Date:         Sat, 22 May 2004 21:29:22 -0400
Reply-To:     ian@BLUEMOON.HPLX.NET
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Ian Butler <ian@BLUEMOON.HPLX.NET>
Subject:      Re: Gas Mileage
Comments: To: David Brodbeck <gull@GULL.US>
In-Reply-To:  <Pine.BSF.4.58.0405222018430.74059@gull.us>
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII

On Sat, 22 May 2004, David Brodbeck wrote:

> Well, here are my reasons for keeping track:
>
> - I'm a geek.  I like numbers.
> - If I see a decline in gas milage with no obvious explanation, I know
>   that something's probably wrong -- the engine needs attention, a
>   brake is dragging, etc.
> - I can experiment and see how my driving style affects fuel economy.
>   When gas gets expensive, this can become a way to save money.
> - Knowing what kin do fuel economy I get helps with budgeting for
>   trips and planning fuel stops.  What I get is almost never the same
>   as the EPA number.

I agree fully with the last two points.  My Audi has a broken odometer
(could I expect less from genuine VDO instruments?) and its trip computer
is thus doubly useful to guess mileage.  With premium fuel scraping $2.35
a gallon, I've been watching it closely to see how much mileage I can
squeeze out of it with careful driving.  Engine braking in town is your
friend -- I got 29.4mpg out of one 60-mile half highway/half traffic jam
trip (typically get 23 or so).  Partly by letting it coast down in gear
for a while on approaches to stop lights, thus using no fuel for those
stretches.  Idle fuel cutoff is a feature enjoyed by Digifant (maybe
digijet?) Vanagons as well.

I'd be curious to see if Digifant-based Golf/Jetta trip computers could be
coaxed into working on Digifant vans.

ian Butler / ian@bluemoon.hplx.net
'88 Audi 5000S quattro
'88 VW Scirocco 16v
'77 Mercury Marquis, for sale (and sitting unused through the second or
third gas crisis in its lifetime)