[Blue-AZ]

I have only had my 01, 5spd for a little while. Can someone explain how to get into "Lean Burn"? Whats the best way to stay in Lean Burn? How long does it take at a steady speed to get into Lean burn? How long does it stay in lean burn? How to tell if its in lean burn? Ok, you get the idea. :lol:

Example I want to drive 65mph on our freeway. Lets say I accelerate from the onramp onto the freeway, get up to 65 and hold it steady? Will this get me into lean burn?

Also, at 65mph on a flat road with no wind (a/c off) what would you expect for mpg? With my little experience it looks like I'm getting around 65-67 in this condition and speed.

I have done a lot of reading here and also look back through lots and lots of old posts. But I did not find anywhere that explains this lean burn thing.

Thanks All. Great group, and I'm enjoying my "new" (to me) Insight.

Blue-AZ

 

[Rick]

On flat freeway (very few places really are flat flat here) get going about 62-63 mph then slowly let off the go pedal while watching the instantaneous mpg meter. Suddenly at a point it will jump to over 100 and probably go to about 125. Now slowly ease your foot back down until you bring it to around 100mpg. Now hold and watch, you are in lean burn and should be able to maintain speed at this point assuming all other necessary parameters are met.

 

[Blue-AZ]

Thanks Rick,

I will give that a try tomorrow on the way to work. I leave fairly early before the traffic on US60 gets to bad.

Dale

 

[Rick]

Hmm, 60 can be a bit challenging since in many places it goes up and down. You'll find on the up hill parts you will loose speed, so if you want to go for maximum mpg's hold the lean and you will get most of your speed back on the way down. Just don't cause any road rage.

 

[Blue-AZ]

Hey Rick,
I played with the Lean burn thing the past couple days. I can see/feel what your talking about. Yes its harder to do on US60 due to a few small hills. But it works. Most of my drive is actually heading down to Maricopa on Hwy 347 which is pretty flat.

Anyway, I have a hard time maintaining any speed while in lean burn. I'm always slowing down, instant fuel display around 75-85mpg. I even tried it at 55-58 mph and when it goes into lean burn it still slows down.

The drive to work today (50miles) I got 73.1 mpg and averaged 60-65mph. How that sound? Wonder if I can do better?

Hav'n fun!

Dale

 

[Insightful Trekker]

MPG sounds a bit low to me for the straight and level.

Checked tire pressures :?: Max them to the sidewall rating 44 psi, or overinflate to 50 psi for even better MPG.

http://www.insightcentral.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=174

Too heavy an oil will hold MPG down some too.

http://www.insightcentral.net/forum/vie ... php?t=3118
http://www.insightcentral.net/forum/vie ... php?t=2140
http://www.insightcentral.net/forum/vie ... php?t=2631

Also if the tires are not the OEM Bridgestone RE92's then their heavier rolling resistance will hold you back 12+% in the hyper MPG range.

http://www.insightcentral.net/forum/vie ... php?t=2738

Think conservation of momentum with the lightest gas pedal pressure possible. And drive by the MPG (not MPH) gauge (rollercoaster the hills).

http://www.insightcentral.net/forum/vie ... php?t=2476


HTH!

 

[Rick]

Sounds a bit low. Does the car have the OEM tires?

 

[Guillermo]

I got 73.1 mpg and averaged 60-65mph. How that sound?

That is very good you just matched the EPA rating of your car, very few people in normal cars manage to do that.

 

[Blue-AZ]

The tires have about 10,000 miles on them. They are from Costco, they are Bridgestone RE92, P165/65SR14. I have 42psi (cold) in them.

Today I got 72.4 on my 50 mile drive to work. I tried to get into lean burn as much as possible, but it just does not want to hold a constant speed from 65-60mph. I slowly lose 1 mph at a time until I have to push a little harder, a little more & more, to try to maintain speed, then it comes out of lean burn and I accelerate.

The way home was MUCH better. For 47.1 miles I averaged 85.0. My best yet. Ok, Ok... I drafted (at a safe distance) an 18 wheeler for about 15 miles. We were doing about 62-63 mph. But I'm not going to be drafting much, as I don't like watching the back of a truck. :roll:

Maybe a dumb thought, but does head lights hurt milage? My drive into work is dark and the drive home is light.

Still hav'n fun!
Dale

 

[Subterfuge3927]

Perfect~ I drive US60 from phoenix to wickenburg on someof my commuting (I am a travel Nurse) and I often find heading NW I get about 95 mpg while hypermiling in LB/P at 57 mph, and heading SE I can get 105-110 under similar speeds.

Try and accelerate at highway speeds above the 75mpg mark, and often if you feather it right, you can accelerate at 95-100mpg. Obviously hills kills the 95-100, but REALLY try to stay close to 55 mph and 75mpg, the powerband in the 01 5 spd seems to be the sweet spot there.

After all, from PHX to Wickenburg you gain 2000 feet or so in 50 miles.
No, lights don't hurt milage, but temp does, and if you are using lights, it is dark, and in the desert night=cold, and cold=less milage! Try the radiator block mod.

Just give yourself time, your car will teach you how to drive it if you listen. Stay active here and learn all you can, only on my third full tank, and I am over 90MPG having gone 620+ miles, alot of it being that US60 route, or Vulture Mine Road. (Back way from Buckeye I-10 to the US89 just north of wickenburg) and several trips from Buckeye to Florence Prisons. :twisted:

 

[Subterfuge3927]

Oh, and take it REALLY easy on acceleration! You don't really want more then 4-6 bars of IMA assist, or your burning too much fuel accelerating. Try and use as little throttle as necessary and get up to 5th gear around 29-30 mph... practice acceleration, that is where most people lose MOST of their MPG FE.

I try and do all acceleration at or above 75mpg in all gears above second. Usually goes 30-50mpg 1st gear, 50-70mpg second, 75mpg in third to 30 mph, then I jump fourth to fifth and try and hold 75mpg or better.

This equates to a pretty slow acceleration curve though, and many angry commmuters. I like to think they aren't angry I am going slow, just that their cars guzzle gas, while mine just sips it!

 

[Insightful Trekker]

<snip>

Ok, Ok... I drafted (at a safe distance) an 18 wheeler for about 15 miles. We were doing about 62-63 mph. But I'm not going to be drafting much, as I don't like watching the back of a truck. :roll:

Try "surfing" their wake :!: Yup, not as effective as drafting, but your at a safer distance. Just stay in the "buffeting" zone and watch the MPG indicator for the increase, but don't slip too close. There's 80 tons of truck directly in front of you :!:

HTH!

 

[Berk]

1,900 RPM's & 84 MPG ~ 52 MPH

Hi;
I drove the 160 miles to the City for the Peace March last month, and was very careful to keep the RPM's right at 1,900. This care yeilded an 84 MPG average over the entire trip down there. My average MPH was probably about 52 or 53 MPH. - That was a little slow for the 101 freeway, but it sure was nice to get 84 MPG! Tire pressure is around 50#'s, and I was alone (135#'s), w/ little baggage, and 1/2 tank, so the load was pretty light. No rain, either - which will decrease MPG.

Berk
2000 with ~ 90,000 mi. (recent batteries replacement).

 

[Subterfuge3927]

I love the Draft!!! I can do SERIOUS hypermiling drafting :twisted: