I always say driving economically requires the same technique as driving fast on a race track: avoid braking & preserve momentum. A requirement for this is 'looking ahead' (past the 5 metres in front of the car), predict the motion of traffic instead of reacting to it. Also very important for safety itself
Good point conservation of momentum ,everytime you stop at traffic lights ,adjust for traffic or break for obstacles and have to accelerate again the car chews through petrol,
Maybe this is one of the dangerous things this video should have mentioned. I cut corners and use other side of the road when there is no traffic. It keeps my momentum and go around corners fast, keeping a constant speed. Great fun.
@@wingkinwong9082 Bikes are fine if people ride them wisely. Few do. The bicycle casualty stats in Holland, where bike riding is very big, make very dismal reading indeed.
One thing that can help is hitting lights when they are green, so if you look ahead, and the light is red, in most cases you can just let off the gas and idle up to that light that might turn green by the time you get there. This may be slower than traffic, so you end up slowing down the cars behind you, but usually does not decrease safety unless the people behind you are aggressive. If everyone did this traffic would flow more smoothly, roads and the air above them would be cooler in the summer, and it would be a lot safer as well.
I do this. My reasoning is why spend gas maintaining my speed if I'll have to stop anyway? I won't have to wait any longer by just coasting in gear and slowing down naturally. Taking longer to get there decreases the time I have to idle and increases the chance it will be green when I get there.
@@kolegakolano yeah, it is fun, but it is more fun to play accelerate in the countryside, especially if you have a motorcycle, or a BMW that corners like a slot car because of the extra steering linkage.
I usually follow these 3 rules to save fuel: -Try to be careful to maintain your vehicle following the manufacturer's specs, specially when changing oil, filters and inflating tires. -Be respectful towards your moment of inertia, avoiding unnecessary, sudden and strong braking/accelerating movements. -Carpool it's not a bad idea when possible.
Combining trips is another great idea. You'll often reduce the total distance travelled, plus the engine will spend more time warmed up, which means leaner mixtures and lower engine oil viscosity (not to mention the benefits of driving off water from combustion that otherwise contaminates your oil). Drive to the most distant destination first.
Finally a fuel saving video that isnt only saying something stupid like "add WD-40 to your gas" or something simple and obvious like "remove useless weight"
@@hectornecromancer5308 Yeah ive seen people unironically suggest it. Anyone stupid enough to follow that advice deserves the blown engine theyll have shortly after.
Great video. One correction: Drafting is not ineffective. It is very effective and can more than double your fuel economy. But you are correct, it is EXTREMELY dangerous,. and you shouldn't do it. Good luck having the gas savings be higher than the costs of the inevitable rear-end collision.
@@johnsmith1474 Correction: In no SAFE way can drafting double your fuel economy. On a flat course, drafting at 3-5 feet behind a semi, you can get FAR more than double. Just remember, the data on these stupid close drafting differences was done on a closed course with an automated system maintaining the interval. To see those gains in the real world, you would quickly lose your license and insurability with the number of times you would rear-end the vehicle in front of you.
I recall an experiment run in the 1980s where they fitted test cars with automatic following systems. They used telemetry to manage following distance and signal the lead car’s activity back along the train, optical steering sensors, and join/depart protocols. Watching videos of those cars drive a foot apart was interesting. I’m not sure I’d trust the lead driver enough to participate? The cars would overheat if they spent too long in the train, but like NASCAR knows they saw significant fuel savings.
@@wingkinwong9082 fuel light on means you still have 10-15% of your tank left (20 to 50 miles (30 to 80 km's)). It was made this way, so that, *pardon the expression*, dummies, wouldn't get stranded when they only think to refuel at the last moment.
Very good video. Nice work. I don't agree with only one thing. It is beneficial to turn the engine off at a red light IF you have to wait for more than 40-50 seconds. Sometimes you have to wait for more than a minute (at level crossings, toll booths, waiting for fuel pumps). Cars with larger engines can burn a lot of fuel in a minute. The wear and tear that your starter motor is going to experience are negligible compared to the excess fuel you are going to use by just idling on red lights every day. There are also other driving habits that can save you fuel. I always approach a red light very slowly, often by the time I get to it it turns green, this means I don't have to accelerate from a standstill. Accelerating from 5-10km/h is way more efficient than accelerating from a standstill. I manage to get my Audi A3 2.0TDI quattro as low as 5 liters/100km.
Definitely agree with the last part. Im considering doing a video of my own showing the early braking technique. In the states where a lot of the stop light have sensors, stoplights will change when you approach them. However the sensors are so close to the stop line that most of the time, cars will stop a couple of seconds before the light turns green, mostly negating the fuel saving benefit of the sensor. Acceleratong from 5kmh means i dont have to slip the clutch at all, which saves in many ways. Also have a TDI here.
@@ignasanchezl TDI are some of the best diesel engines ever made. Very tough, , economical and relatively cheap to maintain. Engine braking is also a very good way to save on fuel.
Missed an uncommon one about shifting, I've heard people say that (with a manual car) flooring it in 2nd gear to skip 3rd and go straight to 4th saves gas because 2nd gear is easier for the engine to accelerate the vehicle. However, accelerating any mass from one speed to another requires the same amount of kinetic energy added to the system, and engines are the most efficient at lower RPM and higher load (ex: ~2500RPM, ~80% throttle), this is the region where you extract the most amount of energy out of the fuel being burned and therefore this is the ideal region to be in when accelerating. This is where pumping losses are at a minimum because your engine is not fighting a throttle valve to pull air in. There's charts out there that compare either Brake Specific Fuel Consumption (BSFC) or thermal efficiency to the torque output (load, more air = more torque) and RPM. Great video, thank you!
That's the main reason a manual car these days can never match automatics. Modern automatic software are extremely competent at following the BSFC map and keeps the engine in the most efficient zone.
@@alanchantiefighterskuanlia627 It depends where in the rev range maximum torque is developed. In my Skoda Rapid training car, 2,000 rpm on the flat is ideal. In my TD5 and 200 TDI Land Rover Discoverys, 2,500 is more appropriate.
@@SkyWKing Modern automatics have many ratios which can quickly adapt to early shifts to match the most economical revs. They are very clever and do a great job. Until they go wrong. Then the bills and frustration become huge. I do not like autos. They have become better over the years but I still prefer a manual. Going down long descents, people never lock them into a lower gear, preferring instead to ride down the hill on the brakes. This increases air borne brake dust.
The prius isn't a bad option, either. I bought a neglected 2006 prius for $3200 last year and have put about $500 into it (diy) to get it running right. It has surpassed my expectations. Now, it is a solid little 180k mile car. I drive about 25k miles a year, so driving my prius saves a ton in fuel, compared to my f150. I get 18-20mpg in my truck and 45-50mpg in the prius. With gas nearing $5/gallon, that prius more than pays for itself. My truck is also holding its value better with less mileage. Similar to the TDI, a well maintained prius can make it 300-400k miles. The prius doesn't have a timing belt. Minor repairs are surprisingly easy and relatively cheap. Toyota cars also do not require specialty tools to work on them, unlike VW cars. On the flipside, it costs about $2000-2500 to replace the hybrid battery around the 15 year mark. The prius also does not have that addictive low-end torque and satisfying diesel rumble that the TDI provides. Both the VW TDIs and Toyota prius are my top picks for best economy cars. If my truck wasn't fast, I'd miss the power and probably lean toward a tuned tdi over a prius. Currently, I'm enjoying the easier, but boring, ownership of my prius.
@@Brandon_Nelson92 but with the electric motor you also have a lot of torque. You could probably swap a used battery in it for less. I did some performance mods 😅 a 4" K&N Apollo Cold Air intake did improve the 100-200kph from 55,6 to 35,3 seconds and 180hp Software upgrade brought it down to 29,2 seconds
Tdi in rabbit pickup. Can not be beat for Mpg Or smiles per gallon. Because it’s rated at 54mpg in a vehicle that weighed over 1000lbs more!!!! I have bought 3 gallons since before the war in Ukraine
To save fuel, it's good idea to coast early when approaching a red light. Stopping at a light sooner than later is not going to save you any time. When you continue to apply throttle, you're spending fuel to maintain momentum that will just be dumped away as heat by the time you reach the light. Because you're going to stop at the light very early, you will spend at lot more time idling, using even more fuel. Whereas, if you coast early (while in gear), you will consume no fuel until you finally come to a stop. Because you're not going as fast, you will come to a stop later and not spend as much time idling. Sometimes the light will turn green before you even have to stop and you still have useful momentum that you would otherwise have to regain by using more fuel.
Yes, anticipation is sorely underrated. Quite a few years back, I had to drive across London from Richmond (SW) to Dagenham (NE) late one evening (about 11.30 pm) and the car was a citroen CX2400 with a dodgy second gear synchromesh, cue lots of crunchy ness. By anticipating red lights, roundabouts and junctions, along with other vehicles behaviour, I completed the run in 45 minutes at an average speed of about 19mph and because I had brimmed the tank before I started and topped off at my destination, I used the equivalent of 38mpg.....which on a car weighing in at 1 and 3/4 tons with a 2.4 litre petrol engine was, in my opinion, pretty good going for the ultimate city drive. I stopped 3 times and hardly changed out 3rd the whole way. Anticipation is all you need.
If you still have excess speed when coasting downhill with the accelerator pedal released, using a lower gear will not only help limit your speed by increasing engine braking, it will also run the alternator and A/C compressor faster, recovering more of the gravitational potential energy you've saved up by climbing the hill.
I used to draft semis when I was younger. It didn’t decrease fuel Efficiency at all. It was a really big bump in gas mileage. I stopped doing once I had kids as it wasn’t safe. Many times I had semis brake check me because I was following so close. Never had an accident but got close few times. Another downside was my engine ran hotter as it wasn’t getting cool air in radiator.
I am a truck driver and I do this in my personal vehicle. I also do not mind when people do this as long as its on the highway. But be aware the weight of the truck and thus the stopping distance can vary by much more than you would think so pay close attention if you do this. Also your car should not overheat when doing this as it still has a cooling fan and air will still pass under the trailer.
You should have mentioned something for SUV buyers…five things going against economy: tall built, higher ground clarence, bigger wheel diametre, ( usualy ) automatic transmission and square back…! Admittedly, higher seating position means better view of the road…only as long as people ( like me ) keep driving passenger cars…!
18:50 manually start stopping can work. Engineering explained did a little test and everything above 7 seconds would see a fuel gain compared to keeping the engine running. Especially at a railway crossing you should definitely shut the engine off!
I've also seen that video, so got a little curious with the numbers for my car. Even accounting for starter wear, it does save money. In my case, it is equivalent to paying $0.0033/start more to save some varying amount which should be a greater savings than the spend. I don't personally do this often as I'm usually doing mostly highway driving.
When following a semi truck you should stay far enough back that you can see their side view mirrors. This allows them to be able to see you because thier trailer prevents them from using a rear view mirror. If you follow this advice you can still see some of the benefits of drafting above 70 mph. (Of course as speed increases you have to leave more of a following distance)
The benefits of this are not drastic but when driving a 2012 Chevy Express 3500 with a 6 l V8 I can get almost an extra MPG. (About 19mpg vs just over 18mpg)
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You're not drafting unless you're inside the wake turbulence. Your ECU is just very happy to optimize air-fuel ratio when you're finally driving a constant speed.
D4A, Another great video 👌 As a mechanic who used to rally drive, I enjoy your content because you actually know what you are talking about 👌 In these days of over-regulated driving on the road, I've had to change my driving habits a lot and now entertain myself playing 'fuel economy games' instead of speeding everywhere trying to get to the destination in the least possible time 🤣 In a 2 tonne diesel Navara utility, I can get some trips down into the 6lt/100 range and still go with the traffic around me 🙂
As a former night-time cab driver turned bus driver I can relate to changing 'the game' from 'driving as fast as possible' to 'driving as economical as possible'. The thrills don't match, though.. 😉
Thank you. Thanks to creators like you im living in a golden age of,hm, invormative entertainment. Thats such a pleasure to learn from you. Take care. Cheers.
There's a video about idling consumption in Engineering Explained channel. I remember Jason said that if the engine stop time is more than around 7 seconds it compensates for the excess fuel needed for starting it. Actually, based on him, it's not THAT MUCH fuel (as you said) required to start the engine.
It is more the engine wear when starting the car by spinning up the engine through the starter motor on and off. Which is bad for the overall engine life.
Well if you wait at a stop light, it doesn't make much sense to kill the engine. I do it when i'm stuck in traffic that just doesn't move or in a road work zone with a red light that indicates that i'll be stuck there for, say "xyz" amount of time...
@@wingkinwong9082fine if the engine is operating temp. On/off a lot without letting engine get to temp I agree is bad
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@@marc-oliviercabot3380 It depends on the kind of stop you'll make and your position in pack. If it's a stop in which you have the time to put the car in neutral and pull the handbrake (and then calmly release it and put the car back in gear when the lights turn green), then it also makes sense to shut down. If you're leading the pack or it's a short red light (say, no traffic on the crossing driveway), it's better to keep foot on the brake and engine running.
"more fuel efficient than cars inspired by bricks" ROFLMAO! Happy D4A Sunday from California, all! Another fantastic video, packed with great advice and useful tips.
As a driving instructor, I teach all my pupils about torque and how to use the rev counter. My training car has done 76,000 miles from new and is still on its original brakes. They will easily last to 90,000 miles and might even make it to 100,000 miles. Fuel economy is acceptable on a training car and front drive tyres are lasting 35-40,000 miles. Apart from cost, this is reducing dust, which is a pollutant.
Just don't teach engine braking on stick shifts. I was a huge believer in this when I watched how long my brakes lasted until I realized the >$900 clutch replacements every 90k miles cost much more than the money I saved on brake pads. Ever since I quit engine braking to save my brakes, I've never needed to replace a clutch.
You can blip the throttle as you down shift to match RPMs and take some load off the clutch. Asking the clutch to speed/slow the engine is a quick way to wear it out whether gearing up or down…
@@nautamaran I quite agree although I have found that with students, it is easier to get them to depress the clutch at 1,000 rpm while finishing off braking and this ensures a pretty much seamless down shift. Sometimes they get it right, but then they are learners and it takes time.
@@SvdSinner Defective clutch or you operating it badly. Accelerating from a stop puts much bigger forces on the clutch than getting engine up to speed when engine braking. Difference in clutch life should be very small. I am using engine baking a lot and I never had to replace clutch on my cars. One of them has 320k km and still has original clutch.
Something else that will save alot of fuel if you drive lots of short distances is an engine coolant pre-heater like webasto. Also reduces wear on the engine everytime you start it.
it uses fuel too, it would be better to have coolant heater on ac220v and plug it in 15 minutes before drive(i made one from caffe machine, it has 2 heaters with 2x1400w and it heats up big engine very fast, 30seconds for 1 deg of C)
@@makantahi3731 Smart solution. I would want an electric water pump going also. If the car doesnt have one already. I think some modern cars do.. instead of the belt. But you can also buy a high power electric system although much more expensive of course. Then you get a pump also.
@@martinsvensson6884 thanks, i invested some 30 euros in this project: 2 dolce gusto caffe machines-used "broken", but if i wanted to repair it i had just to clean scale, but i just needed heaters, i bought good water pump on 12v and 2 relays, that device is remote, i just pull off hose from expansion bottle on car and connect that device on and it starts to circulate coolant, every heater has its own cable so i can choose one or both to work because each must be connected on different plug because fuses are mostly on 15 amps and it could drain more, i use it on big engine(5.7) if outside temp is below 15 c (one) and if temp is below 0c /both)whatever , in 30 minutes engine has temperature of50 c , on second car with small engine i made permanent system with 4 diesel heaters that help to heat up coolant when engine is started, they drain 70amps, and speeds up switching from petrol to lpg for 30-50%
@@makantahi3731 Sounds like a great simple solution. Wish all cars in northern climates had something like that as standard. Far from all people have the minds to create something like that by themselves even if it sounds simple.
is this built into plugin hybrids? plugin hybrids balance between non sustinable high production emissions electric drivetrain and combustion emissions system... prius prime for ex see eegnineering explained video on small turbo, mazda engine, electric car etc
I think one thing that really helps is maintaing safe distance between you and the car before you, especially in dense trafic. It also helps with trafic jams. I can never understand why people like to tailgate as much as they do. Every time you have to break unnecessarily, you are basically throwing your money out the window.
Bad news...A car with advanced adaptive cruise control can be used in drafting scenarios. Especially following a truck or something significantly bigger with a much longer stopping distance. it is not as safe as following further back. Great video. You covered it very well.
Even a truck can stop from 100 km/h to 0 in 1 second - after hitting another truck that has suddenly stopped at the highway. That's how those truckers with cruise controls and 5m distance set up on it are killing themself sometimes.
As someone who drives very efficiently, I find it entertaining that most of this video is either things that I consider more important for safety or longevity, not efficiency.. and the things mentioned for efficiency seem like basics to me. An example of a less basic technique is coasting towards a red light, waiting to brake until you're closer. If you time it right, you go through the intersection without stopping. When you get it wrong, you use up your brakes a little quicker. It requires skill, but when you do it right, it makes an appreciable difference. Note: This only applies to non-hybrid/non-electric vehicles. With those, brake very gently so you get maximum efficiency regenerative braking, so you're safer, don't wear out your brakes, and get energy recovered. (Batteries charge/discharge much more efficiently when the charging/discharging is slower, so gentle braking is better for them. This is also why you should still accelerate gently in a hybrid/electric. I think some people believe that because it's not like an engine, they can just mash on it because "the only difference is how fast you use it" and that's just not true.) For pickups, a tailgate creates a vortex that improves aerodynamics.. but I know the comparison between tailgate up and down.. I hadn't considered that a covering (or tunnel as you call it) could be more efficient. Engines take between 4-8 seconds of fuel to start depending on conditions. If you're really stuck (like at a train crossing), it can still be worth it.. but shut off other non-essentials too. I know keeping the tank not full puts additional strain on the fuel pump, but I'm not sure how much of an effect this has. I keep my car between 40-100% full, but my motorcycle I usually run down to 10-20% before refilling. It makes less of a difference on my car because it's a hybrid. (We've determined through cross-country trips that it's actually just as efficient with a large load of stuff as it is carrying just one person. So I'm not worried about the weight at all. Still try to keep it clean though - I need that space for stuff!)
The Lucas Upper Cylinder Lubricant is actually very affective for clearing out clogged fuel injectors which is probably why they advertise it can increase fuel economy. On already clean engines it won’t affect fuel economy but it’s still a great lubricant.
Saving fuel was like a game to me when I started driving. Also it was 2008 when I got my license. I wasn't happy unless I got 36 mpg in my 5-speed saturn.
Aaaah hypermiling, always some weird and interesting things there, did quite a lot of experimentation with that in my younger days :D Agreed with all your points! Smoothness, as always, is key to best results. And try to get into DFCO (deceleration fuel cut-off) as often and as long as possible :)
I've been wondering how pulse and glide with DFCO compares with very light constant throttle for cruise conditions. Specifically, under DFCO you're still turning the vehicle's kinetic energy into waste heat by making the engine pump - I wondered if putting those pumping losses to some use by burning a tiny amount of fuel might actually be better in some conditions. (I do use engine braking in preference to friction braking. For my next tank I think I will try pulse & glide with DFCO.)
more viscous means more resistance to flow. for example, honey is more viscous than water. higher oil number also means higher viscosity. other than that, great video!
My number 1 suggestion is to drive with the mpg or L/100km displayed if your vehicle has it. That way you can monitor what rpm, speed and environment your specific engine likes. Personally my vehicle finds it’s rhythm at around 1900 to 2100 rpm or around 107-110 km/h.
12:30 Also, some automatic cars have an "eco" mode, which disengages the transmission while cruising without throttle, bringing the rpm down to idle and effectively coasting in neutral.
My 98 Chrysler minivan does this. It coasts anytime I lift. No engine braking at all. Not sure if idling the engine uses more fuel or less compared with the drag and loss of velocity of decel fuel cut off.
@@wobblebs87 Fuel injection is not shut off while engine braking, though you're right in that coasting in general isn't a great idea as the engine braking helps with deceleration.
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My VW Polo 2023 (1.0L 90HP turbo, 7-speed DCT) does this in drive. However, if I touch the brake pedal even for half a millimeter, it immediately goes in gear and then continues coasting in gear until full stop. I've understood that in D it tries keeping a stable speed more than save fuel. Switching to S mode removes this behavior. Also touching the throttle puts it in gear. Sometimes I just downshift manually and keep a smidgen of throttle on a highway when I plan to decelerate to a car in front after overtaking.
One thing that does work is Cetane booster (2-EHN) for Diesel. Really helps cheap supermarket brand diesel to burn better and cleaner. More MPG and less DPF clogging. I definitely get better MPG with it and the engine seems smoother.
you can FAS in a manual and have the clutch depressed with the ignition ON but engine OFF. All you have to do to turn the engine on is let go of the clutch and the engine will instantly bump start. I do this in my89 triton all the time. It has no power steering anyway so thats not a problem either. You just have to make sure the engine is in the right gear and you dont let off the clutch too quickyl or you will lock up the rear. its also carburetured so no extra fuel is used when i turn the engine back on.
Thank you @d4a for condemning hypermiling. I've caught my brother doing this multiple times from 2010-15(the Obama disaster) in a 65mph zone by doing 45mph. He justified it by saying his hazards being on while being in the far right lane means he's not breaking the law. He kept getting mad ad me because I warned him he could be pulled over for obstruction of traffic. Use the right fuel for the car, use good oil at the correct oil level and use proper maintenance really are the only good things you can do
@@mikee7070 The government doesn't control gas prices. Recession, you realize that in 2008 we were facing the worst economy since the Great depression. Do you remember we in September 2008 when Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy that within hours, the credit markets were frozen and the companies like Genetal Electric were having trouble financing their day to day operations. Jobs started dropping just shortly after that. The bankruptcy of Lehmann put the global markets into a death spiral. Then AIG was no longer able to honor its financial obligations and the government either took over or handed them a big fat check so they could pay the investment banks 100 cents on the dollar at the tax payers expense. Fanny Mae and Freddy had to be taken over directly by the government. The former CEO of Goldman Sachs who was head of the US Treasury then went to congress and ask for a 700 billion dollar check to hand out to the investment banks in hopes that it would unfreeze credit and stabilize the markets. The US and the entire global economy were about to crumble. With passage of TARP though, the global meltdown was averted. However credit markets remained frozen and the banks who were given 700 billion dollars on tax payers dime made fewer loans and millions continued to lose their homes and they were plenty of jobs lost and 50 trillion dollars in wealth was gone. What president do we blame this on? Bush, no, Obama well he wasn't in office yet. You blame a president, well go back to January 20th 1981 and the inauguration that day an that's the president to start. It was this president who wanted to deregulate Wall Street and undo regulations that were put in place to prevent the very thing that happened in 2008. If you think that it's as simple as the president in office you're sadly mistaken. The US was in a recession starting in 2008 and probably earlier. The gas prices aren't controlled by the president, remember we live in a capitalist country and it would be very un-American for the president to have control over gas prices. Cash for clunkers, was that an executive order or did it get passed thru congress? What was worse deregulation of Wall Street and trickle down economics or cash for clunkers? Reagan made it possible for a select few to get rich on Wall Street and the more money these people made the more they wanted and it certainly didn't trickle down. BTW 2011, I got the largest bonus ever that year. Not like Wall Street, but very nice for a embedded software engineer. So we couldn't have been in too bad of a recession then.
Certainly the best video guide I ever watched on fuel saving techniques .. very useful and very well organized content, sequenced logically .. one good thing about your explanation is that you emphasized precautions that are necessary in fuel saving driving techniques..
Can't belive I was not subscribed for all this time. This was a mad video! So much usefull information. I turns out me ignoring the fault code for the O2 sensors on my BMW is actually pretry bad for fuel economy and engine health. Thank you for educating me 😂 Hvala tebe, brate!
Awesome video. Definitely busted some misconceptions I had about coasting in neutral. Thank you for always doing so much research and presenting it in an easy to understand format!
Coasting in neutral does save fuel, unless it requires the use of the brake later in a situation where engine braking would have avoided that. One simple example is a hill where coasting in neutral just about keeps you rolling at (the desired) constant speed. If you were to engine brake, you would have to alternate between engine braking and accelerating to keep the same average speed. This means your engine would be running at a noticeably higher RPM than idling and thus generate more friction and pumping losses, which ultimately would have to be overcome with more fuel combustion.
@@aphextwin5712 For that to ever be true you'd have to have like a 0.01 degree incline which is very rare. Coasting in gear is the correct method 99% of the time.
@@NAmania I don’t know what car you are driving. I frequently ‘roll’ through a freeway tunnel (two tubes with each two lanes per direction) that descends about 50 m over a 3200 m distance, ie, a slope of about 0.9°. Since the beginning and the end of the tunnel flatten out, the main part of the tunnel is a bit steeper, best guess thus maybe a 1° incline. The speed limit in that tunnel is 100 km/h. I am happy to follow the trucks in the right lane, their official speed limit is 80 km/h but they usually drive at between 85-90 km/h (according to my speedometer). My rough guess for terminal coasting speed in my car in that tunnel is about 60 km/h because I actually have to do a bit of pulse and glide* to keep up with the trucks (ie, the car slows below 80 km/h while coasting in neutral, out of consideration for the cars behind me, I don’t let my speed drop below 80 km/h). *Which brings me to my last point. The ‘pulse and glide’ method is called exactly that and not ‘pulse and engine break’ for a reason. Google "pulse and glide metrompg" for a detailed explanation.
@@aphextwin5712 You're spot on on that technique. I always use neutral whenever I'm somewhat descending and want to increase/maintain speed. It takes a lot more fuel to keep a gear and making the engine rev. Then, when I feel I need to brake, I just put it in an adequate gear that takes care of my speed (whenever possible), taking advantage of fuel injection turning off
I thought nah this video is not for me. Not talking about car technology. Than i watched anyway and again i enjoyed it so mutch like all you’re other videos! ❤❤❤
8:04 Worth mentioning that any car with electronic fuel injection will just turn the injectors off if you're off throttle at least 200-300 RPM above idle, because you don't need fuel to keep the engine running. So just rev match and use the engine braking instead if you want to save fuel. I know you mention this later, but adding this to the stupid idea of shutting the engine off shows how stupid it is.
@@user-xt1mw6vm3y This is what he means: "if you're off throttle at least 200-300 RPM above idle," 1- Your car is moving. 2- The transmission is engaged. 3- The rotation of your wheels produces a comparable rotation in the crankshaft of "idle" plus a given amount (he stated at least 200-300 more.) 4- You are not applying the throttle. In those conditions, the wheels are turning the crankshaft with the vehicle's own momentum. So the engine doesn't need fuel to turn the crankshaft.
@@user-xt1mw6vm3y This answer is a bit long, as I assumed you wanted a somewhat more thorough answer. Yes: We are borrowing it from the transmission (how exactly we do that varies by transmission, but it's easy to imagine if you think of physically connected gears.) "Power" in an engine is the result of the crankshaft rotating. Whether we are generating electrical energy through the alternator, or toque through the driveshaft, or pressure through a power steering pump: It all ultimately results from the rotational energy of the crankshaft. So, if the crankshaft is already rotating at or above the system's desired RPM by borrowing power from the connected drivetrain (with overhead, explained a bit further down), there is no need to inject any fuel to create any additional power. The most simplistic version is that we "let it roll" since it is already doing so. This will slow the vehicle down by effectively creating a bit of a vacuum in the combustion cylinders. Because power isn't free. But if the car roll downhill and still have spare energy to rotate the crankshaft, the fuel injectors can simply "cut off" in most electronic fuel injection engines. This is what OP referred to as "engine braking." This is why you can't just roll "at idle" but instead, at "idle plus" a given amount: Because some of the energy of you rolling is taken from the driveshaft and fed to those other systems. As long as the system can maintain an "idle" RPM, it is effectively just taking advantage of momentum or gravity to create the same rotational energy that fuel normally would. To rotate the crankshaft to generate all of the power the vehicle needs. You could argue this isn't efficient to some extent, as we're creating a vacuum that effectively slows us down: but if we're not desiring a degree of acceleration beyond that resulting speed, we essentially get "free power." Of course, it isn't truly free. We had to generate the power to get moving, so it's closer to "recycling" excess energy. But if were to exclusively use this feature when rolling downhill, it would be borrowing gravity to generate power. On a straightaway where we need to apply power to MAINTAIN momentum, yes.. It's actually not horribly effective (in fact, the constant cycling can be LESS effective is the cut-off of the fuel injectors is too trigger happy) unless we sped to a high speed and are coasting to a lower one. Otherwise, we will have to apply more power (with fuel) to compensate once we've slowed down. Does this better answer your question? TLDR: When we slow down by "engine braking" (decelerating without applying the brakes) or when we "roll downhill", we can actually recycle the excess energy in the system and use it in place of fuel to keep the crankshaft rotating.
@@user-xt1mw6vm3y Btw I'd like to add something I forgot: This cut-off isn't very helpful AT ALL on flat ground (except if we consider real-world traffic conditions), and I accidentally misrepresented that: If we recycle excess energy, thus "engine braking" on flat ground because we just accelerated to 80MPH to pass someone, and are now intending to slow to 60MPH.. We do get a bit of "free power" from the excess we generated. But.. Well, then if we look at it as distance over time.. We don't: We slow down sooner, thus needing to generate additional power earlier to maintain momentum. But, since cars don't drive non-stop and do often have to change speeds or stop, we effectively get a moderate margin of fuel savings in the end. And a TON if we all commuted exclusively downhill lol.
@@user-xt1mw6vm3y I edited my former comments for clarity. I hope they help. The short answer is: Yes. We "get it from the transmission who gets it from the wheels." But I do think the longer answer may be something you find interesting.
My standard MPG on the highway is around 32, behind a semi its 35 to 37mpg. I am not drafting super close either, I follow the 2 second rule which is what was taught in drivers ed for the closest you should get. Standard following distance behind semi still saves a good amount of fuel. Also, you are constantly accelerating and decelerating isnt true either since you just hit cruise control and trucks dont change/cant change their speeds fast at all. Manually starting and stopping your engine not saving fuel is also false. Engineering Explained did a video around this already. You only need to idle for around 7 seconds for it to consume more fuel than if you just turned off your engine. Very useful in drive thrus and if the light just turned red.
You are correct and the video is incorrect. This channel is usually pretty good but he got a few critical things wrong in the video. 10% to 20% fuel use reduction sounds about right for following 2 seconds behind a semi in my vehicles. That's a larger gap than most people leave on a lazy sunday drive. Perfectly safe and legal.
Amazing tips. Also don't forget that when coasting downhill in gear you're not only saving your fuel but also saving your brakes cause you get the benefit of engine braking which improves your safety as there will be less chances of brakes overheating.. Also techniques like Rev matching while downshifting also save fuel and brakes.
While engine breaking does help when in danger of overheating the breaks, the wear and tear on the gearbox is not worth it otherwise. So only (extensively) use it when going down a mountain where you are going to have to break over a long period of time
Great video covering the basic principles. It would be worth mentioning the impact of cruising speed on fuel efficiency. Each vehicle model has an optimal mileage speed, assuming constant speed and conditions are maintained.
I know it’s dangerous and it’s on the no go list but drafting actually works. I’ve done it on a couple trips and dropped my average from 5-6l/100km to 2-3l/100km. It’s hard to stay in the “sucking” zone and you have to stay focus both for braking if there was an emergency or to gently accelerate when you start to loose contact but most of the time, if the truck is big, the road is flat and you’re close enough you’re freewheeling for 2km in neutral. Would I recommend it, no. You have to know the road, know there isn’t gonna be an exit the truck may take and you’ll crash and it’s basically a really bad idea, but it saves you a lot of gas.
Yes, that is just one example of a few techniques he said "don't work" that actually do, but are not practical because they are either dangerous or increase wear and tear on the vehicle. Another one is that starting a warm engine uses more fuel than idling at a stop light. That is not true for the length of time spent idling at a typical stop light in a congested area. But I still wouldn't do it because the small amount of fuel saved is not worth the various downsides to shutting off your engine.
I used to do this on the motorbike. Unfortunately it used to get hot because there was no airflow in the suck zone but it sure was nice doing 60mph with no wind noise.
Nice lessons, what you have missed is talking about driving and changing gears in the range of maximum torque. But i am very satisfied, being so rational at young age.
shifting early is good when cruising, but again... common sense. the scenario told in the video is when you know you're going uphill. by the time you're done shifting, you're out of the power band and will try to compensate by pressing the accelerator deeper and burning more fuel than needed.
If you live on empty streets (suburbs or rural areas) you gotta find the most efficient speed for your car Me and my brother did some tests and found speeds of 65-70 Km/h (~42 mph) to be most efficient Of coarse if there is traffic you should follow it instead Test was done on Hyundai Tucson 6sp auto. Best results when the engine is at ~1500rpm and transmission at top gear. Test was for constant speed and results through trip computer
I'm putting an MPGuino in my car soon and hope to replicate your experiment, but I would expect similar results. Fuel economy is basically speed divided by fuel flow rate, so the fastest you can go at the lowest RPM is probably best. Of course, at low road and engine speed and nearly closed throttle, the engine doesn't run very efficiently, but you need so little power that that's the most economical condition for that speed. At high road speeds, aerodynamic drag starts to kill economy. In the middle, there's a (fairy broad) sweet spot, no doubt highly optimised by the manufacturer. :)
4:07 i think you got the viscosity the others way around, the higher the viscosity, the more resistance to flow, thin oils are less viscous, hope it helps
Drafting is extremely beneficial about fuel saving, trust me... I have been doing it for more than 10 years, and it saves more than 50% percent of fuel when done correctly... My car normally burns about 5 litres per 100km on highway, but when drafting is in action, it decreceases down to 2 litres per 100km... But the part where you say, it is unsafe; is true...
I think filling up the fuel tank to only a half or 3/4 or whatever is going to make you use more fuel in the long run. Sure, not completely filling your fuel tank does help you save weight, which helps you save fuel, but then you have to go to the fuel station more often. Even if you stop by a fuel station that is directly on one your normal commuting routes, the process of turning off the street, pulling into a spot to get fuel and the pulling away from the gas station uses a small amount of fuel that you could have delayed if you had simply filled your tank all the way the last time. Does the 0.02 gallons it took to pull into and out of the fuel station out weigh the 0.02 gallons you saved by driving with less fuel? Maybe, but it cost you more time and it probably wasn't worth it.
You also discharge your battery and use your starter an extra time. Last I checked batteries and starters are still more expensive than a few gallons of gas.
I solved all my driving worries by switching to o a PHEV. If the engine ever fires up, it stops when coasting, it's always running at the optimal BMEP. Regen braking allows for one-pedal driving and the cruise control works also when driving downhill. Seven years of ownership currently and still running on factory brake pads. As for commute: the nicest way to do it is on an e-bike, save the car for when it is pleasant to use it.
The airfilter doesnt matter on a naturally aspirated petrol engine. Those pumping losses are induced by the throttle restriction plate. It just caps the max hp. This tune only works on diesels really.
Nice to see that everything I do is listed here. I like to keep a large distance to the front car in a way that I can abuse shifting down the gears instead of breaking, and moving extremely slow when the signal is read, to avoid stopping completely.
One trick about driving turbo cars if you have a boost gauge is keeping boost at around zero. In this state the compressor is generating exactly 1 atm in the intake manifold so there is no intake pumping loss. Further increasing boost also increases load on the turbine which increases exhaust pumping loss.
Not really within the scope of the video I know, but let's not forget the massive fuel savings you can get from: - living closer to work - ride-sharing - walking or cycling - using public transport :)
@@Chris-yy7qc I guess my point is that the gains made through hypermiling (for want of a better term) techniques can be quite modest, and there are alternatives that can bring other benefits (saved money, less time wasted commuting, better health). Sure, you could not heat your house - but you could also install insulation and be more comfortable *and* save money and energy.
They're not options for everybody, of course. I'm lucky enough to be able to walk to work most days, and while it takes a bit longer than driving, I don't have to pay for fuel or parking, I don't have the stress of finding a park or dealing with other drivers, and it's excellent time for thinking, listening to music etc., or just relaxing and enjoying the scenery. I don't need a gym membership as my exercise is built into my routine. I actually don't find it to be any sort of sacrifice.
so three of your points can be summed up with just not driving. best way to save fuel cost is to not drive!!! why haven't i thought of that? also public transport is disgusting, i hate people.
People do ask what is the hardest time for the engine? I think when you start the engine. The engine can run so many miles with just routine oil change and minimum maintain, but if you keep turn your engine on-off, it won't last long.
i mean, injector cleaners can work at increasing fuel economy, but this is only the case in older cars with old injectors that are functioning at less than optimal capacity. the reality is just gaining back lost efficiency
Haven't fully watch it yet, still in 1min span. And i am thinking that this VID would be the ultimate guide for us in saving GAS / Diesel. In the side of a mechanic and very conservative in my fuel consumption, Been using actually our brake pads for 10 years, still in half thick. See you guys in the end, thanks in advance @driving 4 answers
In response to the Start-Stopp System: Actually, Engineering Explained did research on that topic and discovered, that it really saves fuel depending on the duration you're staying still, which was around 7 seconds with his example vehicle. Sure, increased wear will occur in a way, but when you live in a village with no traffic lights whatsoever and do your weekly trip into a city, you won't feel it anyway.
i used to do that for every 20+ second stops and ended up killing my battery within a year. i guess if you dont use lithium or some of those fancy start/stop battery, it doesn't make much financial sense. now i just kill my engine if i know i gotta stop for more than a minute... unless i gotta keep the A/C on for some guests that can't be bothered with that --- i do still kill my motorbike and shitbox on most stoplights, though, but more for the noise than the fuel saving.
Bmw owner here: the user manual says you should kill the engine at traffic lights, but my car does not have a start-stop function. But then again...the user manual also says to replave oil every 20.000 km 😂
In my country you are required by law to turn off your engine if you stop for more than 3 minutes. Like waiting for a train to pass, or if there is roadwork, or if picking up someone, etc.
I believe the starter motors and electrical systems are engineered quite differently on start-stop vehicles - manufacturers don't want failures during the warranty period! In fact, I believe some engines can even be stopped so that the crank angle is set up for easy restarting or even self-starting.
brother. i love your videos. you are 100 % correct in everything you speak about.... so i as a professional say that you sir are a expert and professional at what you do. and a good video editor... i love all your vids
I used to own that box shaped thing (Scion xB) that you've shown at 10:19 Great little car it was. Our family bought a Toyota Echo (North American nameplate for the Yaris, 4dr sedan, 4speed automatic) 6 months prior to my purchase of that box with a 5 speed manual. Both cars shared most of their propulsion and suspension bits. The box was the car to take on a family outing, even if I had to park it in hilly San Francisco because it offered a much roomier backseat with 30cm shorter length. I once did a long road trip at a 30% lower cruising speed (50 vs 70 mph) and was surprised to see that its fuel consumption matched that of the Echo. Of course the lower speed and the more efficient transmission closed that gap. At its core, it was an economy car that trade some fuel efficiency to practicality, not some SUV with rough underbody bits with large, unshrouded offroad tires exposed to the wind.
Using Squarespace is probably the most fuel saving technique you can use. You can build your online business yourself, pay less to the freelancer, waste less time building, so less energy used on a computer chair, resulting in less lean fat, loosing weight, needing less travel for work, less carbon emission; overall better fuel economy!
Well thought well organized amazing tips thanks, 2013 Honda Insight driver Hyper-miler here :) Shown at the end too, nice touch. 12:38 Throttle techniques. One of the best tip ever
I use electric vacuum pumps for the brakes. pumps cost about 250 dollars and you can add a vacuum accumulator for more time between pump cycles for brakes with engine off. You can also run a power steering pressure accumulator for power steering. I usually restart by shifting back into gear (i dont drive autos anymore due to the cost of rebuilds). If youre too concerned about startup wear you can use an oil accumulator and remote switch. To really maximize fuel economy you need to make a lot of mods. a normie driver cant usually realize any improvements.
hm, it never occurred to me, but I'm guessing ECU starts injecting fuel when it detects an rpm >preset value? Otherwise if you had to "crank" to get the injectors going, then your starter would get fucked pretty quickly. If my guess is not the case, what workaround did you do?
Step 1. install mTDI in rabbit Step 2. Get 60+ mpg avg While having nearly twice the torque and same hp as a mk1 GTI. (And getting over 2x the economy )
I did this 12 years ago. How much fuel and money have u wasted. There are zero sensors to ever have to replace. You replace your MAF ONcE on a Tdi. And I could drive nearly 2,000 miles on how much u paid for one sensor.
From my own experience: mostly handy and practical tips for driving both more fuel efficient and safely. Good video. Recommended to all beginning drivers.
i have a friend who owns a renault trafic van, with a turbo charged 2.3 liter diesel powerplant and manual tranny. bloody thing managed 15-16 mpg, wich is just pathetic (empty). so, we got rid of the whole exhaust, reverted to a mechanical fuel pump, got a different turbo, got rid of the stock air filter in favour of a far larger truck filter. the exhaust is a straight pipe now with a silencer (fieber pack old school type) , the turbo is larger and is mechanically actuated variable geometry type. got a exhaust header with equal lengths. got equal length intake runners. no egr, no dpf, no silly shit. result ? almost 20 mpg under the same conditions. it allso pulls a lot better.he earns a living from hauling stuff. the fuel consumption difference is allso a difference of earning a living or ending up dead out of business. and thats that. the best fuel saving advice, do not buy trash. or if you did, fix it.
I have a little rule that I think saves fuel: When approaching a traffic light from a fair distance, accelerate slightly if it's green and brake early if it's red. The logic is that if it's green you increase your chances of making it before it changes to red, and if it's red you increase your chances of it changing to green before you get to it and have to stop. I've found this strategy works in about four out of five cases. Obviously stay within safe speed limits and respect traffic conditions.
For the additives, there is none for saving fuels, but can they improve, or just help to maintain the health of the engine? If there is enough pertinent content to talk about it, what about a video on the additives? For the fuel, oil, coolant or brake fluid, for the road or race track
They can help with removing carbon from the engine or baked on oil on metal parts. They're more beneficial in diesels for cleaning the injectors though, and from my experience they do help (they thin the fuel slightly in diesels too so can help if you have a high Bio-Diesel content and live in Northern Europe or a central part of the US or Europe that gets cold). Fuel additives can and do work depending on _what_ the additive is. The only coolant additives you should ever use are anti-freeze if using water (50/50), or a leak finder (ie: for blown head gasket etc). Same goes for oil in this respect, "oil cleaners" are not worth it....it's best to use a good filter and good oil, changing every 6-12 months or maximum of 10,000 miles (more frequently doesn't hurt, but is more expensive). Brake fluid. Never add anything to it. Only use the specified fluid for your brake system (ie: DOT 4 or if it's a bugatti or ferarri maybe DOT 5 if it's specified). With proper research you can get higher boiling point brake fluids that will happily work with your brake system, but the cost of these fluids and your use case probably will never fit (unless you're racing the vehicle and doing track days with it).
@@S.ASmith Well said. I'll add that I took apart an engine that had a steady diet of top tier gas and no additives and it looked like it had never left the factory where the gas was sprayed. Also I like 5000 miles or less on oil changes because I'm north of the snow belt in the states and I've replaced Nissan V8 short blocks.
@@Wagonman5900 I do an oil change on my MK3 Focus ST-3 in the UK every 6000 miles or every 6 months, whatever comes first. I go get the dealership stamp every July, then do another service to the car myself using OE or Mahle/Castrol stuff. US Standards are more lax when it comes to pump petrol/gas it seems to (you generally have 3 as opposed to 2 grades we have in Europe and UK). I use either Shell V-Power, Esso Synergy+ or a supermarket 99 Octane fuel (Tesco Momentum, it's produced by BP though). Esso is by far the best as it's ethanol free in my area and the engine runs butter smooth on it.
@@Wagonman5900 That depends if it's a direct injection or port injection. If direct injection only, than carbon fauling will always be a problem. If port injection or mixed, petrol will clean off carbon, as petrol is a detergent.
i've always thought they're there because that's the common speed limit at least in germany and german cars, urban neighbourhood (residentials, schools, etc) is 30km/h, in town 50km/h. my current japanese car have a marking on 100km/h, but i think that's because it's marked on unusual increments (30, 60, 90, ...) unlike the usual 20s (0, 20, 40, ...) some doesn't even have any special markings on them. edit: just googled this and it confirmed it's about the speed limit.
@@Looo0007 Yes that is correct. MB:s had that back in the day. When they still had the classic instrument clusters. The shifting points on the other hand were marked by I, II, III, IIII on the speedo.
My 89 civic had little dots on the speedo where redline was in each gear since it had no tacometer. So that is where I shifted, or when the fuel cut off.
I have done the shut engine of technique only in manual transmission cars, I did not use the starter to get the engine running again which initiates the start cycle, I jumped started the engine with the clutch and the correct gear for the speed I was going. that being said its easier to just let the engine idle while in neutral coasting and if you leave it in gear most modern cars turn off the fuel injectors while coasting, you can see it on your fuel mileage indicator.
14:50 - those marking on the speedometer (30 and 50) is not for shifting. if i guess correctly that's an early 2000 benz, and european cars have those markings as that's the common speed limit in the cities. 30 km/h on school and residential areas 50 km/h in town
I’ve heard this same figure in 2 different videos that if 10% of car drivers switched to lane filtering motorcycles, congestion would be reduced by 40%. That would save everyone money :D
I strongly disagree with the drafting. In the context of the footage you provided, everything you said about drafting is true. However, you don't have to be this close to the big truck in front of you as in the video (it seemed like 5-10 feet). Surprisingly, you can be as far as 100 feet behind the truck and still save fuel. Mythbusters tested this and 100% confirmed it. By pure memory, this 100 feet distance can reduce the fuel consumption by something like 5%, which doesn't seem like that much but can add up pretty quickly. Otherwise great video!
And a following distance of 100' is just about perfect till you hit usual US highway speeds; it is also the one ticket most departments and the courts that support them will write, based solely on the officer's subjective viewpoint. At 60 mph, you should be 120' plus, at 70, 140' minimum, smart would 160' or better. The distance helps give you "recovery time' because most people don't have "catlike reflexes" and will take three tenths of a second or more before they even begin to react. And yes, NASCAR drivers do 200 mph and survive- all the cars are going in the same direction and all are highly skilled, professional drivers who have spent half a lifetime learning how to do that. Have you? BTW, even at a follow distance of 100', if somebody in front of that truck does something stupid, you will have hit the truck before you realize something is happening. And that is at 50 mph. FR
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If you just drive a constant speed in the same gear and throttle, your ECU will optimize the AFR. Those are the gains you get from "drafting" outside of the wake.
As always, - thanks for a great vid :) The last point is great - when switching cars I choose to buy a hybrid mostly out of curiosity since I was already looking at cars with auto transmission. Its a larger car, and still the savings vs the old car were around 4L/100km, so half the fuel consumption of old one. Over time this really adds up, especially on vacation when driving 1000km is not a big feat. I've been on team hybrid for 4 years - it requires some adjustment to the driving style, but in the end its a great fuel and money saver :)
Many good points in this video, thanks for summing them up. But to be honest i don't fully agree on all of them. Like coasting in neutral. Of course it doesnt make sense if youre going downhill when youre getting faster and have to use your brakes to keep your speed instead of the drag of your engine whilst also benefiting from the fuel-cutoff. But if youre just going straight or just very slightly downhill it might make sense as just getting off the throttle might slow you down in such a situation which you might not want and you would have to use some fuel to get up to speed again. Keeping the car in gear and holding the speed might be less efficient aswell because as far as i know most engines aren't really efficient in such low load scenarios. That of course also depends on the speed you're going, the amount of fuel your car consumes while idling stays the same for a given period of time. Assuming it is 1l/h and youre going 100km/h in that moment your theoretical fuel consumption is 1l per 100km. Also i don't really know about your safety like a soapbox-car comparison. Many newer automatics do this on their own and i don't think they're unsafe, also in an emergency breaking situation you would apply clutch and brakes at the same time anyways. Of course you can never tell what is going to happen, but as with many of the tips you gave most important is that they're only performed when the situation allows for it. A long open road with no hidden crossings and good oversight of the landscape should allow for that. Automatics vs manuals: The shifting indicators in cars aren't just dumb limits at certain revs. They can (at least in theory) access all of the same data as your automatic transmission can, so they could just show you the exact same shiftpoints the same vehicle with an automatic with the same gearratios would take. Wether you go up or downhill can be determined by the electronics taking into consideration your throttle position and maybe the change in speed. The car can calculate what theoretical power youre making in the moment and could compare that to a simple list in which gear that could be done in a safe and efficient way and display accordingly, same as it would probably do for it's auto transmission. Modern automatics for sure have their advantages and less losses than traditional systems but they're still not overly smart. They don't know what youre going to do until you do, also not why you do what you do, and so far they also don't know very much about the traffic and road conditions you're facing. If there is an hill coming up in just a few the auto won't just stay in gear and istead shift up and down again, which i don't believe is very efficient. Also on the motorway you're cruising along seeing a car that you should pass before it skips to your lane to overtake the slower car in front of it, you just want to accelerate a little so neither you nor the other driver has to brake. In the manual you might know that you can just increase the throttle a little for a few seconds to add some km/h and youre good. The auto might just see you press down the throttle decide it is time for a downshift and more revs just so it can upshift a few seconds later again, and no matter if modern autos shift quick and efficient they add some lag till you're finally accelerate as you intended to do thus make you accelerate harder to compensate the lost time and with the higher revs might even cost you more fuel. Also automatics plus start-stop are not perfect. In manuals the system works okay cause it starts the car when yor're about to select the gear for going off, which is enough time you don't have to adapt your driving. In an auto the system just starts the car when you release your brakepedal and then also adds a little time before releasing the clutch so the engine isn't immedeatly stalled, but usually you would already be going when you're letting go of the brakes. This can make using a gap in city traffic harder and more unsafe. If you're going donwhill an auto car, (at least those i encountered) won't bother selecting a lower gear to keep around the same speed, of course if you're pressing the brake it might downshift but still then it might not be the appropriate gear for the needed force. Of course you can switch to manual mode then, but i think most non car-people will not bother with that, instead overheating their brakes on long downlhill drives. As you said for many mods that would help to reduce fuel consumption: Tey're just not worth it. Well I think same goes for start-stop systems in many cases. Of course cars with those systems are engineered to withstand the negative effects of starting and stoping the motor again and again but that doesn't mean they won't last longer if you leave the system off, and i think manufacturing and shipping more cars or spareparts because old ones broke earlier isn't that cost-effective either. I tend to activate my system in situation where i know it wil take at least half a minute till the traffic will be going again. On redlights i rather try to slow down enough so i don't have to do a full stop before it's turning green again. Same goes for tyre sealant and inflation kit. Of course it will be a little lighter but neither necesarrily more convenient nor cost effective. I haven't tried them myself yet but as far as i heard the foam or glue you fill into your tire to seal it after a puncture is pretty nasty stuff, which might makes it easier or even necessary to get not only a new tire but a whole new wheel cause of course it spreads all out between the tire you want to fix and the rim that doesn't need any of that stuff and might get "ruined" by it. Also such kits cant help you in every problem you might encounter with your tires. Of course you also took that into consideration in the video, but still for city driving that might be relevant. If your tires get torn with a big gap, your sidewalls or even your rim gets damaged you're simply beached. If you're in a city you're probably able to go on with cab or public transport, but what about your car. You can't leave that in the middle of the road, might not instantly find a space to park it and even if you might have to pay for the time. So you probably need a tow truck and your car is unusable till you get your new tires, probably more additional cost. With a spare, you swap it, give a call to the workshop so they can get your parts and go on with your business in the meantime. Wheight in general doesn't consume energy, instead the more energy you use to accelerate your heavier car is stored as more momentum. Assuming you can offset the negative effect on rolling resistance with the correct tire inflation for your cars current weight, the same car with more weight in it would go further if you release the throttle at the same speed. Of course in stop and go you're more likely to waste that additional momentum in heat and brakewear. Last but not least, small cars aren't allways the most economic option in terms of fuel consumption. The weight aspect was already mentioned in the last paragraph. Aerodynamics aren't necessaryly that much better compared to a normal sedan or wagon as the with might be almost the same and they might even be a little higher so the people have enough headspace sitting more upright so the car can be shorter, also at the low speeds these cars are designed for they're probably not number one priority. And thats the point, a car ist usually designed for a certain use. If your use is just city driving, a small car will be better but you might consider public transport aswell. If you're constantly going longer distances or even drive on motorways those cars might not even be unpleasent to drive but maybe also consume more fuel than a bigger cars cause you're probably asking more power from the engine than it can efficiently deliver, especially if it is a small turbo engine which needs additional fuel for cooling in high load scenarios to avoid knock. Just get a car that fits your needs. In the end driving efficiently comes down to good maintanance, awareness of your driving situation and whats lying ahead of you, maintaining a fluent drive, cooperating with others on the road and not going all out in acceleration, braking, top speed and other things that might be fun to do with your car.
I have ridden with SO many drivers who seem to think the accelerator pedal is operating an old pump organ. It never occurs to them to find a sweet spot between idle and WOT.
How bizarre - I guess they never learned to drive a manual? :D Pump-organ pedal use gives you the worst of both worlds in terms of economy: open-loop fuel enrichment because of the WOT, plus accelerator tip-in enrichment while you're getting there.
I completly agree with most of the stuff except 2 points (where one is just subject to my experience). I use the onboard realtime consumption thing to train myself and till this day its my favorite gauge. I would recommend it to anyone with a bit of driving experience. It helped me to get an avarage of 5.2-5.4 in the city and 4.6-4.8 on the highway. (compared to 6.2ish in the city and 7.6ish on the highway. yes I was driving a bit stupid bc of my lack of knowledge and driving practice). 2nd point is about hybrids: I dont have any evidence but my thinking is: If you drive in the city mostly relaing on the e-motor the gasoline engine and tank is dead weight and if you are going on the highway then its the other way around. so either way its a kind of car which just has a niche application and therefore 2 cars: one(small) electric for the city where range isnt an issue and one (diesel?) for longer distances. but idk diffrent people diffrent needs for a car. so its mostly my opinion. PS: when is a new iconic engine video coming... already watched the playlist twice. Love your vids.
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
I always say driving economically requires the same technique as driving fast on a race track: avoid braking & preserve momentum. A requirement for this is 'looking ahead' (past the 5 metres in front of the car), predict the motion of traffic instead of reacting to it. Also very important for safety itself
Good point conservation of momentum ,everytime you stop at traffic lights ,adjust for traffic or break for obstacles and have to accelerate again the car chews through petrol,
Maybe safety is indeed more important than saving little money. If you really want to safe, ride a bike.
Maybe this is one of the dangerous things this video should have mentioned. I cut corners and use other side of the road when there is no traffic. It keeps my momentum and go around corners fast, keeping a constant speed. Great fun.
Fuel is cheap. Who cares.
@@wingkinwong9082 Bikes are fine if people ride them wisely. Few do. The bicycle casualty stats in Holland, where bike riding is very big, make very dismal reading indeed.
At 3:57, you mixed up less vs more viscous. Just a heads up for reference.
I know 😭 too late now. I always double check but things still slip by from time to time
Understandable
@@d4a I know! But that's what happens when you have a South Philadelphia accent! FR
@@d4a sir can i get pdfs for your vedios because i am student and i always use this vedio to learn more
One thing that can help is hitting lights when they are green, so if you look ahead, and the light is red, in most cases you can just let off the gas and idle up to that light that might turn green by the time you get there. This may be slower than traffic, so you end up slowing down the cars behind you, but usually does not decrease safety unless the people behind you are aggressive. If everyone did this traffic would flow more smoothly, roads and the air above them would be cooler in the summer, and it would be a lot safer as well.
I HATE and find ridiculous people speeding between traffic lights. I swear they can’t be happy people.
@@comeberza i dont know about you but flooring on the lights is fun
@@kolegakolano I wont negate. It is. If I had an electric car and didn't feel stupid for doing it, I'd floor it in every occasion
I do this. My reasoning is why spend gas maintaining my speed if I'll have to stop anyway? I won't have to wait any longer by just coasting in gear and slowing down naturally. Taking longer to get there decreases the time I have to idle and increases the chance it will be green when I get there.
@@kolegakolano yeah, it is fun, but it is more fun to play accelerate in the countryside, especially if you have a motorcycle, or a BMW that corners like a slot car because of the extra steering linkage.
i think you got oil viscosity backwards. More viscous is more resistant to flow, not less
Right, he got it backwards. The higher the weight the more viscous is the oil.
Thanks for the comment, I thought the same and just checked.
Viscosity is the "Resistance to flow".
I was about to say that
@driving 4 answers... should really fix this... even thouhg it may seem as a small inadvertence
I thought I was having a stroke when I heard that.
I usually follow these 3 rules to save fuel:
-Try to be careful to maintain your vehicle following the manufacturer's specs, specially when changing oil, filters and inflating tires.
-Be respectful towards your moment of inertia, avoiding unnecessary, sudden and strong braking/accelerating movements.
-Carpool it's not a bad idea when possible.
Combining trips is another great idea. You'll often reduce the total distance travelled, plus the engine will spend more time warmed up, which means leaner mixtures and lower engine oil viscosity (not to mention the benefits of driving off water from combustion that otherwise contaminates your oil). Drive to the most distant destination first.
Finally a fuel saving video that isnt only saying something stupid like "add WD-40 to your gas" or something simple and obvious like "remove useless weight"
Someone actually uses WD-40 as fuel additives?
@@hectornecromancer5308 Yeah ive seen people unironically suggest it. Anyone stupid enough to follow that advice deserves the blown engine theyll have shortly after.
Great video. One correction: Drafting is not ineffective. It is very effective and can more than double your fuel economy. But you are correct, it is EXTREMELY dangerous,. and you shouldn't do it. Good luck having the gas savings be higher than the costs of the inevitable rear-end collision.
In no circumstance can drafting "more than double your fuel economy."
@@johnsmith1474 Correction: In no SAFE way can drafting double your fuel economy. On a flat course, drafting at 3-5 feet behind a semi, you can get FAR more than double. Just remember, the data on these stupid close drafting differences was done on a closed course with an automated system maintaining the interval. To see those gains in the real world, you would quickly lose your license and insurability with the number of times you would rear-end the vehicle in front of you.
One time I ran out of petrol (fuel light on) and by using this technique I still made it to the nearest gas station luckily.
I recall an experiment run in the 1980s where they fitted test cars with automatic following systems. They used telemetry to manage following distance and signal the lead car’s activity back along the train, optical steering sensors, and join/depart protocols.
Watching videos of those cars drive a foot apart was interesting.
I’m not sure I’d trust the lead driver enough to participate?
The cars would overheat if they spent too long in the train, but like NASCAR knows they saw significant fuel savings.
@@wingkinwong9082 fuel light on means you still have 10-15% of your tank left (20 to 50 miles (30 to 80 km's)). It was made this way, so that, *pardon the expression*, dummies, wouldn't get stranded when they only think to refuel at the last moment.
Very good video. Nice work.
I don't agree with only one thing. It is beneficial to turn the engine off at a red light IF you have to wait for more than 40-50 seconds. Sometimes you have to wait for more than a minute (at level crossings, toll booths, waiting for fuel pumps). Cars with larger engines can burn a lot of fuel in a minute. The wear and tear that your starter motor is going to experience are negligible compared to the excess fuel you are going to use by just idling on red lights every day.
There are also other driving habits that can save you fuel. I always approach a red light very slowly, often by the time I get to it it turns green, this means I don't have to accelerate from a standstill. Accelerating from 5-10km/h is way more efficient than accelerating from a standstill.
I manage to get my Audi A3 2.0TDI quattro as low as 5 liters/100km.
Definitely agree with the last part. Im considering doing a video of my own showing the early braking technique.
In the states where a lot of the stop light have sensors, stoplights will change when you approach them. However the sensors are so close to the stop line that most of the time, cars will stop a couple of seconds before the light turns green, mostly negating the fuel saving benefit of the sensor.
Acceleratong from 5kmh means i dont have to slip the clutch at all, which saves in many ways.
Also have a TDI here.
@@ignasanchezl TDI are some of the best diesel engines ever made. Very tough, , economical and relatively cheap to maintain. Engine braking is also a very good way to save on fuel.
1.9 PD BEW is what i got
though people behind you will flash high lights and honk, that's the only problem
@@wobblebs87 let them.....I have a sticker in the rear window, " you want me to go faster, pay for my fuel. Or suck it up."
A month ago i bought a 150cc moped, great savings so far
Missed an uncommon one about shifting, I've heard people say that (with a manual car) flooring it in 2nd gear to skip 3rd and go straight to 4th saves gas because 2nd gear is easier for the engine to accelerate the vehicle. However, accelerating any mass from one speed to another requires the same amount of kinetic energy added to the system, and engines are the most efficient at lower RPM and higher load (ex: ~2500RPM, ~80% throttle), this is the region where you extract the most amount of energy out of the fuel being burned and therefore this is the ideal region to be in when accelerating. This is where pumping losses are at a minimum because your engine is not fighting a throttle valve to pull air in. There's charts out there that compare either Brake Specific Fuel Consumption (BSFC) or thermal efficiency to the torque output (load, more air = more torque) and RPM. Great video, thank you!
That's the main reason a manual car these days can never match automatics. Modern automatic software are extremely competent at following the BSFC map and keeps the engine in the most efficient zone.
Get a obd2 reader. Switch gear at 2000rpm is the most economical
Exactly!!
@@alanchantiefighterskuanlia627 It depends where in the rev range maximum torque is developed. In my Skoda Rapid training car, 2,000 rpm on the flat is ideal. In my TD5 and 200 TDI Land Rover Discoverys, 2,500 is more appropriate.
@@SkyWKing Modern automatics have many ratios which can quickly adapt to early shifts to match the most economical revs. They are very clever and do a great job. Until they go wrong. Then the bills and frustration become huge. I do not like autos. They have become better over the years but I still prefer a manual.
Going down long descents, people never lock them into a lower gear, preferring instead to ride down the hill on the brakes. This increases air borne brake dust.
How to Save Gas: Drive a 1.9 TDI
YES
The prius isn't a bad option, either. I bought a neglected 2006 prius for $3200 last year and have put about $500 into it (diy) to get it running right. It has surpassed my expectations. Now, it is a solid little 180k mile car.
I drive about 25k miles a year, so driving my prius saves a ton in fuel, compared to my f150. I get 18-20mpg in my truck and 45-50mpg in the prius. With gas nearing $5/gallon, that prius more than pays for itself. My truck is also holding its value better with less mileage.
Similar to the TDI, a well maintained prius can make it 300-400k miles. The prius doesn't have a timing belt. Minor repairs are surprisingly easy and relatively cheap. Toyota cars also do not require specialty tools to work on them, unlike VW cars. On the flipside, it costs about $2000-2500 to replace the hybrid battery around the 15 year mark. The prius also does not have that addictive low-end torque and satisfying diesel rumble that the TDI provides.
Both the VW TDIs and Toyota prius are my top picks for best economy cars. If my truck wasn't fast, I'd miss the power and probably lean toward a tuned tdi over a prius. Currently, I'm enjoying the easier, but boring, ownership of my prius.
E320 CDI 45mpg
@@Brandon_Nelson92 but with the electric motor you also have a lot of torque. You could probably swap a used battery in it for less.
I did some performance mods 😅 a 4" K&N Apollo Cold Air intake did improve the 100-200kph from 55,6 to 35,3 seconds and 180hp Software upgrade brought it down to 29,2 seconds
Tdi in rabbit pickup.
Can not be beat for
Mpg
Or smiles per gallon.
Because it’s rated at 54mpg in a vehicle that weighed over 1000lbs more!!!!
I have bought 3 gallons since before the war in Ukraine
To save fuel, it's good idea to coast early when approaching a red light. Stopping at a light sooner than later is not going to save you any time. When you continue to apply throttle, you're spending fuel to maintain momentum that will just be dumped away as heat by the time you reach the light. Because you're going to stop at the light very early, you will spend at lot more time idling, using even more fuel. Whereas, if you coast early (while in gear), you will consume no fuel until you finally come to a stop. Because you're not going as fast, you will come to a stop later and not spend as much time idling. Sometimes the light will turn green before you even have to stop and you still have useful momentum that you would otherwise have to regain by using more fuel.
Underrated comment.
Too bad too less people know this and still drive even when the red light is on the traffice sign few metres ahead.
Yes, anticipation is sorely underrated. Quite a few years back, I had to drive across London from Richmond (SW) to Dagenham (NE) late one evening (about 11.30 pm) and the car was a citroen CX2400 with a dodgy second gear synchromesh, cue lots of crunchy ness. By anticipating red lights, roundabouts and junctions, along with other vehicles behaviour, I completed the run in 45 minutes at an average speed of about 19mph and because I had brimmed the tank before I started and topped off at my destination, I used the equivalent of 38mpg.....which on a car weighing in at 1 and 3/4 tons with a 2.4 litre petrol engine was, in my opinion, pretty good going for the ultimate city drive. I stopped 3 times and hardly changed out 3rd the whole way. Anticipation is all you need.
If you still have excess speed when coasting downhill with the accelerator pedal released, using a lower gear will not only help limit your speed by increasing engine braking, it will also run the alternator and A/C compressor faster, recovering more of the gravitational potential energy you've saved up by climbing the hill.
I used to draft semis when I was younger. It didn’t decrease fuel Efficiency at all. It was a really big bump in gas mileage. I stopped doing once I had kids as it wasn’t safe. Many times I had semis brake check me because I was following so close. Never had an accident but got close few times. Another downside was my engine ran hotter as it wasn’t getting cool air in radiator.
Just like in NASCAR: draft too much and the engine heats more.
As long as it's not overheating, the hotter the engine the more efficient it is.
I am a truck driver and I do this in my personal vehicle. I also do not mind when people do this as long as its on the highway. But be aware the weight of the truck and thus the stopping distance can vary by much more than you would think so pay close attention if you do this. Also your car should not overheat when doing this as it still has a cooling fan and air will still pass under the trailer.
You should have mentioned something for SUV buyers…five things going against economy: tall built, higher ground clarence, bigger wheel diametre, ( usualy ) automatic transmission and square back…! Admittedly, higher seating position means better view of the road…only as long as people ( like me ) keep driving passenger cars…!
18:50 manually start stopping can work. Engineering explained did a little test and everything above 7 seconds would see a fuel gain compared to keeping the engine running. Especially at a railway crossing you should definitely shut the engine off!
I've also seen that video, so got a little curious with the numbers for my car. Even accounting for starter wear, it does save money. In my case, it is equivalent to paying $0.0033/start more to save some varying amount which should be a greater savings than the spend. I don't personally do this often as I'm usually doing mostly highway driving.
When following a semi truck you should stay far enough back that you can see their side view mirrors. This allows them to be able to see you because thier trailer prevents them from using a rear view mirror. If you follow this advice you can still see some of the benefits of drafting above 70 mph.
(Of course as speed increases you have to leave more of a following distance)
The benefits of this are not drastic but when driving a 2012 Chevy Express 3500 with a 6 l V8 I can get almost an extra MPG. (About 19mpg vs just over 18mpg)
You're not drafting unless you're inside the wake turbulence. Your ECU is just very happy to optimize air-fuel ratio when you're finally driving a constant speed.
I hate driving behind big trucks, I dont feel comfortable if i can't see several hundred meters down the road when going highway speeds.
D4A, Another great video 👌
As a mechanic who used to rally drive, I enjoy your content because you actually know what you are talking about 👌
In these days of over-regulated driving on the road, I've had to change my driving habits a lot and now entertain myself playing 'fuel economy games' instead of speeding everywhere trying to get to the destination in the least possible time 🤣
In a 2 tonne diesel Navara utility, I can get some trips down into the 6lt/100 range and still go with the traffic around me 🙂
As a former night-time cab driver turned bus driver I can relate to changing 'the game' from 'driving as fast as possible' to 'driving as economical as possible'. The thrills don't match, though.. 😉
Thank you. Thanks to creators like you im living in a golden age of,hm, invormative entertainment. Thats such a pleasure to learn from you. Take care. Cheers.
There's a video about idling consumption in Engineering Explained channel. I remember Jason said that if the engine stop time is more than around 7 seconds it compensates for the excess fuel needed for starting it. Actually, based on him, it's not THAT MUCH fuel (as you said) required to start the engine.
It is more the engine wear when starting the car by spinning up the engine through the starter motor on and off. Which is bad for the overall engine life.
Well if you wait at a stop light, it doesn't make much sense to kill the engine. I do it when i'm stuck in traffic that just doesn't move or in a road work zone with a red light that indicates that i'll be stuck there for, say "xyz" amount of time...
@@wingkinwong9082fine if the engine is operating temp. On/off a lot without letting engine get to temp I agree is bad
@@marc-oliviercabot3380 It depends on the kind of stop you'll make and your position in pack. If it's a stop in which you have the time to put the car in neutral and pull the handbrake (and then calmly release it and put the car back in gear when the lights turn green), then it also makes sense to shut down. If you're leading the pack or it's a short red light (say, no traffic on the crossing driveway), it's better to keep foot on the brake and engine running.
Cruise control? Did he mention it? Idk, but it helps a lot.
On flat ground. In mountainous areas, no
"more fuel efficient than cars inspired by bricks" ROFLMAO! Happy D4A Sunday from California, all! Another fantastic video, packed with great advice and useful tips.
Key is defensive drivbing-more using brakes-=more fuel burned for heating them. Drive smoothly=better fuel economy
As a driving instructor, I teach all my pupils about torque and how to use the rev counter. My training car has done 76,000 miles from new and is still on its original brakes. They will easily last to 90,000 miles and might even make it to 100,000 miles. Fuel economy is acceptable on a training car and front drive tyres are lasting 35-40,000 miles.
Apart from cost, this is reducing dust, which is a pollutant.
Just don't teach engine braking on stick shifts. I was a huge believer in this when I watched how long my brakes lasted until I realized the >$900 clutch replacements every 90k miles cost much more than the money I saved on brake pads. Ever since I quit engine braking to save my brakes, I've never needed to replace a clutch.
@@SvdSinner Works best when you're not downshifting to engine brake, just keeping in the lower gear when setting off from a stop before a downhill.
You can blip the throttle as you down shift to match RPMs and take some load off the clutch. Asking the clutch to speed/slow the engine is a quick way to wear it out whether gearing up or down…
@@nautamaran I quite agree although I have found that with students, it is easier to get them to depress the clutch at 1,000 rpm while finishing off braking and this ensures a pretty much seamless down shift. Sometimes they get it right, but then they are learners and it takes time.
@@SvdSinner Defective clutch or you operating it badly. Accelerating from a stop puts much bigger forces on the clutch than getting engine up to speed when engine braking. Difference in clutch life should be very small. I am using engine baking a lot and I never had to replace clutch on my cars. One of them has 320k km and still has original clutch.
Thanks!
Thank you! Much appreciated!
Something else that will save alot of fuel if you drive lots of short distances is an engine coolant pre-heater like webasto. Also reduces wear on the engine everytime you start it.
it uses fuel too, it would be better to have coolant heater on ac220v and plug it in 15 minutes before drive(i made one from caffe machine, it has 2 heaters with 2x1400w and it heats up big engine very fast, 30seconds for 1 deg of C)
@@makantahi3731 Smart solution. I would want an electric water pump going also. If the car doesnt have one already. I think some modern cars do.. instead of the belt.
But you can also buy a high power electric system although much more expensive of course. Then you get a pump also.
@@martinsvensson6884 thanks, i invested some 30 euros in this project: 2 dolce gusto caffe machines-used "broken", but if i wanted to repair it i had just to clean scale, but i just needed heaters, i bought good water pump on 12v and 2 relays, that device is remote, i just pull off hose from expansion bottle on car and connect that device on and it starts to circulate coolant, every heater has its own cable so i can choose one or both to work because each must be connected on different plug because fuses are mostly on 15 amps and it could drain more, i use it on big engine(5.7) if outside temp is below 15 c (one) and if temp is below 0c /both)whatever , in 30 minutes engine has temperature of50 c , on second car with small engine i made permanent system with 4 diesel heaters that help to heat up coolant when engine is started, they drain 70amps, and speeds up switching from petrol to lpg for 30-50%
@@makantahi3731 Sounds like a great simple solution. Wish all cars in northern climates had something like that as standard. Far from all people have the minds to create something like that by themselves even if it sounds simple.
is this built into plugin hybrids? plugin hybrids balance between non sustinable high production emissions electric drivetrain and combustion emissions system... prius prime for ex see eegnineering explained video on small turbo, mazda engine, electric car etc
I think one thing that really helps is maintaing safe distance between you and the car before you, especially in dense trafic. It also helps with trafic jams. I can never understand why people like to tailgate as much as they do. Every time you have to break unnecessarily, you are basically throwing your money out the window.
Bad news...A car with advanced adaptive cruise control can be used in drafting scenarios. Especially following a truck or something significantly bigger with a much longer stopping distance. it is not as safe as following further back. Great video. You covered it very well.
Even a truck can stop from 100 km/h to 0 in 1 second - after hitting another truck that has suddenly stopped at the highway. That's how those truckers with cruise controls and 5m distance set up on it are killing themself sometimes.
As someone who drives very efficiently, I find it entertaining that most of this video is either things that I consider more important for safety or longevity, not efficiency.. and the things mentioned for efficiency seem like basics to me. An example of a less basic technique is coasting towards a red light, waiting to brake until you're closer. If you time it right, you go through the intersection without stopping. When you get it wrong, you use up your brakes a little quicker. It requires skill, but when you do it right, it makes an appreciable difference. Note: This only applies to non-hybrid/non-electric vehicles. With those, brake very gently so you get maximum efficiency regenerative braking, so you're safer, don't wear out your brakes, and get energy recovered.
(Batteries charge/discharge much more efficiently when the charging/discharging is slower, so gentle braking is better for them. This is also why you should still accelerate gently in a hybrid/electric. I think some people believe that because it's not like an engine, they can just mash on it because "the only difference is how fast you use it" and that's just not true.)
For pickups, a tailgate creates a vortex that improves aerodynamics.. but I know the comparison between tailgate up and down.. I hadn't considered that a covering (or tunnel as you call it) could be more efficient.
Engines take between 4-8 seconds of fuel to start depending on conditions. If you're really stuck (like at a train crossing), it can still be worth it.. but shut off other non-essentials too.
I know keeping the tank not full puts additional strain on the fuel pump, but I'm not sure how much of an effect this has. I keep my car between 40-100% full, but my motorcycle I usually run down to 10-20% before refilling. It makes less of a difference on my car because it's a hybrid. (We've determined through cross-country trips that it's actually just as efficient with a large load of stuff as it is carrying just one person. So I'm not worried about the weight at all. Still try to keep it clean though - I need that space for stuff!)
The Lucas Upper Cylinder Lubricant is actually very affective for clearing out clogged fuel injectors which is probably why they advertise it can increase fuel economy. On already clean engines it won’t affect fuel economy but it’s still a great lubricant.
Saving fuel was like a game to me when I started driving. Also it was 2008 when I got my license. I wasn't happy unless I got 36 mpg in my 5-speed saturn.
Aaaah hypermiling, always some weird and interesting things there, did quite a lot of experimentation with that in my younger days :D Agreed with all your points! Smoothness, as always, is key to best results. And try to get into DFCO (deceleration fuel cut-off) as often and as long as possible :)
i fink thats the key to fuel savings--knowing that the injectors cut off when going downhill.
I've been wondering how pulse and glide with DFCO compares with very light constant throttle for cruise conditions. Specifically, under DFCO you're still turning the vehicle's kinetic energy into waste heat by making the engine pump - I wondered if putting those pumping losses to some use by burning a tiny amount of fuel might actually be better in some conditions. (I do use engine braking in preference to friction braking. For my next tank I think I will try pulse & glide with DFCO.)
@@thromboid Whenever I take my car for service, the mechanic is shocked that I barely have any brake wear at all :D
Dfco IS A JOKE. UR ENGINE BECOME AIR COMPRESSOR. Going neutral save more fuel. My car have dfco but use more fuel ckmpared to neutral
@@alanchantiefighterskuanlia627 how does an engine use more fuel when 0 fuel is being injected?
Tack!
more viscous means more resistance to flow. for example, honey is more viscous than water. higher oil number also means higher viscosity. other than that, great video!
Yeah I saw that and did a mental double-take too
My number 1 suggestion is to drive with the mpg or L/100km displayed if your vehicle has it.
That way you can monitor what rpm, speed and environment your specific engine likes. Personally my vehicle finds it’s rhythm at around 1900 to 2100 rpm or around 107-110 km/h.
12:30 Also, some automatic cars have an "eco" mode, which disengages the transmission while cruising without throttle, bringing the rpm down to idle and effectively coasting in neutral.
My 98 Chrysler minivan does this. It coasts anytime I lift. No engine braking at all. Not sure if idling the engine uses more fuel or less compared with the drag and loss of velocity of decel fuel cut off.
this may not be a good idea, cuz when engine braking fuel injection is essentially shut off, and the engine is being pulled by the wheels, not fuel
@@wobblebs87 Fuel injection is not shut off while engine braking, though you're right in that coasting in general isn't a great idea as the engine braking helps with deceleration.
My VW Polo 2023 (1.0L 90HP turbo, 7-speed DCT) does this in drive. However, if I touch the brake pedal even for half a millimeter, it immediately goes in gear and then continues coasting in gear until full stop. I've understood that in D it tries keeping a stable speed more than save fuel. Switching to S mode removes this behavior. Also touching the throttle puts it in gear. Sometimes I just downshift manually and keep a smidgen of throttle on a highway when I plan to decelerate to a car in front after overtaking.
One thing that does work is Cetane booster (2-EHN) for Diesel. Really helps cheap supermarket brand diesel to burn better and cleaner. More MPG and less DPF clogging. I definitely get better MPG with it and the engine seems smoother.
you can FAS in a manual and have the clutch depressed with the ignition ON but engine OFF. All you have to do to turn the engine on is let go of the clutch and the engine will instantly bump start. I do this in my89 triton all the time. It has no power steering anyway so thats not a problem either. You just have to make sure the engine is in the right gear and you dont let off the clutch too quickyl or you will lock up the rear. its also carburetured so no extra fuel is used when i turn the engine back on.
Thank you @d4a for condemning hypermiling. I've caught my brother doing this multiple times from 2010-15(the Obama disaster) in a 65mph zone by doing 45mph. He justified it by saying his hazards being on while being in the far right lane means he's not breaking the law. He kept getting mad ad me because I warned him he could be pulled over for obstruction of traffic.
Use the right fuel for the car, use good oil at the correct oil level and use proper maintenance really are the only good things you can do
Doing 45 mph on the freeway is illegal and very dangerous
@@DylanL69 you can in certain situations on the toll roads. But I said the same thing
What was the Obama disaster? The government doesn't control prices on shoes, car insurance, boxing gloves or gas.
@@charleslowe522 high gas prices, recession, that horrible cash for clunkers(to stay within the context of this video of course)
@@mikee7070 The government doesn't control gas prices. Recession, you realize that in 2008 we were facing the worst economy since the Great depression. Do you remember we in September 2008 when Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy that within hours, the credit markets were frozen and the companies like Genetal Electric were having trouble financing their day to day operations. Jobs started dropping just shortly after that. The bankruptcy of Lehmann put the global markets into a death spiral. Then AIG was no longer able to honor its financial obligations and the government either took over or handed them a big fat check so they could pay the investment banks 100 cents on the dollar at the tax payers expense. Fanny Mae and Freddy had to be taken over directly by the government. The former CEO of Goldman Sachs who was head of the US Treasury then went to congress and ask for a 700 billion dollar check to hand out to the investment banks in hopes that it would unfreeze credit and stabilize the markets. The US and the entire global economy were about to crumble. With passage of TARP though, the global meltdown was averted. However credit markets remained frozen and the banks who were given 700 billion dollars on tax payers dime made fewer loans and millions continued to lose their homes and they were plenty of jobs lost and 50 trillion dollars in wealth was gone. What president do we blame this on? Bush, no, Obama well he wasn't in office yet. You blame a president, well go back to January 20th 1981 and the inauguration that day an that's the president to start. It was this president who wanted to deregulate Wall Street and undo regulations that were put in place to prevent the very thing that happened in 2008. If you think that it's as simple as the president in office you're sadly mistaken. The US was in a recession starting in 2008 and probably earlier. The gas prices aren't controlled by the president, remember we live in a capitalist country and it would be very un-American for the president to have control over gas prices. Cash for clunkers, was that an executive order or did it get passed thru congress? What was worse deregulation of Wall Street and trickle down economics or cash for clunkers? Reagan made it possible for a select few to get rich on Wall Street and the more money these people made the more they wanted and it certainly didn't trickle down. BTW 2011, I got the largest bonus ever that year. Not like Wall Street, but very nice for a embedded software engineer. So we couldn't have been in too bad of a recession then.
Certainly the best video guide I ever watched on fuel saving techniques .. very useful and very well organized content, sequenced logically .. one good thing about your explanation is that you emphasized precautions that are necessary in fuel saving driving techniques..
Very clear and concise knowledge bombs. Great job, more people should know these things.
Can't belive I was not subscribed for all this time. This was a mad video! So much usefull information. I turns out me ignoring the fault code for the O2 sensors on my BMW is actually pretry bad for fuel economy and engine health. Thank you for educating me 😂 Hvala tebe, brate!
Awesome video. Definitely busted some misconceptions I had about coasting in neutral. Thank you for always doing so much research and presenting it in an easy to understand format!
Coasting in neutral does save fuel, unless it requires the use of the brake later in a situation where engine braking would have avoided that. One simple example is a hill where coasting in neutral just about keeps you rolling at (the desired) constant speed. If you were to engine brake, you would have to alternate between engine braking and accelerating to keep the same average speed. This means your engine would be running at a noticeably higher RPM than idling and thus generate more friction and pumping losses, which ultimately would have to be overcome with more fuel combustion.
@@aphextwin5712 For that to ever be true you'd have to have like a 0.01 degree incline which is very rare. Coasting in gear is the correct method 99% of the time.
@@NAmania I don’t know what car you are driving. I frequently ‘roll’ through a freeway tunnel (two tubes with each two lanes per direction) that descends about 50 m over a 3200 m distance, ie, a slope of about 0.9°. Since the beginning and the end of the tunnel flatten out, the main part of the tunnel is a bit steeper, best guess thus maybe a 1° incline.
The speed limit in that tunnel is 100 km/h. I am happy to follow the trucks in the right lane, their official speed limit is 80 km/h but they usually drive at between 85-90 km/h (according to my speedometer). My rough guess for terminal coasting speed in my car in that tunnel is about 60 km/h because I actually have to do a bit of pulse and glide* to keep up with the trucks (ie, the car slows below 80 km/h while coasting in neutral, out of consideration for the cars behind me, I don’t let my speed drop below 80 km/h).
*Which brings me to my last point. The ‘pulse and glide’ method is called exactly that and not ‘pulse and engine break’ for a reason. Google "pulse and glide metrompg" for a detailed explanation.
@@aphextwin5712 You're spot on on that technique. I always use neutral whenever I'm somewhat descending and want to increase/maintain speed. It takes a lot more fuel to keep a gear and making the engine rev. Then, when I feel I need to brake, I just put it in an adequate gear that takes care of my speed (whenever possible), taking advantage of fuel injection turning off
I thought nah this video is not for me. Not talking about car technology.
Than i watched anyway and again i enjoyed it so mutch like all you’re other videos! ❤❤❤
8:04 Worth mentioning that any car with electronic fuel injection will just turn the injectors off if you're off throttle at least 200-300 RPM above idle, because you don't need fuel to keep the engine running. So just rev match and use the engine braking instead if you want to save fuel. I know you mention this later, but adding this to the stupid idea of shutting the engine off shows how stupid it is.
Please tell me this works with old diesel engines... Mechanical injection
@@user-xt1mw6vm3y This is what he means:
"if you're off throttle at least 200-300 RPM above idle,"
1- Your car is moving.
2- The transmission is engaged.
3- The rotation of your wheels produces a comparable rotation in the crankshaft of "idle" plus a given amount (he stated at least 200-300 more.)
4- You are not applying the throttle.
In those conditions, the wheels are turning the crankshaft with the vehicle's own momentum. So the engine doesn't need fuel to turn the crankshaft.
@@user-xt1mw6vm3y This answer is a bit long, as I assumed you wanted a somewhat more thorough answer.
Yes: We are borrowing it from the transmission (how exactly we do that varies by transmission, but it's easy to imagine if you think of physically connected gears.)
"Power" in an engine is the result of the crankshaft rotating. Whether we are generating electrical energy through the alternator, or toque through the driveshaft, or pressure through a power steering pump: It all ultimately results from the rotational energy of the crankshaft.
So, if the crankshaft is already rotating at or above the system's desired RPM by borrowing power from the connected drivetrain (with overhead, explained a bit further down), there is no need to inject any fuel to create any additional power.
The most simplistic version is that we "let it roll" since it is already doing so.
This will slow the vehicle down by effectively creating a bit of a vacuum in the combustion cylinders. Because power isn't free. But if the car roll downhill and still have spare energy to rotate the crankshaft, the fuel injectors can simply "cut off" in most electronic fuel injection engines. This is what OP referred to as "engine braking."
This is why you can't just roll "at idle" but instead, at "idle plus" a given amount: Because some of the energy of you rolling is taken from the driveshaft and fed to those other systems. As long as the system can maintain an "idle" RPM, it is effectively just taking advantage of momentum or gravity to create the same rotational energy that fuel normally would. To rotate the crankshaft to generate all of the power the vehicle needs.
You could argue this isn't efficient to some extent, as we're creating a vacuum that effectively slows us down: but if we're not desiring a degree of acceleration beyond that resulting speed, we essentially get "free power."
Of course, it isn't truly free. We had to generate the power to get moving, so it's closer to "recycling" excess energy. But if were to exclusively use this feature when rolling downhill, it would be borrowing gravity to generate power. On a straightaway where we need to apply power to MAINTAIN momentum, yes.. It's actually not horribly effective (in fact, the constant cycling can be LESS effective is the cut-off of the fuel injectors is too trigger happy) unless we sped to a high speed and are coasting to a lower one. Otherwise, we will have to apply more power (with fuel) to compensate once we've slowed down.
Does this better answer your question?
TLDR: When we slow down by "engine braking" (decelerating without applying the brakes) or when we "roll downhill", we can actually recycle the excess energy in the system and use it in place of fuel to keep the crankshaft rotating.
@@user-xt1mw6vm3y Btw I'd like to add something I forgot:
This cut-off isn't very helpful AT ALL on flat ground (except if we consider real-world traffic conditions), and I accidentally misrepresented that:
If we recycle excess energy, thus "engine braking" on flat ground because we just accelerated to 80MPH to pass someone, and are now intending to slow to 60MPH.. We do get a bit of "free power" from the excess we generated.
But.. Well, then if we look at it as distance over time.. We don't: We slow down sooner, thus needing to generate additional power earlier to maintain momentum.
But, since cars don't drive non-stop and do often have to change speeds or stop, we effectively get a moderate margin of fuel savings in the end. And a TON if we all commuted exclusively downhill lol.
@@user-xt1mw6vm3y I edited my former comments for clarity. I hope they help. The short answer is: Yes. We "get it from the transmission who gets it from the wheels." But I do think the longer answer may be something you find interesting.
I absolutely agree 100% with everything in this video! Im gonna make sure everyone I know sees it.
My standard MPG on the highway is around 32, behind a semi its 35 to 37mpg.
I am not drafting super close either, I follow the 2 second rule which is what was taught in drivers ed for the closest you should get.
Standard following distance behind semi still saves a good amount of fuel.
Also, you are constantly accelerating and decelerating isnt true either since you just hit cruise control and trucks dont change/cant change their speeds fast at all.
Manually starting and stopping your engine not saving fuel is also false. Engineering Explained did a video around this already. You only need to idle for around 7 seconds for it to consume more fuel than if you just turned off your engine. Very useful in drive thrus and if the light just turned red.
You are correct and the video is incorrect. This channel is usually pretty good but he got a few critical things wrong in the video. 10% to 20% fuel use reduction sounds about right for following 2 seconds behind a semi in my vehicles. That's a larger gap than most people leave on a lazy sunday drive. Perfectly safe and legal.
I agree and saw about the same. Unfortunately I also could hear and see many more little bits of grit hit the front of my car and chip paint.
Amazing tips. Also don't forget that when coasting downhill in gear you're not only saving your fuel but also saving your brakes cause you get the benefit of engine braking which improves your safety as there will be less chances of brakes overheating.. Also techniques like Rev matching while downshifting also save fuel and brakes.
While engine breaking does help when in danger of overheating the breaks, the wear and tear on the gearbox is not worth it otherwise. So only (extensively) use it when going down a mountain where you are going to have to break over a long period of time
Great video covering the basic principles. It would be worth mentioning the impact of cruising speed on fuel efficiency. Each vehicle model has an optimal mileage speed, assuming constant speed and conditions are maintained.
Dj Khalid of the car world.........another one......keep up the good work d4a
I know it’s dangerous and it’s on the no go list but drafting actually works. I’ve done it on a couple trips and dropped my average from 5-6l/100km to 2-3l/100km. It’s hard to stay in the “sucking” zone and you have to stay focus both for braking if there was an emergency or to gently accelerate when you start to loose contact but most of the time, if the truck is big, the road is flat and you’re close enough you’re freewheeling for 2km in neutral. Would I recommend it, no. You have to know the road, know there isn’t gonna be an exit the truck may take and you’ll crash and it’s basically a really bad idea, but it saves you a lot of gas.
Yes, that is just one example of a few techniques he said "don't work" that actually do, but are not practical because they are either dangerous or increase wear and tear on the vehicle. Another one is that starting a warm engine uses more fuel than idling at a stop light. That is not true for the length of time spent idling at a typical stop light in a congested area. But I still wouldn't do it because the small amount of fuel saved is not worth the various downsides to shutting off your engine.
I used to do this on the motorbike. Unfortunately it used to get hot because there was no airflow in the suck zone but it sure was nice doing 60mph with no wind noise.
Nice lessons, what you have missed is talking about driving and changing gears in the range of maximum torque. But i am very satisfied, being so rational at young age.
Shifting earlier makes you use more accelerator, reducing the pumping lost and fuel consumption.
shifting early is good when cruising, but again... common sense.
the scenario told in the video is when you know you're going uphill. by the time you're done shifting, you're out of the power band and will try to compensate by pressing the accelerator deeper and burning more fuel than needed.
To be fair, the pumping losses are really negligible.
@Rafael Borges: Yes, that was about my only quibble with an otherwise excellent and really comprehensive video.
Best tip to good fuel economy accelerate quickly & smoothly to top gear and keep your foot STILL.
I'm watching this video knowing damn well i'm going to still floor it every chance i get.
1:37 Just get a wideband O2 sensor and a tune which is leaner during closed loop.
If you live on empty streets (suburbs or rural areas) you gotta find the most efficient speed for your car
Me and my brother did some tests and found speeds of 65-70 Km/h (~42 mph) to be most efficient
Of coarse if there is traffic you should follow it instead
Test was done on Hyundai Tucson 6sp auto. Best results when the engine is at ~1500rpm and transmission at top gear. Test was for constant speed and results through trip computer
I've tested my car like you have described and yes my car seems to just love cruising at about 65mph
I'm putting an MPGuino in my car soon and hope to replicate your experiment, but I would expect similar results. Fuel economy is basically speed divided by fuel flow rate, so the fastest you can go at the lowest RPM is probably best. Of course, at low road and engine speed and nearly closed throttle, the engine doesn't run very efficiently, but you need so little power that that's the most economical condition for that speed. At high road speeds, aerodynamic drag starts to kill economy. In the middle, there's a (fairy broad) sweet spot, no doubt highly optimised by the manufacturer. :)
@@thromboid love how you described fuel consumption, I believe everything in life is about a balance in the end
@@onyxon7740 I like that philosophy too. Balance is worth striving for, even if we never attain it.
4:07 i think you got the viscosity the others way around, the higher the viscosity, the more resistance to flow, thin oils are less viscous, hope it helps
Yes, exactly. I noticed the same and wondered if someone else noticed that as well in the comments.
Drafting is extremely beneficial about fuel saving, trust me...
I have been doing it for more than 10 years, and it saves more than 50% percent of fuel when done correctly... My car normally burns about 5 litres per 100km on highway, but when drafting is in action, it decreceases down to 2 litres per 100km...
But the part where you say, it is unsafe; is true...
what about overheating engine
What car are you driving? That's some insane mileage
this is my favorite car channel
I think filling up the fuel tank to only a half or 3/4 or whatever is going to make you use more fuel in the long run. Sure, not completely filling your fuel tank does help you save weight, which helps you save fuel, but then you have to go to the fuel station more often. Even if you stop by a fuel station that is directly on one your normal commuting routes, the process of turning off the street, pulling into a spot to get fuel and the pulling away from the gas station uses a small amount of fuel that you could have delayed if you had simply filled your tank all the way the last time. Does the 0.02 gallons it took to pull into and out of the fuel station out weigh the 0.02 gallons you saved by driving with less fuel? Maybe, but it cost you more time and it probably wasn't worth it.
You also discharge your battery and use your starter an extra time. Last I checked batteries and starters are still more expensive than a few gallons of gas.
@@ben501st Ever since I was a teenager and my truck wouldn’t crank when I went to leave the pump I never switch a vehicle off for fuel only
I see you everywhere lol
@@lethargicstove2024 Which one?
Clover, the guy who made this comment, I see him in many comment sections
I solved all my driving worries by switching to o a PHEV. If the engine ever fires up, it stops when coasting, it's always running at the optimal BMEP. Regen braking allows for one-pedal driving and the cruise control works also when driving downhill. Seven years of ownership currently and still running on factory brake pads. As for commute: the nicest way to do it is on an e-bike, save the car for when it is pleasant to use it.
The airfilter doesnt matter on a naturally aspirated petrol engine. Those pumping losses are induced by the throttle restriction plate. It just caps the max hp. This tune only works on diesels really.
i really liked the time stamps at the start more ppl should do this!
Nice to see that everything I do is listed here. I like to keep a large distance to the front car in a way that I can abuse shifting down the gears instead of breaking, and moving extremely slow when the signal is read, to avoid stopping completely.
Downshifting is good just don't rely on it alot to slow down the vehicle it will damage the trans
One trick about driving turbo cars if you have a boost gauge is keeping boost at around zero. In this state the compressor is generating exactly 1 atm in the intake manifold so there is no intake pumping loss. Further increasing boost also increases load on the turbine which increases exhaust pumping loss.
if you want to save fuel, don't buy a turbo car
Not really within the scope of the video I know, but let's not forget the massive fuel savings you can get from:
- living closer to work
- ride-sharing
- walking or cycling
- using public transport
:)
Yeah and you can reduce your bill for heating your house by not heating it. Whats your point?
@@Chris-yy7qc I guess my point is that the gains made through hypermiling (for want of a better term) techniques can be quite modest, and there are alternatives that can bring other benefits (saved money, less time wasted commuting, better health). Sure, you could not heat your house - but you could also install insulation and be more comfortable *and* save money and energy.
They're not options for everybody, of course. I'm lucky enough to be able to walk to work most days, and while it takes a bit longer than driving, I don't have to pay for fuel or parking, I don't have the stress of finding a park or dealing with other drivers, and it's excellent time for thinking, listening to music etc., or just relaxing and enjoying the scenery. I don't need a gym membership as my exercise is built into my routine. I actually don't find it to be any sort of sacrifice.
so three of your points can be summed up with just not driving.
best way to save fuel cost is to not drive!!! why haven't i thought of that? also public transport is disgusting, i hate people.
lmao the comments on this comment.
Props to public transport users.
People do ask what is the hardest time for the engine?
I think when you start the engine.
The engine can run so many miles with just routine oil change and minimum maintain, but if you keep turn your engine on-off, it won't last long.
i mean, injector cleaners can work at increasing fuel economy, but this is only the case in older cars with old injectors that are functioning at less than optimal capacity. the reality is just gaining back lost efficiency
Haven't fully watch it yet, still in 1min span.
And i am thinking that this VID would be the ultimate guide for us in saving GAS / Diesel.
In the side of a mechanic and very conservative in my fuel consumption,
Been using actually our brake pads for 10 years, still in half thick.
See you guys in the end, thanks in advance @driving 4 answers
huge engine brake use here., be always in right timing of gear and rev.
You have the definition of viscosity wrong. More viscous = more resistance to flow. Probably worth a fix and reupload while the video is still fresh.
4:00 you've made a slip at the beginning, more viscous means LESS than and MORE resistance to flow, not the opposite
Yes, I also noticed this
In response to the Start-Stopp System:
Actually, Engineering Explained did research on that topic and discovered, that it really saves fuel depending on the duration you're staying still, which was around 7 seconds with his example vehicle. Sure, increased wear will occur in a way, but when you live in a village with no traffic lights whatsoever and do your weekly trip into a city, you won't feel it anyway.
i used to do that for every 20+ second stops and ended up killing my battery within a year.
i guess if you dont use lithium or some of those fancy start/stop battery, it doesn't make much financial sense.
now i just kill my engine if i know i gotta stop for more than a minute... unless i gotta keep the A/C on for some guests that can't be bothered with that
---
i do still kill my motorbike and shitbox on most stoplights, though, but more for the noise than the fuel saving.
Near where I live there is a traincrossing with a sign to shut of your engine cuz the wait is about 5 minutes
In the BMW users manual is indeed written that it safes fuel from 7s on.
Bmw owner here: the user manual says you should kill the engine at traffic lights, but my car does not have a start-stop function. But then again...the user manual also says to replave oil every 20.000 km 😂
In my country you are required by law to turn off your engine if you stop for more than 3 minutes. Like waiting for a train to pass, or if there is roadwork, or if picking up someone, etc.
1:36 2:53 3:47 5:05 7:58 11:29 15:43 16:58 18:27 19:19 19:59 20:22 21:34 Dowhill in gear Vs. Downhill in neutral; smooth and flush wheels; window aerodynamics threshold (65km/h); starter motor.
The start stop feature on vehicles these days is good but my only concern is how many starter motors they'll go through during the cars life
I believe the starter motors and electrical systems are engineered quite differently on start-stop vehicles - manufacturers don't want failures during the warranty period! In fact, I believe some engines can even be stopped so that the crank angle is set up for easy restarting or even self-starting.
Starter motors and batteries are more robust in cars with start/stop.
brother. i love your videos. you are 100 % correct in everything you speak about.... so i as a professional say that you sir are a expert and professional at what you do. and a good video editor... i love all your vids
I used to own that box shaped thing (Scion xB) that you've shown at 10:19
Great little car it was. Our family bought a Toyota Echo (North American nameplate for the Yaris, 4dr sedan, 4speed automatic) 6 months prior to my purchase of that box with a 5 speed manual. Both cars shared most of their propulsion and suspension bits. The box was the car to take on a family outing, even if I had to park it in hilly San Francisco because it offered a much roomier backseat with 30cm shorter length.
I once did a long road trip at a 30% lower cruising speed (50 vs 70 mph) and was surprised to see that its fuel consumption matched that of the Echo. Of course the lower speed and the more efficient transmission closed that gap. At its core, it was an economy car that trade some fuel efficiency to practicality, not some SUV with rough underbody bits with large, unshrouded offroad tires exposed to the wind.
Using Squarespace is probably the most fuel saving technique you can use. You can build your online business yourself, pay less to the freelancer, waste less time building, so less energy used on a computer chair, resulting in less lean fat, loosing weight, needing less travel for work, less carbon emission; overall better fuel economy!
Oh yeah you know what I totally want to do continually pay monthly subscription for my website
@@yzrippin Noooo, pay it YEARLY 😉
Or be a software engineer. You can do it from anywhere in the world.
Well thought well organized amazing tips thanks, 2013 Honda Insight driver Hyper-miler here :)
Shown at the end too, nice touch.
12:38 Throttle techniques. One of the best tip ever
I use electric vacuum pumps for the brakes. pumps cost about 250 dollars and you can add a vacuum accumulator for more time between pump cycles for brakes with engine off.
You can also run a power steering pressure accumulator for power steering.
I usually restart by shifting back into gear (i dont drive autos anymore due to the cost of rebuilds).
If youre too concerned about startup wear you can use an oil accumulator and remote switch.
To really maximize fuel economy you need to make a lot of mods. a normie driver cant usually realize any improvements.
hm, it never occurred to me, but I'm guessing ECU starts injecting fuel when it detects an rpm >preset value? Otherwise if you had to "crank" to get the injectors going, then your starter would get fucked pretty quickly. If my guess is not the case, what workaround did you do?
@@nc7432 most cars when first keyed on do a "start pulse". its a preset ammount of fuel to get the engine to start.
So much common sense into just one video, wow. Well done.
Step 1. install mTDI in rabbit
Step 2. Get 60+ mpg avg
While having nearly twice the torque and same hp as a mk1 GTI.
(And getting over 2x the economy )
I did this 12 years ago.
How much fuel and money have u wasted.
There are zero sensors to ever have to replace. You replace your MAF ONcE on a Tdi.
And I could drive nearly 2,000 miles on how much u paid for one sensor.
bless
From my own experience: mostly handy and practical tips for driving both more fuel efficient and safely. Good video. Recommended to all beginning drivers.
i have a friend who owns a renault trafic van, with a turbo charged 2.3 liter diesel powerplant and manual tranny. bloody thing managed 15-16 mpg, wich is just pathetic (empty).
so, we got rid of the whole exhaust, reverted to a mechanical fuel pump, got a different turbo, got rid of the stock air filter in favour of a far larger truck filter. the exhaust is a straight pipe now with a silencer (fieber pack old school type) , the turbo is larger and is mechanically actuated variable geometry type. got a exhaust header with equal lengths. got equal length intake runners. no egr, no dpf, no silly shit.
result ? almost 20 mpg under the same conditions.
it allso pulls a lot better.he earns a living from hauling stuff. the fuel consumption difference is allso a difference of earning a living or ending up dead out of business. and thats that. the best fuel saving advice, do not buy trash. or if you did, fix it.
Tdi rabbit 1/2 ton pickup gets 60mpg loaded.
Congrats on spending 3x on fuel.
And your imperial gallons embarrassingly
@@fastinradfordable this is a big van. not a 1/2 ton passenger car-ish toy junkster.
I have a little rule that I think saves fuel: When approaching a traffic light from a fair distance, accelerate slightly if it's green and brake early if it's red. The logic is that if it's green you increase your chances of making it before it changes to red, and if it's red you increase your chances of it changing to green before you get to it and have to stop. I've found this strategy works in about four out of five cases. Obviously stay within safe speed limits and respect traffic conditions.
the ultimate fuel saving tip; GET A BICYCLE
driving economically always gets me more green light as a benefit!!!
For the additives, there is none for saving fuels, but can they improve, or just help to maintain the health of the engine?
If there is enough pertinent content to talk about it, what about a video on the additives? For the fuel, oil, coolant or brake fluid, for the road or race track
They can help with removing carbon from the engine or baked on oil on metal parts. They're more beneficial in diesels for cleaning the injectors though, and from my experience they do help (they thin the fuel slightly in diesels too so can help if you have a high Bio-Diesel content and live in Northern Europe or a central part of the US or Europe that gets cold).
Fuel additives can and do work depending on _what_ the additive is. The only coolant additives you should ever use are anti-freeze if using water (50/50), or a leak finder (ie: for blown head gasket etc). Same goes for oil in this respect, "oil cleaners" are not worth it....it's best to use a good filter and good oil, changing every 6-12 months or maximum of 10,000 miles (more frequently doesn't hurt, but is more expensive).
Brake fluid. Never add anything to it. Only use the specified fluid for your brake system (ie: DOT 4 or if it's a bugatti or ferarri maybe DOT 5 if it's specified). With proper research you can get higher boiling point brake fluids that will happily work with your brake system, but the cost of these fluids and your use case probably will never fit (unless you're racing the vehicle and doing track days with it).
@@S.ASmith Well said. I'll add that I took apart an engine that had a steady diet of top tier gas and no additives and it looked like it had never left the factory where the gas was sprayed.
Also I like 5000 miles or less on oil changes because I'm north of the snow belt in the states and I've replaced Nissan V8 short blocks.
The only one that could potentially help is injector cleaner if you have dirty injectors cleaning them will help
@@Wagonman5900 I do an oil change on my MK3 Focus ST-3 in the UK every 6000 miles or every 6 months, whatever comes first. I go get the dealership stamp every July, then do another service to the car myself using OE or Mahle/Castrol stuff.
US Standards are more lax when it comes to pump petrol/gas it seems to (you generally have 3 as opposed to 2 grades we have in Europe and UK). I use either Shell V-Power, Esso Synergy+ or a supermarket 99 Octane fuel (Tesco Momentum, it's produced by BP though). Esso is by far the best as it's ethanol free in my area and the engine runs butter smooth on it.
@@Wagonman5900 That depends if it's a direct injection or port injection. If direct injection only, than carbon fauling will always be a problem. If port injection or mixed, petrol will clean off carbon, as petrol is a detergent.
8:03 you can still save fuel by bump starting your manual to life. Tried and tested on my first car, out of curiosity tho, not out of cheapness.
14:50 i've always wondered what those red lines at 30km/h and 50km/h meant on speedos, i didn't know those were shift indicators lol
i've always thought they're there because that's the common speed limit
at least in germany and german cars, urban neighbourhood (residentials, schools, etc) is 30km/h, in town 50km/h.
my current japanese car have a marking on 100km/h, but i think that's because it's marked on unusual increments (30, 60, 90, ...) unlike the usual 20s (0, 20, 40, ...)
some doesn't even have any special markings on them.
edit: just googled this and it confirmed it's about the speed limit.
@@Looo0007 Yes that is correct. MB:s had that back in the day. When they still had the classic instrument clusters. The shifting points on the other hand were marked by I, II, III, IIII on the speedo.
They arent. Its a warning that you should pay attention because your probably in a city or around a school. Usually the speed limit there.
My 89 civic had little dots on the speedo where redline was in each gear since it had no tacometer. So that is where I shifted, or when the fuel cut off.
I have done the shut engine of technique only in manual transmission cars, I did not use the starter to get the engine running again which initiates the start cycle, I jumped started the engine with the clutch and the correct gear for the speed I was going. that being said its easier to just let the engine idle while in neutral coasting and if you leave it in gear most modern cars turn off the fuel injectors while coasting, you can see it on your fuel mileage indicator.
14:50 - those marking on the speedometer (30 and 50) is not for shifting. if i guess correctly that's an early 2000 benz, and european cars have those markings as that's the common speed limit in the cities.
30 km/h on school and residential areas
50 km/h in town
You're correct. Thanks for letting me know. I'm blurring out this part on the video. I just assumed this without checking and I'm ashamed.
I’ve heard this same figure in 2 different videos that if 10% of car drivers switched to lane filtering motorcycles, congestion would be reduced by 40%. That would save everyone money :D
I strongly disagree with the drafting.
In the context of the footage you provided, everything you said about drafting is true. However, you don't have to be this close to the big truck in front of you as in the video (it seemed like 5-10 feet). Surprisingly, you can be as far as 100 feet behind the truck and still save fuel. Mythbusters tested this and 100% confirmed it. By pure memory, this 100 feet distance can reduce the fuel consumption by something like 5%, which doesn't seem like that much but can add up pretty quickly.
Otherwise great video!
And a following distance of 100' is just about perfect till you hit usual US highway speeds; it is also the one ticket most departments and the courts that support them will write, based solely on the officer's subjective viewpoint. At 60 mph, you should be 120' plus, at 70, 140' minimum, smart would 160' or better. The distance helps give you "recovery time' because most people don't have "catlike reflexes" and will take three tenths of a second or more before they even begin to react. And yes, NASCAR drivers do 200 mph and survive- all the cars are going in the same direction and all are highly skilled, professional drivers who have spent half a lifetime learning how to do that. Have you? BTW, even at a follow distance of 100', if somebody in front of that truck does something stupid, you will have hit the truck before you realize something is happening. And that is at 50 mph. FR
If you just drive a constant speed in the same gear and throttle, your ECU will optimize the AFR. Those are the gains you get from "drafting" outside of the wake.
As always, - thanks for a great vid :) The last point is great - when switching cars I choose to buy a hybrid mostly out of curiosity since I was already looking at cars with auto transmission. Its a larger car, and still the savings vs the old car were around 4L/100km, so half the fuel consumption of old one. Over time this really adds up, especially on vacation when driving 1000km is not a big feat. I've been on team hybrid for 4 years - it requires some adjustment to the driving style, but in the end its a great fuel and money saver :)
Many good points in this video, thanks for summing them up.
But to be honest i don't fully agree on all of them.
Like coasting in neutral. Of course it doesnt make sense if youre going downhill when youre getting faster and have to use your brakes to keep your speed instead of the drag of your engine whilst also benefiting from the fuel-cutoff. But if youre just going straight or just very slightly downhill it might make sense as just getting off the throttle might slow you down in such a situation which you might not want and you would have to use some fuel to get up to speed again. Keeping the car in gear and holding the speed might be less efficient aswell because as far as i know most engines aren't really efficient in such low load scenarios. That of course also depends on the speed you're going, the amount of fuel your car consumes while idling stays the same for a given period of time. Assuming it is 1l/h and youre going 100km/h in that moment your theoretical fuel consumption is 1l per 100km. Also i don't really know about your safety like a soapbox-car comparison. Many newer automatics do this on their own and i don't think they're unsafe, also in an emergency breaking situation you would apply clutch and brakes at the same time anyways.
Of course you can never tell what is going to happen, but as with many of the tips you gave most important is that they're only performed when the situation allows for it. A long open road with no hidden crossings and good oversight of the landscape should allow for that.
Automatics vs manuals: The shifting indicators in cars aren't just dumb limits at certain revs. They can (at least in theory) access all of the same data as your automatic transmission can, so they could just show you the exact same shiftpoints the same vehicle with an automatic with the same gearratios would take. Wether you go up or downhill can be determined by the electronics taking into consideration your throttle position and maybe the change in speed. The car can calculate what theoretical power youre making in the moment and could compare that to a simple list in which gear that could be done in a safe and efficient way and display accordingly, same as it would probably do for it's auto transmission.
Modern automatics for sure have their advantages and less losses than traditional systems but they're still not overly smart. They don't know what youre going to do until you do, also not why you do what you do, and so far they also don't know very much about the traffic and road conditions you're facing.
If there is an hill coming up in just a few the auto won't just stay in gear and istead shift up and down again, which i don't believe is very efficient.
Also on the motorway you're cruising along seeing a car that you should pass before it skips to your lane to overtake the slower car in front of it, you just want to accelerate a little so neither you nor the other driver has to brake. In the manual you might know that you can just increase the throttle a little for a few seconds to add some km/h and youre good. The auto might just see you press down the throttle decide it is time for a downshift and more revs just so it can upshift a few seconds later again, and no matter if modern autos shift quick and efficient they add some lag till you're finally accelerate as you intended to do thus make you accelerate harder to compensate the lost time and with the higher revs might even cost you more fuel.
Also automatics plus start-stop are not perfect. In manuals the system works okay cause it starts the car when yor're about to select the gear for going off, which is enough time you don't have to adapt your driving. In an auto the system just starts the car when you release your brakepedal and then also adds a little time before releasing the clutch so the engine isn't immedeatly stalled, but usually you would already be going when you're letting go of the brakes. This can make using a gap in city traffic harder and more unsafe.
If you're going donwhill an auto car, (at least those i encountered) won't bother selecting a lower gear to keep around the same speed, of course if you're pressing the brake it might downshift but still then it might not be the appropriate gear for the needed force. Of course you can switch to manual mode then, but i think most non car-people will not bother with that, instead overheating their brakes on long downlhill drives.
As you said for many mods that would help to reduce fuel consumption: Tey're just not worth it.
Well I think same goes for start-stop systems in many cases. Of course cars with those systems are engineered to withstand the negative effects of starting and stoping the motor again and again but that doesn't mean they won't last longer if you leave the system off, and i think manufacturing and shipping more cars or spareparts because old ones broke earlier isn't that cost-effective either. I tend to activate my system in situation where i know it wil take at least half a minute till the traffic will be going again. On redlights i rather try to slow down enough so i don't have to do a full stop before it's turning green again.
Same goes for tyre sealant and inflation kit. Of course it will be a little lighter but neither necesarrily more convenient nor cost effective. I haven't tried them myself yet but as far as i heard the foam or glue you fill into your tire to seal it after a puncture is pretty nasty stuff, which might makes it easier or even necessary to get not only a new tire but a whole new wheel cause of course it spreads all out between the tire you want to fix and the rim that doesn't need any of that stuff and might get "ruined" by it. Also such kits cant help you in every problem you might encounter with your tires. Of course you also took that into consideration in the video, but still for city driving that might be relevant. If your tires get torn with a big gap, your sidewalls or even your rim gets damaged you're simply beached. If you're in a city you're probably able to go on with cab or public transport, but what about your car. You can't leave that in the middle of the road, might not instantly find a space to park it and even if you might have to pay for the time. So you probably need a tow truck and your car is unusable till you get your new tires, probably more additional cost. With a spare, you swap it, give a call to the workshop so they can get your parts and go on with your business in the meantime.
Wheight in general doesn't consume energy, instead the more energy you use to accelerate your heavier car is stored as more momentum. Assuming you can offset the negative effect on rolling resistance with the correct tire inflation for your cars current weight, the same car with more weight in it would go further if you release the throttle at the same speed.
Of course in stop and go you're more likely to waste that additional momentum in heat and brakewear.
Last but not least, small cars aren't allways the most economic option in terms of fuel consumption. The weight aspect was already mentioned in the last paragraph. Aerodynamics aren't necessaryly that much better compared to a normal sedan or wagon as the with might be almost the same and they might even be a little higher so the people have enough headspace sitting more upright so the car can be shorter, also at the low speeds these cars are designed for they're probably not number one priority. And thats the point, a car ist usually designed for a certain use. If your use is just city driving, a small car will be better but you might consider public transport aswell. If you're constantly going longer distances or even drive on motorways those cars might not even be unpleasent to drive but maybe also consume more fuel than a bigger cars cause you're probably asking more power from the engine than it can efficiently deliver, especially if it is a small turbo engine which needs additional fuel for cooling in high load scenarios to avoid knock.
Just get a car that fits your needs.
In the end driving efficiently comes down to good maintanance, awareness of your driving situation and whats lying ahead of you, maintaining a fluent drive, cooperating with others on the road and not going all out in acceleration, braking, top speed and other things that might be fun to do with your car.
You my man are superb! I am subscribing and I don't even own a car!! My wife does though but your explanations are superb!
I have ridden with SO many drivers who seem to think the accelerator pedal is operating an old pump organ. It never occurs to them to find a sweet spot between idle and WOT.
How bizarre - I guess they never learned to drive a manual? :D Pump-organ pedal use gives you the worst of both worlds in terms of economy: open-loop fuel enrichment because of the WOT, plus accelerator tip-in enrichment while you're getting there.
I completly agree with most of the stuff except 2 points (where one is just subject to my experience). I use the onboard realtime consumption thing to train myself and till this day its my favorite gauge. I would recommend it to anyone with a bit of driving experience. It helped me to get an avarage of 5.2-5.4 in the city and 4.6-4.8 on the highway. (compared to 6.2ish in the city and 7.6ish on the highway. yes I was driving a bit stupid bc of my lack of knowledge and driving practice). 2nd point is about hybrids: I dont have any evidence but my thinking is: If you drive in the city mostly relaing on the e-motor the gasoline engine and tank is dead weight and if you are going on the highway then its the other way around. so either way its a kind of car which just has a niche application and therefore 2 cars: one(small) electric for the city where range isnt an issue and one (diesel?) for longer distances. but idk diffrent people diffrent needs for a car. so its mostly my opinion.
PS: when is a new iconic engine video coming... already watched the playlist twice. Love your vids.