Is it OK to skip the 4th gear to 5th for MPG?

[defensivetackle88]

When I'm on 3rd gear at 35 MPH, increasing the speed to 40, I wonder if it smart to skip to 5th when the RPM drops to 2k? 🤔

I thought I learned here that one of the keys to optimal fuel efficiency on flat road is to use cruise control and keep RPM low as possible between 2-3k depending on the speed and gear. I didn't hear nor feel engine lugging.

What do you think?

[Mark]

When I'm on 3rd gear at 35 MPH, increasing the speed to 40, I wonder if it smart to skip to 5th when the RPM drops to 2k? ��

I thought I learned here that one of the keys to optimal fuel efficiency on flat road is to use cruise control and keep RPM low as possible between 2-3k depending on the speed and gear. I didn't hear nor feel engine lugging.

What do you think?

I would do whatever works. If I am driving through a town (small town, not a big city) @ 25 mph, I am already in 4th gear with my hatchback. When I am driving on the edge of a town with a 35-40 mph speed limit, I am in 5th gear before 40 mph most of the time.

I find 4th gear to be fine for anything 25+ mph in town (flat roads), & 5th gear is good for anything approaching 40 mph & above. I do whatever gear works. I probably skip 1st gear the most.

$4.50+/gallon gas does make one think about these things!

[inuvik]

When I'm on 3rd gear at 35 MPH, increasing the speed to 40, I wonder if it smart to skip to 5th when the RPM drops to 2k? 樂

I thought I learned here that one of the keys to optimal fuel efficiency on flat road is to use cruise control and keep RPM low as possible between 2-3k depending on the speed and gear. I didn't hear nor feel engine lugging.

What do you think?

I use either the 1-3-5 shift pattern or the 1-2-5 shift pattern extensively in my OS. Skipping gears to upshift into the highest gear possible at the lowest possible speed is a time honored hypermiling technique. You can relax and not worry. I use 1-3-5 when there isn't much need for off the line acceleration shifting from 3rd to 5th between 25-30mph / 30-40 km. I'll use 1-2-5 when there is a need to accelerate shifting into 5th about 30-35 mph / 40-55 km from second. I also use cruise control ALL the time whenever possible. Even in the city as long as it's more than a few blocks I'll enable cruise. This is why my lifetime average over 47000 miles / 75000 km is just over 30 mpg / 7.8L/ 100km in the OS. With the manual 5 speed Mirage you should be able to achieve 50 mpg / 4.7L/100km no problem as long as you keep your speed down. With the Mirage it's pretty easy to achieve some really spectacular fuel efficiency. I know there have been members that have achieved 60 mpg / 3.9L/100km + so skip those gears!

[klroger]

If you say we only need 3 of the 5 gears they give us, Lets get the "3 On The Tree" back. You won't have to shift any more gears then necessary & as a bonus, it's an Anti Theft Device as I suspect very few could drive it away...

[Mark]

If you say we only need 3 of the 5 gears they give us, Lets get the "3 On The Tree" back. You won't have to shift any more gears then necessary & as a bonus, it's an Anti Theft Device as I suspect very few could drive it away...

All the "3 on the Tree" transmissions I remember were hooked up to big old V8 engines. Very simple shift pattern on them.

[Fummins]

All the "3 on the Tree" transmissions I remember were hooked up to big old V8 engines. Very simple shift pattern on them.

And "big" inline 6's.

[MetroMPG]

Skip shift, yes. Short shift, yes. As was said, both are time-honoured fuel saving techniques. Get into the tallest usable gear ASAP once cruising speed has been reached.

My brother has the habit of driving around in 3rd gear in his car when 5th would be perfectly fine. I tell him he'd get "a free tank of gas" every 10 fill-ups if he would get into the habit of up-shifting more.

I even do it in automatic cars that have manual shift gates - manual mode lets you upshift sooner than automatic mode in every car I've tried it in. My parents' automatic car will even let you start out in 2nd gear in manual mode.

[Fummins]

My Firebird came factory with a skip-shift "feature" that would force you to shift from 1st to 4th by locking out 2nd and 3rd. It was deleted before I got the car though. https://skipshifteliminator.com/p/wh...one%20normally. The more you know....


Shift blocking or “skip shift” is a feature of six-speed manual transmissions added to improve fuel economy ratings in the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) system by preventing a driver from switching from first gear to second or third as would be done normally. A solenoid prevents the shifter from engaging these gears, forcing the driver to shift from first to fourth gear. The solenoid is computer controlled, and will deactivate if the throttle is opened wide enough, or the car reaches speeds above those typical in city driving.

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Thread: Discuss! cylinder deactivation & GM's "skip shift" system