Since I just got my Vue a couple weeks ago, is there any way for me visually see if this "harness" thing was installed? My vue seems to charge and assist seamlessly and the auto-stop, and restart feels very smooth, only rarely do I feel any type of vehicle shudder from it.

But if I knew what to look for, I'd like to verify whether or not mine got this service performed prior.

 

So when I went in they told me that the service had already been done. I asked for the paperwork on the service and they provided paperwork that showed the task as 'closed' - which they say means the work had been completed.

So I'm at a loss here. I'm not getting anything close to the posted updated EPA mileage numbers (~23-24MPG) and I'm driving this thing like a granny! How is it you guys get ~30MPG??

 

That is an excellent question. If you have read my previous posts I have offered tips, tricks and documentation on my mpgs. Here is my analytical answer from my nearly 40,000 miles of driving the Saturn Vue Hybrid.

The temperatures in Maryland do not get as cold as Canada. I have found that as soon as the temps got above 55 degrees F - I was able to get 2 mpg better without a change in driving style. I average 32.6mpg from March 1 - October 31 and 30.7mpg from November 1 - February 28.

I also have a good setup to my commute. My Hybrid is garaged so it starts out warmer than if it was on the street. Probably adds about .5 to 1 mpg.

My commute route itself seems to be ideal for maximizing mpgs. I have 5 miles of stop and go at 30-40 miles per hour. Then I am on the highway at 65mph for about 30 miles and then have 5 miles of stop and go (depends upon traffic) followed but 3 miles of lights. Reverse the commute and it is almost the same. However, on the return trip I finish with 8 miles of rolling hills. I take the back roads which are more scenic to home. If you have shorter trips and the Hybrid does not warm up - you are probably losing at least 3-4 mpgs.

Being a granny is good but my driving style is to get charge/assist gauge to move. My goal is to coast and have it charge or put my foot on the gas and have it assist. I routinely get the assist to kick in with the green Eco light on while going up hill at 55mph and increasing my overall speed. (Try doing all three next time the conditions allow.) The key is to find the sweet spot on the gas pedal. It has become second nature to me. By the way, I also drive the speed limit or 5 miles per hour faster. Getting good mpgs does not mean you have to drive slow. My style easily gives me a 2-3 mpg advantage over a regular driver.

My Lifetime 31.839mpg – less 2 mpg for colder weather – less 1 mpg for no garage – less 3.5 mpgs for short commutes – less 2.5 mpgs for a different driving style = 22.839 mpg or about what the typical driver Saturn Hybrid owner is getting.

I also do not use the heater and/or a/c fans passed the first level under normal driving conditions. However, if I need to defrost the windows or make the wife comfortable in the passengers seat - I will put it as high as needed. Good MPGS are not worth saftey sacrifices or the wife being mad at you.

Granted some Saturn Vue Hybrids seem worse than others. However, by anaylzing these factors mention above you should be able predict your mpgs. I have said this before, I am very confident that I could get most of the Saturn Vue Hybrids to average above 30mpgs if I drove them for a week with my commute.

Anybody want to give it a try?

 

It's been about 10c temperature here. I've just tried to do the ECO light + either charging or discharging the battery while driving and I got slightly better than my average mileage. Not really significantly different.

I'm also garaged.

I have a 45-50 minute commute with 5-10 minutes on highway, and the remainder in City with a hill. Uphill to work, downhill back home.

This is what I tried on this last tank, and I've only seen a minor improvement in mileage.



So by your calculations I should be getting 31.84 - 2 - 2.5 = 27.34, but I'm only getting 24. And that -2.5 assumes I have a significantly worse driving style.

I don't use AC, and I rarely need to use the heater.

The only significant difference I think we'll find is that it's a little cooler here (10c on average right now, but warming up), and perhaps because I have a hill to go up on the way to work... but I'd expect to make up for that on the way back from work!

 

Glad to see you used my guide.

I have gotten some of my worst mpg's going over the hills and mountains of western Maryland and West Virginia. It could be possible that the hills are eating at your mpgs. My commute has a few hills but is over all is mainly flat.

What are you highway speeds? Anything over 70 miles per hour is going to really cut into mpgs as well.

With warmer temps you should do better. I will keep an eye out for your numbers as the Spring turns to Summer

Best wishes.

 

My hill is a pretty gentle slope near the end of my commute to work. I've been hoping that the time I spend climbing the hill I'll get some fuel savings on the way home since it's downhill and I spend most of my time coasting on the way back home in the evening.

My highway stretch is about 4 miles and I'd usually run about 60-65mph maxium on that stretch.

I'll see how well it does now that it's getting warmer. Thanks for the tips.

 

Re: Who's had the harness installed?

For me, cold weather seems to be the biggest factor for mpg. Since my typical drives are 30 min or less, the cold hybrid engine doesn't do anything for mpg for a large portion of every trip. Typical mpgs in winter are mid+ 20s, and high 20s for extended drives.

With warmer weather, my mpg goes up a lot. I get regenerative braking, motor assist and autostops within a couple of minutes. My mpg is high 20s to low 30s, and occasionally mid 30s for extended drives.


Driving technique probably plays some role. I stay smooth and steady on the gas pedal once up to speed, and keep the eco light on. The manual says 45 mph is best, not that I have much control over the traffic around me. Other postings describe the best acceleration to be smooth moderate, not granny. When slowing down, I coast to lights if traffic allows to collect max braking energy. I think this makes more hybrid energy available to do light battery assist during cruising to save engine gas use.

When using AC, I switch to recirculation with the green AC light with the right vent position **** set to the first two positions. The manual (page 156) says the AC is used if the right **** is in the floor mode as well as the defog mode. In defrost, the engine autostop is disabled. Somehow, the recirculation is mixed up in all this. I have just spent more time reading the manual than when I first bought the car.