Question on economy shifting

[Joe K. 99 Zeee!!]

The owners' manual lists the following shift speeds for best fuel economy:
2-15 mph 3-25mph 4-40mph 5-45mph 6-50mph

It seems they want you to cruise in 3rd up to 40mph for best milage. Traveling above 35mph in 3rd gear I'm turning over 2000 rpm's. For all other gears you end up cruising between 1500-1900 rpms. Is 4th at 40mph a typo? I'm thinking it should be 35mph or so...

When I first got my manual I was shifting at around 1500 rpm. Seems that was way too early.

[Joe K. 99 Zeee!!]

More confusion...

Skip shift, which I have disabled, recommends shifting at these speeds (when accelerating I assume):
1st-4th 15mph
4th-5th 25mph (30mph when accel. to hwy speeds)
5th-6th 49mph (45mph when accel to hwy speeds)

So when accelrating you shift at a MUCH lower RPM.

[Sean 94z28]

I would have to check the MPH, my economy shifting is always 1-3-5.

Probably at about 15 and 35.

[DJ Taso]

This might help you,

http://www.f-body.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11615

[Joe 1320]

I do the 1-3-5 shift as well.

[MN6WS6]

I don't know how anybody could drive around in 6th at those low speeds. I don't shift into 5th until 55, and usually don't go into 6th at all unless I'm on the interstate. There's no way you can drive around in 6th at 49 MPH, no way.

[Rhode Island Red]

The lowest I can go in 6th is ~43 mph.

I find that trying to economy shift as stated in the manual, to increase gase milage comes at a sacrifice of safety. If you drive a busy route, from a light, shifting from 1st to 4th, takes all the oomph out of the car. I have found many a situations where low-rpm's gas-saving driving, to avoid lousy drivers, and possible accidents that being in those low of rpms has been dentrimental to my safety. I know, just shift to a numerically lower gear for more passing torque, but when you see a person in the lane next to you merging where you are at, my first reaction is too stomp the gas, but the oomph wasn't there leaving me trapped (had no place to go). The driver reacts at the last second avoiding me like where I came from. Best Advice, practice economy shifting in sparser traffic conditions. I'd like a GM driver try and get the advertised mpg on I-95 !

For gas saving, I usually follow the shift at 2000 rpm's rule. Typical driving I shift at 2500-3000 rpm's. I rarely skip a gear. Dad always taught me skipping gears = bad , but maybe that isn't so with these modern tranny's

another thing I noted when I got my best mpg (30 mpg on deserted I-66 outside D.C.) was that minimizing passing cars and minimizing varying my mph & rpm's I got the my all time best mpg (road was empty from DC to the north entrance of skyline - an improbabilty in the North East)

so instead of passing, for mpg sake, be the slow guy, in the slow lane, with the crusie-control set, with low rpms in 5th or 6th