How to Shift Gears for Gas Mileage
Learning how to shift gears to improve the gas mileage on your car can be difficult at first, but once you determine what methods work best, you can enjoy saving fuel and wear and tear on your car's powertrain. Although most tips for shifting to improve fuel economy are intended for vehicles with manual transmissions, some tips can be applied when driving a car with an automatic transmission. As you first practice these shifting techniques, find an empty parking lot, just in case you stall the vehicle.
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Instructions
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Shift at low RPMs (revolutions per minute, which measure the speed at which an engine is operating). If an engine is operating at high RPMs, it is working harder and, in turn, is getting lower fuel economy. An engine's RPMs is measured by the tachometer on the dashboard. It is best to shift between 1,000 RPM and 2,500 RPM to get the best fuel economy. Manual transmission drivers have full control over the RPMs, but automatic transmission drivers also may have some control: Electronically controlled automatic transmissions may shift at low RPMs if you are light on the throttle, and some automatics have an electronic override mode that allows manual shifting.
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Keep RPMs low when disengaging the clutch. On manual transmission cars, revving the engine to 2,000 RPM is common when starting in first gear from a stop. Using more RPMs to get the vehicle started results in wasted gas. You should be able to keep the RPMs around 1,000 while disengaging the clutch and starting forward motion. This will not only help with gas mileage, it will also save clutch wear and result in smoother starts.
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Avoid engine braking. With a manual or automatic with override, it is possible to downshift and lower the vehicle's speed via engine braking. This technique requires running the engine at higher RPMs, which results in lower fuel economy. Using your brake pads instead of engine braking will not only save gas, it will also save wear and tear on the clutch and transmission.
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Start in a higher gear. Starting in second gear with a manual transmission can keep you from using first gear, which is the least efficient gear ratio. This technique requires some getting used to, so practice in an empty parking lot to make sure you can start safely in second gear.
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Tips & Warnings
Make sure you have good control over these techniques before using them on the road. It can take some effort to adjust to major changes in driving style.
Some economy cars do not come with a factory-installed tachometer; however, tachometers can be easily installed on cars at any auto shop.
References
- Photo Credit Photodisc/Photodisc/Getty Images
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Comments
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Actually, during engine braking little to no fuel is delivered to the engine of most cars these days so long as you're not pressing the accelerator. The higher RPMs when engine braking are the result of momentum -- The axle turns the gearbox which turns the engine which is where the RPMs come from. Just because your RPMs are higher doesn't necessarily mean more fuel is being injected. Engine breaking actually can improve your fuel economy because it cuts fuel to the engine and does double duty in prolonging the life of your brakes.
