Clarkson's top fuel saving tips

[ScottishStig]

http://www.topgear.com/blogs/planett...top-fuel-tips/

[jasonof2000]

Don't buy a Toyota Prius

[ScottishStig]

When leaving the lights, accelerate smartly. Not like a bat out of hell. But don’t dawdle. Get the car into top gear as quickly as is reasonable. Fifth gear, remember, is no good at all.

[mgkdk]

Get the car into top gear as quickly as is reasonable. Fifth gear, remember, is no good at all.

Don'€™t buy a Toyota Prius.

[Shadowness]

So how does having more electrical appliances increase fuel consumption?

[Karoug]

^The power has to come from somewhere..

[Mineworksfine]

Originally Posted by Shadowness

So how does having more electrical appliances increase fuel consumption?

It's all down to weight - carrying a fridge freezer around in the car is seriously going to hurt your fuel consumption. And an Aga is a complete no-no.

[Shadowness]

^^ Well yes, but in the examples JC gave, weight is irrelevant. ie a radio and heated rear windows, which are all standard on cars, hes just talking about having them on.

[the Interceptor]

The electricity comes from the battery, which is loaded by the alternator, which is driven by the engine. So the use of electricity in the car actually uses fuel.

[Shadowness]

I understand that, but it must be negligible surely! So when I have my 6x9's and sub going in my car (no Im not a chav! I just like listening to music properly, Metallica sounds freakin awesome in my car!) it's using noticeably more fuel?

[the Interceptor]

I can't be bothered to explain, so just check this thread: http://forums.finalgear.com/top-gear...ts-used-27753/

[Cold Fussion]

Originally Posted by Shadowness

I understand that, but it must be negligible surely! So when I have my 6x9's and sub going in my car (no Im not a chav! I just like listening to music properly, Metallica sounds freakin awesome in my car!) it's using noticeably more fuel?

No. A 100w light uses 100w. It all adds up.

[Ottobon]

I kind of ignore the speed thing, but do the rest of it, and even with that i've beat my dads best consumption ratings on his own car when he was averaging 20mph less then me (31.8 Pontiac Vibe GT). Using hills, and anticipating traffic really does add up.

[NooDle]

quite useful tips really, didn't expect anything like that from the big man...
I too have once gotten to the point of "there's no fuelpump anywhere near and the needle is BELOW the minimum". Much more tense than Autobahn blasting, I assure you

[Jos J.]

This reminds me off the challenge with the Audi A8 4.0 TDI. And how misserable JC became

[bone]

Originally Posted by the Interceptor

The electricity comes from the battery, which is loaded by the alternator, which is driven by the engine. So the use of electricity in the car actually uses fuel.

that's another thing i don't understand

how does running more electrical equipment, result in less power?

how much power can an alternator drain from an engine? it gives hardly any resistance.

and what does the alternator care if you are running the lights AND the radio? it's not like they suck energy from the alternator and it has to work harder. it just does its thing, without knowing what happens with the power

[NooDle]

Originally Posted by bone

that's another thing i don't understand

how does running more electrical equipment, result in less power?

how much power can an alternator drain from an engine? it gives hardly any resistance.

and what does the alternator care if you are running the lights AND the radio? it's not like they suck energy from the alternator and it has to work harder. it just does its thing, without knowing what happens with the power

to make all this energy AND move the car at the same time, the engine needs more fuel. So lots of electrical appliances suck the battery dry, and the engine needs to run faster (rev higher) to re-charge the battery.

Simple really

[RUU-CHAMA]

Most of his tips are reasonable and I try to follow them but it is June and this is Texas. Driving on the freeway with you windows up and your ac off at 3 in the afternoon is an...interesting experience. So another fuel saving tip is to buy the darkest legal tint you can ( or buy what Clarkson used in the season 9 American special).

[the Interceptor]

Originally Posted by bone

how does running more electrical equipment, result in less power?

how much power can an alternator drain from an engine? it gives hardly any resistance.

and what does the alternator care if you are running the lights AND the radio? it's not like they suck energy from the alternator and it has to work harder. it just does its thing, without knowing what happens with the power

If I may quote myself from the thread I linked further above:

Originally Posted by the Interceptor

The alternator is always running, but that doesn't mean that the power it can produce is used constantly. If you actually use a reasonable amount of the current it can produce, the consumed amount of electric energy translates into mechanical stress in the alternator, which puts mechanical stress on the engine and thus uses more fuel.

You will most likely know this effect from when you start your car in a cold winter night. As soon as you turn on the lights, the rear window heater and probably other electric devices, you'll hear the revs of your engine drop a bit. That's because you're using a lot of the current the alternator produces by converting mechanic into electric energy. That however means that your engine has to work a little harder because it has to drive the alternator, and that means increased fuel consumption.

I know it's a concept that is hard to grasp at first, as you immediately think that the alternator is running with the engine anyways. But once you understand that the electric energy coming from it has to be put in as mechanical energy first, you'll understand how electricity uses fuel.

[Ford Prefect]

Originally Posted by bone

it's not like they suck energy from the alternator and it has to work harder.

actually, that is precisely what happens...

it´s simple physics really, conservation of energy. Simply put, if you need electrical energy for something, it has to come from somewhere. In this case it is converted from kinetic energy coming from the engine, which is converted from chemical energy stored in your fuel tank...