Fuel mileage in the City can be rather amazing if you drive for economy.

[scooter123]

We've all seen what gas prices are doing. As a result of premium now running over 5 bucks a gallon I've been doing some driving for economy. This means staying out of the turbo and "timing" the traffic lights to minimize stopping and sitting at a red light. If you see a light that is red shove in the clutch and let the car cost of 1/2 or 3/4 mile, many times you can time it so the light changes as you arrive at the intersection. End result of doing this was a 11.0 gallon fillup with 410.5 miles on the trip meter and a listed average speed of 28 mph. That works out to 37.31 mpg. Note, mods are a Cobb 2 1/2 exhaust and RMM, Mountune Radiator, Mountune Intercooler, Intake kit and the tune is OEM Ford. The radiator was good for a 3 mpg improvement in City driving, this engine REALLY operates best at 195 degrees and that radiator is great for keeping the temps perfect in the summer. BTW, mileage in the winter during warmup is terrible.

Anyhow, those feeling the pinch in the wallet can be comforted by knowing that improved fuel economy is a simple matter of "tuning" your right foot and how you drive. Yeah, it is pretty boring but I've found that in the real world driving like a 105 year old granny only adds perhaps a minute or two to a 17 mile drive.

PS; I've thought about getting a MP215 tune but I'm a cheap SOB and use all season 70k tires so it's already traction limited in 1st and 2nd. Yeah more surge in 3rd or 4th would be nice but it's currently quick enough that I've seen multiple occasions where I've hit over 100 on a freeway getting past a left lane road blocker. Here in Michigan a brief stint at 100 will get you pulled over and lectured if you have a clean record but hit 110 or 120 and you'll be looking at a reckless driving citation. So I really don't need the car any faster.

 

[rallytaff]

You are committing a stupid error in your driving habits. If you're 'coasting' in neutral, how are you going to escape an accident if you need to accelerate when you have no power? I hope other drivers with common sense will disregard this idiotic driving pattern! Don't do it!

 

[jmrtsus]

Rallytaff, I have in 58 year of coasting to a red light never needed to accelerate to avoid an accident, LOL! At that speed you use your brakes. Once on the interstate I had to accelerate to keep from being crushed by a Semi.

 

[rallytaff]

Bad habits never go away! It's not something I would be bragging about. You are NOT in control of your vehicle by coasting.

 

[jmrtsus]

Bad habits never go away! It's not something I would be bragging about. You are NOT in control of your vehicle by coasting.

Maybe you should be driving an automatic if you cannot get a manual into gear quick enough. I can so no loss of control in my car as I can drive a manual, but never had a reason at a red light to accelerate nor can I even dream up a likely scenario, LOL! But thanks for your opinion!

 

[FiestaSTdude]

Regardless of who's right about the control (or lack thereof) coasting, I have heard that it's more fuel efficient to coast in gear than in neutral in a modern vehicle.

 

[Dpro]

Regardless of who's right about the control (or lack thereof) coasting, I have heard that it's more fuel efficient to coast in gear than in neutral in a modern vehicle.

low speed idle rolling in gear is possible. Having driven sticks in the traffic of LA freeways I have learned how to pull it off. Of course we also drive faster closer together than most people are used to or understand as well. Out of towners tend to be quite taken aback by driving here. It’s not for the faint of heart

 

[scooter123]

Rallytaff I've been driving longer than you've been alive and my last property driving accident was in 1992 and it was a red light runner that I could have avoided had my 1986 Olds Cutlass had the power of my Fiesta. As it was that 307 V8 only produced 140 hp for a 3400 lbs car and all I could muster was enough scoot to take the hit to the left rear quarter so I didn't get hurt. I'll also note that while coasting down to a light I am downshifting so the gear is appropriate for good power if I need it. As a result if I do need to accelerate all I have to do is pop the clutch while flooring it. I'm not being foolish, fact is that 3 years of driving a taxi while attending Ohio State taught me a lot about traffic awareness that you don't have a clue about.

I will also note that there are times when rapid acceleration at a red light can be necessary. Imaging sitting at a stop light on a motorcycle with your brother next to you on another motorcycle. If you watch your mirrors when stopped at a red light you might notice that Galaxie 500 approaching you isn't slowing down. That is a time when rapid acceleration is a good idea and red light be damned. Fortunately when this happened there was no cross traffic. Note watching the mirrors when stopped in traffic is one of the things I learned driving a cab.

 

[Dpro]

Rallytaff I've been driving longer than you've been alive …. snip happens.

hmm let’s look at the math here even if you started driving at the age of 15 or even 10 that would mean you would have to be 87years old or 82 years old. hint RallyTaffy is 72 years old.

 

[M-Sport fan]

low speed idle rolling in gear is possible. Having driven sticks in the traffic of LA freeways I have learned how to pull it off. Of course we also drive faster closer together than most people are used to or understand as well. Out of towners tend to be quite taken aback by driving here. It’s not for the faint of heart

You're not tailgatin', you're draftin!

 

[Filandro]

Regardless of who's right about the control (or lack thereof) coasting, I have heard that it's more fuel efficient to coast in gear than in neutral in a modern vehicle.

^^Should be true for most modern cars.

In gear, in many cars, lift the throttle and fuel is cut off. Toss it in neutral and fuel must be delivered to keep engine rotating.

Lift throttle, coast in gear is net zero fuel burn in many cars (maybe all modern ones in desperate attempt to meet fuel and emissions standards). Coast in neutral requires fuel.

Coming to stop: I stay in gear, pop into neutral (w/out clutch) as RPM come down near minimum for that gear.

 

[gtx3076]

Yeah, staying in gear typically yields less fuel burn.

 

[rallytaff]

hmm let’s look at the math here even if you started driving at the age of 15 or even 10 that would mean you would have to be 87years old or 82 years old. hint RallyTaffy is 72 years old.

Thank you Dave. It seems that someone on this forum knows it all. I'll put my record up against his any day of the week. So he drove a taxi, big deal. When you've rallied cars in Europe and here, taught Special Forces, Rangers, Navy SEALS how to drive on tarmac and dirt in a variety of cars, I think I know what I'm talking about. Plus the fact that I've driven many different vehicles in many countries around the world without an accident. His bragging doesn't wash. He must be a really OLD guy!

Thanks to all the others who chimed in and blew his explanation to smithereens!

 

[jmrtsus]

^^Should be true for most modern cars.

In gear, in many cars, lift the throttle and fuel is cut off. Toss it in neutral and fuel must be delivered to keep engine rotating.

Lift throttle, coast in gear is net zero fuel burn in many cars (maybe all modern ones in desperate attempt to meet fuel and emissions standards). Coast in neutral requires fuel.

Coming to stop: I stay in gear, pop into neutral (w/out clutch) as RPM come down near minimum for that gear.

Our engines do not shut down in gear or neutral so you are always burning some fuel. I don't care to hold the clutch down when coasting to a stop.

 

[Filandro]

Our engines do not shut down in gear or neutral so you are always burning some fuel. I don't care to hold the clutch down when coasting to a stop.

It's such a common thing when EFI took its first steps forward, are you confirming it not so in ST stock tune? Also, I didn't say I hold the clutch (pedal) down. I creep to a near stop then pop into neutral without disengaging the clutch (i.e., I don't press the clutch pedal to do this).


.

 

[jmrtsus]

I know of no manual transmission car that does that does that........

 

[gtx3076]

https://www.motor1.com/news/183513/less-fuel-in-gear-or-coasting/

Watch your AFR's when you decelerate while in gear, they'll shoot to the moon (super lean). Clutch out and you'll see them drop from the 40's to 14's as your car injects fuel to idle.

 

[FiestaSTdude]

https://www.motor1.com/news/183513/less-fuel-in-gear-or-coasting/

Watch your AFR's when you decelerate while in gear, they'll shoot to the moon (super lean). Clutch out and you'll see them drop from the 40's to 14's as your car injects fuel to idle.

Same thing with instantaneous gas mileage. When you coast in gear it goes to 99.9, but it goes down when you take the car out of gear and the engine idles