Would I save gas using the cruise control option or would I waste more gasoline?
Answer:
Well it's pretty clear by now that cruise control increases your mileage efficiency, but I'll add in my 2 cent explanation of the physics behind it.
Where you use the most gas is during acceleration. Energy is essentially force times distance, and force is mass times acceleration, so (neglecting friction) if you're not accelerating you're not using any energy. Or if you factor in friction, you're using the least amount of energy when going at a constant speed - just enough to counteract friction keep you at that constant speed.
So the most fuel efficient way to drive is to minimize your acceleration, which is what cruise control does.
I don't really know the facts, but your not going to gain or lose much either way. You might get 10 more miles out of a tank if you use cruise vs not using it.
I always that heard that it saves on gas because it keeps the speed, so you aren't using more gas like you would be if you were trying to use the pedal.
It will help your gas mileage, it keeps your engine and car at a steady speed,
If you drive without the cruise control you will naturally speed up and slow down a bit, each time you speed back up or let the engine RPM's drift up higher than they need to be, you use a little extra gas, Cruise Control will help with this, although you probably won't notice a big diference, 1 or 2 mpg at best.
A friend just sent me this article. I found it to be very helpful. Good luck
May 10, 2007
Fuel Duel
Win the war against rising gas prices.
If you haven’t noticed it already, it’s only a matter of time before fuel prices begin increasing exponentially. Fortunately, you can fight back against the high price of gas by conserving and utilizing every last drop. Keep your money where it belongs this summer – in your pocket.
First and foremost, make sure you’re putting the right fuel in your tank. Your owner’s manual should tell you exactly what grade of fuel your vehicle needs. Don’t spend more money on a higher grade of gas if your engine doesn’t require it.
Next, the easiest way to increase your gas mileage is to change the way you drive. From rapid acceleration to hard braking to speeding, aggressive driving absolutely kills your fuel efficiency. Though each car is different, gas mileage generally begins decreasing over 60 miles per hour, meaning you could easily be costing yourself anywhere from 5-33% of the mileage you should be getting just by driving too fast. Use cruise control and accelerate smoothly whenever possible to avoid wastefully burning fuel.
Also keep in mind that an idling car gets precisely zero miles to the gallon, so don’t leave a car running unless you have to. The same goes for carrying excessive weight; don’t do it if you don’t have to. For every hundred or so pounds you carry, your fuel economy drops roughly 1-2%.
Even when it’s hot, know the best times to use your air conditioning. When driving around town, conserve fuel by rolling down the windows and turning off the AC. In stop-and-go traffic, air conditioning can decrease fuel economy by up to 10%. When on the highway, or at speeds over 55 mph, do just the opposite; open windows can create drag on a fast-moving vehicle, dropping fuel economy by 20% or more on some vehicles.
The condition of your car can seriously affect fuel efficiency as well. For example, when was the last time you replaced your air filter? A clean air filter can improve efficiency by more than 10%. Simultaneously, changing air temperatures can have serious implications on tire pressure, which in turn can have serious implications on how much fuel your vehicle has to burn. Properly inflated tires can boost mileage by up to 3%, so check them regularly and consult your owner’s manual for proper inflation levels.
Had your oil changed recently? The proper grade of fresh motor oil easily increases fuel efficiency by around 2%. Of course, taking your car to your trusted service professional to check your oil, tires and filters, as well as fix any major and minor maintenance problems can save you untold amounts by the end of the season.
So there you have it. Take back a little of the power and save yourself some hard-earned money. Don’t endure another summer of high gas prices without a fight.
Published by Landmark Honda
cruise control helps your gas milage. the reason it does is it keeps your throttle, and your gas usage steady. when you aren't using cruise control, you tend to speed up and slow down throughout your drive, and that uses a bit more gas.
more and more vehicles are coming with cruise control. not too many new vehicles will come without it.
You'll get better mileage, but keep it for the hgihway. When you use is in city driving, you have less response time if something's in your way. Usually when you use cruise, your foot is off the gas a and braks, so you have to move your foot to the brak to respond. But when you're just driving normally, your foot it sright there, and you have a better response time.
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If you set the CC at 55 and keep it (or 5 less than the speed limit) there you will save. If you set it at higher speeds, you will waste gas. Has more to do with the efficiency of the engine at varying speeds than your driving.
Test #3 Use Cruise Control
Result: Surprisingly effective way to save gas
Cold Hard Facts: Up to 14-percent savings, average savings of 7 percent
Recommendation: If you've got it, use it.
Using cruise control is a bit of gas-saving advice frequently on tips lists. We have always agreed with this tip in theory but we hadn't expected such significant results. First, it smoothes out the driver's accelerator input by preventing nervous "surging." Second, it makes the driver take the long view of the road rather than reacting to every change in the traffic around them.
Method: We did this test twice with four different cars each time driving the 55-mile loop. The first time we set cruise control to 70 mph. The second time, with the cruise control off, we varied our speed between 65 mph and 75 mph. We tried to mimic the driving style of a person who is in moderate freeway traffic.
One thing that's important to note: if you are in a mountainous area you should turn off cruise. It will try to keep you up to the speed you've set and will use a lot of extra gas downshifting to lower gears to accomplish this.
It is best to put the cruise control on a reasonable speed. If you put it 5 miles below the speed limit here in Southern California you are going to enrage a lot of people so I don't think that would be a wise choice. But I think you should do it to save gas and money, and not because you are going to change the climate because that obviously is not realistic.
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