Folks Are Getting Hyper About Hypermiling - June 12th, 2008
Hypermiler. Hypermiling. Man, you are seeing these words everywhere since gas hit $4. The idea is simply to alter your driving habits in such a way as to maximize mpg with your current vehicle. So, let’s run down the biggies on the hypermiling list of tips and tricks:
1. Maintenance, maintenance, maintenance. Keep your tire pressure equal and a little on the high side (some say go to the max) and make sure the tires are balanced and aligned. Use a low weight motor oil. Keep the engine clean, especially the Engine Control Module.
2. Get the junk out of the trunk. Minimize the weight of the vehicle and don’t carry a single thing you don’t have to.
3. Maintain consistent, efficient speed and figure out the optimum speed for your vehicle. (This is generally in the range of 35 to 55 mph.) Basically you need to get your hands on a miles per gallon meter, cruise at different speeds, and monitor the meter.
4. Minimize braking. The rolling stop is your friend and yes, Virginia, you can learn to anticipate the lights and avoid stopping altogether.
5. Coasting is your friend. Take your foot off the gas when you’re going down hill.
This is just the very tip of the iceberg of conventional hypermiling wisdom. Some of the techniques these folks advocate are dangerous, illegal, or just plain urban myth. If you want to read more, a good place to start is the Wikipedia article located here. Google the term and you’ll find more links that you can handle, just remember, not everything you read on the Internet is true or wise. Use your head and don’t hesitate to talk to a mechanic, you know, a guy with grease on his hands, before you try anything controversial.
Posted on June 12th, 2008 by Shorty
Filed under: lifestyle |
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