Search results

  1. njkayaker

    Fuel use while coasting

    If you want to sell perpetual motion machines, here are your first two customers! You can't get "infinite mpg" except by cherry-picking when you make your observation. If it appears you are getting "infinite mpg", then basic physics says you are doing it wrong! It's important not to be fooled...
  2. njkayaker

    Better mileage with "jackrabbit" starts?

    No, you didn't make that point. You said it was a "strange result" to get less MPG. It actually makes perfect sense that you'd get worse MPG. The fact that your MPG went down with engine braking could mean that you are braking too much or something "mysterious" is going on with the ECU (which...
  3. njkayaker

    Better mileage with "jackrabbit" starts?

    "Downshifting" is braking. Its effect is no different than using the brakes. (That's why being in gear is called "engine braking".) The idea is to use as little of any sort of braking as much as possible. The least amount of braking is being in neutral. Downshifting is more braking than...
  4. njkayaker

    Better mileage with "jackrabbit" starts?

    It seems unlikely that it would be as "consistant" as that. There should be some variation in the numbers. I'm guessing that this is mpg over a tank. Yes, if you start braking using the two techniques at the same point (and end up stopped at the same point), they would produce the same...
  5. njkayaker

    How does the Scangauge will help in improving MPG?

    You don't really need the scanguage for that. It's a much more precise measurement of the effects that different techniques have on MPG. This is a good example. Without the information the scanguage provides, you really have no idea what the impact of subtle things are on MPG. Ignoring the...
  6. njkayaker

    How does the Scangauge will help in improving MPG?

    You only need to glance at it. After some time, you don't need to look at it as much. Note that you can choose when to look at it.
  7. njkayaker

    Do turn signals have to blink?

    Swap the left and right bulbs and see what happens.
  8. njkayaker

    Prius Headlight Bulb Co$t$ at the Toyota dealer

    This isn't really true. You can't really separate them in the case of the Prius because both are targets of the bashing. There are some silly VW owners too! Yes. That's why the original post isn't news (or useful).
  9. njkayaker

    Prius Headlight Bulb Co$t$ at the Toyota dealer

    It might be "news" to Prius owners who have HID lights. But not all Prius have HID lights. There are discussions about a lot of things. Of course, people here are supposed to be smarter than Prius drivers. It's also obvious that HID head lights have nothing to do with hybrid technology. It's...
  10. njkayaker

    Prius Headlight Bulb Co$t$ at the Toyota dealer

    The HID lights are an option (not all Priuses have them). HID in any car are expensive. This is not news.
  11. njkayaker

    Leatherette?

    I like it. I think it's considered pretty normal in Europe (and not "low class"). I haven't had these problems at either end of the tempature range.
  12. njkayaker

    Nitrogen in tires. Check out this pitch.

    Do you use truck tires on your VW? ========================================= I had heard that one reason N2 is used in airplanes is to reduce the risk of fire (ie, burning tires). Of course, the fact that it is reasonable to use for a 747 has no real bearing on whether it's useful for...
  13. njkayaker

    Thinking about getting an 09 TDI Wagen

    Wagen! The only problem with my 2006 is that it is not a wagen! Utility trumps looks, in my opinion. I do think the rear of the wagon could be improved but I like the rest of it just fine. (I'd keep the $1200 in the bank.)
  14. njkayaker

    06 trunk spoiler bad?

    The point of a spoiler on a race car is not to increase fuel efficiency. I suspect that difference in the CD between having the little spoiler (and where it is located on the car) and not having it is very close to zero. (The spoiler is cosmetic but doesn't cost any fuel.)
  15. njkayaker

    TDI mpg 2009 vs 2005.5

    ?? The 2005.5 is the same body style as the 2009. I'm not sure but I don't think the weights are much different. Yes. Any hybrid.
  16. njkayaker

    I can't believe some of the car ads- this one had me rolling!

    Maybe oddly, there is a community of fans for this car. The ad doesn't seem out-of-line to me. (And it's an advertisment.) http://www.merkurclub.com/
  17. njkayaker

    How Long Does It Take a Dealer to Order a car?

    There are enough stories (here) about Chris to indicate that he would be very reasonable to deal with. (He is a bit far from Boston.)
  18. njkayaker

    To TDI or not to TDI

    I believe you too! It looks like the same can be done with BMW engines too. It looks like you can get good economy and performance out of a "fancy" gas engine. My equivalent numbers are 47mpg+ over 48k in a 2006 TDI (mostly highway, lowish speeds, and little traffic). (It looks like snow tires...
  19. njkayaker

    To TDI or not to TDI

    The 1.8T and 2.0T engines should be able to be pretty good on gas (premium?). It would still be tough to beat the TDI!! I did 58+mpg (by scanguage) in a 2006 TDI on a 180 mile trip from near Cooperstown, NY to Little Falls, NJ. I did have to work at it (I wasn't driving that fast but I was...
  20. njkayaker

    How Long Does It Take a Dealer to Order a car?

    I think for VW, you are picking a car that is already scheduled to be built (ie, picking the first available one). That is, they produce 100 (let's say) TDIs a month. They don't "ramp up" the production if there happens to be a lot of people that want them. Part of the reason the can't "ramp...
Top