Tips on increasing MPG

[David W.]

I've been told that a gallon on your side of the Atlantic is larger than one on this side.
Is that true? Our gallon is 3.785 liters, and I'm getting about 33 mpg on this side of the pond. If you are using Imperial Gallons, my mpg would be 40. Seems too good to be true.
David

[simmitc]

Yes, the original and true gallon (known as Imperial) is 8 pints or approximately 4.54 litres. I don't understand why some foreigners want to have a smaller unit when everything else on that side of the pond seems to be so much bigger...

[chickenjohn]

Assuming mechanically in order...
MPG is very much affected by driving style...for example every time you need to brake (before a bend or corner for example, or too close to the traffic in front) then you have wasted petrol. It's all about thoughtful use of the loud pedal.
In the old days people on the Mobil Economy Run achieved incredibly good figures & they weren't supposed to coast down hills
I don't know how they did it, but I get about 42mpg, & almost all my driving is done in town with traffic lights every few yards.
I don't admit to coasting down hills of course!

I don't know whether it is better to get into top as soon as possible or to go up through the gears very gently & slowly...anyone any comment?

Good tips! You should never accelerate uphill for best economy and yes, coast downhill! Gentle pressure on the throttle is the key and don't over rev the engine.

AND, make sure the engine is tip- top, take the head off, de-coke and grind the valves in for best efficiency.

I get on average 38-39mph and on a long run 44-45mpg.

few modern cars can better that!

[JOWETTJAVELIN]

John, I wouldn't advise coasting downhill as the car can run away quite easily, especially when the drums begin to fade...
It is best to have the car in gear and use 'engine braking'.

It is a good point about cleaning up the valves and should give a bit more acceleration too.

[bmcecosse]

I switch OFF going down hill. And my drums don't fade - I wonder why?

[chesney]

I switch OFF going down hill. And my drums don't fade - I wonder why?

Dunno, but you should be concentrating more when you're behind the wheel BMC

[JOWETTJAVELIN]

I switch OFF going down hill. And my drums don't fade - I wonder why?

Wol. 1500?

[MarkyB]

Even a slight slope upwards starts reducing MPG, not much you can do about that.
Wind resistance is another matter, for the best MPG I'd suggest getting rid of wing mirrors and external aerials also fitting lowlight wings.
Much more radical would be to get some slope on the windscreen and get rid of the gutters, both of which owe more to architecture than aerodynamics.

[chickenjohn]

John, I wouldn't advise coasting downhill as the car can run away quite easily, especially when the drums begin to fade...
It is best to have the car in gear and use 'engine braking'.

It is a good point about cleaning up the valves and should give a bit more acceleration too.

Keep the brakes well maintained and adjusted and this will never happen. My cars never "run away" from me!

Engine braking uses fuel.

[liammonty]

I agree that engine braking uses some fuel (not on modern cars, mind), but I'd far rather have the control of being in gear- coasting (with the engine off especially!) down hill is frowned upon by police drivers and just about every other motoring organisation in the UK (RoSPA, IAM etc). However, each to their own! Coasting was all the rage in Zimbabwe when I was there 4 years ago- maybe something to do with the fuel shortage?!

I can vouch for the fact that well-adjusted Minor brakes DO fade when used hard at high speed (emergency)!

[Tamsin]

Just for the record, On the way too the national (heavily loaded car, and heavy trailer tent - wouldn't want to go any higher on a minor) cruising generally at 50ish apart from in the heavy traffic I got 31.9 mpg. Based on brim to brim and mileage off google maps. Way back (with a roof rack!) it went down to 27!

I think the key is simply in maintaining as smooth a driving style as possible, no hard acceleration or braking etc etc.

[lambrettalad]

I understand ,as part of going green todays learner drivers are encouraged NOT to use engine braking but to use their brakes

If you were to finely dig into the details of energy use and raw materials,is it really green

[liammonty]

Current thinking doesn't say not to use engine braking, just that you shouldn't go down through the 'box unnecessarily when coming to a halt. That's been the thinking for at least the past 30-40 years- "gears are for going, brakes are for slowing" as they say. Engine braking is still recommended for going down hills, etc, and certainly in advanced driving, it's considered the 'first stage' of braking. You can avoid using brakes a great deal at all if you anticipate things well, easing off the throttle (engine braking, surely?) to slow down gently, while still making good progress. I guess there has been a shift away from going down through the gears as car brakes have got so much better, and less likely to fade (although according to some you can't make a standard Minor's brakes fade anyway!!!).

[bmcecosse]

Modern fuel injected cars shut off the fuel completely on 'over run' -so it does save fuel to run down a hill with foot off the throttle but still in gear. On a long hill I flick the air-con on to give it a run, to keep the seals in good condition......
And yes of course you can fade standard Minor brakes if you want to.......

[lee_rob]

I get a consistent 38mpg out of my 1098 around town and around 42mpg on a gentle 50mph run.....maybe some people have a heavier foot hehe