I feel bad when see people waste fuel in the name of I know to drive a stick. Many who drive manual trasmissions do so traditionally for almost every given situation, without realising the versatility of the stick shift. Taking advantage of its versatility can give good or fair gas mileage. Here are some fuel saving tips:
1. Low revving on starting off: Its very common to see people rev to 2000 rpm of more just to get going. Modern enegines produce enough torque to get you going, with just gently letting off the clutch. Ever noticed how automatics begin rolling without revving, same goes for the stick.
2. Early gear shifts: It is not tradition that one must rev to 3000 rpm before changing gears. Just revving to 2000 rpm gives moderate acceleration without lugging the engine. I advise advise shifting up 4rm any gear on reaching 2000 rpm or just under.
3. Block shifting: In other words skipping gears. On 5 speed manual transmissions, it is safe to skip fourth gear and cruise on fifth at around 50 to 60km/h. Over all, fifth gear works just fine from 60 km/h upwards with good throttle response. Just for those who do it wrongly. Thanks.

Thanks...
I prefer a manual stick to an Auto xcept am doin a very long distance..

Mcdonelldouglas:
I feel bad when see people waste fuel in the name of I know to drive a stick. Many who drive manual trasmissions do so traditionally for almost every given situation, without realising the versatility of the stick shift. Taking advantage of its versatility can give good or fair gas mileage. Here are some fuel saving tips:
1. Low revving on starting off: Its very common to see people rev to 2000 rpm of more just to get going. Modern enegines produce enough torque to get you going, with just gently letting off the clutch. Ever noticed how automatics begin rolling without revving, same goes for the stick.
2. Early gear shifts: It is not tradition that one must rev to 3000 rpm before changing gears. Just revving to 2000 rpm gives moderate acceleration without lugging the engine. I advise advise shifting up 4rm any gear on reaching 2000 rpm or just under.
3. Block shifting: In other words skipping gears. On 5 speed manual transmissions, it is safe to skip fourth gear and cruise on fifth at around 50 to 60km/h. Over all, fifth gear works just fine from 60 km/h upwards with good throttle response. Just for those who do it wrongly. Thanks.

Following, waiting for the experts to analyse and verify ur claim

Mcdonelldouglas:
I feel bad when see people waste fuel in the name of I know to drive a stick. Many who drive manual trasmissions do so traditionally for almost every given situation, without realising the versatility of the stick shift. Taking advantage of its versatility can give good or fair gas mileage. Here are some fuel saving tips:
1. Low revving on starting off: Its very common to see people rev to 2000 rpm of more just to get going. Modern enegines produce enough torque to get you going, with just gently letting off the clutch. Ever noticed how automatics begin rolling without revving, same goes for the stick.
2. Early gear shifts: It is not tradition that one must rev to 3000 rpm before changing gears. Just revving to 2000 rpm gives moderate acceleration without lugging the engine. I advise advise shifting up 4rm any gear on reaching 2000 rpm or just under.
3. Block shifting: In other words skipping gears. On 5 speed manual transmissions, it is safe to skip fourth gear and cruise on fifth at around 50 to 60km/h. Over all, fifth gear works just fine from 60 km/h upwards with good throttle response. Just for those who do it wrongly. Thanks.

Your first two points (1 & 2) are in order. But for the 3rd point, I have this to say:

Skipping manual transmission gears places unnecessary load and stress on engine, since the engine will have to stress itself to carry unnecessary load placed on it, when the vehicle has not gathered enough momentum meant for that gear shifted to. Shift through all gears to allow vehicle gradually gain momentum with proper engine response and matching gears. It's a stick car, enjoy that fun and better sensations it was designed to give you. Depending on gear ratio and engine, skipping gears will increase fuel consumption.

As for what you said about cruising on 50-60km/h on 5th gear. It will increase your fuel consumption when you do that. Depending on engines and manual gearboxes, if not all, engine works better on gear 3 from 50-70 km/h. Doing vehicle speed on gear 4 & 5 less than 2,000 rpm will increase fuel consumption. And on 50 km/h on gear 5, the rpm will be below 2,000 rpm, an unnecessary stress on the engine, which is why you get that pinking engine sound when doing such speed on such gear. Manual Gears 4 & 5 on Peugeot cars consume less fuel between 2,000 -2,800 rpm. Anything below that rpm on those 2 gears, consumption will increase. Even if you can manage stick gear 4 on 60 km/h, definitely not gear 5, if you want less fuel consumption, proper engine running and healthy gearbox and clutch components.


Ikenna, The Lion King.

Its what I do and it works for me. I do it on a 1.8 litre 1992 vento gl, and the third point works for me. At 40km/h the rev counter reads 1000 rpm and this is without lugging the engine. At 60km/h in 5th, just step on it and off it goes. Just my experiment though. A trial won't hurt, just discontinue if your engine struggles at those figures Thanks anyway @ Ikenna.

Skip gears all the time.

Mcdonelldouglas:
Its what I do and it works for me. I do it on a 1.8 litre 1992 vento gl, and the third point works for me. At 40km/h the rev counter reads 1000 rpm and this is without lugging the engine. At 60km/h in 5th, just step on it and off it goes. Just my experiment though. A trial won't hurt, just discontinue if your engine struggles at those figures Thanks anyway @ Ikenna.

If that works for you, then that's all that matters, because the most important in life is what resonate with one and meanings you give to things. However, there is always a feedback/consequences to everything we give out, thoughts, words/actions, etc.

I understand that engines and gearboxes design for city use usually become noisy or harsh as rpm increases. Meaning, their higher gears may/can work well on lower Rpm too.

However, note that vehicle speed (speedometer) does not necessarily determine the fuel consumption, but the engine speed (Tachometer). Because vehicle A can be doing 130 km/h and tachometer is showing 4,000 rpm. While vehicle B is doing same 130 km/h but tachometer is showing 2,000 rpm or less. It all depends on engines power or design (number of cylinders, hp, engine torque, turbo or NA, etc), gearbox (number of gears, ratios, etc), etc. So, to study your vehicle in this area you are addressing, pay more attention to the Tachometer with what speedometer indicates.

Ikenna, The Lion King.

Thank you Ikenna and Gazzuzz.

I have a corolla 08 manual and its gat the fuel liter/kilometer meter.
whenever I change gear at 2000rpm it consumes more than when I shift at 3000rpm.
reason being that its more stress on the engine.
all cars ain't same bro.
cos my Honda v6 does exactly the reverse.

Manual transmissions are suppose to be more fuel saving. From my observation, reverse is the case due to poor driving skill. Some drivers are guilty of gear overuse on normal driving conditions.

Smart use of coasting and idling on motion is a good way to save fuel with manual transmission.

Early gear upshifts and overdrive use that is skillfully done can save fuel.

On descends, you may start off with second gear.

Unnecessary depression of clutch pedal should be avoided. Simply engage the appropriate gear for that speed so that when braking, the car can coast rather than idle.

Do not rest your left foot on the clutch pedal while driving.

Do not over guage the manual transmission fluid during maintenance.

Note:!!! Avoid turning off the ignition/engine to save fuel. It is very dangerous!

Best regards.

Ikenna351:


Your first two points (1 & 2) are in order. But for the 3rd point, I have this to say:

Skipping manual transmission gears places unnecessary load and stress on engine, since the engine will have to stress itself to carry unnecessary load placed on it, when the vehicle has not gathered enough momentum meant for that gear shifted to. Shift through all gears to allow vehicle gradually gain momentum with proper engine response and matching gears. It's a stick car, enjoy that fun and better sensations it was designed to give you. Depending on gear ratio and engine, skipping gears will increase fuel consumption.

As for what you said about cruising on 50-60km/h on 5th gear. It will increase your fuel consumption when you do that. Depending on engines and manual gearboxes, if not all, engine works better on gear 3 from 50-70 km/h. Doing vehicle speed on gear 4 & 5 less than 2,000 rpm will increase fuel consumption. And on 50 km/h on gear 5, the rpm will be below 2,000 rpm, an unnecessary stress on the engine, which is why you get that pinking engine sound when doing such speed on such gear. Manual Gears 4 & 5 on Peugeot cars consume less fuel between 2,000 -2,800 rpm. Anything below that rpm on those 2 gears, consumption will increase. Even if you can manage stick gear 4 on 60 km/h, definitely not gear 5, if you want less fuel consumption, proper engine running and healthy gearbox and clutch components.


Ikenna, The Lion King.

Ikenna,

Gearing for all cars are not the same. Some cars can drive fine in their fifth gear at 50km/hr without lugging the engine. Some cars can pull off from a standing start in their second gear with ease e.g hilux (diesel). My car skoda octavia (five speed manual) is happy in fifth gear at 55km/hr with my multifunction display showing me 4L/100 KM. The engine does not feel laboured at this speed as long as i am not climbing any incline. I never rev above 2000 rpm except when I feel the need to make some noise. Haha. Below 2000 rpm, i get the best FE when accelerating on level ground. I have consistently achieved 15km/L and above driving in port harcourt even with a lot of short distance driving. I apply a lot of hypermiling tricks and have got used to them. Here are my tips for achieving this

1. I keep my revs low (always below 2000 rpm) except when i am climbing a slope.
2. I get my vehicle rolling using just the clutch without reving. If i use my throttle and clutch at the same time, sometimes my instant readout shows that i am burning 30L/100KM. If i use only the clutch, the readout shows a max of 18L/100KM. Situations of course determine which i use as well as terrain. I can get the vehicle moving with just the clutch because of the high amount of torque available at low rpm.
3. I keep my vehicle as light as possible. All weights (including people ) are kept to a minimum.
4. I coast for as long as i can without holding up traffic. I do this especially on downward sloping roads. I attain speed as quickly as i can and then coast for as long as i can. Coasting is much safer on manual transmissions without risking transmission damage.
5. I use engine braking utilizing 5th, 4th and 3rd gear if i still have momentum on the downslope. I have mastered this so much that by the time i get to the end of the slope, I may not have to use my brakes for more than 2 seconds.
6. I don't idle in traffic except when it is absolutely necessary to use the AC (madam being in the car invalidates this tip. lol)
7. I avoid rush hour so as not to get stuck in traffic which means riding in lower gears which kills FE.
8. I jump gears a lot on downslopes (3rd to 5th). My instant MPG readout always confirms this is a good choice if the gradient is favourable.
9. Tire pressure and alignment must be good for all the above to work though. I use recommended tire pressure although i know i may gain a few more MPG if i increase it but it will make for a bumpier ride.

Thank you Ricmayak1 and 9icetoo. You guys are sure doing your pockets a lot of good.

chuka5000:
I have a corolla 08 manual and its gat the fuel liter/kilometer meter.
whenever I change gear at 2000rpm it consumes more than when I shift at 3000rpm.
reason being that its more stress on the engine.
all cars ain't same bro.
cos my Honda v6 does exactly the reverse.

. Like i earlier mentioned the practice may work for some and may not for others. I actually thought yours should do better, being a 2008 corolla with a multipoint fuel injection. Mine is actually a 1992 vento single point fuel injection. I guess German 1992 1.8 litre engines produce more torque than thier Japanese counterparts 2008 1.8 litre engines. Stick to what works for you though.

chuka5000:
I have a corolla 08 manual and its gat the fuel liter/kilometer meter.
whenever I change gear at 2000rpm it consumes more than when I shift at 3000rpm.
reason being that its more stress on the engine.
all cars ain't same bro.
cos my Honda v6 does exactly the reverse.

It depends on the gear and speed at which you are doing the gear change.
Just think more of pumping losses. It might explain this.

Best regards.

9icetoo:


Ikenna,

Gearing for all cars are not the same. Some cars can drive fine in their fifth gear at 50km/hr without lugging the engine. Some cars can pull off from a standing start in their second gear with ease e.g hilux (diesel). My car skoda octavia (five speed manual) is happy in fifth gear at 55km/hr with my multifunction display showing me 4L/100 KM. The engine does not feel laboured at this speed as long as i am not climbing any incline. I never rev above 2000 rpm except when I feel the need to make some noise. Haha. Below 2000 rpm, i get the best FE when accelerating on level ground. I have consistently achieved 15km/L and above driving in port harcourt even with a lot of short distance driving. I apply a lot of hypermiling tricks and have got used to them. Here are my tips for achieving this

1. I keep my revs low (always below 2000 rpm) except when i am climbing a slope.
2. I get my vehicle rolling using just the clutch without reving. If i use my throttle and clutch at the same time, sometimes my instant readout shows that i am burning 30L/100KM. If i use only the clutch, the readout shows a max of 18L/100KM. Situations of course determine which i use as well as terrain. I can get the vehicle moving with just the clutch because of the high amount of torque available at low rpm.
3. I keep my vehicle as light as possible. All weights (including people ) are kept to a minimum.
4. I coast for as long as i can without holding up traffic. I do this especially on downward sloping roads. I attain speed as quickly as i can and then coast for as long as i can. Coasting is much safer on manual transmissions without risking transmission damage.
5. I use engine braking utilizing 5th, 4th and 3rd gear if i still have momentum on the downslope. I have mastered this so much that by the time i get to the end of the slope, I may not have to use my brakes for more than 2 seconds.
6. I don't idle in traffic except when it is absolutely necessary to use the AC (madam being in the car invalidates this tip. lol)
7. I avoid rush hour so as not to get stuck in traffic which means riding in lower gears which kills FE.
8. I jump gears a lot on downslopes (3rd to 5th). My instant MPG readout always confirms this is a good choice if the gradient is favourable.
9. Tire pressure and alignment must be good for all the above to work though. I use recommended tire pressure although i know i may gain a few more MPG if i increase it but it will make for a bumpier ride.

i am about to buy a skoda octavia with golf 3 engine please can you tell me how durable the car is

prof2015:

i am about to buy a skoda octavia with golf 3 engine please can you tell me how durable the car is

the Octavia is a solid car. however if you are buying naija used, make sure the electrical are still intact and not tampered with. look out for taped wires, joined wires and check the fuse box for fuses joined with wire. flee if spot any of these unless you can rectify them.

9icetoo:

the Octavia is a solid car. however if you are buying naija used, make sure the electrical are still intact and not tampered with. look out for taped wires, joined wires and check the fuse box for fuses joined with wire. flee if spot any of these unless you can rectify them.

so should go ahead on the vehicle? And are the spare parts readily available.