Driving
Seems there are a lot of possibly bollocks tips for driving more economically, but here are a couple that might actually make a differemce - obvious though they may be;

- Tyre pressures. Under inflated tyres can increase fuel consumption by 5 - 10%. Lots of garages have free airlines (Sainsbury's do), take 3 minutes to get your pressures right. You'll also get better mileage out of your tyres.

- Air con. Your aircon is run by a compressor. It creates a load on the engine. Unless it's a hot day, switch it off and open a window. That could be another 5 - 10%.

- Anticipate. It's hard and probably a waste of time to tell people they're not driving efficiently, but it is possible . . .

Try the following. Next time you make a journey, see if you can do the whole journey without using your brakes. Chances are you can't, but try it.

You will probably take a bit longer to complete your journey, but if you do it right, you will find yourself looking further forward, anticipating slowing down and possibly using your gears to regulate speed more. Do it a few times, and you start forming habits. These are fuel saving habits, and a good thing.

I'm not suggesting you become an irritation to yourself and other road users, just that if you use your noddle, you save money.
(username failed moderation, Mon 14 Nov 2011, 10:03, 21 replies)

Fucker. Just smashed my car through the back of my shed thanks to your no brakes policy.
( enoughblueskyforsailorstrousers, Mon 14 Nov 2011, 10:09, closed)

So?
You saved 4p already, so stop whining.
(username failed moderation, Mon 14 Nov 2011, 10:15, closed)

Dear Sir or Madman,
I do not have a shed. What should I drive into without using my brakes?
( edjogs Collared doves are shit., Mon 14 Nov 2011, 12:00, closed)

Air con
Your aircon is run by a compressor. It creates a load on the engine. Unless it's a hot day, switch it off and open a window. That could be another 5 - 10%.

It's a good idea not to run the air con unless you want cooled down, but when you do want cooled down it's much more expensive to open the window. The extra drag caused by an open window causes far more additional fuel consumption than turning on the air con.
(ubergeekian, Mon 14 Nov 2011, 10:42, closed)

This is a very dubious
idea. I think Mythbusters debunked it, but they're hardly scientific anyway.

But I'd agree if it's hot, this one is pointless.

If it's really cold, it's also pointless because in theory if the air outside is cooler than the temp you've set your aircon too, the compressor will disengage.
(username failed moderation, Mon 14 Nov 2011, 10:58, closed)

Ah, but if the aircon is set to recirculated air (as it should be) then it will dehumidify the air. So, on cold days when the windows are misted up, using the aircon and some heating will dry the car out very quickly.

The air conditioning compressor makes pretty much no difference to the fuel consumption. It takes about 5 brake kitten power to drive.
(gordonjcp, Mon 14 Nov 2011, 11:20, closed)

1-2mpg
depending on what you read.
(username failed moderation, Mon 14 Nov 2011, 11:35, closed)

I've never noticed a difference
Sticking to the speed limit helps much more than switching off the air conditioning.
(gordonjcp, Mon 14 Nov 2011, 17:20, closed)

Wouldn't disagree with that either.
Having done a few 'trials' in my car, seeing what fuel consumption was at different speeds on longer runs, I found once you get over 70 it makes a big difference.

60 mph, I got high 50's, but that's too slow for me.

70 mph was low 50's, but liveable.

80 mph low 40's. Over 80 you're into the 30's.

This was in a 2.2l diesel Jaguar.
(username failed moderation, Wed 16 Nov 2011, 9:44, closed)

"want cooled down"? Is that like penguin feathers?
(Freakmandu, Mon 14 Nov 2011, 16:02, closed)

Roller coaster
My Brazilian wife was taught to put the car in neutral when going downhill, to save burning fuel needlessly. Over here we are told that's unsafe - since you have less control. You decide...
(moon monkey is busy making memories worth repressing, Mon 14 Nov 2011, 11:09, closed)

Don't think it makes any difference.
If the throttle isn't being pressed, there's no more fuel going into the engine anyway.

Strangely enough, one of the worst drivers I have ever come across for this was a Brazilian schoolfriend of my wife (also Brazilian). He had this bizarre way of driving, he'd put his foot flat to the floor for 5 seconds, then lift off for 5 seconds, then repeat.

It was very uncomfortable as a passenger, and presumably terrible for fuel economy.
(username failed moderation, Mon 14 Nov 2011, 11:32, closed)

I was told that coasting down a hill uses more fuel (the amount of fuel in neutral to keep the engine running) but rolling down the hill in gear uses no fuel at all as long as your foot is off the throttle.
(tyrellsOwl, Mon 14 Nov 2011, 13:26, closed)

Drive without using the brakes,
may well be the worst advice posted this week.
( monster munch person, man, woman... camera... TV?, Mon 14 Nov 2011, 12:32, closed)

Sounds stupid to me.
Where was that posted?
(username failed moderation, Mon 14 Nov 2011, 13:44, closed)

Um...

( monster munch person, man, woman... camera... TV?, Mon 14 Nov 2011, 14:04, closed)

You're not
too bright.
(username failed moderation, Mon 14 Nov 2011, 14:09, closed)

MODS!
He's picking on me!
( monster munch person, man, woman... camera... TV?, Mon 14 Nov 2011, 20:16, closed)

Just to clarify here.
This is not a suggestion that you don't use your brakes, it is that you anticipate when you will need them, and hopefully arrive at the braking point slower.

What that will achieve is smoother driving, which is pretty much guaranteed to save fuel.

This isn't just some idea I pulled out of my arse. It was actually a technique taught to me by a relative who was a traffic policeman with the Met for 20 years. He was a triple class 1 driver, which is about as good as you can get.
(username failed moderation, Tue 15 Nov 2011, 10:02, closed)

Totally agree
But especially on motorways. If you can't drive on a motorway without using your brakes, you've no place on the roads.

I was in that 50mph controlled bit of the M1 the other week, a BMW driver was tail-gating and stamping on his brake every ten seconds!! WTF? How much easier/less stressful to drop back a bit and drive at 50MPH?
(Che Grimsdale Best before:, Tue 15 Nov 2011, 12:32, closed)

Air Con

It's now around 90F here in Sunny Melbourne. Driving without air con just isn't an option.

But the rest of the tips are good. Also, putting the car into neutral while sitting at lights. Getting into the highest gear you can as quickly as you can. I've almost given up using third gear - straight from 2nd to fourth.


Cheers
( Legless Mister Stabby - shanks for the memory, Tue 15 Nov 2011, 12:07, closed)