Do you coast for economy?

[jimmyt]

You should be accelerating down hill and use the extra momentum to propel yourself back up the other side

[mister.t]

I coast a lot round here I live right on top of a hill - I always coast in 4th or 5th and it does my fuel economy wonders!!

[Posts001]

I generally never coast, mostly cause I'm always in some sort of traffic

[MarkW]

Quote: Originally Posted by WHITEY_ (original)

But while traveling down a hill, what would you rather use? Brakes or your transmission? Just select a high gear that doesn't feel like its causing resistance (engine braking). It puts your transmission under a lot of stress - brakes are cheaper than transmission parts...

brakes may be cheaper than transmissions but I rather not risk overheating the brakes and not being able to stop when I need to.

why do you think theres a sign on most steep hills saying Keep In Low Gear ?

[Lawrothegreat]

With modern cars having ventilated disc brakes and high gear ratios (2nd gear = 60mph and so on) there is not such a need to engage low gears going down hill. Such actions only need to be reserved for driving large vehicles fully laiden down long hills.

I do not believe coasting in neutral is dangerous. Provided you do not switch the engine off, you have power assistance to the steering and brakes. This is only a hypothesis but could your braking performance be improved in neutral? - e.g. you are only braking against the momentum of the vehicle, not the momentum of the vehicle and the engine resistance.

The average car will not increase its speed much in one second of full throttle acceleration especially if you are cruising in a high gear. It takes much less than this to put the car into gear if you're in neutral.

Having said this, and despite doing it myself (I started a separate thread in the 2nd gen MCS forum), coasting in neutral is quite a drastic action to save fuel consumption. Though I employed it at the weekend and managed a reported 57mpg in a R56 MCS over 120 miles.

[3rdpillar]

Question , If taking the foot of the accellerator pedal cuts fuel, How come my S still pops, crackles and bangs when going downhill with no right foot applied at all.

[Vitesse]

Because that's unburnt fuel in the exhaust causing the popping.

Interesting link on the BBC along similar lines and in a Mini.

BBC NEWS | Magazine | Can a petrolhead be an eco-driver?

[Darthbladerni]

Well I have been doing some eco driving since Saturday evening. Well almost, filled up 49 litres(lucky i got to the petrol station) then for the first ten miles i was revving quite a bit past 3000k.

Anyway after that i drove properly, didnt rev over 2500rpm, got into high gears quickly, when coming up to lights just using the brake with foot off the accelerator and then dipping the clutch when revs dropped. No speeding, highest speed was 65mph on the motorway.
Same on Sunday apart from a few instances of spirited driving

But so far 200 miles on half a tank of petrol! Best ever for my car anyway, it works.

[Sir Jake the Brit]

Quote: Originally Posted by super c00per (original)

Back 4 years ago when I was learning to drive I'm pretty sure I was told that this is illegal to do when driving in neutral...I May be wrong though!?!?!?

I have done this going down a very big hill once because the needle was past the last digit on the fuel gauge!!!!

its not illegal , you wouldnt get point on your liscence for it!!!
its the same as crossing your hands on the wheel, one of the things they teach you not to do but you cant get told off !!

[Sir Jake the Brit]

Quote: Originally Posted by morrisminiminor (original)

Seems to me that there is a lot of nonsense being sprouted regarding
1) If the engine management system cuts off the fuel supply, why does the engine keep running and the computer system register a very slight improvement in fuel consumption?
morrisminiminor

your engine isn't running if you coast in gear, the rev counter is registering speed of the engine turning and has nothing to do with the fuel! drive at 30 in 2nd at 3k or there abouts put it in 6th and the revs drop coz the engine is turning over less times to achieve that speed,
the engine is turning over while coastin but using fuel to keep going, if your in gear then it doesnt!!!

[adams]

I recently did an eco drive in my 06 s and got 360 miles to the tank, would of got more if it werent for the traffic jam that occured in Yarm ! Got around 34 mpg, i usualy get 30 mpg and 270 ish to a tank so it works, but i never heard the super charger for ages. I was bored by the end of it

[aussie11]

I do sometime on the way home from work at 3am, there is a hill thats about 2 miles long

[Sir Jake the Brit]

Quote: Originally Posted by adams (original)

I recently did an eco drive in my 06 s and got 360 miles to the tank, would of got more if it werent for the traffic jam that occured in Yarm ! Got around 34 mpg, i usualy get 30 mpg and 270 ish to a tank so it works, but i never heard the super charger for ages. I was bored by the end of it

haha lmao! same here i had 3 days off last week to make a long weekend break i got 380 with some fresh air left in the tank!! BOOOOOOOOOOOORING!!!
to be fair mines 230bhp so i was pretty chuffed with it, but no charger for that many miles might as well drive a one!!!

[MarkW]

Quote: Originally Posted by Sir Jake the Brit (original)

your engine isn't running if you coast in gear,

ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha...................pauses for breath............. ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

thats made my day

[Sir Jake the Brit]

Quote: Originally Posted by MarkW (original)

ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha...................pauses for breath............. ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

thats made my day

and what does that mean good sir??
by not running i do hope you understand i ment not using fuel???
but that said if i lighten up anyone's day then i'm happy love love x