Want more MPG? Trying using your clutch pedal.
 

With 3-buck-a-gallon gas here to stay, I decided to see what I could do
to lengthen the trips between my 35-plus-dollar fill-ups. My first
thought was to reduce my highway speed. Well... traveling down the
highway at 65 mph lasted about ten miles. Cars were whipping past me
and I quickly felt I was going to become a rolling speed bump. That
old blue-haired lady didn't just flip me off, did she? Why is that
old geezer giving me the evil eye as he passes by? So next I try to
never fully depress the gas pedal. Boy, does that ever get boring
fast! And talk about needing willpower. Not throttling your Mustang
is like being placed in front of a plate of chocolate chip cookies and
trying to never give in. That is not going work! What to do?
Perplexed, and needing to run some errands, I hop in my daughter's
little ZX3 Focus. While driving around I notice (much more noticable
than my Mustang) that unless you get off the gas way before you stop
you have to scrub off a bunch of speed. So playing around I decide to
slip it in neutral and coast up to my next stop. Wow, it's amazing
how far a modern car can roll and not lose much speed. On the rest of
my stops, and on any downgrades, I slip the car into neutral. Without
all the engine braking, this has to help save some gas, right?

So I give the clutch pedal thing a try on my Mustang for the next
couple fill-ups. My first fill-up I find I gained an extra mpg. The
second fill-up I gain 2 mpg. Ahhh... this is easily explainable you
say -- a mile or two per gallon change is insignificant and could be
attributed to many factors. Okay, but keep in mind I've checked my
gas mileage at nearly every fill-up for the last 3 ½ years and I have
never gotten 21 and 22 mpg with the driving I do. Never. My old 5-oh
consistently gets 19-20, and I mean consistently.

Seems this simply change nets me a couple few bucks at every fill-up.
And the best thing is I can still drive 75-85 mph on the highway AND be
able floor it anytime I get the urge.

Give it a shot and see if it works for you... just be sure to get your
coasting speed/distance right so you're not backing up or slowing
down traffic.

Patrick

Want more MPG? Trying using your clutch pedal.
 

Coasting with the car in neutral can place you in jeopardy... should you
be placed in a situation where you encounter the sudden need to increase
speed, you will find yourself ill prepared for it - let us remember that we
aren't the only ones on the roads and none of these other cars are labelled
"IM STUPID"...

Accidents happen when at least two bad situations meet... a neutral
coastdown is bad situation number one - now we only need one more.

Try a neutral coastdown when taking your drivers exam and you will still be
riding the bus... "Mexican Overdrive" has ended more than one truck drivers
career...

After a while of doing this, you will experience the tendency to keep the
clutch depressed and preselect the next gear you expect to need... ever see
what happens to a clutch when someone selects 1st at 60 mph?

Not to poo-poo your idea, I just don't think that it has been thought all
the way through..

FWIW, we're at about $4.25/US gallon.

Want more MPG? Trying using your clutch pedal.
 

Around 5/10/2006 7:52 PM, wrote:

> Give it a shot and see if it works for you... just be sure to get your
> coasting speed/distance right so you're not backing up or slowing
> down traffic.

It may be a good idea for saving gas, buy just FYI, coasting in neutral
is illegal in many (most?) states...


--
/ Garth - '83 GL V6stang Hatch <Former MW #7> \
| My V6stang: http://www.v6stang.com/v6stang |
| RAMFM Merchandise: http://www.cafeshops.com/ramfm |
\ ~~ Ventis secundis, tene cursum ~~ /

Want more MPG? Trying using your clutch pedal.
 

"Jim Warman" > wrote in message
news:mGz8g.4882$cl1.1318@edtnps90...
> Coasting with the car in neutral can place you in jeopardy... should you
> be placed in a situation where you encounter the sudden need to increase
> speed, you will find yourself ill prepared for it - let us remember that
> we aren't the only ones on the roads and none of these other cars are
> labelled "IM STUPID"...
>
> Accidents happen when at least two bad situations meet... a neutral
> coastdown is bad situation number one - now we only need one more.
>
> Try a neutral coastdown when taking your drivers exam and you will still
> be riding the bus... "Mexican Overdrive" has ended more than one truck
> drivers career...
>
> After a while of doing this, you will experience the tendency to keep the
> clutch depressed and preselect the next gear you expect to need... ever
> see what happens to a clutch when someone selects 1st at 60 mph?

Do the newer Mustangs have a synchronized 1st gear? IIRC, if it isn't, you
can't shift into first until you get below a certain speed. On my 96
Passport, you had to be doing like 20 before you could even get into first
on a downshift. On the 89Gt however, I can get into it whenever I want.

Just wondering,

Don Manning


>
> Not to poo-poo your idea, I just don't think that it has been thought all
> the way through..
>
> FWIW, we're at about $4.25/US gallon.
>

Want more MPG? Trying using your clutch pedal.
 

On Wed, 10 May 2006 22:15:55 -0700, Garth Almgren >
puked:

>Around 5/10/2006 7:52 PM, wrote:
>
>> Give it a shot and see if it works for you... just be sure to get your
>> coasting speed/distance right so you're not backing up or slowing
>> down traffic.
>
>It may be a good idea for saving gas, buy just FYI, coasting in neutral
>is illegal in many (most?) states...

Seriously? I took my driver test in 1980 in an automatic. Since then
I've been driving sticks intermittently and was never aware that there
was such a law...
--
lab~rat >:-)
Do you want polite or do you want sincere?

Want more MPG? Trying using your clutch pedal.
 

I thought the modern car used less fuel throttle closed in gear than idling
in neutral out of gear ?

Want more MPG? Trying using your clutch pedal.
 

> wrote in message
oups.com...
>
> Give it a shot and see if it works for you... just be sure to get your
> coasting speed/distance right so you're not backing up or slowing
> down traffic.

I would miss that satisfying grumble as the car slows in gear.

dwight

Want more MPG? Trying using your clutch pedal.
 

Yes, these cars have synchronized first gears... condition and design of the
blocker rings and such can make it difficult for gear speeds to become
synchronous and allow engagement...

There remains the risk that conditions can develop that will allow a
bonehead manoeuver. Enough things go wrong in life without going looking for
them...

Want more MPG? Trying using your clutch pedal.
 

My big block 1969 Camaro used a B&M manual valve body to shift the
turbo 400 automatic trans.
When I backed off the throttle the car free-wheeled like being in
neutral. It was hard on brakes with no engine braking to assist.
Was it better on gas? I didn't noticed any difference. (I didn't really
care either)
Was it fun to drive? Hell YES!!!!!
Back off the throttle and then nail it. The engine free revved until it
caught up to the drive train and then would just smoke those Mickey
Thompson M50 x 15" tires.