[George3]

I am a beginner at hypermiling and just starting to try some hypermiling techniques with my Insight 2000. What I have been doing is accelerating to, say, 45 mph, then shifting to neutral with the engine on, coasting to 32 mph, then shifting to 3rd gear, moving up to 4th gear, and back to neutral. A pattern of 3-4-N-3, sometimes just 4-N-4. This technique alone has allowed fantastic gains in mpg, especially when the roads are level and the traffic is low. I was practicing this in the Nevada desert and the few motorists on US 95 must have thought I had some kind of problem (mental or mechanical, it depends) but I was doing over 90 mpg for a long stretch of US 95! Back to California, traffic forced me to cool it on the hypermiling but I completed a 1800 mile round trip at better than 66 mpg (lifetime mpg is 55.4). This included high speed freeways and stop-and-go traffic jams.
So, my question is, can this sort of driving be improved in some way?

 

[Willie Williford]

Learn to drive in the "LEAN BURN" zone and you will get better results.

HTH
Willie

 

[George3]

So how do I do that?

I have no automotive background, so I am hoping somebody will break it down in a simple fashion.

 

[Mountain driver]

George, welcome to the forum. You've got the right car for hypermiling. I'm somewhat of a hypermiler but still learning better habits. Threads and posts by 'Highwater' (the king of mpg) and Jime (an outstanding hypermiler) provide good tips.

I read this article by Wayne Gerdes over on Cleanmpg.com about hypermiling and found it very helpful. In the link to Waynes intro on hypermiling is another link on 'how to beat the epa rating'. Read that one ! It's a long read but very worthwhile. It addresses P&G and other methods too.

After you start getting some good numbers, post them here on Gilbertguys spreadsheet.

Good luck and happy hypermiling

 

[Willie Williford]

George3:
You might also read this:
InsightCentral.net - Interactive Encyclopedia

HTH
Willie

 

[cowmeat]

To hit lean burn:

Shift up to your optimum gear at cruising speed like normal (I cruise in fifth gear for anything over 35 mph) then back off the throttle and feather the gas pedal until you see the instant mpg push up around the 100 mpg range, and you're in lean burn. You'll learn to keep it feathered to stay at the speed you want and the highest possible mpg.
At 55 mph or under, you should be able to hold it at around 100 mpg for long periods of time. It will occasionally speed up since it's dumping more gas in the mixture to clean the cat. Then it will drop back into lean burn again.
Easiest way to stay in lean burn is to plant your heel on floor mat at the bottom of the gas pedal, and hold your speed with your entire foot instead of your toe. You'll be able to hold it for long periods of time that way.

If your car has EGR, spark plug, etc . . . issues you won't be able to hold lean burn as easy.

 

[George3]

Thanks!

Thanks for the information. The EGR valve will be replaced soon, so the car will stop jerking at lower RPMs hopefully.

 

[George3]

P & G: Shut down the engine or not?

I started on P & G (with engine on) because of the "herky-jerkies," which according to a mechanic at Luscious Garage in San Francisco are due to a bad EGR valve. P & G definitely alleviates the problem, although it is not practical in 25 mph city driving. My impression from reading the forums is that P & G is generally practiced with the engine off. Which do you recommend?

 

[Mountain driver]

When I p&g, I'm not killing the engine (with fas). I gradually build speed to a 'hi-target', then ease off the fuel just a tad and let the speed slowly decay to a 'low-target'. Then repeat. Seems to work well when the glide portion can last longer (in distance) than the pulse portion.

Just one way of doing it. Other folks have success with other methods.

 

[mrdennmann]

steady in Lean Burn is simply amazing

drove from Portland, Oregon to Salem, Oregon. managed to keep it near 80mpg. just held steady, in Lean Burn. car is amazing.