A curious question on - boost

[Kraziken]

So I was just randomly watching my boost gauge for a while. I notice that most of the time the turbo is just spooling, not really adding any power when just commuting around.

When I was going up a hill. I decided to upshift into a higher gear. Maintaining the same speed, but revving a lot lower I maintained speed, and I noticed that the turbo was spooling and providing the same power, with less engine revs.

Am I saving gas using this technique? Or is it just a wash? I imagine more air from the turbo, creates a bigger explosion, causing more power, but as more turbo boost is applied, I figure the ECU would also be feeding more gas to push more power.

Just a random silly question, as I'm bored out of my skull at the moment. :grin:

[StatGSR]

your creating more boost because you are puting a bigger load on the motor. and yea because your building boost, your using more fuel. gas consumpton is based more on engine load, than rpm.

[Wiscon_Mark]

However, at a higher RPM, the injectors are firing more rapidly. It's a balance.

A guy with an STi did an in depth analysis of how to get the best fuel economy. Usually keeping the revs between 2500 and 3500 with mild throttle (but moderate acceleration) netted him the best milage, which could be as much as 22/28 (what my Legacy is rated for!).