Ford's answers to the NHTSA 6.7 Investigation

NewsW wrote:

NinerBikes wrote:


When your MFA is telling your every move of the throttle on the dash, along with a Scan Gauge II telling your Gallons per Hour flow... you learn real quick where the efficient part of the power band lies. I try to shift at 2000 rpms, I've had no problems driving 65 mph at 1850 rpms in 6th gear and pulling 52 to 54 MPG by pencil and paper at the gas station after the fillup. Quite satisfying when you see how midsized a 2012 passat is, yet how efficient, when driven properly. :B

I need to go back and check, but think the most efficient point for a 4 valve turbodiesel on road engine is somewhere around 1,500 rpm where the crossover between pumping losses (as air velocity increases in the plenum and air induction system) is outweighed by increased combustion efficiency (small amounts of injected fuel, even finely atomized, is not as efficient --- esp when you count the expansion / pressure generated, frictional losses and thermal loss.

That said, if you drop it to 50mph in 6th gear, rpms at 1,500, you should do a tad better.

Certainly the wind resistance would win big...


I keep dreaming that we need to be thinking of a 3 cylinder triple expansion 2 stroke deal to extract the maximum amount of work out of the heated gases before it is exhausted.

Gang up multiple banks of triple cylinders...

I forgot to mention that around where I live, 65 mph is pushing the lower envelope for safety and not getting run over by all the Video Jockeys that grew up playing "Need for Speed", and think it's fun to still pass on the right, or where ever they can make space in their Ricky Racer Fartcanned Rice Rockets. Life is full of compromises, 65 mph keeps me in the zone so they can't creep up on my back end too fast. I've always wanted to keep a gallon of used diesel motor oil in my trunk with a remote switch to spritzen on their windshield when they follow too closely.