Need tips on saving gas WHILE delivering pizzas

[dchurchwell]

Hey guys, new to the forum, been lurking the last week. Just bought my yaris a week ago and did not know how to drive a stick beforehand. I am still getting the hang of it. I deliver pizzas for a busy company and make good money by getting around quickly, but I want to maximize my earnings by saving gas. Do you guys have any tips in particular for a pizza delivery driver who must be quick but gas efficient. Right now I focus on shifting to 5th gear as soon as possible while giving as a little gas as possible, coasting to stops, anticipating red lights (i know the timing of all the lights in my town), cutting off the engine to coast into stops, parking where i dont have to reverse out, and things of that nature.

thanks

[nemelek]

Maximizing earnings might mean that you are willing to drive faster and spend more on gas.

[R2D2]

Welcome to YW, OP!

Sounds like you're covering most of the things that would balance speed and efficiency.

I would add making sure your tires are properly inflated, using lower viscosity oils (Yaris is back spec'd to 0W-20 currently), minimizing AC use and minimizing the weight carried in the car to name some others.

R2

[R2D2]

BTW, the Yaris must make a great vehicle in your line of work. I would be very interested in how many miles a week you put on the car and what type of fuel mileage you are getting under delivery conditions.

Thanks,

R2

[swidd]

Take out the back seat and spare tire. This will have a big impact, and also allow you much faster acceleration

[dchurchwell]

Thanks for the interest guys. i looked into removing the seats but have never done any kind of DIY carwork. About how long would it take to reinstall the seats if i need them? Will my local Big 10 tires carry 0w-20 oil?

I dont have a scan gauge but last time i didnt quite fill up and I still have a bar above the halfway line and i just hit 200 miles. Still a bit of a lead foot when it comes to putting it in 1st and 2nd...fear of stalling. Will update with more accurate mpg.

[dchurchwell]

also right now it is the slow season right before summer, so i am putting on around 400 miles a week but in a month i will be putting on a 1000 a week!

[Astroman]

I've used and currently use my Yaris for part-time pizza delivery, and yes it is the perfect car for pizza, and you can fit a lot of pizza in there at once.

Most of the things mentioned will help A LOT. Like they say keep the weight down, and don't use the AC, keep those tires inflated, 0w-20 (used this myself) etc.

Some other things that will help but cost $$ (so factoring in the FE savings/price of the part you'll need to factor) are NST Lite series pulleys. For the biggest bang just go with the crank pulley. You can get them @ micro image or search the classifieds and you can pick one up used for a good price. You can also get a lightweight battery, carbon fiber hood, light wheels, etc. I also noticed an increase in MPG by putting the 1.8l corolla throttle body on. I believe the reason my FE went up is I didn't have to give it as much gas to get up to speed.

You should post a pic of your Yaris with the car topper on, and I'll do the same with mine

Oh, welcome to the forum!!!!!!

[marcus]

eat all the pizza for weight reduction..........lol' dont hate a playah....

[dchurchwell]

Update...the yaris now has 3 seats. I was going to take out both seats but the small "40" seat has a messed up torx bolt. I'm going to try to find a gator grip or something to be able to remove the last bolt. Although i don't mind having the option of a 3rd person hopping in. Will having one seat on the left side disrupt the balance of the car? I figure i add 170lbs to the driver side so probably not. Changed to 0w-20 oil.

[Revsson]

Originally Posted by dchurchwell

Update...the yaris now has 3 seats. I was going to take out both seats but the small "40" seat has a messed up torx bolt. I'm going to try to find a gator grip or something to be able to remove the last bolt. Although i don't mind having the option of a 3rd person hopping in. Will having one seat on the left side disrupt the balance of the car? I figure i add 170lbs to the driver side so probably not. Changed to 0w-20 oil.

How about some pics?

[HTM Yaris]

According to "Mythbusters" , if you can plan your route to have all right hand turns your will save gas b/c you don't have to wait for opposing traffic . Mythbusters proved that even though the distance traveled was further ,less fuel was consumed .

Oh yeah 1 last thing ..... pics please

[daf62757]

Cost down hills and when possible build speed up gradually going down hills before going up a hill. Let gravity work for you.

[mazilla]

Run 1,000 psi in your tires....








Seriously tho, tire pressure is crucial...as well as keeping your gas pedal off the floor. Also, when you said cutting off the engine coasting to stops I assume that means a parking spot and not red lights, etc?

[why?]

Originally Posted by dchurchwell

Update...the yaris now has 3 seats. I was going to take out both seats but the small "40" seat has a messed up torx bolt. I'm going to try to find a gator grip or something to be able to remove the last bolt. Although i don't mind having the option of a 3rd person hopping in. Will having one seat on the left side disrupt the balance of the car? I figure i add 170lbs to the driver side so probably not. Changed to 0w-20 oil.

i had that happen to me, stop in on some body shops, likely they will have someone able to yank it out. I tried a ton of places, but in general they were all clueless.

Also don't forget to take out the seat belt and the other hardware as well.

[NZ-FE Vios]

I deliver in mine, frequently top 100 miles a day, drive quickly, leave the a/c on, to be honest most of the time I leave it running, worst I've done is 25mpg . I also calculate mpg every tank. Can't wait until its not so hot and I can ride with the windows down.

[A-Dingo-Ate-My-Baby]

the info above is sound

1) remove all dead weight in the car
2) pump tires as hard as you can stand it
3) plan all routes like UPS, make right hand turns only as much as legally possible
4) coast on all downgrades, hills, and coming to a stop
5) accelerate slowly

still, the amount you save, will it be worth it ? stop-n-go delivery is the #1 worse gas mileage job
a car can do, you will be lucky to save a dollars worth in a full tank doing all the above steps.

[NZ-FE Vios]

Originally Posted by A-Dingo-Ate-My-Baby

the info above is sound

1) remove all dead weight in the car
2) pump tires as hard as you can stand it
3) plan all routes like UPS, make right hand turns only as much as legally possible
4) coast on all downgrades, hills, and coming to a stop
5) accelerate slowly

still, the amount you save, will it be worth it ? stop-n-go delivery is the #1 worse gas mileage job
a car can do, you will be lucky to save a dollars worth in a full tank doing all the above steps.

Dependent on the grade you could save more than a buck on number four, while legality issues may occur in certain states. I get 28 when I'm just a bit more reserved.