More rev's in a lower gear seems to get better mpg (an extra 5 or so) for my situation. Found that by accident after resetting the mpg after a fillup and went daydreaming down the 4 lane (55 speed limit) in 4th for quite a ways. Down here in JawJa it seems to be about 85% uphill where ever you go and with my regular commute I do a lot of those mpg killer loonng hills. When I looked at the mpg readout, like 85 mpg :shock: ! I then noticed I was crusin' in 4th at about 50 - 55. So I made a habit of that for the next week and confirmed that for less than interstate speeds, staying in 4th about 90% of the time, unless its a dead flat road, gets better mpg for my area / drive / car / style. This effect seems to be the same idea when one is on a ten-speed bicycle going up a hill in too high a gear range, it takes more leg muscle effort (extra gas / more throttle / low rpm) to keep the same speed over shifting down and cranking a little faster with much less effort ( less gas / less throttle / more rpm ).
Yeah, I know, I watched and 'obeyed' the upshift light religiously too. As much as practical anyway. Till now. Hey, computers ain't always right.
I don't know where the 'full throttle acceleration gets better milage' idea came from :roll: . Perhaps it did have a grain of an idea in there somewhere, but full throttle is just that - - no matter how much 'boost' the electric motor gives, it won't offset the fact that you're dumping gas as fast as it'll drink it. Not to mention the clutch / driveline wear.
I don't drive like granny, but keep up with the traffic flow. And with using 4th as my main gear off the expressway, I'm 5 mpg ahead without roasting my engine with cardboard radiator blocks or all the extra plumbing of the hot air thing. My only 'mods' have been a K&N air filter and a cold air intake / ram air thing that cost about $4. A weirdo in every crowd, right?
Yeah, I know, I watched and 'obeyed' the upshift light religiously too. As much as practical anyway. Till now. Hey, computers ain't always right.
I don't know where the 'full throttle acceleration gets better milage' idea came from :roll: . Perhaps it did have a grain of an idea in there somewhere, but full throttle is just that - - no matter how much 'boost' the electric motor gives, it won't offset the fact that you're dumping gas as fast as it'll drink it. Not to mention the clutch / driveline wear.
I don't drive like granny, but keep up with the traffic flow. And with using 4th as my main gear off the expressway, I'm 5 mpg ahead without roasting my engine with cardboard radiator blocks or all the extra plumbing of the hot air thing. My only 'mods' have been a K&N air filter and a cold air intake / ram air thing that cost about $4. A weirdo in every crowd, right?