kooyajerms
grocery getter
- Joined
- May 5, 2004
- Location
- Pomona, Southern California
- TDI
- 97 B4V (mine), 11 x5 35d (hers) 04 V10 (that one you want), 2014 Q7 (mom's) 74 Shasta 1400
Ok so my friend and I are having a debate over this.
He says, from sea level to sea level, driving load will equal out to be the same, since you're going up and down at the same rates ending up at the same elevation. He's always thought this to be the case, had a debate with someone else years ago about it too.
So my MPG increase is just a fluke.
1997 passat stationwagen, 1z, alligator tune, PP520's. 25 (25.5 for some! ) gallon Full vented tank. AC on, even over the tejon pass. human weight 280 lbs total. cargo weight, 120 lbs total. Scangauge II. Using paper measurements also
Driving from Los Angeles to the Redwoods, we got 43 mpg. Driving 75 mph cruising up the I5 moving to the 580 to the 101. 101 we took the mountains at 65 to 70 mph or what ever indicated (we weren't in any rush). I hit no traffic up, except just stoplights going through Frisco. No breaks for 8 hours. 43 mpg to the campsite.
Driving back home from the Redwoods (we stopped at Gold Beach first). We got 49mpg from Redwoods to San Francisco, 47 mpg from Frisco to Stockton then to home. Same driving style. 70mph down. only traffic was through Santa Rosa and through the city. Even then. Stopped in Frisco, Berkeley, and Stockton. mpg was 47 all the way home.
So with regards to the trip. my mpg should have been worse with the traffic and stops with the return.
What is everyone's hypothesis? if you can give me a more imperical (sp?) answer, better. I want to prove to him that it's not a fluke
My thought was that on the way up, there is a steady gradient driving north, and as I hit my destination, there is a quick drop off back to sea level. (from Eureka to Orick, Redwoods).
On the way south we do the rise up and we then drive a nice leisurely drive down the steady gradient. Because of the many miles at higher mpg, the traffic, and the tejon pass do not do enough to lower my mpg significantly. Even the load and boost necessity is showing less when we were driving south (but he doesn't believe the scangauge) I don't even know if this is the case, but that was my thought on how this was possible.
btw. you guys in oregon, you must feel horrible making people vent your tanks! I guess it' a job, but just wierd watching someone else do it.
Jeremy
He says, from sea level to sea level, driving load will equal out to be the same, since you're going up and down at the same rates ending up at the same elevation. He's always thought this to be the case, had a debate with someone else years ago about it too.
So my MPG increase is just a fluke.
1997 passat stationwagen, 1z, alligator tune, PP520's. 25 (25.5 for some! ) gallon Full vented tank. AC on, even over the tejon pass. human weight 280 lbs total. cargo weight, 120 lbs total. Scangauge II. Using paper measurements also
Driving from Los Angeles to the Redwoods, we got 43 mpg. Driving 75 mph cruising up the I5 moving to the 580 to the 101. 101 we took the mountains at 65 to 70 mph or what ever indicated (we weren't in any rush). I hit no traffic up, except just stoplights going through Frisco. No breaks for 8 hours. 43 mpg to the campsite.
Driving back home from the Redwoods (we stopped at Gold Beach first). We got 49mpg from Redwoods to San Francisco, 47 mpg from Frisco to Stockton then to home. Same driving style. 70mph down. only traffic was through Santa Rosa and through the city. Even then. Stopped in Frisco, Berkeley, and Stockton. mpg was 47 all the way home.
So with regards to the trip. my mpg should have been worse with the traffic and stops with the return.
What is everyone's hypothesis? if you can give me a more imperical (sp?) answer, better. I want to prove to him that it's not a fluke
My thought was that on the way up, there is a steady gradient driving north, and as I hit my destination, there is a quick drop off back to sea level. (from Eureka to Orick, Redwoods).
On the way south we do the rise up and we then drive a nice leisurely drive down the steady gradient. Because of the many miles at higher mpg, the traffic, and the tejon pass do not do enough to lower my mpg significantly. Even the load and boost necessity is showing less when we were driving south (but he doesn't believe the scangauge) I don't even know if this is the case, but that was my thought on how this was possible.
btw. you guys in oregon, you must feel horrible making people vent your tanks! I guess it' a job, but just wierd watching someone else do it.
Jeremy
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