i have a 5mt 03 p5 and i was wondering when (rpm range) is it best to shift at for good fuel economy? i have been doing it between 2,300-3,000 rpm and seems to be getting around 26-27 with about 50/50 city/freeway my dad had the car before me and is more experienced with a stick shift and reported regularly getting 30-33ish with similar 50/50 driving i was wondering if anyone could help me figure out how he was driving it so i can drive it same way and get similar mpg?
How to get the best mpg out of your P5?
- Thread starter kms1990
- Start date
- :
- 2010 Mazda5 GT
Things that I try to do is go easy on the gas while accelerating up to 3K RPM. I shift 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and then to 5th majority of the time when I'm cruising on main roads. Also try to cruise to stoplights in neutral. And lastly, I keep my tires at 36psi.
I see 30-32 with city driving and about 34-36 highway.
I see 30-32 with city driving and about 34-36 highway.
Jackie chan
Member
- :
- Pro5
Smoothness is key also. Shift at fairly low rpm ranges and make quick, smooth shifts.
If you keep your car in gear while coasting, your injectors turn off completely. They kick back in right at about idle rpm. I hit the clutch in just before that point. (if you're out of gear or have the clutch in, the car needs fuel to maintain idle)
Try to drive as smoothly as possible,... pretend there's a cup of coffee on your dash and you don't want to spill it. All changes in speed or direction waste energy.
I'm pretty sure shifting at as low an RPM as possible (without bogging it) helps with MPG. I sometimes shift as low as 1,500 rpm with very little throttle and take a long time to get up to speed. (I don't do that if anyone is behind me)
You have to shift at a higher rpm at speeds above about 35 mph because of the engine load needed to push through the air. (you don't want to strain your engine)
Pulling in behind a truck on the highway and drafting it can make a big difference (as long as you don't follow too close and piss the guy off).
Remember a ticket, accident or a trashed engine costs a lot more than any gas you're gonna save.
Google "hypermiling" for more ideas,... some guys get really carried away with it.
Try to drive as smoothly as possible,... pretend there's a cup of coffee on your dash and you don't want to spill it. All changes in speed or direction waste energy.
I'm pretty sure shifting at as low an RPM as possible (without bogging it) helps with MPG. I sometimes shift as low as 1,500 rpm with very little throttle and take a long time to get up to speed. (I don't do that if anyone is behind me)
You have to shift at a higher rpm at speeds above about 35 mph because of the engine load needed to push through the air. (you don't want to strain your engine)
Pulling in behind a truck on the highway and drafting it can make a big difference (as long as you don't follow too close and piss the guy off).
Remember a ticket, accident or a trashed engine costs a lot more than any gas you're gonna save.
Google "hypermiling" for more ideas,... some guys get really carried away with it.
If you coast with your clutch in, you will coast further but you are using gas to maintain idle while doing it (same as neutral,... the clutch and neutral switch tell the ECU to give it gas (the IAC valve kicks in))
If you coast in gear with your foot off the gas, the fuel injectors shut off completely and it's your cars momentum that keeps the engine turning over. That's why it slows down faster than coasting with the clutch in.
I used to hit the clutch in as soon as I knew i was going to stop or even slow down but after I got my gauge, I realized that in gear coasting cuts all fuel. The gauge's manual even talks about how it evaluates MPG using this info and how it makes a difference.
It does however only make a very small difference and you may need to run an entire tank of gas for it to even register.
It takes a while to get used to coasting in gear because you have to remember to hit the clutch before you stall the car when coming to a stop.
Try it,... when you are in first gear, coast down to a really low speed and you can feel the injectors kick back in right at about idle RPM. (the ECU won't let the RPM drop below idle speed regardless of switches or gears)
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Coasting in neutral can be beneficial at times, coasting in gear at other times.
Basically, if you need to maintain speed, coast in gear. If you can allow speed to creep up, coast in neutral. I found at times where say you're going down a valley and need to go up, the gas you save coasting in gear will be more than offset by the gas you waste accelerating up that hill. Of course there are hills that are steep enough where you can leave your car in gear and still creep up in speed. You don't want to go too fast either, maybe. As most hypermilers will say to cops, "I wasn't speeding all the time, officer."
Take it slower. Going 10mph faster will waste 10% more gas per mile.
Acceleration should be near wide open throttle with low rpm shifts. Low as in 2,500rpm if possible. I found my old Mazda 5 2.3L felt really slow at 2,500rpm but I did it for the sake of fuel economy, whereas my Skyactiv can upshift at 2,000 rpm no problem.
Basically, if you need to maintain speed, coast in gear. If you can allow speed to creep up, coast in neutral. I found at times where say you're going down a valley and need to go up, the gas you save coasting in gear will be more than offset by the gas you waste accelerating up that hill. Of course there are hills that are steep enough where you can leave your car in gear and still creep up in speed. You don't want to go too fast either, maybe. As most hypermilers will say to cops, "I wasn't speeding all the time, officer."
Take it slower. Going 10mph faster will waste 10% more gas per mile.
Acceleration should be near wide open throttle with low rpm shifts. Low as in 2,500rpm if possible. I found my old Mazda 5 2.3L felt really slow at 2,500rpm but I did it for the sake of fuel economy, whereas my Skyactiv can upshift at 2,000 rpm no problem.
interesting, so coasting in gear cuts fuel completely had no idea. i coast in neutral alot. i try to shift around 2500rpm already, but from 1st to 2nd i go a little higher (2700-3000rpm) as shifting below that feels like i am just about to kill car as it has no power once i hit 2nd. but2nd-5th i try to shift around 2500rpm. and im trying to be lighter on the pedal as well.
AGREED,.... I'm always farther behind than that. I believe it's supposed to be 1 car length for every 10 mph or three seconds. Trucks might be big and heavy but they have 18 wheels that are all equipped with brakes. They can stop pretty damn quick.
Trucks can throw up a lot of sand and gravel too. My sister had a sheet of ice come off the truck in front of her and go through her windshield. I worked with a guy that was killed when the truck in front of him kicked up a brake shoe from the road (or fell off his truck). It went through his windshield, hit him in the throat and killed him instantly.
I'm a much bigger fan of the "space cushion" that was talked about in drivers ed. Keeping as much space around you in all directions can keep you much safer. You're less inclined to be involved with someone elses accident.
Unless there's a moose on the road,.... then I'd rather be behind a big rig. This is Canada eh!
Ubel Knubel
Member
- :
- Mazda Protege5
On the subject of drafting, unless you are a NASCAR driver, don't do it. the guy who owned my p5 before me was a big drafter and he got a rock slung up into the windscreen and it left a crack the size of about half a penny. really annoying to look at. If you don't mind throwing some money into your car, a CAI or SRI might help with fuel efficiency. I've got an SRI and an Ebay exhaust on my car and i gained about 3-5 miles each tank depending upon my driving. You could go buy one of those K&N filters that are good for 1,000,000 miles for your stock intake. That's what my dad did on his p5 and he gained about 1 1/2 miles a tank. Its the little things that make a difference.
Another thing I just remembered that can help with your MPG is to disable the automatic A/C defrost modes.
When using the defrost vent modes, you can't use recycled air and your A/C is also turned on, robbing horsepower and wasting gas.
(Even though the A/C light does not turn on)
http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?55382-How-To-Disabling-Automatic-A-C-Defrost-modes
When using the defrost vent modes, you can't use recycled air and your A/C is also turned on, robbing horsepower and wasting gas.
(Even though the A/C light does not turn on)
http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?55382-How-To-Disabling-Automatic-A-C-Defrost-modes
31N007
31N007
- :
- Mazda Protege5
1998 Ford Contour SVT
2017 GTI DSG PP
2007 4Runner
I used to get 260 pets tank with clutching in and coasting to a stop. It looks like I'll be going to 270 this tank since I've started to leave it in gear while slowing down. I have been babying her too to keep the engine from dying.
I got torque pro and though the mpg calculator may not be numbers accurate, it shows that leaving the car in gear yields 255 instant mpg while neutral or clutched in, the value shoots up to just 70. I usually wait till around 20-25 mph to clutch in. My motor mounts are going so there's a bit of a jerk but its helped with mileage a slight amount!
I got torque pro and though the mpg calculator may not be numbers accurate, it shows that leaving the car in gear yields 255 instant mpg while neutral or clutched in, the value shoots up to just 70. I usually wait till around 20-25 mph to clutch in. My motor mounts are going so there's a bit of a jerk but its helped with mileage a slight amount!
