sight as possible for easy viewing. I wouldn't recommend anyone purchase ScanGaugeII until you've tried the common sense written guidelines already mentioned above and have actually experienced some success obtaining higher mileage. The ScanGaugeII is not magic, but it does give you several additional tools to help evaluate your day-to-day driving. The access to real time information is like biofeedback. You see your actual fuel consumption, throttle position and engine load, and that information is what motivates the driver to modify his or her behavior appropriately. The ScanGaugeII does not limit the vehicle's speed like a mechanical or electronic speed governor, but it helps the driver react to normal road conditions more economically. And as the price of fuel continues to increase, believe me. I WANT to drive more economically. Back to Top Updated: 9/30/08 - Real World Trip Mileage We're "officially" back home after a 10-day trip of 3,294 miles, our first with the ScanGaugeII and our VUE loaded in full vacation mode. We experienced hilly terrain as you would expect in Nebraska and South Dakota. We also experienced several days with either rain, strong head winds, crosswinds or wind and rains. These were certainly not ideal test conditions but I was pleased to find we still averaged 29.5 miles per gallon for the entire trip. See table for comparison of recent trips:
The VUE's trip mileage is improving with each trip and I'm still learning new ways to save fuel but it's basically all about slowing down and trading more time for more fuel economy. Over the 10 day period, I could not determine any significant difference comparing fuel consumption calculated after each refill (average 29.5 mpg) with the average daily consumption recorded from the ScanGaugeII at the end of each day (average 29.44 mpg). During the portions of the trip in South Dakota and Iowa we found many gasoline stations where regular 87 octane unleaded gasoline was about 10 cents/gallon more expensive than a mid-range 10% ethanol blend rated at 89 octane. After returning home I found a reference to an EPA research article about how 10% ethanol-gasoline blends impact gas mileage. Since gasoline has more energy than an equal amount of ethanol, we would normally expect a slight reduction in miles per gallon using 10% ethanol. EPA studies suggest that: ...the
theoretically expected decrease in fuel energy as a result of oxygenate
use is in the 2% to 3% range when compared to gasoline. This
corresponds to 0.5 to 0.8 miles per gallon for a car that averages 27
miles per gallon. From: Korum, David J. et. al., "Fuel Economy and Engine Performance Issues 3," Washington: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. p. 3-8. Available online: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/regs/fuels/ostp-3.pdf In December 2007, there was a press release from the American Coalition for Ethanol and the University of North Dakota that mid-range ethanol blends in the 20% to 30% range could even increase fuel mileage. The study was based on the results of only four 2007 model vehicles. I would also be concerned about using ethanol levels higher than 10% in any vehicles that were not designed for higher levels of ethanol use. Check the owner's manual to be certain of the manufacturer's fuel recommendation before you experiment with anything over 10% ethanol. Given the other variables in traffic, weather and elevation changes we experienced on our 3,200 trip, there is no way I would even speculate if ethanol increased or decreased our own mileage. I did notice that for the first time, we seem to be getting better mileage on long Interstate runs over level terrain. I've learned how to position the VUE 3 to 4 seconds behind larger vehicles where I can gain some benefit from a leading vehicle's draft, yet still see and be seen. I still don't recommend "tail-gating" or riding within 1 or 2 seconds of the vehicle ahead, but staying with the natural flow of other traffic and maintaining reasonable distances behind larger vehicles made 5 mpg or better differences on the moment to moment miles per gallon reading for extended periods even if it was necessary to slightly increase your average speed to stay within the leading vehicle's draft. The gain was also quickly reflected as the trip mileage gauge as the trip average would tick up by a tenth of a gallon after several minutes. Back to Top Daily Use of the ScanGaugeII On short trips in the mountains of NW Arkansas with steep climbs no matter how I leave town, I'm getting mostly 28 to 29 mpg on short trips to Alma and Van Buren. But by the time I do get to Van Buren, the trip mileage has started to climb as higher mileage is gained on relatively flat roads in the Arkansas River Valley. I'm sure my mileage with the ScanGauge has improved overall, but I still expect we'll get the biggest gains on longer trips - even local trips of over 20 miles so that the tires, engine and other parts have reached normal temperature. The default fuel consumption calibration, confirming the ScanGaugeII calculated fuel consumption with two careful refills to my own vehicle, indicated the factory settings were within one percent accuracy. Not bad for "default settings" used on the return trip from Florida in June. Using the feedback from the ScanGaugeII has certainly improved our attention to driving economically. I didn't use a tachometer until I owned a car that had one. Since that first day, I've used the tach as much as the speedometer. I think the same will be true as more automobiles gain more access to real time fuel economy data. During the last leg of the Florida trip with Katy driving, she averaged 32 mpg in the Arkansas mountains for one leg of the return trip. During the first month I had set aside to acclimate to using the ScanGauge, we achieved one tank calculated at 33.1 mpg of mostly Interstate driving to Little Rock. I've only seen tanks of more than 33 miles per gallon once or twice since the car's purchase in 2004 and that was always on the way home from a trip to the Rocky Mountains. Those calculated tank averages were truly "down hill with a tail wind!" We'll continue to gather more mpg data as we take longer trips or vacations and we'll compare the new numbers with our previous experience over the past several trips. There's still more I need to learn about trying to improve fuel economy in existing vehicles. Back to Top Let other drivers know you're trying to save fuel One of my major concerns about hypermiling or just simply slowing down to save fuel has been to let others know that you're trying to save fuel. The Hypermiling Safety Foundation has been working on a reflective decal to both inform others about the hypermiling and the organization as well as to alert other drivers that you're making a good faith effort to save gas. While the HSF decal has been delayed, I worked on a couple of designs using OpenOffice Draw, took them to a local sign shop and had them produce a few prototype copies of the final design. I put the high-visibility decal on the left side of the rear window where it is easily seen.  Picture:
Inexpensive 8"x3" yellow vinyl bumper sticker/window decal produced by
a local sign shop at a cost of less than $1.50 each. At that price you
can afford to make a few extras for friends and family members.The final decal reflects my concern that the temporarily depressed price of gasoline and diesel may lull drivers into returning to higher speeds and higher rates of consumption. As I've tried to explain to several friends, the long-term prospects for petroleum-based fuel prices has not significantly changed and that gas prices are temporarily depressed because of the overarching credit crisis and the serious prospect of a major recession. Consumers are not driving any more than absolutely necessary. Workers who are laid off aren't going on vacations, they're looking for work and making every drop of gasoline count. Gas and diesel prices will jump back up as soon as the demand returns to normal. In other words, "It ain't over yet!" But I'm also concerned about letting other drivers know that they're behind a driver who for whatever reason has slowed down and is trying to save fuel. It's an invitation to pass when appropriate. While driving in fuel economy mode, I always try to maintain plenty of space ahead of my vehicle so that others can pass safely and I stay in the right hand lane except to pass. For example, I've noticed that driving on our local Interstates at 60-61 mph seems to allow more drivers to react and maneuver into a passing lane than driving at 55 mph. Drivers with a cell phone attached to their ear tend to stack up behind the slower car at 55 mph or slower speeds. It's all a big complex compromise, but I'm convinced that drivers conserving fuel can do so without causing traffic to stack up behind their vehicle. The bright yellow decal on the rear window or bumper announces that we've driving a little slower and they may proceed at their own pace. I've noticed that large tractor-trailer rigs try to keep moving, even if very slowly during traffic slowdowns. Well, it takes more fuel to get a large semi moving from a dead stop than it does at a slow rolling speed. The same applies to SUV's and passenger cars. As I get more proficient at timing local stoplights and conscious of potential slowdowns ahead of me, I'm better able to keep a relaxed steady pace that keeps our own vehicle and any traffic that wants to follow moving at a consistent, more economical speed. Best of all, if done correctly, economy driving doesn't have to be an obstacle to progress. We need to be aware of our own responsibility to help traffic flow smoothly. So think about how you can alert others to what you're doing to improve safety and consider making your own "$ave Fuel" decal that you can share with your friends. Back to top Learn more about saving fuel: resources for more information The ecomodder.com web site that contained the 105 ecodriving tips also hosts an active forum of other drivers trying to save fuel. The contributors share their experiences and the adaptations they've made to their driving style to obtain more fuel economy. Not all of them are driving tiny cars. Another site that contains both fuel economy news and forums for Q&A is CleanMPG.com. Be sure to explore both sites for the latest information. Everybody is getting into the act. The Sierra Club has published an electronic newsletter article, "Max your MPG" with information and links to several new sources. Consumer Reports files their "Fuel economy: Save money on gas," article in the "Tires and Tire Care" section but covers a much broader range of tips than keep the tires properly inflated. I particularly like some of the "Myth Busters" -- tips Consumer Reports shares in a special section the bottom of their article. A Consumer Reports blog post "Hypermiling - The new menace on the road?" worries that some of the more extreme hypermiling techniques are dangerous. All drivers have a responsibility to use good judgment even when trying to save fuel. Look in the Wikipedia for Hypermiling and Fuel economy-maximizing behaviors for current practices and techniques. Both articles clearly list which hypermiling techniques are considered dangerous. The maximizing behaviors article has been flagged by Wikipedia and also clearly needs more editing by contributors, but it might take a day or two to read all the references and external supporting links. FINAL RULE: Don't do anything to improve gas mileage that you don't feel comfortable doing or have any question about how safe that might be. I'll sometimes coast in neutral for very short distances, like down hill to a red light, but I've got a stick shift. Even then, the engine is still running at idle to have power assists instantly available for steering and braking. Don't take any chances. It's much more important to stay safe and "arrive alive." Getting better mileage takes a little effort and plenty of practice. The more you practice, the better you'll get at it. Back to Top Feedback: If you have any suggestions or comments or just want to blow off steam, send an email to: br.black@cox.net. Unless you're sure you're already on my "white list," please use the word "webworkshop" somewhere in the subject line to help your message navigate through the various spam and scam filters at my end of the wire. Back to Top |
Webworkshop Archives:
BR's Current Project Car: 1996 Saturn SC2... Why I really enjoyed my Saturn SC2 project car page and related links. Added more links to resources and pictures. Best sports car roads in Arkansas... Why Katy and I enjoy scenic Arkansas. Memories of Germany's Nurburgring... Production cars are faster, the track is safer but I still have my memories of the first day I got to drive on Nurburgring. Compare the old and the new. Fuel Economy Resources & Links: Get More Than 40 Miles Per Gallon Without a Hybrid 108 hypermiling / ecodriving tips Originally 105 hypermiling / ecodriving tips, three more have been added. ecomodder.com CleanMPG.com Consumer Reports.org Some content may require an online subscription. Some local libraries maintain an online subscription for their users. Which affordable hybrids save you the most money? Online and in the October 2008 issue, discover which hybrids will save you money over the next five years and which models won't. Links to Most fuel-efficient cars and SUV's, and other topics. Wikipedia.org Keep in mind that anyone can edit the Wikipedia and it should never be used as the only source of information. See: Researching with Wikipedia for more details. Wikipedia links are often very useful for expanding your search for information. ScanGaugeII My own ScanGauge is a constant reminder providing realtime data that "pushes" me to think about saving gas. MSNBC Video Report on ScanGauge II
July 22, 2008 interview with Ron DeLong, inventor of the ScanGauge. (Video includes 15 second MSNBC commercial.) North American ScanGauge Dealers Hypermiling Safety Foundation Dedicated to increasing vehicular fuel economy while maintaining highway safety Internet Resources: 
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