Today, I got my Son to do a short video with me driving that some of you wanted me to do. This was from a cold start and it takes you through my normal route from Jupiter to downtown WPB where I pick-up and drop-off work at the PB County Courthouse. The plan was to drive with my Son 10 - 15 minutes filming to put on Youtube and drop him Off with a friend along the way to get back home. I had many stops to make today and I didn't want to waste his day. We ran into high winds and rain and it was too dark in the '09 FEH to see the SGIIs but I thought I would post it raw and unedited to get feedback. Look at the video if you want and tell me what you would like to see and if you want me to continue doing videos of the techniques I use everyday on my commute.

My SGII is set with a Tank Off-Set of 13 and the engine size is now set at 3.5L instead of 2.5L. The SGII now seems to be set to give me the exact MPG with the gallons I pump into the tank at fill-up. Note that my lifetime mileage and my trip OD match with my last Mileage Log entry. This tank should give me a 52.2 LMPG average with 160.5% of combined City/Highway EPA of 32.5mpg for the '09 FWD FEH.

Youtube has a time limit of the video you can view at a time so I'll post as much of what Kyle filmed today before I let him Off. There will be Part 1 and Part 2 of Hypermiling The FEH because there is a little over 16 minutes of video.

http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showt...745#post273745

 

Thanks for taking the time to record and post these, Gary. I found them informative and it's good to see that what I've read and put into practice (as far as P&G and other methods go) seem to match what you are physically doing.

I just wish more of my trips were as plan-able as yours. Wouldn't hurt if I were the only driver, too.

 

Gary:

Enjoyed the video clips. I see I've got a lot more to learn to get up to your level on technique. The information was informative, nonetheless. Did have a couple of questions:
1- does having two SGII modules make a significant difference overall, particularly since you have the full display unit for the radio and system monitor? I was considering buying on of the full units from eBay, but am not sure if it's a Plug & Play or if I would ahve to add other components, making it more expensive.
2- if having 2 SGII modules helps, what's involved in syncing them on the FEH?

Again, thanks for the work in putting this together.

Bob

 

Why do you remove your shoe?

 

Chris, living near the coastline has its advantages but I'm all over the place on a daily basis. I've lived in the North County area 42 years and know those road choices well but I drive in areas 60 miles away north and south and sometimes west which I hate because that's mostly country highway. The work at the WPB Courthouse trying to find a parking space sometimes causes me to circle traffic lights again and again. I do private work also and go everywhere to drop off and pick-up work and leave at a minutes notice. I just apply the techniques I can when I can.

I only let my Son drive my '09 FEH when I'm in the car giving him instructions. I gave up on my wife in the '09 and she doesn't even have a key and doesn't ask for one. I have two other cars, the '05 FEH and the '02 EB Explorer if they need a car. I was going to trade one of them on a FFH but I now don't like the electric A/C compressor without a Li Ion plug-in. I'm seriously thinking about a 2011 V6 6 speed auto gas Escape to pull my boat but I want the Eco-Boost engine and it's not available yet.

Bob, the hybrid nav sys sucks but I love everything on it but that. The nav SoC sucks and you can see from the video how far OFF the tank MPG average is. Ford has got to clean-up their act on that system. I filled-up today and again the nav was OFF by 4mpg. The only thing that it's good for is to compare it with my SGIIs. You can see I keep the SGIIs right in my line of sight and they are a big reason I get the MPG that I do. These are simple plug-in gauges and can be set-up and installed in minutes. I presently have 4 SGIIs and don't leave home with at least one in any car I drive. If you need help setting up a SGII post your questions here. The SGII is not perfect, but for the price you can't beat one or two.

GaryG

 

All the top hpermilers remove their shoe to get a much better feel and control of the accelerator for saving gas. When I do a pulse I'm looking at the instant MPG on the SGII. During the video I was calling out that I was accelerating at ~13mpg and the only way I can control that is without my shoe On. With regenerative braking, I can control the brake pedal so I get the most charge without using the brake pads. Here again, look at the video as I was calling out the SoC increase going down that drawbridge to a stop. I was watching the swing of the charge gauge as well as the SGII SoC gauge. I was letting Off the brake for seconds to pick-up more speed for more regen down that bridge.

These are good questions and bring out things in that video that some may miss.

GaryG

 

The scanguage units are "daisy-chained" when two or more are used. There are two places on the scanguage you can connect the cables. I have three connected to my vehicle.

 

Must not be any top hypermilers in the Northern states where removing a shoe would be rather dumb in the middle of the winter.

 

I picked up the trick from the best hypermiler in the World Wayne Gerdes who lives in Northern Illinois. Go figure?

GaryG

 

If he has a ounce of smarts, he doesn't do this during the winter. Snow and slush on a floor mat along with only a sock covered foot would be insane!