Crawling along in traffic

Also sprach "Martin" :-

So what's the difference to such a car/driver then? If they don't like it they can wait for a suitable gap to expand then start. No problem.

It's mostly pilot error and lack of thought that stops drivers doing it.

That would be perfect for me, I seem to have useable torque at around

1800. Ideally I like cars with a good spread of torque which allows top gear to be a relatively low revving economy gear. Although looking at the thread on what influences fuel consumption, I'm unsure whether lower revs make as much difference as I used to think.

Daytona

on 4 Dec 2004 11:03:41 -0800:

Yeah I did. If the engine is strugling then it will be getting damaged.

You could always learn to drive.

Although I suspect like 99% of the British motoring public this will be beyond you.

This is when it is easier just to stop and wait at the red lights - running with very high gearing and close ratio box following a little car with wide box and low gearing was very irritating!

Also sprach %steve%@malloc.co.uk (Steve Firth):-

Or beneath him.

Bit unfair. As the guy has bothered to join the group he must have some interest in the art, but his concern that a slow moving vehicle ahead in a traffic queue causes him irritation is a bit worrying. The object is to be making progress, however slowly that may be. Trickling along with a good gap ahead is a more sympathetic to the vehicle, other road users and your own passengers than the effects of starting and stopping continuously. DaveK.

Right, time to correct myself ! I've been playing with this whilst driving today, not having really pushed it before (eg uphill and/or revs

: The amount of power from most engines at idle is also minimal.

By definition, the amount of useful power produced by an engine at idle is zero....

Ian

110 bhp @ 4,000 rpm, so the top speed in 1st is 20mph, and in second 42mph (or a bit more for the red line)?

Really, how does it power the electrics, fans, aircon etc then?

along with a good gap ahead is a more sympathetic to the vehicle, other road users and your own passengers than the effects of starting and stopping continuously.

I'm all in favour of that so long as the gap does not become so extreme that it frustrates the driver behind you. If you manage to do it right you will have a varying gap in front, but it will generally be sufficient to remove most of the need for stopping and starting.

I usually find that even if the bod behind is initially impatient, once he realises what's going on he settles down and goes along with it, which is fine for all concerned.

Best wishes all, Dave - alias TripleS.

: > : The amount of power from most engines at idle is also minimal. : >

: > By definition, the amount of useful power produced by an engine at : > idle is zero.... : : Really, how does it power the electrics, fans, aircon etc then?

Or overcome friction, yes, yes, I know. "Useful mechanical power" then. Anyway, you could argue that when it's running fans, aircon and the like it's not at idle...

Ian

Depends on your definition of useful. I suspect Ian's excludes these ancillaries.

cheers, clive

'set off without accelerating' lol, setting off is accelerating from

0mph! I'm sure you mean setting off without using the accelerator.

If ECU's really were as amazing as somepeople say then they'd never stall. ECU's aren't that amazing and they need time to adjust, I think that the quicker the clutch is moved the more likely the engine's likely to labour. If I were to pull away very slowly, it would be so slow that it would take ages for the clutch to become fully engaged.

Judging by the slight drop in revs when I switch on many electrical accessories (bar the a/c), I think it is as much "at idle" as unloaded. i.e. no more fuel is being used. If you can feel the revs pick up at some point, then the ECU has cut in and increased fuelling. Then I guess it is fair to say the engine in some sense is no longer idling.

Also sprach "David Knowles" :-

Why should the driver behind be frustrated? There's still a queue, they still can't get beyond whatever's holding up the traffic, they'll still get to the free moving part of the road immediately after the car in front.

People will get frustrated, especially the idiots around here. Some drivers will get frustrated what ever you do.

People will get frustrated, especially the idiots around here. Some drivers will get frustrated what ever you do.