Since my wife left me with a 34.3 mpg tank with over 300 miles this morning, and I’ve had a tough time getting much over 33 mpg for my morning commute, I didn’t want to be the tank drag downer today.

After the car was warmed up, the ECO light on, and I was past the long, gradual incline that sucks about 2 mpg off tank average, I zeroed Trip B and watched ECO and the mpg carefully. The effects of “driving to load” were apparent, and the feedback was useful; Trip B showed 37.3 for 30 miles (got lucky and got all greens on the 4 lights coming into work).

I had an added 60 mile trip late in the day before the commute back home, and did the same thing. I waited until I was out of city traffic, the engine warm, and on a downhill in a 45 miles per hour zone, and zeroed Trip B again and watched it and ECO closely for the next 58 miles.

I was startled at first to see Trip B show 55 mpg going downhill; it didn’t go away as fast as I expected, but it dropped steadily over rolling hills with some half mile gradual ups and downs, then slowed and stayed for a surprisingly long time–10 miles or so– at 42 mpg. After a long hill, it was down to 40, and I fully expected reality to set in and see it head on down to 34 or even 32 given the hills. But I kept watching Trip B and ECO and kept driving to load, and it never went below 40. Half the trip was in rain on two lane, and the traffic was running 55-60 miles per hour; three small towns with 30-45 miles per hour speed limits through them, no stops, and one 5 mile construction area at 45 miles per hour helped, I’m sure. The bottom line: Trip B showed 41.1 after 58 miles.

Just got home about an hour ago with 75 miles on a new tank with half hour in steady rain and 15 miles of rough pavement, 50-65 miles per hour most of the way; Trip computer shows 37.3 mpg.

None of this Trip B data is a tank, I know, and there was no stop and go, but the routes were not cake runs either. I just emailed someone this week that I was pleased to see some 34 mpg tanks, but that I didn’t see the car doing much better than that on the routes I drive most often.

Other than using Trip B for feedback, to account for the 37 and 41 mpg runs there are two other variables I’m aware of :
(1) the car just passed 5000 miles, and maybe we are getting break in benefits
(2) I had a check engine light serviced 6 days ago, and the Honda tech “rebooted” and “reset” (his terms) the engine control module

Whatever the cause, I’ll take the mileage, and I think I’ll keep playing with Trip B for awhile.
Lewis