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Learning to coast downhill improved my EcoBoost's efficiency
I let off the gas on declines and let momentum do the work. It sounds basic, but it added up to real savings over time.
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robert_bennett1mo ago
Actually, modern engines cut fuel completely when coasting in gear, using zero gas.
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barbara_grant1mo ago
That's mostly true, but it depends on the car. The fuel cut-off only works above a certain rpm, usually around 1200 or so. If you're coasting in gear but the revs drop too low, the computer will start feeding fuel again to keep the engine from stalling. So it's not zero gas in every single situation, like crawling up to a light in first gear. You gotta be moving at a decent clip for it to work perfectly.
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nora_scott861mo ago
Yeah, coasting in gear is a game changer. My old Focus gained almost 2 mpg overall just from that one habit. It feels weird at first to take your foot off going down a hill, but the engine uses basically no fuel when you do that. Took me a solid month to stop instinctively braking on every slope. Do you do the same thing approaching red lights, or just on the highway declines?
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