Tips for driving more efficiently?

wobbley

Try keeping a detailed fuel log. This adds about 30 seconds to the time spent in the filling station. Record fuel used, distance travelled, cost of fuel, brand of fuel etc. The information it throws up when you work out fuel consumption can be very helpful. It can also reveal some VERY optomistic/ inaccurate trip computers. It may also indicate which is the better brand fuel for you vehicle. I once had a Peugeot that did about 6-7mpg more on BP's more expensive fuel. The improved economy outweighed the extra few pence per litre.

Ultrasonic

mayling03 wrote: »

Thanks for everyone's advice. I've been trying 5th gear and 6th gear at 50mph as there is a 7mile road to work at 50mph.

You may have done this already, but that 7 mile stretch would be a good one to use your trip computer to compare fuel economy on. Reset your trip computer once you're at 50 mph in 5th on one day and 6th on another, and compare what you get each day at the end of the 7 mile section. Taking an average economy over a distance like this will be more accurate than instantaneous mpg readings, which tend to fluctuate quite a bit. My money would be on you getting better economy in 6th by the way, but if you do make any comparison measurements I'd be very interested in what they are.

Think if it is a long stretch, 6th gear is ok but slowing down means changing gear when cars build up.

I don't quite understand why you only think 6th would only be OK for a long stretch? If at any time you've reached a speed where 6th gives best economy and you are not still accelerating to reach a higher speed, then change up*. If the traffic is such that you are constantly accelerating and then braking, think about not accelerating to such a high maximum speed. Look further ahead to anticipate what you'll have to do. Oh, and just in case you're not, do slow down in gear as almillar posted above.

If at any point you go from say a 50 mph limit to a 70 mph limit and want to accelerate, change down from 6th to a gear where you are closer to peak torque (5th probably).

*This applies to all gears of course, not just 6th. Work out for your car what the best gears are to be in at 30 mph and 40 mph, as well as the 50 mph limit. (I'd guess it will probably be 4th at 30 mph and 5th at 40 mph.)

Ultrasonic

I forgot to say, in your first post you talked about at most 3/4 filling your fuel tank. The differences in doing this compared to filling it right up will be tiny, and if you have to make any sort of detour to buy fuel could actually be wasting fuel due to the need to refuel more often. Driving style (including being in the right gear) has a MUCH bigger impact on fuel economy.