Your HCH driving technique - Page 4 - GreenHybrid

xcel · #31 (**permalink**) 04-14-2004, 09:23 PM

Hi Guys:

___Here is how EPA estimates are obtained as shown in the EPA’s fuel economy FAQ:

Quote:

The fuel economy estimates are based on results of tests required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). These tests are used to certify that vehicles meet the Federal emissions and fuel economy standards. Manufacturers test pre-production prototypes of the new vehicle models and submit the test results to EPA. EPA re-tests about 10% of vehicle models to confirm manufacturer's results. The vehicles are driven by a professional driver under controlled laboratory conditions, on an instrument similar to a treadmill. These procedures ensure that each vehicle is tested under identical conditions; therefore, the results can be compared with confidence.

There are two different fuel economy estimates for each vehicle in the Fuel Economy Guide, one for city driving and one for highway driving. To generate these two estimates, separate tests are used to represent typical everyday driving in a city and in a rural setting. Two kinds of engine starts are used: the cold start, which is similar to starting a car in the morning after it has been parked all night; and the hot start, similar to restarting a vehicle after it has been warmed up, driven, and stopped for a short time.
The test used to determine the city fuel economy estimate simulates an 11-mile, stop-and-go trip with an average speed of 20 miles per hour (miles per hour). The trip takes 31 minutes and has 23 stops. About 18 percent of the time is spent idling, as in waiting at traffic lights or in rush hour traffic. The maximum speed is 56 miles per hour. The engine is initially started after being parked overnight. Vehicles are tested at 68 F to 86 F ambient temperature.

The test to determine the highway fuel economy estimate represents a mixture of "non-city" driving. Segments corresponding to different kinds of rural roads and interstate highways are included. The test simulates a 10-mile trip and averages 48 miles per hour. The maximum speed is 60 miles per hour. The test is run with the engine warmed up and has little idling time and no stops (except at the end of the test).

NOTE: To make the numbers in the Fuel Economy Guide more useful for consumers, EPA adjusts these laboratory test results to account for the difference between controlled laboratory conditions and actual driving on the road. The laboratory fuel economy results are adjusted downward to arrive at the estimates in the Fuel Economy Guide and on the labels seen on new cars, light trucks, and vans. The city estimate is lowered by 10% and the highway estimate by 22% from the laboratory test results. Experience has proven that these adjustments make the mileage estimates in the Fuel Economy Guide correspond more closely to the actual fuel economy realized by the average driver.

___As for oil, Mobil1 0W-20 Trisyn for our babies … It has one of the lowest kinematic viscosities of recommended oil at both 0 and 100 degrees C yet still offers better overall protection for the internals then regular 0W-20, 5W-20, or 5W-30. Neither 0W-20 nor 5W-20 are regular weight oils however

___Jason, here is a tip for you in regards to your circumference question … Go out and measure your Integrity’s radius or diameter at 35 #’s. Now press up your Integrity’s to 44, 47, 50 or however many #’s you plan on using. Measure your tires radius or diameter again. There isn’t a measurable difference …

___Tmrpro, the FCD’s display is at first captivating. After a while, it becomes educational. After that, it becomes simply a tool to an end. I haven’t advanced much beyond the tool stage but you will find that driving with load is best described by attempting to keep the FCD locked in on a particular mpg, not road speed. Traffic conditions always dictate your fuel conserving abilities and available techniques. Even in traffic however, you have some leeway and with that, you can beat the EPA estimates by a healthy margin in almost anything. It does take a bit of patience however because you won’t be beating the EPA estimates by traveling at 65 - 75 miles per hour tank over tank over tank more then likely … Might I add that you really have to be careful with the game gauges as they can be quite hazardous as well. Once it teaches you your own fuel conserving technique(s), you will find that you have to glance at it less and less …

___Good Luck

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net

sirlan · #32 (**permalink**) 04-15-2004, 05:47 AM

Well, I've had mine less than a week so I'm still working on my technique. For now, I'm trying to keep the IMA guage no higher than 5 bars during acceleration from a stop (can't hold up traffic too much). Not sure if that helps or not. I'm probably getting in the mid 30's but I'm only driving 7 miles each way to work so I don't think I've driven it long enough to get a good reading (still on my first tank). I'll try upping the tire pressure this weekend and take a long trip next week to see how things go.
I'm used to driving a big, 4x4 truck that got maybe 15 MPG in the city. It's a big change. As a side note, I've found that I don't get as stressed out while driving now.

anuckols · #33 (**permalink**) 04-15-2004, 11:10 PM

Hi,

New member here. Sorry I can't add any MPG driving techniques (yet), but I can say that my 2004 Civic Hybrid has about 800 miles on it with a lifetime average of 45.7 MPG. That average includes the test drives on the car before I bought it (about 80 miles) which averaged about 40MPG.

I drove the car from Washington DC to Long Branch NJ two weeks ago and got 56 MPG average for the 225 mile trip up without doing anything but setting the cruise control at 5MPH above the speed limit (between 60 and 70 miles per hour depending on the road).

By the time I returned, the average was down to around 50MPG but the drive home was with a 10-20MPH head/side wind.

Driving from Arlington, VA to Washington DC (a short commute with lots of stop and go traffic) I'm averaging about 45MPG without doing much but my normal driving technique which is not flooring the car up to the next traffic light like most people seem to do.

After reading the posts here, I checked my tires. They came from the dealer filled between 31-32 psi.

It seems to me that the gas mileage is a bit better if you accelerate quickly, using the IMA to get to the posted speed (when there's not a red light ahead), and then back off -- so you're seeing around 80MPG on flat and 120MPG plus if you're going down hill. Has anyone else noticed this?

Andrew

Hot_Georgia_2004 · #34 (**permalink**) 04-16-2004, 02:46 AM

Andrew those are great numbers right off the bat!

I've been working on an article about getting great MPG with help from our Insight friend, Wayne. (xcel)
I hope to get that finished soon.

The game gauge can be fun, but in my case after a while it also became a tool.
I always try to keep it above 82.
Sometimes I can maintain 100 or even 120MPG for several miles!

Welcome and don't be a stranger!
Steve

Hot_Georgia_2004 · #35 (**permalink**) 04-16-2004, 10:43 PM

This is a post regarding tmrpro's other questions in Mods & Maintenence.

Please let me ask one question: You mentioned that your average FCD always stays at 35.
Have you reset it?
Personally I reset trip meters "A" each time I begin a new drive and this becomes my game gauge. I use trip meters "B" as a tank average and reset only after filling.

If it has not ever been reset and your car has several hundred miles on it then the FCD will move like a slug stuck in frozen molasses and not hardly ever change!

One suggestion with your FCD is not to go right away for the stellar numbers,
I can hear your frustration.

As far as targeting a figure on the instant FCD, I'd go with 60 at first.
See how high you can rase each individual trips average by trying to keep the FCD on or near 60. You'll certainly raise the FCD higher going down hills, etc but try to settle back to 60.

When you and your new car get used to that then raise it to 80, get used to that then 70 etc.

I Hope to finish the driving tips soon.
Steve

bohous · #36 (**permalink**) 04-17-2004, 01:26 PM

I've read reports that the HCH mpg guage cheats by as much as +5mpg. Have any of you checked your mileage the old fashioned way to confirm that the reading you are getting are correct or are you assuming it's accurate?

Hot_Georgia_2004 · #37 (**permalink**) 04-17-2004, 02:49 PM

Yes it's very accurate, I check about every 3 tankfuls.
So far it is within about 1%.
I suppose they fixed the accuracy for the 2004.
Steve

tmrpro · #38 (**permalink**) 04-18-2004, 04:14 PM

Today, just driving around town, I was trying to make the FCD run as high as possible.

I used different methods and drove in different environments, with and without cruise control and this is what I experienced:

My HCH will not maintain over 40 MPG <period> unless I'm going down hill (at which point it goes all the way to the right immediately to "120") and my foot is off the pedal or in Cruise Control it seems to do the same thing.

Its pretty easy to make it maintain 20 MPG, but that has got to be messed up.

I'm going to take it in to the dealer tomorrow and have them look at it. It's like the electric motor is not working at all.

anuckols · #39 (**permalink**) 04-19-2004, 11:48 PM

I checked after my first tank. I went 525 miles on 10.2 gallons of gas with a reading of 50.7 MPG -- so mine's pretty accurate so far.....(HCH 2004).

Andrew

texashchman · #40 (**permalink**) 04-21-2004, 06:52 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by bohous@Apr 17th 2004 @ 4:26 PM
I've read reports that the HCH mpg guage cheats by as much as +5mpg. Have any of you checked your mileage the old fashioned way to confirm that the reading you are getting are correct or are you assuming it's accurate?

I check mine at the pump everytime and find the gauge is off by about 5 to 10% on most tanks. I did have one tank that was on the money.