hey everybody

i tried searching for this in the hch forums but couldn't find anything on it. it's been raining quite heavily recently here and i've seen my mpgs drop from 50 to 45. just wondering if you have any tips for me about how to maintain mpg even when it is raining..

now i just try to maintain 50-55 mph on the freeway, no special techniques.

I heard it was raining pretty bad up there. Dude, for safety's sake, I'd make FE a lower priority in weather like that, and drive the safest way possible without regard to FE. In many cases, that will coincide with FE techniques anyway. But, where it doesn't -- err on the side of getting there in one piece, ok?

Good luck,

Don

Here in the Bay area, the storm systems and the rains that come with them usually also mean a 180-degree flip in the wind direction (from the prevailing NW to a stronger and gustier SE) which has a big impact on FE even when the rain is not actually falling. Driving into the wind on my commute last night netted me only 45 MPG (where I normally see 50) and with the wind on my tail this morning, I got 59 over the same course (a record for my commute)!

So, I don't think there's really anything you can do differently to avoid the FE hit, and I agree with dshelman, safety first.

ok thanks guys

NASA, looks like you'll be joining the thinly populated HCH-II hypermiler ranks in a few more tanks. Way to be.

Sorry, it's just going to drop. Water creates more resistance your car has to overcome. It's just another factor like cold, a headwind, etc. I suppose some tires may do better than others, but in general it's just a thing you live with. No amount of technique will help.

*** Retired after 65,000 outstanding miles ***

Ditto what Tim says - nothing you can do about it except live with it. Rain Kills MPG.

Unfortunately, many of the gains to the current tank average that I got this morning were offset by driving in holiday shopping traffic on saturday Next time we go shopping, we'll take my wife's car

I'm looking forward to the summer months to see what the HCH-II can really do!

Yep rain kills!! I usually get great milage but the last couple of tanks have been down, rain and cold...well cold for here in the 40's and 50's. Had a front come thru the other night and on my way home from work at 6:00am it was like 35f and a head wind could barely get 45 mpg on the way home, man that sucked!!kevin

2004 silverblue 5 sp.

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