I was wondering if driving really slow is a dangerous thing? I like to accelerate really really slow becuase of better mpg, and its a diesel. Everyone seems to tailgate me and try to push me. Its kinda scary in a sense, but i was wondering what you all do in those situations. Thanks

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Rod - Ali
1986 300SDL (w126) - 111k
1991 420SEL (w126) - 123k
1981 300SD (w126) - 205k (passed away 2/20/06)
1985 300SD (w126 - 185k
http://img172.imageshack.us/img172/4481/sig1hd.jpg

Accelerating slowly, in my experience, does not enhance MPG's. Relatively brisk accelleration to the desired speed will. Anyone who has watched meters displaying instant MPG's should confirm this. Anytime you're accellerating, mpg's go way down including when you accellerate slowly. Therefore, if you must accellerate, do it briskly and don't anger those who must follow.

so i should accelrate somewhat fast, doesnt that hurt the car?

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Rod - Ali
1986 300SDL (w126) - 111k
1991 420SEL (w126) - 123k
1981 300SD (w126) - 205k (passed away 2/20/06)
1985 300SD (w126 - 185k
http://img172.imageshack.us/img172/4481/sig1hd.jpg

There are many here who believe a lead foot is good for the diesel engine, and the more lead foot the better!

I'm more like you, I am easy on the pedal around and about, but at least once in 30 to 50 miles, when getting onto the hi way, I will bring the engine up in third gear in a hurry, enough to blow accumulated soot out the exhaust. When the black soot stops coming out, I let up on the pedal a bit and slip it into 4th.

Others do this all day long, and in my opinion, it's a waste of time!

Under normal conditions, I never exceed 3K rpm. That is my driving style, but I still tend to flog it a few times a day.
Last tank of fuel yielded 29.2 mpg in the 300SDL. I suppose that's not too bad.

About time I started getting acceptable mileage!

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1987 300SDL (324000)

1986 Porsche 951 (944 Turbo) (166000)

1978 Porsche 924 (99000)

1996 Nissan Pathfinder R50 (201000)

i usually floor it until i get up to the desired speed in a 240 or 617 turbo. my 350sdl accelerates well enough part throttle is fine most of the time. flooring it produces black smoke which also discourages tailgating.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

If you are holding up traffic you are going too slow. You should accelerate at a normal rate but you shouldn't need to floor it or engage the kickdown. You are actually saving nothing. It makes no difference if you accelerate slow or fast as long as you don't kick down to a lower gear. Even that is not wasteful if you need to do it to make a steep hill. The way to save fuel is to time the lights and drive across town at a steady rate, catching all the lights green.

There are so many ways to make money and save money that I'm not going to torture myself and other road users for pennies. I think a lot of people obsess unnecessarily about gas mileage. If you figure it out you would have to double your mileage to make a noticable difference. It's a waste of time if we are talking about saving enough money each week to biggie size one happy meal.

I have an S class I'll accelerate as fast as I want to!

I try to keep the rpms around 2k let the other people ride you.

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2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Is that so??

So, if the usual $hitbox is behind me and wants to go 45 mph in a 30 zone, and I have accelerated modestly to 35 mph, you believe that I am going too slow??????????

If that is really true, please reread the second paragraph in post #9.

Folks,

I try to consider all sides. I traded from a 5.0 mustang to a diesel MB. I live in an area where it often takes 4-5 lights to get through an intersection - typically because someone is yacking on their cell phone and delays 10 cars getting through a light. If someone chose to accelerate by choice at a pace that meant 10 or 15 people would not make it through a light I would rank that the same way - inconsiderate of others. To me a big factor is - is it every light or once in a while? If I had to follow someone like that through 5 lights... were they were on a cell phone or just chose to be slow? Either way would be effecting many people for your own convenience.

To be fair, the original poster did not say how "slow" he went. He may be well within the parameters of reasonable. I guess I assumed he was "cell phone slow", and I'm sorry if I mis-interpreted.

So I don't race to the speed limit either, but I do look in my mirror and think about if there are 100 people behind me. If I'm in the left lane at 70 and there are 20 cars behind me and nobody in front, I move over and let them by. If I close on someone doing less than the speed limit, I would hope (not expect) they do the same. Consideration by all of us sharing a common resource and different priorities will help everybody.

Chuck

I have to disagree with this line of thought. I am one that strictly adheres to the posted limit, and also uses proper road etiquite (sp?) on multi lane roadways. I am constantly tailgated, sneered at, and at times flipped off for having the audacity to actually obey the laws. People around here seem to be incapable of looking beyond their own windshield wipers as I've lost count on how many times some brain dead moron pulls up to within a couple of feet of my back bumper, on a three lane highway with TWO wide open lanes to the left to pass me with.

If you are obeying the laws, and are keeping right except to pass, then my attitude is screw the moron who is in a prepetual hurry, and thinks that they have some god given right to blatantly ignore the rules. I'm not going to risk a ticket so the moron can get to whatever their destination is .000000000000000001 seconds sooner. I laugh as 99% of the time, I will catch up with them at the next light. They'll be stopped, while I might have to lose maybe 1/4th or 1/3rd of my original speed.

I always accelerate at a fairly quick pace, with about half of it just the on-off switch method I don't speed either....highest I'll exceed the limit is maybe 3-4mph, no more. I've been getting about 24-25mpg now that the summer fuel is back. When I do more modest acceleration I do right around half-pedal....my boost gauge usually holds at around 4-6psi during those accelerations, then if I am only reaching 30-35 or so it falls to about 1-2psi while holding the speed and cruising....about 2-3psi holding 40-48ish mph....and around 5psi for maintaining 55mph (majority of my drive to work). Timing is everything, hovering right around the speed limit gets you all the green lights and saves the most fuel. I can drive down the 55mph road to and from work and get essentially every green light (about 7 of them) w/out slowing down even once if I maintain 55-57mph the whole way.

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-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

Foot to the floor until the turbo kicks in, then watch out.. atleast on a 606.

My accelrator is more of an on/off switch.. still get decent MPG.. I totally flogged the car the last tank of fuel.. lots of high speed, WOT driving and in town.. still managed to get 410 miles before the light came on.

I rarely hold up traffic, if ever, I move over for people to pass me, especially on the freeway because that is different than a 55 mph stretch of road thats about 15 miles long, and has stop lights every 1-2.5 miles, speeding in them will only get you ended up sitting at red lights, even if you go 5 over. They have it timed perfectly the whole way down. More often I will keep my place if its just one person trying to do the "weave" through the lanes just to get ahead to the next red light, and if people tailgate me, I either smoke them with some pedal mashing, or I will let off the throttle completely and coast/slow down until they fall back, then I'll resume my speed. People around here don't really seem to speed too often lately, probably a combination of their SUVs eating them alive in fuel costs....and the recent increase in ticketing by cops......

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-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

I do the exact same thing Often I will ride the left lane at around 2-3mph over though (not the freeway, just the "beltline 55mph" road around here), juuust to stop all those people that want to speed from getting past Usually it ends up they all start passing on the right though...

__________________
-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)