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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!princeton!siemens!gypsy!rtd
From: rtd@gypsy.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.auto
Subject: Less Is More?
Message-ID: <25300019@gypsy.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 8-Jan-86 10:50:00 EST
Article-I.D.: gypsy.25300019
Posted: Wed Jan  8 10:50:00 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 10-Jan-86 00:35:36 EST
Lines: 29
Nf-ID: #N:gypsy:25300019:000:1107
Nf-From: gypsy!rtd    Jan  8 10:50:00 1986


The recent discussion about speed limits, seat belts, etc. has
prompted me to post this note containing some questions I've
been wondering about for a while.  As I recall, one of the reasons
that the 55 MPH limit was proposed was to reduce gasoline consumption
during times of (apparent) oil scarcity.  And I seem to recall having
read reports indicating that nationwide gas consumption had been
reduced.

Now, the owner's manual for my '86 Celica (5 spd. manual transmission)
states that to maximize fuel efficiency, you should get into as high
a gear as possible as soon as possible.

Three questions come to me from all this:

  1. If the engine is running at 2500 RPM, what difference does it
     make what gear I'm in or how fast the car is moving?

  2. If Toyota says that going faster saves fuel, and the U.S. Gov't.
     says that going slower saves fuel, who is right?

  3. If rapid starts and quick acceleration wastes fuel (another
     U.S. Gov't. contention) then how can up-shifting as quickly
     as possible save fuel?


Bob Dillberger
Siemens Corporate Research & Support
Princeton, NJ