what?

 

Press the S button so the little LED is lit..and your tranny hangs on each gear a little longer before shifting up...I leave mine on all the time...some claim it gives better mileage with it engaged..Stands for Sport mode.

 

oh, that button... it does give you better mpg.

 

so, this is better on all the time? and this won't damage the transmission?

 

You serious? You would think keeping the engine in higher RPMs would give you worse gas mileage. I might have to try this on my next tank.

 

yeah i thought something was wrong the first time i noticed this. i left it on for a week to see how much worse the mpg would be. At the end of the week I was at a higher mpg! i guess it has something to due with a power zone or something like that.

 

DZTT, it all depends on how you drive. If you like to get out in front of people, then odds are, turning on the "S" button will not help you. But, if you ease off of the line, then it will help a little bit.

Chris "Thermo" Coleman

 

It's worth giving it a try out. I'm seeing around 20 mpg with about 65% stop and go city driving. I wouldn't say i like to get out in front of people, but I do enjoy some "spirited" driving every once in a while.

 

so is this good for the transmission being on all the time?

 

wow... no way. i, too, guessed the complete opposite in regards to fuel-consumption. i have generally always left the S-button OFF thinking i was saving gas.

it's not entirely making sense to me, though... you would hold onto a lower gear (running at higher RPMs) for a longer time, so it would make sense to think that this would use more (not less) gasoline.

can someone with detailed knowledge of this issue clarify?

thanks.

-happy

 

i found it! Thermo wrote this in a post about 3 weeks ago in regaurds to the "s" button:

 

WOW I never used the sport mode because I think it will consume more gas - However, the more RPM the more gas you consume - I drive my girls car that has a instant MPG gauge and it tells you how many MPG while you are driving. The minute the MPH goes down the MPG increases so it's a bit confusing having the S on on the x-type.

 

solidx, you are correct in that to spin the motor faster, it requires more fuel. But, also keep in mind that you need to factor in the distance covered during that time too. Using your logic, letting the car idle in one spot would give you the best mileage. We all know it is not true. Ironically, by getting on the gas a little bit to get up to speed and then easing off will net the best mileage. Notice I said "a little bit". This doesn't mean stomp on the gas and get to 60 mph in 6 seconds. Like jvegas reference, getting our cars to shift at about 3,000 RPM is the ideal point. With the variable valve timing, it might be even a little under 3,000 (I'm still playing with this and monitoring my car).

With gas engines, there is a "sweet spot" in the RPM where you have the best balance between the inefficiency of spinning the engine fast and the inefficiency of the combustion process due to low RPM. For our cars, this "sweet spot" is in the neighborhood of 2,000-2500 RPM (still narrowing this down through "playing" with my car). So, cruising the highway in this range will net the best possible mileage assuming you are driving sensibly. Quick passing of another vehicle (ie, hard acceleration to get around and then braking to slow back down), trying to accelerate up a hill, and other items of the sort will drive the mileage down.

Chris "Thermo" Coleman and Nukie, the radioactive 97 X

 

i have noticed that 70-75 mph on the highway is my best area or MPG. The rpm's are at 2500-2700. so it all seems correct.

 

when I have the 'S' on my MPG would go up to 13.0-13.2L/100 kmsbut when i have it off it would go down to 12.9L/100 kms...is that good or bad?

 

oops yah i was using MPG interchangeably.....

yah thats what i thought 13.2 is bad...but someone here said that you have to account the distance the car travel as well.....thats why I ask this question.....wow your getting such a good L/100 kms...