Last night was I was running errands and the car was doing something odd. Understand it was not a bad odd, but a very good odd. It seemed that the car was being very efficient. It seems like every time I looked at the FCD it was in the 80 and up range. Having had the car less than 3 weeks I had not seen this before, but I did like seeing it. Does anyone have any ideas as to what might have been happening so that I can do this more often?

Billy

My HCH will maintain about 80MPG going on flat level ground, no wind, no ac etc and traveling about 53MPH.

I'm not sure of the environment you were driving in or if this is a round trip figure but some ideas:

1. Driving around 53MPH on flat level ground no ac etc
2. Going on a slight decline on a one way trip
On some parts of my trip I can sustain 80-120(max) MPG over several miles for a slight decline. (Payback is the hills at the end)
3. Strong tailwind

Perhaps some other members have any other ideas?

Right after a fillup last week, I had a stretch of 2.6 miles on a road I "thought" was FLAT.
But it must have been on a slight decline, because I hit 87.8 MPG on the digital display. I took a picture of the display to prove it....but do not know how to post a pic on this board if it's not an url....so you'll just have to trust me !!!
Laterz........

Thanks everyone for the replies. I guess I may have mentioned the wrong display. I meant that the bar graph was showing 80 and up not the display for the MPG over the trip. Sorry for the confusion.

Billy

Thanks Billy.
I thought it was the instant bar graph.
Sounds like you are on your way to getting good results.

You will notice that "real-time mileage bar" go all over the place. When you are coasting, it should peg at 120+. When you are starting from a stop, it will hover around 20 mpg.

I have noticed in my manual tranny 2004 HCH that when I use the cruise control, the mileage bar consistently stays UP HIGHER than when I just use my foot to control speed.

I think this proves that on this particular car, the computer does a much better job on flat roads at controlling speed and charging the battery than using your foot.

Could you other drivers test that and see if you get similar results, meaning on the same stretch of road, use the cruise and use the foot and compare the mileage bar? I have seen posts on this board and others that seem to indicate that using the cruise is LESS EFFECTIVE at achieving high MPG numbers - but if that is so, I think that may be true ONLY on the CVT trannies, not the manual tranny.

Thanks Gents.....

lars,
I think its true for hills, not flats.
Cheers,
Steven

you mean the cruise works better on flats? True, because the cruise on hills works harder at maintaining a speed and uses more gas to keep you on same speed up hills...I'm in Phoenix - it's all flats - or mostly all flats..... :D

lars,
Yah, thats what a meant, sry for not being more clear. Cruise for flats, load for hills.
Cheers,
Steven