Slight rant warning : Dad and I.
Discussion
Before I start, don't get me wrong, my father is a very able and confident driver, and it is just this one issue that irks me.
Gear changing. When I'm driving I do two specific things that I'm going to talk about here. I rev match when coming down gears (and block change, but that's irrelevant) and I tend to go through the rev range a air bit in normal driving. I guess that in most situations I probably change gear at 4k ish when I'm accelerating, and I do accelerate fairly hard. Obviously this is only when it is safe to do so (and in any of our current vehicles, you don't actually go terribly fast even when doing that). If I'm driving locally I would probably tend to go through the rev range until about 2.5k until changing up, but obviously at a fraction of the throttle, that I would user if I were accelerating up to60ish.
Recently this has become the subject of ridicule from my Dad. He is obsessed with MPG, which fair enough, his cars are costing him more to run than they ever have done. I regularly get lectures on how I should be going up through the gears at 2k rpm, and not accelerating briskly etc... etc... It's now got to the point where I'm not allowed to drive his car, because apparently I will affect his MPG figures on the OBC. And it's apparently not good for the engine, or something,
Now this is all well and good, but, ony last tank of fuel I averaged 39 (worked out traditionally). The book figures for my (now old) car were 36mpg combined, so I was consistently getting a fair bit above that, and that included a air bit of b-road and not much dual carriageway.
He currently drives a petrol Picasso (1.6) and he's averaging dead on 40mpg according to his trip computer.
There is no problem. I honestly get better results if I get the accelerating out of the way, and then block change into 5th to cruise, than getting into 5th as quickly as I possibly can.
Thoughts?
Edit :: forgot the rev matching thing. Tis apparently heavily uses fuel (no it doesn't) and shouldn't be done. Hs preferred method is to drag the revs up on the clutch. Or coast.
Gear changing. When I'm driving I do two specific things that I'm going to talk about here. I rev match when coming down gears (and block change, but that's irrelevant) and I tend to go through the rev range a air bit in normal driving. I guess that in most situations I probably change gear at 4k ish when I'm accelerating, and I do accelerate fairly hard. Obviously this is only when it is safe to do so (and in any of our current vehicles, you don't actually go terribly fast even when doing that). If I'm driving locally I would probably tend to go through the rev range until about 2.5k until changing up, but obviously at a fraction of the throttle, that I would user if I were accelerating up to60ish.
Recently this has become the subject of ridicule from my Dad. He is obsessed with MPG, which fair enough, his cars are costing him more to run than they ever have done. I regularly get lectures on how I should be going up through the gears at 2k rpm, and not accelerating briskly etc... etc... It's now got to the point where I'm not allowed to drive his car, because apparently I will affect his MPG figures on the OBC. And it's apparently not good for the engine, or something,
Now this is all well and good, but, ony last tank of fuel I averaged 39 (worked out traditionally). The book figures for my (now old) car were 36mpg combined, so I was consistently getting a fair bit above that, and that included a air bit of b-road and not much dual carriageway.
He currently drives a petrol Picasso (1.6) and he's averaging dead on 40mpg according to his trip computer.
There is no problem. I honestly get better results if I get the accelerating out of the way, and then block change into 5th to cruise, than getting into 5th as quickly as I possibly can.
Thoughts?
Edit :: forgot the rev matching thing. Tis apparently heavily uses fuel (no it doesn't) and shouldn't be done. Hs preferred method is to drag the revs up on the clutch. Or coast.
It can be frustrating that others unaware and/or unwilling to understand advanced driving techniques, are quite happy to criticise your driving, with no sound basis to their argument. I will add that I did get better mpg by going against some advanced driving techniques, but it didn't drop dramatically when I wanted to make maximum legal progress by fully applying them.
RenesisEvo said:
It can be frustrating that others unaware and/or unwilling to understand advanced driving techniques, are quite happy to criticise your driving, with no sound basis to their argument. I will add that I did get better mpg by going against some advanced driving techniques, but it didn't drop dramatically when I wanted to make maximum legal progress by fully applying them.
One of my points, though, is that I've seen an increase in my mpg since I've been accelerating more rapidly, and then block changing up into 5th to cruise, cutting 4th out completely.VinceFox said:
Life's too short to genuinely worry about such subtle differences in mpg. This isn't a discussion about fuel, it's jousting about loss of parental control.
Don't drive his car anymore, you'll both get on much better.
It's not just when I'm driving his. comments are forthcoming are I get home in my own car.Don't drive his car anymore, you'll both get on much better.
KardioKate said:
VinceFox said:
Life's too short to genuinely worry about such subtle differences in mpg. This isn't a discussion about fuel, it's jousting about loss of parental control.
Don't drive his car anymore, you'll both get on much better.
It's not just when I'm driving his. comments are forthcoming are I get home in my own car.Don't drive his car anymore, you'll both get on much better.
davepoth said:
Just drive his car like a complete tree hugger. If you can best his economy figures he'll be even more angry. 
I think that suggestion could have some merit. 
My late father criticised my driving in one of his cars once as I was using too a high for the speed and was labouring the engine and risking burning the valves.
Blipping on the down change is something I don't do enough of but it really smoothes things out. I need to try and do that for a whole drive sometime.
I do that thrusting along in third thing and then block changing into 5th sometimes. It could be argued one less gearchange reduces wear on the transmission and running gear?
Isn't it about using the engine in the most efficient torque band. Some 2 litre 16V injected cars from the 90s feel like they'd quite happily cope with a taller gear than 5th at 40MPH, but I could be wrong.
Is your father an IAMer? Take the RoSPA test and wave your gold grade pass under his nose?
Give him a hug. You only have one dad and he won't be around forever.
VinceFox said:
Life's too short to genuinely worry about such subtle differences in mpg. This isn't a discussion about fuel, it's jousting about loss of parental control.
I agree. Stick to your own beliefs. Don't let his criticisms annoy you. Be your own person and do it your way. Ignore it, you are right; and, most importantly, believe that you are right, that's all that matters. [PS: your father will obviously be having the same thoughts himself, believing that he is unquestionably right in his thinking. But, you should only be concerned with what you genuinely believe to be right, nobody else matters in that respect.]
What excellent advice.
This answers the substantive point:-
This answers the substantive point:-
MagicalTrevor said:
It's braking that affects MPG (IMO) and anticipation will help significantly
This explains everything:-VinceFox said:
Life's too short to genuinely worry about such subtle differences in mpg. This isn't a discussion about fuel, it's jousting about loss of parental control.
And this is what you should do:-carinaman said:
Give him a hug. You only have one dad and he won't be around forever.
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