+1 MPG experiment, fold in the side mirrors

Ripple · **Posted:** Wed May 20, 2009 11:17 pm

with all this hot weather i was having a particularly good tank of fuel, MPG wise, and for no particular reason i tried folding the side mirrors on my way home from work. While its not at all a decent sampling or representavie of any type of repeatable testing, the EVIC gave me +1mpg on my 33 mile @55mph trip home from work with 83F air. FYI, a marginal 1 MPG is about $85/year for my yearly milage and fuel cost.

i'm not saying folding in the side mirrors is legal, advisable or safe, but it could be an interesting experiment on strait empty roads. afterall, all they do is hang out there and push air out of the way.

CRD Joe · **Posted:** Wed May 20, 2009 11:43 pm

Funny you should mention that. I fold in my mirrors on my VW TDI Jetta all the time when Im on the freeway. I plan on doing the same thing when I pick up my CRD from Chad in Nashville come friday.

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Wed May 20, 2009 11:58 pm

You do know that is illegal right and can be pulled over and ticketed for it.

jdorris · **Posted:** Thu May 21, 2009 12:05 am

I bet cops are just dying to catch someone with their mirrors folded in. :roll:

Turbo Tim · **Posted:** Thu May 21, 2009 12:14 am

Maybe.
Here in Arizona only 1 rearview mirror is required, and that can be the one on the windshield. Side mirrors are optional unless you are towing.

nightdrv · **Posted:** Thu May 21, 2009 12:32 am

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I would bet that is true... but I wouldn't doubt that there is a sub-law to that; saying that if you HAVE mirrors, they HAVE to be useable (aka: unfolded).

I would check on it first..

geordi · **Posted:** Thu May 21, 2009 12:37 am

Tim is correct for Florida too, and I would wager for most other states as well. It's not about ONLY having them extended on the exterior, if you aren't towing and the windshield one isn't blocked... Then you are still legal. I've loaded my KJ a few times where I couldn't see the passenger exterior mirror at all, but I always try to keep the top one clear.

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Thu May 21, 2009 2:10 am

It's a federal law to have at least one outside rear facing mirror not including the the windshield mounted rearview mirror.It's also depends on the state if originally came with 2 outside mirrors they must be retained.

Not saying a cop will pull you over unless he is being a a$$hat or a bad day.I know back home(different topic) that driving with anymore then 4 forward facing and exposed white lights(2 fogs and 2 headlight allowed uncovered) it's a $20 fine per light over the 4.The cops will not even bother,they will wait till you have them on on a public road then nail you for the $600 per light fine.It depends on there mood.

JL Rockies · **Posted:** Thu May 21, 2009 2:50 am

I couldn't operate my vehicle safely without review mirrors. Bet you can't either.

Pablo · **Joined:** Thu Feb 02, 2006 10:06 pm **Posts:** 1201

If you get this hard up for mileage, then maybe you got the wrong vehicle? Perhaps a VW TDI would be more in order? How long before we have an "off road only mirror mod"? :lol:

ATXKJ · **Posted:** Thu May 21, 2009 5:57 am

over at Gassavers.org - they're trying race mirrors - or motorcycle mirrors.

http://www.racemirrors.com/

http://www.xdcycle.com/store/product.php?productid=1190

SkinInc69 · **Posted:** Thu May 21, 2009 6:47 am

jdorris wrote:

I bet cops are just dying to catch someone with their mirrors folded in. :roll:

The cops around here do look for dumb stuff like that. I got tickets for no mirrors on my old crotch rockets. And I have gotten numerous no mudflap tickets, rangeing in price from $57- $250 because it is a traffic violation. I even got a no mudflap ticket in the wifes old Saturn Ion. No brown stinkies.

warp2diesel · **Posted:** Thu May 21, 2009 7:22 am

SkinInc69 wrote:

jdorris wrote:

I bet cops are just dying to catch someone with their mirrors folded in. :roll:

The cops around here do look for dumb stuff like that. I got tickets for no mirrors on my old crotch rockets. And I have gotten numerous no mudflap tickets, rangeing in price from $57- $250 because it is a traffic violation. I even got a no mudflap ticket in the wifes old Saturn Ion. No brown stinkies.

....Under wear under a white dress. And yes some Cop would arrest her if they caught her, but most aren't that stupid.
But all joking aside, the Cop may have the sense to let the bride go but OSHA will go for it and fine the Employer $7000 for a Safety Violation for not wearing steel toe boots and a hard hat.

Boiler · **Posted:** Thu May 21, 2009 9:05 am

I wouldn't consider folding in my mirrors, they have a purpose and increase safety. I folded one in the other day because I was working next to the Jeep and kept cramming it into my back. When I left for work I noticed it still in while pulling onto the highway. During that 20 minute trip I must have looked into it and its reflection of my glove box about 20 times out of habit. Forget about backing up without side mirrors....

Do you guys really not use your side mirrors? That would drive me nuts.

I do like the racing mirrors concept, and the one with the bubble over the mirror surface would decrease drag a bit too, I like it.

loric · **Joined:** Tue Jun 03, 2008 10:17 pm **Posts:** 44

Serious?!

Folding in mirrors/racing mirrors to save fuel on a lifted, armoured 4x4 with mud tires likely!!!
That's a bit silly!
LOL.

Prob better off checking tire pressures i reckon.

nescosmo · **Joined:** Sat Jul 14, 2007 11:17 pm **Posts:** 202

Here in Florida one day was stop for a blown back light I had a ford van and the cop gave me a ticket for my back mirror been off (heat unglue the mirror) I told him that I had the big side mirror and that I could not use the back mirror even if I want it to. He pull a friking book as thick as a yellow pages and found the damm law and showed to me. went in front of the judge and the stupid one said that I had to pay it.

chadhargis · **Posted:** Fri May 22, 2009 2:54 pm

I'm in the opposing camp.

I'd gladly pay a few more dollars a year for the safety of mirrors.

Fuel economy "hypermiling" is fun and all (if you have the patience for it, but time is money), but I've read some of the things people do to achieve high mileage such as folding (or in some cases removing) mirros, removing radio antennas, taping up body seams and gaps, avoiding using the brakes, over inflating tires (which wears them out faster....gotta factor in replacement cost here), etc.

At some point, you reach a law of diminishing return. Sure, you'll get good mileage, at the risk of a serious crash or a miserable trip that takes forever doing 50mph in the slow lane.

I freely admit, I'm a lead foot. Not as much as I used to be, but I am typically pushing up to around 80mph on the interstate. I'm really happy that I got 25.5mpg in my Grand Cherokee CRD on a trip I took this week, and that included some stop and go driving and short trips. 515 miles on the tank. Nashville to Atlanta and back on one fill up. My Liberty would have turned in 28mpg at least, but doing the math, 3mpg difference really isn't a bunch of money, especially when I'm getting reimbursed by the company at .55 cents per mile.

mackruss · **Posted:** Fri May 22, 2009 5:47 pm

How do you sleep at night knowing that you're ripping off the company you're working for at .55 cents per mile..

warp2diesel · **Posted:** Fri May 22, 2009 6:06 pm

mackruss wrote:

How do you sleep at night knowing that you're ripping off the company you're working for at .55 cents per mile..

Even the IRS admits that is what it costs to drive a car in the US.
Last time I checked the IRS were such stingy tight @$$e$ that they could turn a chunk of coal used as a suppository into a diamond in a matter of seconds.
Lets get real, $.55 a mile (1.6Km) is no rip off, it is an almost break even when you factor in all the costs.

honey_don't · **Posted:** Fri May 22, 2009 6:12 pm

mackruss wrote:

How do you sleep at night knowing that you're ripping off the company you're working for at .55 cents per mile..

Many companies follow the per diem rate set by the govt. Thats the way it is.
http://www.gsa.gov/Portal/gsa/ep/conten ... entId=9646

+1 MPG experiment, fold in the side mirrors

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