If Driving Over The Speed Limit, Stop Complaining About Gas Prices

I believe there is a huge conspiracy involving the price of oil. Just look at Exxon's record breaking profit in a era of a supposed diminishing oil supply.

Seems to me we are at the center of the conspiracy. But oil companies are not the only guilty parties, the driver needs to take responsibily. When the average price of gas was above $4.00 a gallon folks on the highway were still driving 85 mph like its all good, yet when you talk to them tey have the nerve to complain about gas prices.

The big oil companies and oil tycoons are smiling all the way to the bank because they know we have no self control. They aren't raising the oil prices because of supply but be cause of demand.

We are giving them all the power. We all need to slow down and consume less fuel, only then will we expose them. Until then stop complaining about the price.

Every mph over 65 you lose 1 mpg. Do the math and see how much money you are just giving away to the likes of Exxon. I drive a 97 Lesabre and average 33 mpg. We do have the power to control this.

[edit on 15-8-2008 by TheHunted]

Exactly, people can save just by:
1. Cheking proper inflation of tires
2. Taking out needless cargo, even seats in Mini vans can be taken out.
3. driving 55, (if you double your MPH you quadruple your fuel burn).
4. Buy lower grade octane, unless you have a High compression muscle car, or sports car( most cars have anti-knock sensors these days).
5. Change air filter if not changed in a long time
6. Tune up engine, i.e. timing, new plugs, oil change...etc
7 Checking that brakes are not rubbing, grease bearings.
8 Wash and wax your car.

Originally posted by TheHunted
Every mph over 65 you lose 1 mpg. Do the math and see how much money you are just giving away to the likes of Exxon. I drive a 97 Lesabre and average 33 mpg. We do have the power to control this.
[edit on 15-8-2008 by TheHunted]

That's interesting math you have there. I went on a road trip this weekend in a friend's car that gets 18-20 mpg. So by your math at 83-85mph the vehicle would eat through an entire tank of gas instantaneously...right?

reply to post by TheHunted


Dude, you are so right. I have slowed down and try to do the speed limit and have improved my MPG soooo much. It is tough to do because people are still driving so fast and get angry with me. Even if I am doing 5 miles over the posted limit.

I don't think it is the answer to the total problem, but it does help and I also find it crazy to see people driving around super fast in their big trucks and SUV yet complain about gas prices.

reply to post by BlueTriangle


Actually there is nothing wrong with my math. Not all vehicles have the same size fuel tank. The less fuel economy for the vehicle the larger the tank.

For example I have an 85 Olds Delta 88 that gets 20 mpg but also has a 25 gallon tank. My Lesabre has one that is 15 gallons.

So I'm sure your friends vehicle may have a pretty decent size fuel tank. Am I wrong?

Originally posted by TheHunted


Every mph over 65 you lose 1 mpg. Do the math and see how much money you are just giving away to the likes of Exxon. I drive a 97 Lesabre and average 33 mpg. We do have the power to control this.

[edit on 15-8-2008 by TheHunted]

You make some good points, but this is completely false. A V-8 runs more efficiently at different speeds than a v-6, and a v-6 runs more efficiently at different speeds than a 4 cylander.

The true killer of gas mileage is constant acceleration/deceleration. Stepping on the gas uses more fuel than staying constant, but it has much more to do with rpm than speed. My honda civic gets around 55 mpg when I can travel at a constant speed of around 90, because it's 4 cylander engine can do 90 at a constant and reasonable rpm.

Speed has VERY little to do with it.

reply to post by cautiouslypessimistic


I was willing to debate until your claim of 55 mpg at the speed of 90 mph. I will say no more....

reply to post by cautiouslypessimistic


I do have one question to ask about your outrageous claim. What RPM are you at driving 90 mph?

I'm not saying that sensible driving will solve the fuel crisis. I do believe that automobiles are number in consumption of oil. Drivers are pretty much giving away money to the oil tycoons. Why give them free money when we are the ones being ripped of.

Lets prove that our demand is not the reason for sky rocketing prices but is due to greed and power.

Originally posted by TheHunted
reply to post by cautiouslypessimistic

 

I was willing to debate until your claim of 55 mpg at the speed of 90 mph. I will say no more....

I was at about 5500 rpm. Don't beleive me, go do a constant 90 in a high efficiency 4cylander. Given, with hills, temp, etc it can vary, but you will MOST DEFINATELY get a large bump in your mileage.

As I said before, it has way more do with RPM than speed. A 4cylander burns almost the exact same amount of gas at 4500 rpm in 3rd gear as it does at 4500 rpm in 5th. But, in 5th at 4500 rpm, you are covering ground in a much faster time than you would be in third, therefore you are getting many more miles for each gallon burned.

As I also said before, constant accelerating and decelerating is what kills gas mileage.



You are mistaken.

reply to post by cautiouslypessimistic


I'm calling this one a hoax or that you are from a different unvierse with different laws of physics. The higher the Revolutions Per Minute means how fast your engine is turning. The faster the turn then the more energy required. In this case the energy being used is fuel.

Then there is the resistance of air. The faster you move the more air resistance there is. No matter the size of your vehicle or engine you cannot escape that. The force of this restance slows your vehicle down, so to maintain speed your engine requires more energy. Once again the energy used is fuel.

[edit on 15-8-2008 by TheHunted]

I think going at higher speeds saves gas
Going at higher speeds and in the proper gear will save a lot of time and gas.

[edit on 15-8-2008 by peacejet]

reply to post by peacejet


Yes the faser you go does save time. but not fuel.

Here's an example:

For us humans calories are fuel. The more active you are the more fuel you burn and less active the less you burn.

If you were to run two miles you would be more tired then if you would have walked that same two miles. Running may have gotten to the end faster but more energy was used. Do you not burn more calories when running compared to walking?

All right, got the point you are saying.

reply to post by cautiouslypessimistic



This is from wikihow:

# Slow down. Air resistance goes up as the square of velocity. The power consumed to overcome that air resistance goes up as the cube of the velocity. Rolling resistance is the dominant force below about 40 mph. Above that, every mph costs you mileage. Go as slow as traffic and your schedule will allow. Drive under 60-65 since air grows exponentially denser, in the aerodynamic sense, the faster we drive. To be precise, the most efficient speed is your car's minimum speed in it's highest gear, since this provides the best "speed per RPM" ratio. This is usually about 45 to 55 miles per hour.

I have been driving more slowly and better utilizing momentum and I have improved my mileage by 3-5 mpg. That is significant, given current prices.

Just like I told the cop that pulled me over a few weeks ago, unless the city is willing to compensate me for the gas I spend sitting at uncoordinated traffic lights, I will drive over the speed limit to make up lost time.

Until cities finally figure out how to unfudge the congestion problems caused by poor traffic management and retarded lights that change when no traffic needs them too, people will continue to drive over the speed limit.

Given that the oil companies operate on a 9% profit margin, their record profits arent a result of a conspiracy, but of record demand.

Now that demand has slightly fallen, you will see prices come down a bit more, and the next quarterly profits won't be as high.

Economics 101, try it out sometime.

[edit on 16-8-2008 by Scorched Earth]

Wind resistance is a function of the square of velocity, so 2X the speed = 4X the wind resistance. Also, there is rolling resistance in the tires that increases with speed as well. So you definitely save gas by going slower.

I have a proposal:

How about all of you people who think going slower is worth the extra buck or 2 in gas you will save stick to the right lanes, and allow people like me who see the speed limit as a suggestion to use the left lanes as I choose?

Originally posted by cautiouslypessimistic

Originally posted by TheHunted
reply to post by cautiouslypessimistic

 

I was willing to debate until your claim of 55 mpg at the speed of 90 mph. I will say no more....

I was at about 5500 rpm. Don't beleive me, go do a constant 90 in a high efficiency 4cylander. Given, with hills, temp, etc it can vary, but you will MOST DEFINATELY get a large bump in your mileage.

As I said before, it has way more do with RPM than speed. A 4cylander burns almost the exact same amount of gas at 4500 rpm in 3rd gear as it does at 4500 rpm in 5th. But, in 5th at 4500 rpm, you are covering ground in a much faster time than you would be in third, therefore you are getting many more miles for each gallon burned.

As I also said before, constant accelerating and decelerating is what kills gas mileage.



You are mistaken.

Agreed. I have a 2006 zx-10r superbike.. 1000cc and more power than most small cars. If I ride around town solo with no pack etc accel decel at lights and riding mostly 60kmh I get 200-220km a tank. I rode for a few hours at 110-130kmh constant speed (60-75 mph i think) going from one part of the country to another.. two people on the bike plus a massive pack (rubbish wind resistance) and got 330km from a tank.

Err... acceleration is definately the key here. I've never seen 330km again apart from long distance constant speed runs. If I do a 'proper' ride (aka up to 300kmh+ and heavy accel/decel tyre shredding riding for twisties) it'll get 120-180k a tank.

[edit on 16/8/08 by GhostR1der]