rural areas
 

Well, as I posted earlier, I'm new here. I have been coasting down hills here-of which there are many. I live in rural NC. But I joined this week and read in the tips not to accelerate going uphill. So while I'm coasting downhill is it being efficiant? I'm trying not to accelerate uphill after coasting down, but just to maintain- like cruise control uphill and accelerating on the flat part. Just would like some insight.

Sounds like you're doing pretty well. Acccelerating going downhill (slowly, don't punch it) will give you better FE than if you put the pedal down going uphill. Coasting is always much more efficient.

Cruise control on uphills will likely yield good results.

what part of rural NC do you live in? I live near greensboro. I found that if you give it a little gas going down hill and don't give it gas on a hill until you just about reach the crest (where the grade seems to lessen) then it will help too.

I don't know if anyone has mentioned a scangauge to you yet either. that was my first FE purchase. it will show you your MPG and other stuff.

welcome to the site.

A car going up and down hill acts a bit like a pendulum swinging or a kid on a swing..

You push the kid or the pendulum on the downward part of the swing and it slows on the upward part. Let your speed gradually slow a bit going uphill and coast or speed up slightly going downhill and accelerate some on the flat at the bottom just before you start going uphill.

The heavier and more aerodynamic your car is, the better this works. If you are driving one of those ultra boxy Scion micro vans it won't make that much difference.. My wife had an Infiniti J30 which is quite heavy and pretty slippery and with that you could definitely tell the difference in gas mileage by driving this way.

I have towed a dual axle flatbed trailer with a race car on it with my daughter's 97 Expedition that has the MPG readout from the factory.. I could get better mileage driving at 8800 lbs total vehicle weight than my daughter can without the trailer just because I pay attention to the MPG display and adjust my driving accordingly. Seventeen MPG at 60 mph and 8800 lbs is not too bad.