RAWKIN_coaster38 Posted November 3, 2011 Posted November 3, 2011 I'm a total GP when it comes to cars... Â What's the best way to heat your car without using a ton of gas? The windshield has been freezing over in the morning and it always seems to take 5-10 minutes of running the car with the defroster on full blast before it melts enough that I can wipe it and drive, however, I think the gas tank has drained twice as fast as usual. Â Also, there's a button next to the A.C. button with a picture of a car and an arrow circulating around the car. Am I correct that this button should be pushed to maximize the heater? I really don't know what the button does...
A.J. Posted November 4, 2011 Posted November 4, 2011 The button is the "recirculate" button. It cuts off flow of outside air into the car and instead recirculates the air within the car. Warm air gets warmer, cool air gets cooler. That's how to get maximum performance out of your heater/AC.
robbalvey Posted November 5, 2011 Posted November 5, 2011 Sorry, I just find cruise control1. Takes the interaction out of driving, leading to... 2. Creates a false sense of security 3. Constantly needs to be readjusted on highways where people are moving at varying speeds 4. Takes away from fuel economy  Not a fan, even on 4 am drives on I20 between Atlanta and Columbia SC I refused to use cruise Just did 2,500 miles across the USA without even using cruise control once!
TheStig Posted November 5, 2011 Posted November 5, 2011 Sorry, I just find cruise control1. Takes the interaction out of driving, leading to... 2. Creates a false sense of security 3. Constantly needs to be readjusted on highways where people are moving at varying speeds 4. Takes away from fuel economy  Not a fan, even on 4 am drives on I20 between Atlanta and Columbia SC I refused to use cruise Just did 2,500 miles across the USA without even using cruise control once!  I did 12,500 on my road trip without cruise as well! Totally unnecessary!
A.J. Posted November 5, 2011 Posted November 5, 2011 I just like cruise control, is all. Â I did some quick searches the other day, and they seem like they're really hard to find (the Mark IIIs). I hope I can find a good one, as I've been looking for a "cheap but practical" car for a while now.
Real Posted November 5, 2011 Posted November 5, 2011 Cruise control most certainly does not take AWAY from fuel economy. Letting a computer control your speed (and in the flat lands of Ohio, no worries of hills) that means your car runs at the most optimal revs possible. Your foot will not be able to hold it as steady and revving the engine up and down will hurt fuel mileage. Studies have shown up to 14% increase in mileage, average of 7%. Â Now, if you are using it in mountainous or hilly areas - 1 that's just stupid and 2 duh, its not going to help because it doesn't anticipate the slow downs like a driver with a pair of eyes can. But on flat ground, it most certainly does save gas. Â However, I find that it can make me tired faster since there is less interaction. In a way, less connection with the road and car. Â Â I still prefer to have it when I can. Though I haven't had it in my car for almost 3-4 years.
jmicha Posted November 5, 2011 Posted November 5, 2011 ^Exactly. I just drove home to Cleveland from Cincinnati for the weekend. It's only a four hour drive, but it's nice after working all day to not have to sit in the same exact position for four BORING, flat, monotonous, featureless hours. The only time I didn't use it was through Columbus (for obvious reasons. Traffic). Between Columbus and Cleveland I only had to adjust it once. If you aren't trying to fly past every single person and just go a typical pace it's not hard to reap the benefits of cruise control.
A.J. Posted November 5, 2011 Posted November 5, 2011 I'd really only use it on several interstates - I-80 to/from New York, I-76 to/from Philadelphia (though not IN Philadelphia), I-81 to/from Hagerstown MD, and of course I-95 to/from well...everywhere.
niiicolaaah Posted November 6, 2011 Posted November 6, 2011 Okay, so, since I'm still employed at Walt Disney World and I have to go down there in the summer to keep my job, I'm going to need a car -Â I'm considering looking at a Mark III (US model year 1994 to 1998?) Volkswagen Golf. I love hatchbacks. Â I also read somewhere that you can retrofit cruise control to them, which is a plus, as I would be traveling a lot. Â Thoughts? Â I think you should go for a mark 4 just because they're a little newer. Why get a mark 3?
A.J. Posted November 6, 2011 Posted November 6, 2011 Less expensive. I'm a poor college student, you know.
ParkTrips Posted November 6, 2011 Posted November 6, 2011 ^Car hipster. lol if that's what I am, that's what I am  Glad to see Robb and the Stig have my back - I mean, c'mon guys, ITS THE STIG!  Cruise control most certainly does not take AWAY from fuel economy. Letting a computer control your speed (and in the flat lands of Ohio, no worries of hills) that means your car runs at the most optimal revs possible. Unfortunately, I live on the Piedmont, and not in Ohio (wait, scratch that - FORTUNATELY ) I can tell you that I have tried before and gotten slightly worse mileage (maybe 1 mpg worse, but still worse!)
FeelTheFORCE Posted November 6, 2011 Posted November 6, 2011 Whenever I take long trips on interstates in my AWD Impreza (which averages about 20-25 MPG normally), my fuel economy rockets up to the mid-30s because of cruise control.
BeemerBoy Posted November 7, 2011 Posted November 7, 2011 There is one particular instance in which cruise control helps a bit.......
Real Posted November 7, 2011 Posted November 7, 2011 ^Car hipster. lol if that's what I am, that's what I am  Glad to see Robb and the Stig have my back - I mean, c'mon guys, ITS THE STIG!  Cruise control most certainly does not take AWAY from fuel economy. Letting a computer control your speed (and in the flat lands of Ohio, no worries of hills) that means your car runs at the most optimal revs possible. Unfortunately, I live on the Piedmont, and not in Ohio (wait, scratch that - FORTUNATELY ) I can tell you that I have tried before and gotten slightly worse mileage (maybe 1 mpg worse, but still worse!)  Cruise will suck in areas with hills and mountains because you or I could gradually adjust the speed to compensate for the hills. The cruise will let the revs go way down, then offer a burst of power that in any car, new or old I can just see the gas meter move (hypothetically of course). So if you live somewhere its not flat, I completely understand.  I however have lived here in Ohio all my life - the upper northwest which is all old swamp area so its insanely flat. I imagine across the plains you would get great mileage as well in cruise.   And yea...only thing flat areas are great for IMO are storms. But here we dont get cool ones like the plains. So Id rather live in the hilly areas and deal without Cruise Control. Mines been broken for years.
ParkTrips Posted November 7, 2011 Posted November 7, 2011 There is one particular instance in which cruise control helps a bit....... Road head? Â ^It might make more sense if cruise was tied to rpm's like i believe old manuals were
Cameron Posted November 7, 2011 Posted November 7, 2011 What's the best way to heat your car without using a ton of gas? Â The windows tend to stay fog free the most by turning on the heater AND the AC (the AC pulls moisture out of the air). Leave the recirculate button off, so that the car is pulling cold air in from the outside (it'll be less humid). Â Also the fastest way to warm-up an engine (and get heat) is to drive the car. Don't floor it to redline until the engine is warm, but drive a little gently for the first mile or two (depends how cold it is). There are times in Chicago where I get in my car in the morning and it's 0 degrees (that's Fahrenheit), and I start driving only about 30-60 seconds after starting the engine. Within just a few minutes the heater is blowing toasty warm air at me. Â Cameron.
RAWKIN_coaster38 Posted November 8, 2011 Posted November 8, 2011 What's the best way to heat your car without using a ton of gas? Â The windows tend to stay fog free the most by turning on the heater AND the AC (the AC pulls moisture out of the air). Leave the recirculate button off, so that the car is pulling cold air in from the outside (it'll be less humid). Â Also the fastest way to warm-up an engine (and get heat) is to drive the car. Don't floor it to redline until the engine is warm, but drive a little gently for the first mile or two (depends how cold it is). There are times in Chicago where I get in my car in the morning and it's 0 degrees (that's Fahrenheit), and I start driving only about 30-60 seconds after starting the engine. Within just a few minutes the heater is blowing toasty warm air at me. Â Cameron. Thanks for the advice! Also, when you say the heater and the AC, do you mean to push the AC button but turn the temperature to warm? And does that work for frozen windshields?
ParkTrips Posted November 8, 2011 Posted November 8, 2011 Be careful with heating up your windshield if it has ice on it, you could crack it if the conditions are right (super cold outside, really quick heat-up inside). Saving a couple minutes < $500+ windwhield
BaMiTsPaT Posted November 8, 2011 Posted November 8, 2011 There is one particular instance in which cruise control helps a bit....... This is genius! I just laughed out loud and woke my roommate up!
Cameron Posted November 8, 2011 Posted November 8, 2011 ^^ Oh yes - if there is actual ice on the windscreen you don't want to blast surface-of-the-sun hot air against it!Sure, it will technically get rid of the ice, but it's just not fun to drive without a windscreen when it's below freezing. Â Cameron.
molemaster43 Posted November 8, 2011 Posted November 8, 2011 Man I want a Ford Mustang, Chevy Camaro, Dodge Charger, Dodge Challenger, Enzo Ferrari, Ferrari FXX, Ferrari Spider, Lamborghini Murcielago, or a Lamborghini Revolucion
BeemerBoy Posted November 9, 2011 Posted November 9, 2011 Man I want a Ford Mustang, Chevy Camaro, Dodge Charger, Dodge Challenger, Enzo Ferrari, Ferrari FXX, Ferrari Spider, Lamborghini Murcielago, or a Lamborghini Revolucion "Or"?
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