The other day, my daughter was looking at my hands. "Daddy, what's that?" she asked, with all the innocence of a six-year-old.
"It's a scar, honey."
"Oh. How did you get it?"
Instantly, my mind started re-living the pain of that day. I was replacing the belts on my father's old Bronco II, and I was wrestling with bolts that hadn't budged in years. Unable to get one free, I pulled out the 1/2" drive socket wrench, put it on the bolt, and pushed with all my might.
Just then, the wrench slipped off the bolt, and my hand went full-force past a bracket, gouging a knuckle on my right hand and removing 1 inch of flesh from my wrist.
I, then a man of 23, cried. People two towns over heard an obscenity carried by the wind. My foot later hurt from kicking the truck's bumper in anger.
Naturally, my daughter got the abridged version, but it got me thinking about all the various scars on my hands from all the years of working on cars. And that we, as vehicle enthusiasts, probably all have our share of wounds that come from our love of all things mechanical.
I have scars from cars. I have friends who have scars from motorcycle kick-starters that snapped back to rip open the calf on their right leg. I once met a man who lost most of his face from a motorcycle accident.
Are we stupid for wanting to continue our love of working on and caring for these machines? After all, we stay away from bees because they sting. Most people don't eat liver because of its taste. And we know not to jump from an airplane without a parachute.
Rather, we tend to get up, brush ourselves off, and wipe the blood away with a greasy shop rag. Then we pick up the wrench, or get back on the motorcycle, and do it all again, knowing full well that there's a good chance we'll be injured again.
Face it. We're mechanical masochists.
Few things in life see this same kind of dedication. In a disposable world, where it's easier to "buy it new" rather than repair it, car and motorcycle enthusiasts continue to be the ones who will find it worthwhile to finish the job. After all, there's no better sense of accomplishment as when, after the job, you close the hood over a purring motor.
So take a look at your hands, and think about all the scars you see. It's even okay to ask friends about theirs. Or take the time to talk to the grizzled old mechanic - he probably has the best stories.
Don't be afraid to show off your mechanical scars. They're just tattoos of our passion.
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Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Friday, March 25, 2011
The Legend of Chip Miller
Seven years ago today, the car world lost one of the truly greats, Chip Miller.
I met Chip during a family vacation to Ocean City, NJ when I was 15. I was riding my bike when I came across a red, 1990 Corvette ZR-1 in the driveway of one of the many ginormous houses that sit on the beach. I'd never seen a ZR-1 in person, so I stopped to gaze at it from the sidewalk.
As if on cue, the garage door opened up, and a man backed out a loud, black Cobra. My jaw hit the ground. He must have seen my reaction, because he looked over, and beckoned me over with a broad smile. We chatted about cars while he hosed off the Cobra (which turned out to be a replica - but he had two real ones "back home"). Two of the things that struck me as instantly cool about him was that by age 30, Chip had owned a Ferrari Daytona. And he'd returned a then-new Viper because of it's overwhelming awfulness. Yes, he was a car guy's car guy.
"Have you ever seen a Callaway Speedster?" he asked. I knew there had been only 10 twin-turbo ones made, that Otis Chandler owned #1, and that they were the hottest Corvettes ever.
"Just in magazines," I said with a shrug. He beckoned me into the garage, where a second garage door was installed on the back wall that opened into the first floor of the house. He opened the door, and sitting there was Chip's Callaway Corvette Speedster, which was #10 and only had a handful of miles on it at the time. As if that wasn't amazing enough, next to it was the C4 Corvette that won the first Corvette Challenge Series race in 1988 (it was the red Doug Rippie car at the top of the link - Ed.). By comparison, the white 1987 Porsche Speedster was fairly mundane in such company. On the back wall was a Chevrolet promo model of every year Corvette, and at least a thousand books on cars.
It was all an amazing experience, not just because of the cars, but because Chip seemed like such a genuine nice guy.
I ran back and told my parents about what had happened. "So what's he do?" they asked. I admitted that I didn't know. "Well, you should go back and find out what he does that he can afford all these great cars!" It was their way of inspiring me. Their philosophy was that if someone out there was living your dream, find out how they made it there.
I admit I was a bit embarrassed to knock on Chip's door again. "Could I interview you?" I asked. He laughed, but invited me in. We sat upstairs at the kitchen table, and talked about his life.
Chip had graduated from a junior college, and was able to scrape up enough money to invest it with a business partner, Bill Miller (no relation - Ed.). Together, they bought a large plot of land in Carlisle, PA that came to be known as the Carlisle Fairgrounds. They started hosting events like antique shows, and eventually turned to the automotive world, which now is the primary focus of the venue.
If you've ever been to a Carlisle Events show, you've probably seen Chip wandering the crowd. I'd often look him up (and even ran across him at a non-Carlisle show), and was thrilled when he'd recognize me, and ask questions about things that only he and I would have discussed. To a young car enthusiast, it really meant a lot, and made you feel special.
I don't remember where I first saw it, but I was terribly upset to read of his death. Chip had been diagnosed with a rare disease called Amyloidosis. From what I'd read, it attacks the body and leads to a miserable state of life. In Chip's case, it had attacked a number of his organs very quickly, and he passed away in a matter of weeks.
My own father would pass away two years later, but at the time, I felt like I had lost another father figure. I couldn't help thinking how tragic it was that such a wonderful, caring, and genuinely nice guy would have been given such an awful ending to his life. It didn't seem to be a fair fate for such a good person.
Not long afterward, I was attending a Carlisle show and I ran into his son, Lance. I had practiced what I thought I might say if I saw him. It sounded great in my head, but instead I found myself fumbling over my words. "I know you don't know who I am, but your Dad was really great, and I enjoyed meeting him, and..."
"Of course, I remember you! You came upstairs at the beach house and talked with him. He was thrilled that someone so young would be that interested in him," he said.
I once read that one of the things that Chip wanted to do was to make a difference in peoples' lives. Chip definitely made a difference in mine, and is one of the people that I credit with making me the car enthusiast that I am today.
* * *
For more information on Amyloidosis, and the Chip Miller Charitable Foundation, please visit http://chipmiller.org/.
Check back here for a photo soon - just need to scan it in. - Ed.
.
I met Chip during a family vacation to Ocean City, NJ when I was 15. I was riding my bike when I came across a red, 1990 Corvette ZR-1 in the driveway of one of the many ginormous houses that sit on the beach. I'd never seen a ZR-1 in person, so I stopped to gaze at it from the sidewalk.
As if on cue, the garage door opened up, and a man backed out a loud, black Cobra. My jaw hit the ground. He must have seen my reaction, because he looked over, and beckoned me over with a broad smile. We chatted about cars while he hosed off the Cobra (which turned out to be a replica - but he had two real ones "back home"). Two of the things that struck me as instantly cool about him was that by age 30, Chip had owned a Ferrari Daytona. And he'd returned a then-new Viper because of it's overwhelming awfulness. Yes, he was a car guy's car guy.
"Have you ever seen a Callaway Speedster?" he asked. I knew there had been only 10 twin-turbo ones made, that Otis Chandler owned #1, and that they were the hottest Corvettes ever.
"Just in magazines," I said with a shrug. He beckoned me into the garage, where a second garage door was installed on the back wall that opened into the first floor of the house. He opened the door, and sitting there was Chip's Callaway Corvette Speedster, which was #10 and only had a handful of miles on it at the time. As if that wasn't amazing enough, next to it was the C4 Corvette that won the first Corvette Challenge Series race in 1988 (it was the red Doug Rippie car at the top of the link - Ed.). By comparison, the white 1987 Porsche Speedster was fairly mundane in such company. On the back wall was a Chevrolet promo model of every year Corvette, and at least a thousand books on cars.
It was all an amazing experience, not just because of the cars, but because Chip seemed like such a genuine nice guy.
I ran back and told my parents about what had happened. "So what's he do?" they asked. I admitted that I didn't know. "Well, you should go back and find out what he does that he can afford all these great cars!" It was their way of inspiring me. Their philosophy was that if someone out there was living your dream, find out how they made it there.
I admit I was a bit embarrassed to knock on Chip's door again. "Could I interview you?" I asked. He laughed, but invited me in. We sat upstairs at the kitchen table, and talked about his life.
Chip had graduated from a junior college, and was able to scrape up enough money to invest it with a business partner, Bill Miller (no relation - Ed.). Together, they bought a large plot of land in Carlisle, PA that came to be known as the Carlisle Fairgrounds. They started hosting events like antique shows, and eventually turned to the automotive world, which now is the primary focus of the venue.
If you've ever been to a Carlisle Events show, you've probably seen Chip wandering the crowd. I'd often look him up (and even ran across him at a non-Carlisle show), and was thrilled when he'd recognize me, and ask questions about things that only he and I would have discussed. To a young car enthusiast, it really meant a lot, and made you feel special.
I don't remember where I first saw it, but I was terribly upset to read of his death. Chip had been diagnosed with a rare disease called Amyloidosis. From what I'd read, it attacks the body and leads to a miserable state of life. In Chip's case, it had attacked a number of his organs very quickly, and he passed away in a matter of weeks.
My own father would pass away two years later, but at the time, I felt like I had lost another father figure. I couldn't help thinking how tragic it was that such a wonderful, caring, and genuinely nice guy would have been given such an awful ending to his life. It didn't seem to be a fair fate for such a good person.
Not long afterward, I was attending a Carlisle show and I ran into his son, Lance. I had practiced what I thought I might say if I saw him. It sounded great in my head, but instead I found myself fumbling over my words. "I know you don't know who I am, but your Dad was really great, and I enjoyed meeting him, and..."
"Of course, I remember you! You came upstairs at the beach house and talked with him. He was thrilled that someone so young would be that interested in him," he said.
I once read that one of the things that Chip wanted to do was to make a difference in peoples' lives. Chip definitely made a difference in mine, and is one of the people that I credit with making me the car enthusiast that I am today.
* * *
For more information on Amyloidosis, and the Chip Miller Charitable Foundation, please visit http://chipmiller.org/.
Check back here for a photo soon - just need to scan it in. - Ed.
.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Trophee Andros Electrique
If it's not obvious by now, we're car guys here And one of the drawbacks is that the office DVR gets filled up quickly by car shows of all types. Not the mindless NASCAR commentary that seems to dominate the SPEED channel for 10 months of the year. Instead, it's oddball car shows that happen in the middle of the night. You know, when real car guys are asleep.
The other day, we came across a small piece on the "Trophee Andros Electrique". Don't worry, we'd never heard of it, either, but we were instantly intrigued.
You see, the Andros Trophy (expanded info here) is an ice racing championship held in France. It's basically a series of courses that are plowed through the snow (sometimes on a frozen lake), then drivers race small, rally-type cars around them.
Not really a new concept, but what was new was that last year they added an electric series to the schedule. The first year of the electric series, there was a field of 8 cars, this past year it was up to 12. As an interesting side note, Nicolas Prost (son of the famed Formula 1 driver Alain Prost) was the first-ever series champion.
The cars are powered by Lithium Ion batteries which drive electric motors that are the equivalent of 122hp and 200 Newton-metres of torque. They're light, and rear-wheel drive, making for a 0-60mph acceleration in under six seconds (on ice), and a top speed of about 100mph.
In an interview on the show, Mobile1: The Grid, Chief Designer Luc Marchetti explains, "Three years the evolutions of the electric cars' adaptations were needed. A car, which is totally built around a traction chain and batteries. We switched to electric motors, not only for ecological reasons, but also to show technical progress. To show that it's possible to have fast cars that aren't necessarily noisy and polluting. It was a real challenge.
"The biggest challenge, especially in this series, came from climate conditions. Heat, cold, humidity, everything in fact could make things malfunction. Of course today, we've taken all of that into account, and everything seems really obvious to us now. It wasn't that simple - we had a lot of problems that we had to fix over the years.
"Nowadays, with 250 kilos (550 lbs.) of batteries in a race like the Andros Trophy, we're able to drive, on most tracks, 30-40 laps. Most races are only about 6-8 laps long, so we're able to fully recharge the batteries in 20 minutes between races and be ready to go again.
"About the noise, some enthusiasts may miss it. I am really glad to protect my ears now, but also not carry the smell of thermal engines on my clothes in the evening. As for the spectators, there has been a change in people's mentality. The cars do make a little bit of noise, but now we're also working on an electric noise."
So, who's ready to go ice racing with a Prius?
The other day, we came across a small piece on the "Trophee Andros Electrique". Don't worry, we'd never heard of it, either, but we were instantly intrigued.
You see, the Andros Trophy (expanded info here) is an ice racing championship held in France. It's basically a series of courses that are plowed through the snow (sometimes on a frozen lake), then drivers race small, rally-type cars around them.
Not really a new concept, but what was new was that last year they added an electric series to the schedule. The first year of the electric series, there was a field of 8 cars, this past year it was up to 12. As an interesting side note, Nicolas Prost (son of the famed Formula 1 driver Alain Prost) was the first-ever series champion.
The cars are powered by Lithium Ion batteries which drive electric motors that are the equivalent of 122hp and 200 Newton-metres of torque. They're light, and rear-wheel drive, making for a 0-60mph acceleration in under six seconds (on ice), and a top speed of about 100mph.
In an interview on the show, Mobile1: The Grid, Chief Designer Luc Marchetti explains, "Three years the evolutions of the electric cars' adaptations were needed. A car, which is totally built around a traction chain and batteries. We switched to electric motors, not only for ecological reasons, but also to show technical progress. To show that it's possible to have fast cars that aren't necessarily noisy and polluting. It was a real challenge.
"The biggest challenge, especially in this series, came from climate conditions. Heat, cold, humidity, everything in fact could make things malfunction. Of course today, we've taken all of that into account, and everything seems really obvious to us now. It wasn't that simple - we had a lot of problems that we had to fix over the years.
"Nowadays, with 250 kilos (550 lbs.) of batteries in a race like the Andros Trophy, we're able to drive, on most tracks, 30-40 laps. Most races are only about 6-8 laps long, so we're able to fully recharge the batteries in 20 minutes between races and be ready to go again.
"About the noise, some enthusiasts may miss it. I am really glad to protect my ears now, but also not carry the smell of thermal engines on my clothes in the evening. As for the spectators, there has been a change in people's mentality. The cars do make a little bit of noise, but now we're also working on an electric noise."
So, who's ready to go ice racing with a Prius?
Photo from AutoblogGreen
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Monday, March 21, 2011
Follow-up to "Fun With Hypermiling"
A few weeks ago, we at the CarGuyChristian blog highlighted our wildly successful series, "Fun With Hypermiling" which actually broke down the costs and benefits associated with Hypermiling and theories on fuel-saving techniques.
Not only did our research come up with some interesting findings and conclusions but, more importantly, it got people talking about fuel savings.
We received a lot of feedback and e-mails (keep those letters and notes coming, folks!), but one fan sent me a link that I thought was another great source of information. Plus, we like the fact that it takes some of the mystery out of internet chatter, and actually looks to replace it with intelligent reasoning. Do we agree with all of it? Not necessarily. But we do feel that giving people the information to help them think for themselves is much more valuable.
The proof? As the fan wrote me in his e-mail, "The aggregate savings at the gas station is lost by the time spent in filling your tank twice as often and at slower rates. Better to maintain your car and stop driving like a jerk." That's a man with an opinion!
In any event, take a look for yourself, and we'd love to hear what you think! Leave us a comment, or join the discussions over on Facebook.
Not only did our research come up with some interesting findings and conclusions but, more importantly, it got people talking about fuel savings.
We received a lot of feedback and e-mails (keep those letters and notes coming, folks!), but one fan sent me a link that I thought was another great source of information. Plus, we like the fact that it takes some of the mystery out of internet chatter, and actually looks to replace it with intelligent reasoning. Do we agree with all of it? Not necessarily. But we do feel that giving people the information to help them think for themselves is much more valuable.
The proof? As the fan wrote me in his e-mail, "The aggregate savings at the gas station is lost by the time spent in filling your tank twice as often and at slower rates. Better to maintain your car and stop driving like a jerk." That's a man with an opinion!
In any event, take a look for yourself, and we'd love to hear what you think! Leave us a comment, or join the discussions over on Facebook.
.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Like A Scene From A Movie
One of my favorite parts of a movie is the soundtrack. It's one of those subtle things that can adjust the way the viewer sees the film, and takes the scene from something mundane and makes it incredible.
Just think - without the soundtrack, Indiana Jones would just be a dude in a hat. Tony Manero might just be doing stylish square dancing. Smokey and the Bandit could just as well be going for a scenic drive to Texarkana.
Sometimes in life, things come together. And you have the really cool, seemingly orchestrated moment that happens just by chance.
One night many years ago, I was driving north on I-295 from Delaware towards New Jersey. It was about 2:30am, and traffic was light. But it was one of those great, mid-summer nights, and I had the Miata's top down and the radio blasting.
Out of the radio came the surreal 1984 hit, "How Soon Is Now?" by The Smiths. As I sped the red roadster down the highway, I was the only one for miles on the interstate. The headlights sliced through the darkness, illuminating dashed white lines on the road, only intensifiying the feeling of speed. The exhaust crackles and pops resonated off road signs and the occasional parked 18-wheeler. And while the lyrics aren't particularly cheerful, Johnny Marr's guitar wailed from the speakers right through my soul - and I thought the whole world felt streamlined and magical as I sped through the night and across the southern span of the Delaware Memorial Bridge.
All was well until about mid-span, when I spotted a set of headlights coming up behind me at a quick pace. Knowing I had probably blown way over the speed limit during my fantasy, I figured it was probably one of the bridge police catching up to me for a chat. I let off the gas, coasted down to the speed limit, and waited for the red and blue lights to go on.
But they never did.
Instead, I watched as the approaching car moved over two lanes, and I caught a flash of something un-police-car-like under one of the orange streetlamps. I quickly turned down the radio, only to be greeted by the sound of a Ferrari flat-12 engine blasting by me at full chat, contained in a red Testarossa.
And like a scene from a movie, all of it was perfect and incredible.
Just think - without the soundtrack, Indiana Jones would just be a dude in a hat. Tony Manero might just be doing stylish square dancing. Smokey and the Bandit could just as well be going for a scenic drive to Texarkana.
Sometimes in life, things come together. And you have the really cool, seemingly orchestrated moment that happens just by chance.
One night many years ago, I was driving north on I-295 from Delaware towards New Jersey. It was about 2:30am, and traffic was light. But it was one of those great, mid-summer nights, and I had the Miata's top down and the radio blasting.
Out of the radio came the surreal 1984 hit, "How Soon Is Now?" by The Smiths. As I sped the red roadster down the highway, I was the only one for miles on the interstate. The headlights sliced through the darkness, illuminating dashed white lines on the road, only intensifiying the feeling of speed. The exhaust crackles and pops resonated off road signs and the occasional parked 18-wheeler. And while the lyrics aren't particularly cheerful, Johnny Marr's guitar wailed from the speakers right through my soul - and I thought the whole world felt streamlined and magical as I sped through the night and across the southern span of the Delaware Memorial Bridge.
All was well until about mid-span, when I spotted a set of headlights coming up behind me at a quick pace. Knowing I had probably blown way over the speed limit during my fantasy, I figured it was probably one of the bridge police catching up to me for a chat. I let off the gas, coasted down to the speed limit, and waited for the red and blue lights to go on.
But they never did.
Instead, I watched as the approaching car moved over two lanes, and I caught a flash of something un-police-car-like under one of the orange streetlamps. I quickly turned down the radio, only to be greeted by the sound of a Ferrari flat-12 engine blasting by me at full chat, contained in a red Testarossa.
And like a scene from a movie, all of it was perfect and incredible.
photo from speedhunters.com
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Monday, March 7, 2011
A Rude Awakening
Ahh - Monday morning. The day that signals the official end of the weekend, and back to work for pretty much everyone. Every now and then, however, it's great to have a Monday off as a 3-day weekend.
If you're like me, it's a wonderful feeling to sleep in until late morning. No annoying alarm clocks to jar you awake, and you lay there basking in the afterglow of the dream world. This, of course, segues wonderfully into the beginnings of a lazy day of nothingness. It's what a "day off" should really be.
One Monday morning, I was in this same frame of mind. I'd been looking forward to enjoying a great day of doing nothing for quite a while. I was even excited all day on Sunday, just looking forward to it.
Then, at about 6:45am, I was awoken by what I thought was an alarm clock.
Coming quickly out of delicious REM sleep, I laid there dazed while I try to discern what was going on. Soon, I determined it was a car horn that was stuck on. "It'll stop soon," I told myself.
Ten minutes later, it hadn't stopped. And now, since my Monday-mini-vacation had been interrupted, I wasn't at all pleased. I pulled on some jeans, grabbed some vice-grip pliers, a pair of wire cutters, a large hammer, and headed out the door. I didn't even have shoes on!
A block away, I found the culprit - an old, red Mazda 323 hatchback. It must have had a ground wire break, or a short-circuit of some sort, because it's horn was blaring away, and no owner was in sight. A number of the neighbors were standing around, and when they saw me arrive with a mad look, and a large set of wire cutters, they knew to stay out of my way.
Fortunately for the little Mazda (and my well being, since my plans for the car would have probably meant I would have faced a potential arrest), the owner soon arrived. He was a sleepy college kid who feigned interest in the situation through his hangover.
"Is this your damn car?" I asked. He nodded. "You got the keys?" Nope. "Get back in there, and get your keys, or I will turn off this damn horn myself." Realizing I was at least 90% serious, he ran back inside and handed me the keys 30 seconds later.
I opened the door, ripped the cover off the fuse box, and yanked the red fuse for the horn. Silence once again fell upon the city of Baltimore. Relief overcame me, and after 40 minutes of hearing this tinny, little horn, I think I actually wept right there on dirty driver's seat.
I slammed the door, threw the kid his keys, mentioned that he should drive it to a garage to get it checked out, and to be careful because the fuse I'd pulled also controlled the brake lights. And with tools in hand, I walked back and went to bed.
So even though it's Monday once again, for you, dear reader, I wish you a day full of greatness. Take with you some of the delicousness of the weekend's sleep, don't stray too far from dreamland, and may all your car horns be silenced.
.
If you're like me, it's a wonderful feeling to sleep in until late morning. No annoying alarm clocks to jar you awake, and you lay there basking in the afterglow of the dream world. This, of course, segues wonderfully into the beginnings of a lazy day of nothingness. It's what a "day off" should really be.
One Monday morning, I was in this same frame of mind. I'd been looking forward to enjoying a great day of doing nothing for quite a while. I was even excited all day on Sunday, just looking forward to it.
Then, at about 6:45am, I was awoken by what I thought was an alarm clock.
Coming quickly out of delicious REM sleep, I laid there dazed while I try to discern what was going on. Soon, I determined it was a car horn that was stuck on. "It'll stop soon," I told myself.
Ten minutes later, it hadn't stopped. And now, since my Monday-mini-vacation had been interrupted, I wasn't at all pleased. I pulled on some jeans, grabbed some vice-grip pliers, a pair of wire cutters, a large hammer, and headed out the door. I didn't even have shoes on!
A block away, I found the culprit - an old, red Mazda 323 hatchback. It must have had a ground wire break, or a short-circuit of some sort, because it's horn was blaring away, and no owner was in sight. A number of the neighbors were standing around, and when they saw me arrive with a mad look, and a large set of wire cutters, they knew to stay out of my way.
Fortunately for the little Mazda (and my well being, since my plans for the car would have probably meant I would have faced a potential arrest), the owner soon arrived. He was a sleepy college kid who feigned interest in the situation through his hangover.
"Is this your damn car?" I asked. He nodded. "You got the keys?" Nope. "Get back in there, and get your keys, or I will turn off this damn horn myself." Realizing I was at least 90% serious, he ran back inside and handed me the keys 30 seconds later.
I opened the door, ripped the cover off the fuse box, and yanked the red fuse for the horn. Silence once again fell upon the city of Baltimore. Relief overcame me, and after 40 minutes of hearing this tinny, little horn, I think I actually wept right there on dirty driver's seat.
I slammed the door, threw the kid his keys, mentioned that he should drive it to a garage to get it checked out, and to be careful because the fuse I'd pulled also controlled the brake lights. And with tools in hand, I walked back and went to bed.
So even though it's Monday once again, for you, dear reader, I wish you a day full of greatness. Take with you some of the delicousness of the weekend's sleep, don't stray too far from dreamland, and may all your car horns be silenced.
Photo from shiphorns.com
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Fun with Hypermiling - Part 6
Part 1 - Introduction - "What is Hypermiling?"
Part 2 - Test Hypotheses
Part 3 - Fun with air filters
Part 4 - We're talking tires
Part 5 - Driving Techniques
Part 6 - Is it worth it?
So given everything that we've done, we should appreciate an annual fuel savings of $238.98. Sounds pretty good, huh? Free money, right in your pocket.
But here's where it gets really interesting.
While better fuel economy is great, the focus of my experiment was to see if the increased fuel economy is a good trade off for the wear and tear on the other items in your car that are being worn out faster by utilizing hypermiling techniques. I think it's something that all the "engineers" aren't accounting for in their reports.
Specifically, I'm thinking that with the increased tire pressure, the tires will bulge in the middle and wear out faster. When the car is put in neutral, it's using wear and tear on the throwout bearing, clutch, and transmission synchros. And when the car is shut off and restarted, there's additional wear and tear on the ignition switch, starter motor and the flywheel.
Figuring I'd keep this car about 10 years, this means that over the lifetime of the car, I'd save $2,389.80.
Being realistic, you'll need to replace the following items over the course of 10 years: tires, battery, clutch/flywheel, and starter. Conservatively figuring the car will see 15k miles per year, that's 150k miles over 10 years.
So if you owned a '94 Toyota Corolla like mine, here's how it breaks down, assuming you do the work yourself (tires are estimated, other parts prices taken from Advanced Auto online web store):
- Tires are about $320 (4 x $80) every 50k miles, so figure $960.
- One clutch - $40
- Starter - $107-$200
- battery - $60-$86
This is figured based on normal usage, so figure just for these four items, you're spending at least $1,167. This doesn't include labor to install them, and it does not include other items that may be required to be done (like flywheel resurfacing or throwout bearings for clutch jobs).
Once you start hypermiling, the wear on these items goes up considerably. For example, when driving to and from work, I would typically use the starter twice. By hypermiling, I was using the starter about 16 times. Every time the car starts, the clutch must be engaged, so that is 16 more times than normal that the clutch gets engaged. Also, as I coast in neutral, I engage the clutch to shift out of gear, then engage it again to get the car back into gear when I am done coasting. This accounts for at least 50 extra engagement/disengagement cycles. Sound like a lot? On a typical commute, I once counted 156 gear changes, just on the way to work.
Also, every time I shut the car off at a traffic light, I put a draw on the battery for things like brake lights, the radio, and then call upon the battery again to turn the starter motor. This puts additional strain on the battery, and could cause it to fail earlier in its life cycle.
I'm also overinflating the tires, so I'm putting undue wear on the center of the tread, and wearing them at a much faster rate.
So if all of these (except the tires) will expectedly wear out over the next 150,000 miles, by increasing their usage by at least 8 times their normal daily use, it stands to reason they will wear out that much faster. So, for example, instead of lasting 150k miles, they may last 20k miles. So your $107 investment in your starter just turned into a $749 investment in 7 additional starters.
And that $1,167 expense is now $2,616, which doesn't account for the increased (and unknown) extra wear on the tires which could equate to a few extra sets over that 10-year period.
So by Hypermiling, you might save $2,389.80 in fuel, but you'll spend at least $226.20 more to replace the parts that are now wearing out at a much faster rate. And that's if you buy the parts and install them yourself - your mechanic's labor fee is probably $85 an hour.
Based on the rough data, it appears that hypermiling would probably pay off if you were keeping your car for a short time (like a lease), or if you had an extended bumper-to-bumper warranty that would pay for the extra starters, clutches, etc.
Overall, I'm disappointed in the end result. I was hoping for a lot more mileage (at least breaking 40mpg) for my diligence.
On the positive side of things, I helped the environment by cutting my emissions at idle (traffic lights and coasting), I saved myself a few bucks worth of fuel, and by coasting, I learned a lot about how to take corners fast by carrying speed and not losing momentum. I was also VERY focused on every aspect of driving the car, and got better at planning maneuvers.
On the down side, it was boring (and mostly stressful) to drive so slow and methodically, and not really at a comfortable pace. The higher pressure in the tires also makes for some tricky driving under braking and on wet roads.
So it's back to normal, relaxing driving for me. It may not get me the highest mileage, but it's still respectable mpg and is exponentially less stressful!
.
Part 2 - Test Hypotheses
Part 3 - Fun with air filters
Part 4 - We're talking tires
Part 5 - Driving Techniques
Part 6 - Is it worth it?
So given everything that we've done, we should appreciate an annual fuel savings of $238.98. Sounds pretty good, huh? Free money, right in your pocket.
But here's where it gets really interesting.
While better fuel economy is great, the focus of my experiment was to see if the increased fuel economy is a good trade off for the wear and tear on the other items in your car that are being worn out faster by utilizing hypermiling techniques. I think it's something that all the "engineers" aren't accounting for in their reports.
Specifically, I'm thinking that with the increased tire pressure, the tires will bulge in the middle and wear out faster. When the car is put in neutral, it's using wear and tear on the throwout bearing, clutch, and transmission synchros. And when the car is shut off and restarted, there's additional wear and tear on the ignition switch, starter motor and the flywheel.
Figuring I'd keep this car about 10 years, this means that over the lifetime of the car, I'd save $2,389.80.
Being realistic, you'll need to replace the following items over the course of 10 years: tires, battery, clutch/flywheel, and starter. Conservatively figuring the car will see 15k miles per year, that's 150k miles over 10 years.
So if you owned a '94 Toyota Corolla like mine, here's how it breaks down, assuming you do the work yourself (tires are estimated, other parts prices taken from Advanced Auto online web store):
- Tires are about $320 (4 x $80) every 50k miles, so figure $960.
- One clutch - $40
- Starter - $107-$200
- battery - $60-$86
This is figured based on normal usage, so figure just for these four items, you're spending at least $1,167. This doesn't include labor to install them, and it does not include other items that may be required to be done (like flywheel resurfacing or throwout bearings for clutch jobs).
Once you start hypermiling, the wear on these items goes up considerably. For example, when driving to and from work, I would typically use the starter twice. By hypermiling, I was using the starter about 16 times. Every time the car starts, the clutch must be engaged, so that is 16 more times than normal that the clutch gets engaged. Also, as I coast in neutral, I engage the clutch to shift out of gear, then engage it again to get the car back into gear when I am done coasting. This accounts for at least 50 extra engagement/disengagement cycles. Sound like a lot? On a typical commute, I once counted 156 gear changes, just on the way to work.
Also, every time I shut the car off at a traffic light, I put a draw on the battery for things like brake lights, the radio, and then call upon the battery again to turn the starter motor. This puts additional strain on the battery, and could cause it to fail earlier in its life cycle.
I'm also overinflating the tires, so I'm putting undue wear on the center of the tread, and wearing them at a much faster rate.
So if all of these (except the tires) will expectedly wear out over the next 150,000 miles, by increasing their usage by at least 8 times their normal daily use, it stands to reason they will wear out that much faster. So, for example, instead of lasting 150k miles, they may last 20k miles. So your $107 investment in your starter just turned into a $749 investment in 7 additional starters.
And that $1,167 expense is now $2,616, which doesn't account for the increased (and unknown) extra wear on the tires which could equate to a few extra sets over that 10-year period.
So by Hypermiling, you might save $2,389.80 in fuel, but you'll spend at least $226.20 more to replace the parts that are now wearing out at a much faster rate. And that's if you buy the parts and install them yourself - your mechanic's labor fee is probably $85 an hour.
Based on the rough data, it appears that hypermiling would probably pay off if you were keeping your car for a short time (like a lease), or if you had an extended bumper-to-bumper warranty that would pay for the extra starters, clutches, etc.
Overall, I'm disappointed in the end result. I was hoping for a lot more mileage (at least breaking 40mpg) for my diligence.
On the positive side of things, I helped the environment by cutting my emissions at idle (traffic lights and coasting), I saved myself a few bucks worth of fuel, and by coasting, I learned a lot about how to take corners fast by carrying speed and not losing momentum. I was also VERY focused on every aspect of driving the car, and got better at planning maneuvers.
On the down side, it was boring (and mostly stressful) to drive so slow and methodically, and not really at a comfortable pace. The higher pressure in the tires also makes for some tricky driving under braking and on wet roads.
So it's back to normal, relaxing driving for me. It may not get me the highest mileage, but it's still respectable mpg and is exponentially less stressful!
.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Fun With Hypermiling - Part 5
Part 1 - Introduction - "What is Hypermiling?"
Part 2 - Test Hypotheses
Part 3 - Fun with air filters
Part 4 - We're talking tires
Part 5 - Driving techniques
In Part 4, we talked about the trade-offs between adjusting tire pressures and gaining fuel mileage. By doing this, we gained 1.5mpg, for an average annual savings of 858 miles of fuel saved equalling 23.8 gallons per year which, at $3.44 per gallon, is an annual savings of $81.87.
The next step was to adjust my driving style, and see how that affects the Corolla's fuel mileage.
I started by coasting as much as possible. Since my drive is fairly hilly, this wasn't too difficult. Upon approaching the crest of a hill, I'd push in the clutch pedal, disengage the gear, and let the car roll.
Now that I've been making an effort to coast as much as possible, I tallied the mileage, and on my way to work, I was able to coast 12.5 miles (on a 33.5-mile trip). Coasting on the return trip home? 13.3 miles.
If I was an incredibly dedicated Hypermiler, I could probably increase this, but to be fair to other motorists, I get back on the gas when the car slows to the posted speed limit (because I'm gaining speed when going downhill).
At this point, it should be noted that many cars will not benefit from coasting in neutral. In most cases, the engine computer sees various parameters such as the throttle position and engine load, and compensates accordingly. In the case of a car coasting in neutral, the computer assumes the car is idling, and will still send fuel to the engine to keep it running.
However, if the car is kept in gear while coasting, engine vacuum occurs which makes the computer temporarily shut off the fuel supply to the engine, and thus use zero fuel.
In the case of my older Toyota, I didn't see any appreciable gas mileage improvements by using neutral versus engine braking.
The other method I employed was something else I'd borrowed from the Hypermiler handbook: turning off the car at traffic lights. I recently read that a modern fuel injected car consumes about the same amount of fuel at startup as it does idling for 6 seconds, so while I'm not shutting off the motor every time I stop, I know which traffic lights have me sitting idle for a while (30 seconds or more).
The result was a consistent gain, which brought my average to almost 38.7 mpg. This includes keeping the tires at 38psi (6 psi more than stock), shutting off the motor at long traffic lights, reducing idling time dramatically, and coasting for over 1/3 of the total round trip daily.
So if the car started at 34mpg before modifications, this means an increase of 4.7mpg by Hypermiling. Annually, this calculates to 2,688.4 miles of fuel saved equalling 69.47 gallons per year which, at $3.44 per gallon, is an annual savings of $238.98.
Next time, we'll see if it's really worth it to Hypermile.
------------------------
On a side note, I read about another Hypermiling technique in which the driver accelerates at full throttle to cruising speed, and uses engine braking (coasting with the car in gear) to slow down. The theory is that even though the car is using more fuel on the quick acceleration, it would equate to less fuel used than it would take to get the car to the same speed but at a slower pace.
I tried this technique and, unfortunately, I needed to cut the test short. After two days, I found that with this method, not only did my right knee start hurting, but it also gave me headaches, too.
Once the results were crunched mid-tank, I averaged 32.6mpg. However, this made for a miserable driving experience, so even if the technique would have done netted 50mpg, I would have probably not continued driving in this fashion.
.
Part 2 - Test Hypotheses
Part 3 - Fun with air filters
Part 4 - We're talking tires
Part 5 - Driving techniques
In Part 4, we talked about the trade-offs between adjusting tire pressures and gaining fuel mileage. By doing this, we gained 1.5mpg, for an average annual savings of 858 miles of fuel saved equalling 23.8 gallons per year which, at $3.44 per gallon, is an annual savings of $81.87.
The next step was to adjust my driving style, and see how that affects the Corolla's fuel mileage.
I started by coasting as much as possible. Since my drive is fairly hilly, this wasn't too difficult. Upon approaching the crest of a hill, I'd push in the clutch pedal, disengage the gear, and let the car roll.
Now that I've been making an effort to coast as much as possible, I tallied the mileage, and on my way to work, I was able to coast 12.5 miles (on a 33.5-mile trip). Coasting on the return trip home? 13.3 miles.
If I was an incredibly dedicated Hypermiler, I could probably increase this, but to be fair to other motorists, I get back on the gas when the car slows to the posted speed limit (because I'm gaining speed when going downhill).
At this point, it should be noted that many cars will not benefit from coasting in neutral. In most cases, the engine computer sees various parameters such as the throttle position and engine load, and compensates accordingly. In the case of a car coasting in neutral, the computer assumes the car is idling, and will still send fuel to the engine to keep it running.
However, if the car is kept in gear while coasting, engine vacuum occurs which makes the computer temporarily shut off the fuel supply to the engine, and thus use zero fuel.
In the case of my older Toyota, I didn't see any appreciable gas mileage improvements by using neutral versus engine braking.
The other method I employed was something else I'd borrowed from the Hypermiler handbook: turning off the car at traffic lights. I recently read that a modern fuel injected car consumes about the same amount of fuel at startup as it does idling for 6 seconds, so while I'm not shutting off the motor every time I stop, I know which traffic lights have me sitting idle for a while (30 seconds or more).
The result was a consistent gain, which brought my average to almost 38.7 mpg. This includes keeping the tires at 38psi (6 psi more than stock), shutting off the motor at long traffic lights, reducing idling time dramatically, and coasting for over 1/3 of the total round trip daily.
So if the car started at 34mpg before modifications, this means an increase of 4.7mpg by Hypermiling. Annually, this calculates to 2,688.4 miles of fuel saved equalling 69.47 gallons per year which, at $3.44 per gallon, is an annual savings of $238.98.
Next time, we'll see if it's really worth it to Hypermile.
------------------------
On a side note, I read about another Hypermiling technique in which the driver accelerates at full throttle to cruising speed, and uses engine braking (coasting with the car in gear) to slow down. The theory is that even though the car is using more fuel on the quick acceleration, it would equate to less fuel used than it would take to get the car to the same speed but at a slower pace.
I tried this technique and, unfortunately, I needed to cut the test short. After two days, I found that with this method, not only did my right knee start hurting, but it also gave me headaches, too.
Once the results were crunched mid-tank, I averaged 32.6mpg. However, this made for a miserable driving experience, so even if the technique would have done netted 50mpg, I would have probably not continued driving in this fashion.
.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Fun With Hypermiling - Part 4
Part 1 - Introduction - "What is Hypermiling?"
Part 2 - Test Hypotheses
Part 3 - Fun with air filters
Part 4 - We're talking tires
In Part 3, we talked about the gains in fuel efficiency by modifying the intake track on a 1994 Toyota Corolla for increased airflow. By doing this, we gained about 1mpg, for an average annual savings of 572 miles of fuel per year, which equates to 16.8 gallons. At $3.44 per gallon of 87 octane, that's a savings of $57.79 per year.
One of the tenets of Hypermiling is to increase air pressure in your tires to the maximum allowed pressure. But before you go out and do this, read on.
On the side of your tires, you'll find a "Max pressure" amount imprinted on the tire. This is the tire manufacturer's maximum rating for that tire. It may say, for example, "MAX pressure 50psi". Your vehicle manufacturer might recommend you inflate your tires to 32psi. The reason this is done is because the engineers have found a happy medium, or proper inflation pressure, for that particular vehicle.
Imagine your tires as a balloon. When you overinflate your tires, they react much like a balloon that has been blown up to a much larger size. It is very hard, but very brittle and is easy to pop. On the flip side, underinflated tires will heat up quickly, which causes a failure (blowout). These factors will increase exponentially as the vehicle's size and weight increase.
The other factor to consider with tire inflation is the shape of the tread. If you look at the front of the vehicle (and assuming you could see through the bumper), your tires will appear as approximate vertical rectangles. As tire pressure is increased, the top and bottom of the tires will bow out. This, in turn, means not all of the tire's tread is in contact with the road. This decreases rolling resistance (thus improving your mileage by making the car work less), but the decreased contact patch means less resistance for more important things like going around corners or braking. Especially in the rain. This also means the tires will wear out much faster.
Basically, if you want to play with tire pressures, do so at your own risk.
Knowing all this, I decided to go with the recommendations of Hypermilers and increase the tire pressure. I didn't have the nerve to go to the maximum pressure, so I increased the tire pressure from the Toyota-recommended 32psi to 38psi.
The result was a consistent 1.5mpg gain, which brought my average to almost 36 mpg. Annually, this calculates to 858 miles of fuel saved equalling 23.8 gallons per year which, at $3.44 per gallon, is an annual savings of $81.87.
Total savings with modded air intake and overinflated tires: $139.66
In the next installment, we'll delve into various driving techniques. You'll be surprised by what we came up with.
.
Part 2 - Test Hypotheses
Part 3 - Fun with air filters
Part 4 - We're talking tires
In Part 3, we talked about the gains in fuel efficiency by modifying the intake track on a 1994 Toyota Corolla for increased airflow. By doing this, we gained about 1mpg, for an average annual savings of 572 miles of fuel per year, which equates to 16.8 gallons. At $3.44 per gallon of 87 octane, that's a savings of $57.79 per year.
One of the tenets of Hypermiling is to increase air pressure in your tires to the maximum allowed pressure. But before you go out and do this, read on.
On the side of your tires, you'll find a "Max pressure" amount imprinted on the tire. This is the tire manufacturer's maximum rating for that tire. It may say, for example, "MAX pressure 50psi". Your vehicle manufacturer might recommend you inflate your tires to 32psi. The reason this is done is because the engineers have found a happy medium, or proper inflation pressure, for that particular vehicle.
Imagine your tires as a balloon. When you overinflate your tires, they react much like a balloon that has been blown up to a much larger size. It is very hard, but very brittle and is easy to pop. On the flip side, underinflated tires will heat up quickly, which causes a failure (blowout). These factors will increase exponentially as the vehicle's size and weight increase.
The other factor to consider with tire inflation is the shape of the tread. If you look at the front of the vehicle (and assuming you could see through the bumper), your tires will appear as approximate vertical rectangles. As tire pressure is increased, the top and bottom of the tires will bow out. This, in turn, means not all of the tire's tread is in contact with the road. This decreases rolling resistance (thus improving your mileage by making the car work less), but the decreased contact patch means less resistance for more important things like going around corners or braking. Especially in the rain. This also means the tires will wear out much faster.
Basically, if you want to play with tire pressures, do so at your own risk.
Knowing all this, I decided to go with the recommendations of Hypermilers and increase the tire pressure. I didn't have the nerve to go to the maximum pressure, so I increased the tire pressure from the Toyota-recommended 32psi to 38psi.
The result was a consistent 1.5mpg gain, which brought my average to almost 36 mpg. Annually, this calculates to 858 miles of fuel saved equalling 23.8 gallons per year which, at $3.44 per gallon, is an annual savings of $81.87.
Total savings with modded air intake and overinflated tires: $139.66
In the next installment, we'll delve into various driving techniques. You'll be surprised by what we came up with.
.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Fun With Hypermiling - Part 3
Part 1 - Introduction - "What is Hypermiling?"
Part 2 - Test Hypotheses
Part 2 - Fun with air filters
In Part 2, you learned about what I'm hoping to conclude from these tests, as well as the test subject itself - our trusty 1994 Toyota Corolla.
The car typically got an average of 34 mpg with my 33.5-mile one-way daily commute consisting of about 17 miles of hilly back roads and 16 miles of stop-and-go traffic. My typical driving style could be described as "average".
The first thing I tried was improving the airflow to the engine intake. By allowing more airflow, I hoped to reduce the airflow restrictions, making it easier for the engine to suck in air (imagine trying to breathe through a coffee stirrer versus a normal straw). My hypothesis was that this would create less work for the engine, thus making it more efficient.
The downside was that with increased airflow is more oxygen. When the engine's sensors detected more oxygen, there's a possibily that the computer will add more fuel to compensate. With this car being an OBD-1 car, there was no way to read the sensors accurately, but eventual mileage would indicate the increased use of fuel.
The stock airbox consisted of a tube that ran from the front of the engine bay to a large, empty box that held the air filter. The engine pulled air from the tube, into the box, through the filter, through the airflow meter (built into the top of the box), and down another duct to the engine intake, and into the cylinders.
I removed the tube and lower portion of the box. Then, I secured the air filter to the airflow meter, which still forced all intake air through the filter.
Much to my surprise, this modification netted about 1 mpg for an average of just over 34mpg.
While this doesn't generate specific numbers on fuel use, there is the possibility that the car realized more airflow than what that 1mpg increase showed, but may have been adding more fuel to compensate for the extra oxygen.
Whatever the situation, the car consistently saw that extra 1mpg with this intake modification. The cost was free and, given the average fuel consumption rate of me and the car, would have saved about 572 miles of fuel per year, which equates to 16.8 gallons. At $3.44 per gallon of 87 octane, that's a savings of $57.79 per year.
It should also be noted that the filter was an OEM-style paper filter, so additional mileage may be able to be obtained with a higher-flowing cotton filter.
In the next installment, we talk tires.
.
Part 2 - Test Hypotheses
Part 2 - Fun with air filters
In Part 2, you learned about what I'm hoping to conclude from these tests, as well as the test subject itself - our trusty 1994 Toyota Corolla.
The car typically got an average of 34 mpg with my 33.5-mile one-way daily commute consisting of about 17 miles of hilly back roads and 16 miles of stop-and-go traffic. My typical driving style could be described as "average".
The first thing I tried was improving the airflow to the engine intake. By allowing more airflow, I hoped to reduce the airflow restrictions, making it easier for the engine to suck in air (imagine trying to breathe through a coffee stirrer versus a normal straw). My hypothesis was that this would create less work for the engine, thus making it more efficient.
The downside was that with increased airflow is more oxygen. When the engine's sensors detected more oxygen, there's a possibily that the computer will add more fuel to compensate. With this car being an OBD-1 car, there was no way to read the sensors accurately, but eventual mileage would indicate the increased use of fuel.
The stock airbox consisted of a tube that ran from the front of the engine bay to a large, empty box that held the air filter. The engine pulled air from the tube, into the box, through the filter, through the airflow meter (built into the top of the box), and down another duct to the engine intake, and into the cylinders.
I removed the tube and lower portion of the box. Then, I secured the air filter to the airflow meter, which still forced all intake air through the filter.
Much to my surprise, this modification netted about 1 mpg for an average of just over 34mpg.
While this doesn't generate specific numbers on fuel use, there is the possibility that the car realized more airflow than what that 1mpg increase showed, but may have been adding more fuel to compensate for the extra oxygen.
Whatever the situation, the car consistently saw that extra 1mpg with this intake modification. The cost was free and, given the average fuel consumption rate of me and the car, would have saved about 572 miles of fuel per year, which equates to 16.8 gallons. At $3.44 per gallon of 87 octane, that's a savings of $57.79 per year.
It should also be noted that the filter was an OEM-style paper filter, so additional mileage may be able to be obtained with a higher-flowing cotton filter.
In the next installment, we talk tires.
.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Fun With Hypermiling - Part 2
Part 1 - Introduction - "What is Hypermiling?"
Part 2 - Test hypotheses
In Part 1, I gave a brief synopsis of "Hypermiling".
While reading several articles on the subject, authored by journalists who had interviewed automotive "experts" on the best way to save fuel, I decided it was time for some hands-on experimentation.
I was primarily concerned with a part of the equation that I feel is being ignored by everyone - the cost of wear and tear on the vehicle (and driver) from Hypermiling. And, would it be worth it, in the long run, to practice Hypermiling on a daily basis?
Everything on a vehicle is a wear and tear item. Tires, oil, engines and the like are the obvious ones. But others like subframes, unibody chassis, even your dashboard is a wear and tear item. Plus, if you were to never even drive the car, it would still deteriorate (the rubber and plastics would be the first to go). So whether the car is parked or moving, it's still wearing out itself, albeit at different rates per component.
Some of the recommendations for proper Hypermiling include things like coasting down hills, turning off your engine, and over-inflating your tires. These would be the initial focus of my experiment.
The car that was used was a 1994 Toyota Corolla base model. It has a 105hp, 1.6 liter engine with electronic fuel injection and 5-speed transmission. The car was in good tune, with 119k miles on the odometer at the beginning of the test, and used 10w-30 regular motor oil and 87 octane fuel. The tires were 175/65-14 Toyo all-seasons with a 600 treadwear rating.
For the purpose of this test, I refilled the tank on the same gasoline pump at a Sunoco station in Wheaton, MD. I would let the pump go until it clicked off when full.
The car typically got an average of 34 mpg (with little to no a/c use) with my 33.5-mile one-way daily commute consisting of about 17 miles of hilly back roads and 16 miles of stop-and-go traffic. My typical driving style could be described as "average", though I can drive it like a rental and still manage 31-32 mpg. Not too shabby, by any means.
In the next installment, we'll start getting into the various testing methods and procedures. You'll start to really see some numbers emerge.
.
Part 2 - Test hypotheses
In Part 1, I gave a brief synopsis of "Hypermiling".
While reading several articles on the subject, authored by journalists who had interviewed automotive "experts" on the best way to save fuel, I decided it was time for some hands-on experimentation.
I was primarily concerned with a part of the equation that I feel is being ignored by everyone - the cost of wear and tear on the vehicle (and driver) from Hypermiling. And, would it be worth it, in the long run, to practice Hypermiling on a daily basis?
Everything on a vehicle is a wear and tear item. Tires, oil, engines and the like are the obvious ones. But others like subframes, unibody chassis, even your dashboard is a wear and tear item. Plus, if you were to never even drive the car, it would still deteriorate (the rubber and plastics would be the first to go). So whether the car is parked or moving, it's still wearing out itself, albeit at different rates per component.
Some of the recommendations for proper Hypermiling include things like coasting down hills, turning off your engine, and over-inflating your tires. These would be the initial focus of my experiment.
The car that was used was a 1994 Toyota Corolla base model. It has a 105hp, 1.6 liter engine with electronic fuel injection and 5-speed transmission. The car was in good tune, with 119k miles on the odometer at the beginning of the test, and used 10w-30 regular motor oil and 87 octane fuel. The tires were 175/65-14 Toyo all-seasons with a 600 treadwear rating.
For the purpose of this test, I refilled the tank on the same gasoline pump at a Sunoco station in Wheaton, MD. I would let the pump go until it clicked off when full.
The car typically got an average of 34 mpg (with little to no a/c use) with my 33.5-mile one-way daily commute consisting of about 17 miles of hilly back roads and 16 miles of stop-and-go traffic. My typical driving style could be described as "average", though I can drive it like a rental and still manage 31-32 mpg. Not too shabby, by any means.
In the next installment, we'll start getting into the various testing methods and procedures. You'll start to really see some numbers emerge.
.
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