How to get better MPG?

[HarryV]

I asked the dealer about the lights they told me there is no adjustment on the sensor. I'll just do it the old way and turn them on when it goes dark, lol.

 

[teabag]

Sorry again, but, if you want economy buy a diesel A class;
If you want comfort buy an S class;
If you want to be cool buy an SLK,CLK or an SL and run with the roof down;
Problem solved, but you won't find an acceptable compromise.

 

[S.Speed]

I have had the discussion (argument) on A/C affecting fuel consumption many, many times with friends and collegues..
It seems to affect petrol card much more than Diesels..
I have had 6 diesel cars with A/C and I can truthfully say it doesn't seem to affect the fuel consumption a jot..
A week or two ago during the hot weather I had to go from near Blackpool to Coventry and back and my C270 CDI managed 52.4 mpg with the A/C on all the way..
My VW Golf GTTdi 140 used to manage over 60 mpg on trips out and in that car the A/C was NEVER turned off.
So to me its a load of C*ap that people get so paranoid over doing an extra .32 mpg..
If you really are worried about potential miniscule savings in fuel then I doubt you should be driving at all !

Dont forget the safety issue as well.... I am far less drowsy in a car with A/C on than in a stuffy hot car.

 

[television]

I have had the discussion (argument) on A/C affecting fuel consumption many, many times with friends and collegues..
It seems to affect petrol card much more than Diesels..
I have had 6 diesel cars with A/C and I can truthfully say it doesn't seem to affect the fuel consumption a jot..
A week or two ago during the hot weather I had to go from near Blackpool to Coventry and back and my C270 CDI managed 52.4 mpg with the A/C on all the way..
My VW Golf GTTdi 140 used to manage over 60 mpg on trips out and in that car the A/C was NEVER turned off.
So to me its a load of C*ap that people get so paranoid over doing an extra .32 mpg..
If you really are worried about potential miniscule savings in fuel then I doubt you should be driving at all !

Dont forget the safety issue as well.... I am far less drowsy in a car with A/C on than in a stuffy hot car.

People forget that with the modern systems where the compressor is permanently engaged that energy is only being used to control a very small air temp difference.

With climate control, if the outside air is say 25ºc and you have your car set to the standard 22ºc, the climate control is only taking the air temp down by 3º and it requires very little effort to do that. With air con, the system goes flat out or nothing, and you did not have that fine degree of control so more expensive to run.

With either system the cost was on average £1k extra on having it in the car, so to try and save on the MPG does not add up. As you say the joy of sitting there in comfort is well worth it, and to have some young children in the rear too hot is unkind.

Even in winter you do not get fogged up windows

 

[Dosco]

With air con, the system goes flat out or nothing, and you did not have that fine degree of control so more expensive to run.


Are you sure about that Malcolm?

Reason I query is my A/C compressor comes 'on line' when the temp in the car rises and then off again when reaches its the level set on the controls. You can see the effect of the compressor coming 'on line' by watching the tachometer, it shows a very quick dip in rpm until the power of the engine compensates and in reverse when it goes 'off line' This is not 'doing it' all the time but once the temp has settled it maintains it.

Having said all of that having it on does affect my fuel consumption, by how much though is of no interest as I prefer a 'cool' environment and mist free windows in the winter and during summer rain storms which have the same effect.

 

[television]

I was referring to cars of the 80's where you had little control over the system where it was either on or off, and the only cold air came out of the center vents

 

[Dosco]

I was referring to cars of the 80's where you had little control over the system where it was either on or off, and the only cold air came out of the center vents

Oops, In that case I am wrong...:Oops:

 

[Miffy]

Try to think that an egg is under the accelerator & press very gently.
When you reach your cruising speed, say 60mph, slightly releasing the pressure on the pedal will sustain that speed using less fuel. Takes a bit of practice before you get it just right.

:lol:

Russ

I always imagine theres a spider under the pedal and hit the f0ok out of it

 

[Dosco]

I always imagine theres a spider under the pedal and hit the f0ok out of it

Nah - imagine Mandleson's face is there THEN give it some welly

 

[television]

Oops, In that case I am wrong...:Oops:

No you are not, when discussing these things its all down to how old you are,and the car in question, and only relative to ones one experiences . In My 123 the air con worked flat out to bring the temp down and would then cut off, and repeat the same thing a few mins later, the effect was that you got the icy blast, then off, then the icy blast again. My 1999 124 was better, but still did the same thing. Climate control is much more gentle in what it does

 

[rf065]

Mostly, I never turn my air con off, but I have on occasion turned it off when driving gently & attempting to better my best MPG figures.

I have now given up turning it off though, as the difference in MPG was so small it could not be measured using the trip computer and it became pointless to do so.

Best figure I have achieved so far over a 30 mile trip, was 59.1MPG, with air con switched on. I think ditching the spare wheel or any unnessesary weight from the boot would make a bigger difference than turning the air con off.

Russ

 

[Dosco]

Mostly, I think ditching the spare wheel or any unnessesary weight from the boot would make a bigger difference than turning the air con off.

Russ

I ditch the wife also.

Surprising how much better and quieter it runs and of course a much improved performance when alone on my own just me and no one else:lol::lol:

 

[television]

I ditch the wife also.

Surprising how much better and quieter it runs and of course a much improved performance when alone on my own just me and no one else:lol::lol:

I will have the same effect this week, as soon as I exceed 20MPH a voice will say "do I need to go this fast" we will be doing a 333km run on the Friday and at 30 kph that would take 11 hours, I tell the voice that I cannot sit here for 11 hours as I will get tired, but it will have no effect

 

[Dosco]

I will have the same effect this week, as soon as I exceed 20MPH a voice will say "do I need to go this fast" we will be doing a 333km run on the Friday and at 30 kph that would take 11 hours, I tell the voice that I cannot sit here for 11 hours as I will get tired, but it will have no effect

Tough one that, only option is to say you will have stop every 30Km's then have a nap, then the voice will say "how much further now" that is the time to act......

 

[television]

Tough one that, only option is to say you will have stop every 30Km's then have a nap, then the voice will say "how much further now" that is the time to act......

Thanks I will try that :lol::lol:

 

[*Thumper]

Or just say ............ "you drive" !

 

[television]

Or just say ............ "you drive" !

I am ashamed to say that her eyes are so bad, she drives the car to the food shop and back and no where else.

I can do nothing about it living here

 

[*Thumper]

Then you can tell her to shut up !! ........ (whilst putting on your tin hat, rather quickly) ............ LOL

 

[television]

Then you can tell her to shut up !! ........ (whilst putting on your tin hat, rather quickly) ............ LOL

I will give it a go

 

[Rory]

Interesting on the "gentle acceleration" thing - in another economy thread, a garage owner said he had shown it was best to get up to cruising speed reasonably smartly and then back off, rather than spend ages building up speed. Be interesting to see some exact figures from suitable tests.

There's no doubt that, in everyday driving, it's stopping and starting that murders the fuel consumption in my C270CDi auto - such that I simply don't use it around town.

I also agree on the a/c having minimal effect - on my car it makes no dicernable difference, and I've tried resetting the computer on the motorway to measure it. On wifey's 1.3 petrol Honda Jazz I reckon it knocks the MPG down on the display from 50 to 48, but the a/c is pretty powerful and is going almost flat out - you do hear the compressor clutch cutting in and out but it's barely out.

Someone else mentioned (perhaps tonque in cheek) overinflating the tyres. Apart from the danger that might create and the excess wear in the centre's, all the tests I've seen indicated that even dramatically under or over inflated tyres surprisingly makes little measurable difference to fuel consumption.