mat2hu

For everyone here who wants to save gas, i found out a new technique that i call shortshifting. you can change gears up on your c-class by tapping the gear thing to the right as if it were in manual mode when its in automatic mode, and it will shift. From second to 3rd gear it shifts at 2,000 rpm, but like from 3rd to 4th go easy on the gas and watch at 1,600 RPM you could change from 3rd to 4th gear by tapping the gear thing to the right in automatic mode. it's really cool.

try it out and leave your remarks on this page.

bulletspec

That's an old trick,

there was a Thread about this type of stuff that we all usually do in our cars... things like, knowing where to spray the washer.. this trick you are telling us.. where to access diferent mpg's... etc

tanktube67

^+1

whiteongrey

Short shifting will save lots of fuel

I'm usually pressing the shifter to the left with foot mashed to the floor LOL

I see a %30-40 difference between city and freeway driving (avg speed 45 mph) in full auto.

Glyn M Ruck

+1 old trick - just be careful you don't labour the engine at low RPM or you will end up with oval bores & wear on the thrust side of your pistons.

Peabody

I'm already trying hard enough to stay over 16 MPG.

Carsy

Other fuel saving tricks :-

1. Drive 10 mph slower .
2. Accelerate gently.
3. Anticipate traffic light changes. ie slow down & don't stop.
4. Minimise any weight you carry in car.eg golf clubs.
5. Don't maintain high speed over hills on highway, Let the car slow a little.
6. Put an extra 10 psi in tyres.
7. Don't use AC.
8. More than 10 ? windscreen wipes will activate brake rotor warming .
9. Maintain engine at peak performance.
10. Reduce drag by removing roof/ bike racks & spoilers (they dont work)

Any more ?

TB5...

wow this is great... had no idea about it...

played around with it last night... works very well... like whiteongrey was saying i can just floor it and keep rpms where i want em...

as far as the list... hmm

1. Drive 10 mph slower . try to
2. Accelerate gently. nope
3. Anticipate traffic light changes. ie slow down & don't stop. always
4. Minimise any weight you carry in car.eg golf clubs. always
5. Don't maintain high speed over hills on highway, Let the car slow a little. always
6. Put an extra 10 psi in tyres. nope
7. Don't use AC. try to
8. More than 10 ? windscreen wipes will activate brake rotor warming . nope
9. Maintain engine at peak performance. try to
10. Reduce drag by removing roof/ bike racks & spoilers (they dont work) always

Great thread here... learning lots a new things.

Glyn M Ruck

Yes! - & to hell with the Mythbusters & their BS with a perambulating American brick. At speed keep your windows closed and run the modern efficient aircon. You will save fuel. Modern aerodynamic vehicles only achieve their CD with windows closed. If the info I have in this regard was not proprietary I would publish it.

As Mr Carswell says. Anticipate what is happening ahead of you. If you are unlucky enough to drive a vehicle with a carburettor. Try & maintain constant throttle opening. No yo-yoing the gas pedal.

mat2hu

yo this is kinda freaking me out since i've been doing it for a while.... can this damage my engine? what rpm is too low to shift at?

casper

drive the car and have fun doing it, so what if it costs 10% more in gas?

Floor it whenever you can, use in sport mode and shift at redline, is great.

Glyn M Ruck

Relax - you can feel if you are lugging an engine. Old long stroke American V8s & British engines like Jaguar could pull cleanly from 1000RPM.

Modern, short stroke engines like the Benz 272 with very short piston skirts don't like this treatment & over time you will damage them. In low gears you can let the revs drop but anything from 2nd up I would always keep the revs above 2000 RPM. These engines are designed to rev & lugging them at low RPM is not clever.

Just drive gently to save gas & leave the auto box to do it's thing. The change points are calculated not to labour the engine & the minute the TCU detects that things are getting into a high torque low speed situation the box will kick down to a lower gear automatically so as not to labour the engine.

maninblack

cant afford fuel , dont drive

bulletspec

Yep, this always is a nice thread to keep alive... other gas saving techniques are :

Drive in C (Comfort) for regular driving and avoid unnecesary acceleration on city traffic
On highways try to use your Cruise control as much as possible.. I went on a 40mile trip @ 50mph.. got there on like 40 minutes but averaged 32.1 mpg!.. Highest EVER!
Check the thread life of your tires
Check the pressure of your tires
Use PREMIUM UNLEADED only... Shell brand, if possible.. V-Power
Always service your car on-schedule or before
ON a very long road.. like going down a hill, and if your interest is SAVING GAS.. put your car in Neutral and use your brake pads a little bit if you are going on a long trip... Decelerating with the gears makes you waste more gas..

There are more... but i will try and remember them as i drive along.. I do this on long trips, but haven't done it anymore since it's not my daily driver.. but i'll try and pay attention next time i drive it

mat2hu

yo i shift my car in as little as 1500rpm from like 2nd -5th gears. my car now automatically shifts somewhere between 1600 and 1750rpm on its own because i bet it just adapted to my driving. so whats the worst case scenario that could happen with wat im doing?? and if something bad happens to my engine will warranty cover it?

Glyn M Ruck

If it is changing that low in the rev range it means you are accelerating very gently & will not do any damage. If you did the car would use oil. You have a 7 speed box so it's almost always in the perfect gear - just let it be.

When you want to accelerate hard just let it rev & the box will reprofile itself & kick down.

Do not accelerate hard while forcing the revs to remain low by short shifting.

These engines are tough but don't be unfair on them.

Glyn M Ruck

Use any Premium brand of fuel from a major. Shell V Power is no better than anything else.

Do not coast your Benz out of drive or in neutral. You have less control of the car & you will not save fuel. Modern fuel injection cuts fuel to the injectors the minute you go onto overun/ trailing throttle.

bulletspec

I know shell Vpower is almost the same premium gasoline as another brand.. but just for the nitrogen based cleaners and additives.. i buy it comfortably because of the peace of mind I get... that's just my advice as how I treat my car... no offense taken and none sent to you

I knew about the fuel cutoff, anyways since i had an evo.. I had a AEM Air/Fuel Wideband gauge and looked @ this type of behavior the thing went blank --- when the fuel was cut off and when it was @ idle it was @ 14.7 or so in the mixture... But I've done this type of experimenting on the Mercedes and numbers DO go down as mileage increases because of inertia and gravity.. this happens as i live in an island where constant hill descent driving eventually comes up.. and gears often hold the car back when it could be picking up some speed... i do control it is not like i go @ 80mph in an 45mph slope don't worry ...

eventually i do slow down and obviously put it on gear.. i only do it in some highway hills or some.. but not every time i get the chance..

You might say fuel saving techniques may have been forgotten by my part since i bought a more economical Mazda to go to work and college... the mercedes is 2 go out to the mall, clubs and other things..

BLKCLK550

Oh please i payed gas guzzler tax for a reason, if i wanted to save on gas i would of goten a hybrid. When i get on a freeway it's pedal to the metal!!! i spend about 100 bucks a day on gas, driving local. I get about 14mpg

mat2hu

well thats sucks for u^^ we don't have to pay gas guzzler tax.

micropower99

100 bucks a day? Maybe you should have gotten a hybrid

bulletspec

Mr. Gas guzzler to me does not have a C Class and if he doescuckoo, he has a VerY HeaVY Foot..


Just joking!, but this thread is to discuss Gas Saving Tips... not Gas Guzzling experiences

Peabody

Using the cruise control is actually a pretty good suggestion, I don't know why, but when I drive at a steady speed on the autobahn, and then I turn on the cruise control and go the same speed, I see a significant decrease in consumption.

Glyn M Ruck

Cruise control will only save fuel in specific conditions - namely on the flat. When running up & down hills in undulating country it will actually use more fuel because it trys to maintain constant speed which requires some large throttle inputs. If you run the same piece of road at constant throttle allowing the vehicle to slow on uphills & increase speed on downhills you will use less fuel

i.e. Constant throttle opening gives better fuel consumption than constant speed.

Carsy

I have often wondered why our software experts do not engineer a program on the cruise control that allows a droop in speed on hills ie maintain a constant or a slightly less throttle opening & therefore give better fuel economy.
I would not be hard to program but may be too complicated to operate for some.!!