Lakedude that was an excellent summary.
Lots of info clearly stated using few words.

Question
Does stay off the pack mean try to not use the battery pack or stay away from traffic congestion (packs of cars)?

Excellent tank BTW.
Have you considered getting an 06 before your 03 looses too much value?
I think you will get the same or better MPG even thought it is CVT only.

 

Goldilocks lives in both steady-state cruising and acceleration. Next to Murphy and the gremlin/bug/ghost, she is the 3rd part of the engineering triumvirate.

Engines want to have some load on them. They run inefficiently at idle, and at full load. An efficiency vs load plot is sort of a skewed upside down parabola. The maximum efficiency (most energy/power out per unit energy used, or similar metric) occurs somewheres around the middle- the optimum load point.

Acceleration is really a game of adding load to move faster. You can't use a fuel vs speed chart, since speed is always changing. So look at load. The best point is to get to that most efficient state, and stay there until you've reached the speed you need. That point is in the middle somewhere- not too low, not to high.

Then you are at steady state, and the curve to have in mind becomes fuel efficiency vs speed.

This would all be much easier if vehicles came with a set of consumption curves, like aircraft and boats.

 

Don't.

The HCH II shuts of the valves and consumes zero gas when you take your foot off the gas pedal. The advantage of FAS in comparison is somewhere between insignificant and zero.

Why risk a mistake that will ruin your transmission?

 

I agree. I wondered if the newer technology had basically eliminated the FAS advantage.

I did do a FAS at a light today. For some mysterious reason AS did not kick in, and I knew I was going to be at that light for some time. I just went key off and then back on with my foot on the brake. When the light changed, I took my foot of the brake and the car restarted just like a "regular" AS. It worked for that purpose, anyway!

 

Thanks, I meant to say to stay off the battery pack but it is also a good idea to keep some space in front of you both for hypermileing and for safety.

Thanks again, my 2005 is a MT, I don't really care for Honda's Belt and Pulley CVT so a new HCH is not likely in my future.

 

Are you sure about this? I know that under many conditions that the HCHII will shut down all cylinders and consume zero gas. However, if the car is not moving, your foot is off of the gas pedal and on the brake, and the car doesn't go into AS mode, I believe the car is consuming gas. Isn't it combustion in at least one cylinder that is making the RPMs that you see on the tach?

BTW, I agree with you about the FAS not being worth the risk.

 

I assumed that the question was about FAS while moving. If the car is stopped and the engine doesn't go into AS then, as you said, you're consuming gas. I'm sure it's more than one cylinder, probably all four, that are firing in that situation.

I don't see anything wrong with FAS while stopped at a light, for example, if the engine didn't AS for some reason. Personally, I don't do it because it's usually not worth the trouble.

 

Kite, Ana-dude and Elan

I see you all have fancy new gen 2 HCHs. I agree that FASing is perhaps not a great idea for belt and pulley CVT based hybrids such as yours. I disagree that FASing has "insignificant and zero" affect, especially for cars like mine (gen 1 MT). Anyway I submit that it is the difference in our viewpoint is entirely due to the difference in our cars. If I had a gen 2 I'd think just like you all.

 

Right. My comment about "insignificant to zero" was about the HCH II, because the original question was about FAS in a HCH II.

 

Hi Richard;

You have made some very interesting comments on (Your-Post) above. As I have read in other Post and other Forums with similar Post that have said almost the exact same comments (You) have made in your Post. Hey, don't Burn-Up or Freeze and drive the Hybrid like Honda designed it to be driven. In other words enjoy the Hybrid and at the same time we all can use just a little common sense and not drive like maniacs. If we use a slower take off and drive smooth our Hybrids will get (IMO) great mileage and (We) can still enjoy the Hybrid as a very nice vehicle.

For those that want to go beyond that to achieve even "Greater-FE" I say that is their decision also. No one being more right than the other. Just a personal choice as to how one wants to drive their Hybrid and enjoy it in their own way.

One drives it in a more normal every day driving style with the A/C as needed and the Heater as needed and that driver gets "Good FE" and the other driver chooses to drive for (Advanced FE) and is enjoying his/her Hybrid for the Increased Fe that they are getting.

Everyone is a {WINNER} in their own way (IMHO).

Terry