Driving from the Redwoods to Los Angeles better mpg than driving up?

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
 
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Volkstraktor

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2006
Location
North Bay - Northern Sonoma County
TDI
2005 Passat
Don't forget to look at the prevailing winds. I drive from Alameda to Cloverdale in Northern Sonoma County alot and the winds always make a mearuseable differance. And next time, unless you need to go throught The City, take the 580 all the way over the San Rafael Bridge and miss all that stop and go through S.F.
 

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
yeah looking at it now, i don't see why the map sent us through Frisco. Google Maps!! Shoulda done exactly what you said. At least it was at 3 am and it was just driving through empty van ness.

If i was driving straight through again I'll do that.
 

cmitchell

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 8, 2002
Location
Central Oregon
TDI
2002 Jetta GLS black / black leather
Well... everyone knows that north is up and south is down... so you should get better mileage driving south rather than north. Sorry, I couldn't help myself! When in Gold Beach you should have driven another 30 minutes north and stopped for a visit.
 

rdkern

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 21, 2004
Location
Humboldt Co CA
TDI
Passat 1997 silver (sold after 11 years), Jetta 2000 atlantic blue
On that drive, I agree you are usually fighting 10-20mph winds coming from the north. If you went through Eureka, you should have notified me. Could have met at Lost Coast Brewery for a bit.
 

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
It was a short notice trip, kinda kidnapped my girlfriend before she went back to work.

I was thinking about contacting you the whole time I was there, but it was too late to put that into the "schedule". Most seasoned TDI member I've talked to, and i missed my chance. I'll be back up though. I can see why you live up there, drive through the forests all day long? wooo eeeee

I think I saw the brewery front. Do they make Downtown Brown Ale? We used that in a blue cheese fritter at my old restaurant.

For Beer's sake I didn't have much choice while staying at the campground, but the Orick Market wasn't so bad. I chose Eel River ale of some sort. It was good, but wasn't sure if that was the best to offer. I'm not a dark ale kinda guy, I just don't get into the bitters much. I like lagers. Belgian white ales. yum.

In Oregon at the supermarket, we found two six packs of

Blue Heron ale, I liked it. Cool bottle and box, local, and had a cheese-it aftertaste.
Green Lakes Organic ale. Girlfriend chose it. good stuff, a bit darker.


Next time in the area, what Lagers are out there?


In regards to the drive. So it really is a headwind that's causing the mpg issue huh?
 

rdkern

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 21, 2004
Location
Humboldt Co CA
TDI
Passat 1997 silver (sold after 11 years), Jetta 2000 atlantic blue
I'd guess so. I never tested the mpg going down and back, since the B4 doesn't refill (don't go past SF generally) and the A4 doesn't have, how shall I say this, an accurate record of fueling. However, the best mpg I recorded in the B4 was going from Barstow (?) to Las Vegas, around LV for a bit, and up to some place near the delta in 100-120 degree heat. Had heat.

Chat with Whitedog about the Oregon brews. There are some good ones coming out of Bend. Around here most make the ales since we are in a cool area. Warmer places tend to go for the lagers. Just the way the yeast act. I'll look next time in the store - the downtown brown is a Lost Coast Brewery item. Duane Flatmoe designed the labels. I may have his spelling off.
 
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