Fuel Economy Reporting Thread

Conor_3

housebuyer wrote: »

Please elaborate on the scam it sounds like!?

The same one that's been trotted out every single year since the 1950's. This and similar snake oil has been sold under many guises over the decades. It falls in the same category as that rubbish they sell which claims to allow you to run an engine for 100's of miles with no oil in whatsoever.

They're easy to spot. You get the same old conspiracy theories, usually based on the oil companies trying to put them out of business, trotted out when they get a less than favourable review or when asked why everyone doesn't have one/use it.

Conor_3

roodenberg wrote: »

Lorries often use cruise control so I will follow one using my own cruise control. I do keep my distance and do not do this for long distances. This makes a small difference in mpgs and it means I keep my speed down to 56mph.

Actually they don't. Some have CC fitted, many don't. What they all have fitted are speed limiters calibrated to 90KPH.

roodenberg wrote: »

Accelerate as gentle as possible, this makes a big difference in mpgs but be careful not to annoy other road users.

This is incorrect. The most economical acceleration is done at Wide Open Throttle (foot down hard).

roodenberg wrote: »

More speed equals less mpg's

Again, incorrect. It depends on how the car is geared and more importantly, the engine load for any given speed.

It is quite feasible to get more MPG in 4th gear than 5th at a given speed due to the lower load on the engine.

Phliptop

Living in the outskirts of London, I am near enough to Dover/Folkestone to be able to take a day trip shopping in Calais every now and then.

I have a diesel Citroen C5 and I find that I can usually save the cost of the booze cruise day trip ferry fare just by arriving with a nearly empty tank and filling up at French prices. These are typically 30% or so cheaper than in the UK for diesel. Savings on petrol are not so good.

I also take a couple of 25 litre jerry cans and fill these up as well. The ferries do not like you taking jerry cans aboard but I have never been stopped.

Cheapest diesel is usually either at Auchan or Carrefour, near the ferry port.

The added benefit of the Citren C5 is the self levelling suspension for all the wine and beer which I bring home - for personal consumption of course! :-)

Hope this helps.

anewman

Conor wrote: »

THIS..

Caps :O But yes these things are normally scams. Only additive I have heard suggested to increase fuel efficiency is acetone, but a) there's a chance acetone can actually destroy the fuel pipes, and b) there's no scientific rigorous tests I know of to support the use of acetone.

Wynns and other companies sell fuel injector cleaners. I tried some and noticed a slight difference in performance but couldn't tell whether it improved MPG. My guess is it didn't.

Perhaps discussions should be moved to a dedicated "discussion" thread and this thread intended for "reports" on MPG difference only.

smartarse

Oh well, it's an interesting thread! Since owning a Honda Jazz [damn fine car] with its mpg readout, I, too, have gone from being a hard accelerator to a gentle one...but if AutoExpress say it's cool to be hitting the floorpan, I'll try that to see what happens. Whatever else you do, make sure CCCP aren't in charge of our fuel deliveries! Use less, recycle your plastics and hope Gordon Brown's initials stand for what they should!
PS whether or not Tesco's or Asda's petrol is less efficent than Shell's at least you'll have some comeback [hopefully]. Thanks MSE for the money you've saved me and mine"

pennypilot

Hi Martin:money: , Great Item.
A few points about buying fuel; most fuel is stored underground at filling stations and will be at a constant temperature (cool). The exceptions to this are when a delivery is made from above ground storage facilities such as distribution depots or refineries. This fuel will be warm at best and if you live close to a refinery it might well be hot! It will be gaseous and agitated and as such when it has cooled and settled in your tank it will have shrunk. Oil companies run their tankers day and night. If possible try and avoid filling after a delivery. If you happen to live close to a refinery try and fill as far away as possible or move.
On the subject of measurement, 'the best pump to use is the busiest pump' wear in the pump mechanism will allow some 'over measure' to occur. Also try not to run the pump 'flat out' this could effect the measure. The busy pump is the one closest to the shop door.
If you intend to use full tank measures in your calculations you should use the same nozzle on the same pump and stop at the first click. The conversion factor for gallons to litres is 4.54609 to be accurate. Good luck.

anewman

Q. What is an MPG-CAP™?

A. MPG-CAP™ is a 100% organic engine conditioner that simultaneously improves fuel economy and power by creating a micro-thin coating on the combustion chamber in your engine allowing your fuel to burn more efficiently.

A coating in the combustion chamber is likely to reduce efficency. The best thing that can be done to improve efficiency in the combustion chamber is to have the engine correctly tuned and the valve clearances adjusted correctly.

Also if it creates a coating in the combustion chamber, imagine what it's doing to your fuel pump, your fuel injection and the fuel lines between your tank and the engine. Housebuyer I would seriously urge you to reconsider your business idea and set about a viable alternative.

nineteen

30111987 wrote: »

I have always wondered if you would save a significant amount of fuel if you only ever filled up to half a tank?
In theory a lighter car uses less fuel...

Agreed.
Slightly confusing here, on the one hand we're asked to de clutter the car to reduce weight, and on the other we're asked to fill up the tank to the top, and are thus - on average carrying around 1/2 a tank full - or more - if you don't let the tank empty, which for my focus is about 25 Litres which is more than 20Kg.

Also filling up the tank when the car is cold can can lead to expansion overflow waste when the car warms up - particually true in Spring and Autumn. I have fallen victim to this.

Finally, if you are filling up at the cheapest station, it is likely to remain the cheapest in the short term, if not it will only shift by 1p a litre.

If there is an upward price trend, fill up more - but no more than 3/4
When the price is going down, fill up less.

Crabman

nineteen wrote: »

Agreed.
Slightly confusing here, on the one hand we're asked to de clutter the car to reduce weight, and on the other we're asked to fill up the tank to the top, and are thus - on average carrying around 1/2 a tank full - or more - if you don't let the tank empty, which for my focus is about 25 Litres which is more than 20Kg.

Also filling up the tank when the car is cold can can lead to expansion overflow waste when the car warms up - particually true in Spring and Autumn. I have fallen victim to this.

Finally, if you are filling up at the cheapest station, it is likely to remain the cheapest in the short term, if not it will only shift by 1p a litre.

If there is an upward price trend, fill up more - but no more than 3/4
When the price is going down, fill up less.

My local tesco is sometimes lowest, then they'll fix, I mean increase, prices together with the other tesco superstore and the express store meaning esso and shell are then cheaper... doesn't stop the blind from continuing to use the tesco fuel though

housebuyer_3

anewman wrote: »

Housebuyer I would seriously urge you to reconsider your business idea and set about a viable alternative.

It was only a suggestion to try a product and I'm not trying to sell it to people that aren't interested. I use it as I do a lot of mileage in various vehicles and every penny/mile counts. I have been selling them on E-Bay at cost (to try) and people all round the world are buying them, I'm sure they heard of it elsewhere to find my auction and not from me.

With regards to business ideas and viable alternatives, I deal in property to make a living, so thanks for the comments everyone. And I'll leave 'saving money on fuel' for now, on MSE at least...

If anyone is interested or wants the auction link, send me an email / PM