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P&G: Pulse and Glide - This technique used to increase the FE of any automobile under the right conditions significantly above your automobiles EPA city/highway rating. Pros include maximizing FE in a low speed suburban or city environment (speed limits less than 45 mph). Cons include lowering your overall average speed (more time to get to point B), a lot of work given the undulations depending on the type of hybrid or non-hybrid you are driving, and both gear reduction starter and pre-mature transmission wear from re-engagements at speed depending on the automobile being analyzed.
The previous paragraphed was taken from the website Www.cleanmpg.com written by site owner and operator Wayne Gerdes.
Specific to the Dodge avenger/chrysler sebring, automatics, here is how pulse and glide works at its best. At first it may feel weird, undulating, and/or like a lot of work, but upon grasping the concept and implementing it a few times, you'll realize you do it anyway and it just takes a little modification.
First off, there are two modes of pulse and glide:
a) Pulse and glide where the pulse is in drive, the glide is in neutral
b) Pulse and glide where the pulse is in drive, the glide is in neutral and the engine is off.
For technique "a"
Update 10/8/08:
For technique "a" in city driving, the idea is to pulse to a predetermined speed with just enough velocity to glide to the next light without stopping. A bit of light timing would work to your advantage here ( I will get into more detail later). If you know the light is gonna be red however, pretend you are driving without brakes (which is also another technique). This will assist in gauging how much pulse is necessary. If done correctly and conditions are slightly imperfect, you should get to your destination without much time loss if any at all. Technique "a" is better if you are a beginner.
If you would rather not do this technique to its full extent, what you could do is pulse up to about 38 mph, then without shifting to neutral, let your car coast down to about 30mph, and do small range pulses and glides between 35 and 25 miles per hour without shifting to neutral. There is a lot to gain here. If your speed drops below 15-20 mph, then you might want to pulse up to 38mph before going back to pulsing btw 35 and 25mph. Lower rpms GENERALLY means lower consumption, not always however.
For technique "b" The concept is very similar, so I will only note the differences:
If/when you do decide to utilize technique "b" Follow these steps:
-Pulse up to the predetermined speed
-place car in neutral about 1-2 seconds after lifting your foot off the GAS pedal
-turn key to the ACC position until rpms drop to zero
-turn key back to on position
-glide to a minimum predetermined speed or so determined by traffic
-restart
-allow rpms to settle, shift to drive
note: If the predetermined minimum speed is btw 27 and 38 mph, you will need to rev the car in neutral to about 2500 rpms for 38mph or about 2000 for 27mph so as to have a smooth re-engagement. Any other speed, there is no need for rev matching.
Also, to determine a pulse rate, you never need to exceed 2500 rpms. On my initial pulse, I usually hit 2000 rpm at 30mph and 2500rpm at 38mph. I'm usually under 2k rpm for the most part.
Be careful out there everyone, In order to do these techniques, please take into account others who are not utilizing these techniques and don't do this on a one laned road with traffic behind you, it is courtesy to do the speed limit at most with regard to safety and driving conditions.
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