The engine is using fuel if it's idling. It's gotta keep the engine running, after all.

That's why one of the techniques of hypermiling is using engine braking because many engines have a fuel cut-off if engine braking is engaged and revs are within/above a certain limit. It depends on the car/computer but it's usually somewhere around 1500rpm+ from what I understand.

It's great if you NEED to slow the car down, otherwise coasting in neutral is usually a better bet since you want to keep your momentum up if you're not slowing to a stop.

Congrats to the OP on the high mileage. The best I've done on my first tank out (using hypermiling techniques) was 28.5mpg vs an average of about 19mpg. That was about 50/50 city/hwy, all top down, with speeds up above 65 for a lot of the highway driving. I've never taken the S on a road trip to do pure HWY miles.

I'm guessing I could easily get 40+ mpg in the Fit (which we'll be picking up this fall).

 

Maintaining your vehicle can not only add years to its life and resale value, it also saves gas.

1. Make sure your tires have the correct amount of pressure in them. Tires that are under inflated tires can waste fuel and cause accidents. For every 1 psi drop in pressure you lose a 0.4% in gas mileage. Having the correct tire pressure can save you up to $.08 per gallon.

2. Make sure you change your air filter at regular intervals, usually with an oil change. This can improve your gas mileage up to 10%, or about $.25 per gallon.

3. Using cheaper gas may not always be the best answer. While the fuel that comes from the tanker truck meets the octane ratings and is mostly the same, each gas station adds there own blend of additives. Union-76 and Chevron claim to have beneficial additives in their fuel to protect your vehicle while the generic name at the corner gas may be putting additives in the fuel that meet the bare minimum to retain fuel quality and prevent contaminates that fuel is susceptible to. These lower grade additives may actually do damage to your fuel system and vehicle in the long run.

4. "Topping off". Many gas station state that you should not "top off". This is good advice. When you try to squeeze that extra amount of fuel into your tank, you get charged the extra amount but a lot of the gas that you are paying for stays in the hose and never actually makes it into your tank!

5. Keep your vehicle tuned up. Studies suggest that you can improve gas mileage by 4.1 percent or 8 to 80 cents per gallon.

6. Keeping a safe distance behind the vehicle ahead is not only safe but it allows you to use the brake and accelerator less often reducing wear and saving you gas. If you are too close constantly braking and accelerating, following the lead of the car ahead, you are using gas and putting wear on your brakes more than you have too.

7. Use a grade of oil that is recommended for your engine. Using a higher viscosity oil makes your engine work harder than needed and use more fuel as a result. Using the right motor oil can save you gas by .03 to .06 cents per gallon.

8. Driving the speed limit saves gas. Driving 5 mph over 60 mph is like paying .15 cents more per gallon.

9. Studies show that warming up your car for more than 45 seconds is unnecessary. Letting your car idle for long periods of time burns a lot of fuel. TIP: Go into a restaurant instead of the drive-thru. Starting your vehicle uses much less gasoline than idling through the drive-thru window!

10. Use over-drive if you have it. It reduces the revolutions of the engine and less fuel is needed.

You can save a noticable amount of money at the pump with these tips to save gas.
typo fixed, Thankx

 

#1 has a typo there, stopmenot... Should read that under inflated tires can waste fuel and cause accidents. Running higher pressure reduces heat buildup in tires, reduces the chance of a blowout (pretty much ALWAYS due to underinflation when pressure is a cause) and increases mileage due to lower rolling resistance.

 

well im jealous.

-Ian

 

Congratulations.

I never got past 300 Miles on one tank (27 miles to the gallon). mostly I get 21-23 miles to the gallon.

The mountains helped you get that record. A gasoline engine smutters the engine with a valve at the trottle body at low trottle. This give a bad effici

 

That's really good!

I don't think I will ever get more than 275 miles on my full tank.

 

I busted out a 29.85mpg mostly on 2 lane 45-60 mph driving.

So in the last 2 tanks of gas.....
741 total miles
22.891 gal of gas
32.37 mpg

 

I can routinely get 330+ miles on a tank in my AP2. My personal best was 362 miles.

I have yet to get over 285 miles on a tank in my AP1. But I am working on it.

I use Marathon 93 Octane exclusively.

Dave