DFCO and Autos

[voodoo22]

Originally Posted by drummerboy2004

Thanks for the heads-up Gene... I have the lifetime powertrain on mine (perk from Toyota when I bought it), but still has a 100 deductible after the original warranty... I guess I will have to rethink my game plan. Doesn't NICE-on coasting essentially do the same thing? I have found mixed answers on the subject.

Thanks,

Matt

Nice on coasting causes no damage at any speeds in our cars. Some cars require you to rev match when shifting back to D, but as long as you shift back into D before you are going back up a hill(You don't need to, but it works better), the Yaris transmission will smoothly choose the correct gear. The Yaris manual states that our AT is flat towable for short distances at low speeds on flat surfaces. FASing to your parking space will cause no damage either, but FASing at hwy speeds or for long distances will cause you future transmission issues.

[GeneW]

Originally Posted by voodoo22

Nice on coasting causes no damage at any speeds in our cars.

My Scanguage indicated that NICE uses more fuel than DFCO. I agree with you that keeping the motor on keeps the pump turning but I didn't see any advantage to doing coasting while the motor is running.

Originally Posted by voodoo22

Some cars require you to rev match when shifting back to D, but as long as you shift back into D before you are going back up a hill(You don't need to, but it works better), the Yaris transmission will smoothly choose the correct gear. The Yaris manual states that our AT is flat towable for short distances at low speeds on flat surfaces. FASing to your parking space will cause no damage either, but FASing at hwy speeds or for long distances will cause you future transmission issues.

The manual says it pretty explicitly - "No Dinghy towing". I am not sure what "short distances" mean, but as best as I can recall the manual suggests using the rear wheels to tow or use a flat bed. I suspect that towing on the front wheels is used because the car must be removed rather than as a preferred towing option. Especially if the car was struck in the rear and cannot be towed any other way.

Not to be a smart ass, but you can also run your motor without oil for brief periods of time too. There is enough residual lubricants to keep things good for seconds worth of total operation, at least until one of the cylinders seizes or one of the bearings seize. An AT is a bit different in that it doesn't have as much heat generation as an internal combustion engine.

The AT uses the fluid for several purposes - lubricant, to operate the torque converter and to remove heat. Don't run that pump and you're letting the parts conduction cool. You will accelerate wear doing this.

I do not recommend FAS for any AT. I think the trade off of lowered reliability isn't worth the marginal fuel savings.

Best way to save fuel is to drive at "optimal" highway speeds, avoid heavy acceleration, reduce vehicle weight and keep the car in good working condition. Pulse and glide is also a good idea. I think many of the advanced techniques are almost in the domain of "diminishing returns", good when gasoline is horribly expensive or scarce but otherwise not terribly practical (though they are fun to do, as a challenge).

I live in a state where FAS is illegal. I drive at times of the day when the bars close and the drunks and hooligans are out and about. A car the size of a Yaris survives because of its maneuverability and agility. You cannot maneuver or be very agile in FAS.

I treat my Yaris as a motorcycle with a sheet metal skin, as I did with my CRX. So I don't use techniques that reduce maneuverability or require vigilance that takes away from my primary need of avoiding collision or losing control of the car. So even if I could FAS I would not do so on the road.

Gene