Poor Gas Mileage
#31
10-19-2007, 07:31 PM
Re: Poor Gas Mileage
Arbittan
I have owned a 2007 HCH for 5 months now. I purchased my back in May 2007. When I first started out, I was driving as normal and not getting the high MPG's. I was going 75+ miles per hour with blaring A/C.
After 2 weeks of owning the car, I got an IMA warning light, Check Engine light, and Check Battery Light (see other post about this condition, it is the 3 warning lights of DOOM). Anyways, checking on this forum, I learned that a defective module(s) needing to be replaced. The guys here had similar problems and thanks to them I told the dealship what was wrong. So I had to take my car in to get this fixed (and by the way my dealship did loan me a Honda Accord for free and paid for all my gas).
I found this forum very interesting and while reading things on this fourm, I learn to slow down a bit and now drive 60-65 miles per hour on the highway to work (which is a 40 mile commute), coast when and where I can in the city, accelerate slowly from a stop, and inflated my tires to 36 psi. I do not draft or anything crazy like that and drive with the A/C now at 78 deg F (which my car pool complains about).
Since changing my habits, I can get an overall 48-50 MPG which I am completlely satisfied with. When I do drive my old ways though at 75+miles per hour, I still get 39-41 MPG.
Tomorrow though, I am getting my first oil change and tires rotated. So I will see if I can still maintain my MPG. I will ask though after the rotation to check the tire pressure and fill to 38 psi.
For me this forum and the people on it have been great. I do not consider them to be extremists. Just a bit vocal on how they get their MPG. In my opinion as well, I feel that if everyone hybrid/non-hybrid drivers changed their driving habits things would be better for everyone.
I have owned a 2007 HCH for 5 months now. I purchased my back in May 2007. When I first started out, I was driving as normal and not getting the high MPG's. I was going 75+ miles per hour with blaring A/C.
After 2 weeks of owning the car, I got an IMA warning light, Check Engine light, and Check Battery Light (see other post about this condition, it is the 3 warning lights of DOOM). Anyways, checking on this forum, I learned that a defective module(s) needing to be replaced. The guys here had similar problems and thanks to them I told the dealship what was wrong. So I had to take my car in to get this fixed (and by the way my dealship did loan me a Honda Accord for free and paid for all my gas).
I found this forum very interesting and while reading things on this fourm, I learn to slow down a bit and now drive 60-65 miles per hour on the highway to work (which is a 40 mile commute), coast when and where I can in the city, accelerate slowly from a stop, and inflated my tires to 36 psi. I do not draft or anything crazy like that and drive with the A/C now at 78 deg F (which my car pool complains about).
Since changing my habits, I can get an overall 48-50 MPG which I am completlely satisfied with. When I do drive my old ways though at 75+miles per hour, I still get 39-41 MPG.
Tomorrow though, I am getting my first oil change and tires rotated. So I will see if I can still maintain my MPG. I will ask though after the rotation to check the tire pressure and fill to 38 psi.
For me this forum and the people on it have been great. I do not consider them to be extremists. Just a bit vocal on how they get their MPG. In my opinion as well, I feel that if everyone hybrid/non-hybrid drivers changed their driving habits things would be better for everyone.
I will find out next week if my mpg goes up. The tires will be filled to the oem rating. I will (not related to the mpg) change the head lights to the Sylvania silver light series bulb. I also have been checking out Harmony series of Michelin tires to quiet my ride more. All my Acuras had Michelin and my older 1994 Civic had them too (Michelin brand, not Harmony per say)
#32
10-19-2007, 07:56 PM
Re: Poor Gas Mileage
I had very low pressure (26 lbs) in my tires till last week. The car now has just over 3k miles on it and in the past week alone my avg. has went from 42 to 46 mpg and I don't drive it like most. I am doing 75+ in the commuter lane every chance I get.
I will not lie, in the beginning I drove it slower to maximize my gas savings. Then one night while laying in bed, I realized I bought the car for the sole purpose to travel in the commuter lane by myself. I am getting close to 47 mpg driving the opposite of everone here and I am happy with that. Can I get better? Is it worth it? NOPE!
If Phoenix takes away the HOV lane for Hybrid users (driving solo) I will ditch this car like a bad habbit. Yes, the HOV lane is worth it. For anyone here that knows the Valley can tell you the US60 sucks *****.
I will not lie, in the beginning I drove it slower to maximize my gas savings. Then one night while laying in bed, I realized I bought the car for the sole purpose to travel in the commuter lane by myself. I am getting close to 47 mpg driving the opposite of everone here and I am happy with that. Can I get better? Is it worth it? NOPE!
If Phoenix takes away the HOV lane for Hybrid users (driving solo) I will ditch this car like a bad habbit. Yes, the HOV lane is worth it. For anyone here that knows the Valley can tell you the US60 sucks *****.
#33
10-20-2007, 04:52 AM
Re: Poor Gas Mileage
John - congrats on getting a pass to the fast lane.
You should vote your speed on freeway here :
https://www.greenhybrid.com/discuss/...highway-15701/
You are not driving opposite of everyone here - many drive faster than normal. In fact, your 46-47mpg is about typical for the HCH2 mileage logs. If you do want better mileage, certainly slowing down does help:
https://www.greenhybrid.com/discuss/...c-vs-fe-14566/
You should vote your speed on freeway here :
https://www.greenhybrid.com/discuss/...highway-15701/
You are not driving opposite of everyone here - many drive faster than normal. In fact, your 46-47mpg is about typical for the HCH2 mileage logs. If you do want better mileage, certainly slowing down does help:
https://www.greenhybrid.com/discuss/...c-vs-fe-14566/
#34
10-20-2007, 09:17 AM
Re: Poor Gas Mileage
I had very low pressure (26 lbs) in my tires till last week. The car now has just over 3k miles on it and in the past week alone my avg. has went from 42 to 46 mpg and I don't drive it like most. I am doing 75+ in the commuter lane every chance I get.
I will not lie, in the beginning I drove it slower to maximize my gas savings. Then one night while laying in bed, I realized I bought the car for the sole purpose to travel in the commuter lane by myself. I am getting close to 47 mpg driving the opposite of everone here and I am happy with that. Can I get better? Is it worth it? NOPE!
If Phoenix takes away the HOV lane for Hybrid users (driving solo) I will ditch this car like a bad habbit. Yes, the HOV lane is worth it. For anyone here that knows the Valley can tell you the US60 sucks *****.
I will not lie, in the beginning I drove it slower to maximize my gas savings. Then one night while laying in bed, I realized I bought the car for the sole purpose to travel in the commuter lane by myself. I am getting close to 47 mpg driving the opposite of everone here and I am happy with that. Can I get better? Is it worth it? NOPE!
If Phoenix takes away the HOV lane for Hybrid users (driving solo) I will ditch this car like a bad habbit. Yes, the HOV lane is worth it. For anyone here that knows the Valley can tell you the US60 sucks *****.
I goo live in Valley of the Sun and drive the US60 every morning. I get to the HOV lane at about 6:00am and it is usually a nice ride all the way to work in Phoenix (I get off at 32nd and University). If they do take away the carpool lave I too would get purchase another car. I get the exact same mpg you do, so I must say other are having issues if they can't get the same...that is here in the Phoenix area.
#35
10-20-2007, 06:49 PM
Re: Poor Gas Mileage
Kenkobra, I get on at Superstition Springs and get off at 24th (next to the airport) and it's a 25 mile commute each way. The traffic at 0700 is ok till you get to Gilbert Rd and then the HOV lane is moving right along while the traffic might be going 30 mph. At McClintock, it's stop and go to the 10 and the HOV lane is still moving right along. I would like to try and see what mileage I could achieve but I really don't have a reason to. I am happy and content with the gas mileage I'm getting for the way I drive it.
#36
10-23-2007, 07:25 PM
Re: Poor Gas Mileage
Okay, the mileage is now at 38-39 range. I am okay with that.
I had my car at the dealer today to do some minor warranty work/checks. I was not happy to find that my vehicle rolled off the lot with 24psi in the tires. This tells me that this dealer did not check the car prior to delivery. Another thing my car had wrong with it was an overspray like look over the windshield. I tried to clean it over the weekend but it did not come out.
The list I provided the dealer was:
- Windshield overspray
- noise from wheels in motion (metallic sound)
- wheel slipage / traction issues.
- TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System) not working.
They buffed the windshield, hopefully the overspray is gone (it was nighttime when I got the car back)
The noise/metallic sound is normal
Tire traction is due to the type of tires installed. (I will change the tires to Michelin HydroEdge or Harmony to add better traction).
TPMS is not standard or an option of the 2007 version of the Honda Civic. (It is standard on all 2008 model Civic).
I assumed TPMS was installed because I was looking at the 2008 EX-L prior to getting the hybrid. Did not realize it did not have it. ( I will be ordering the TPMS module for the hybrid once it comes to the channel network. Non-Consumer parts department from Honda). I looks like I will need to change the dash cluster with the '08 version and add the radio frequency valve stems to each wheel.
I had my car at the dealer today to do some minor warranty work/checks. I was not happy to find that my vehicle rolled off the lot with 24psi in the tires. This tells me that this dealer did not check the car prior to delivery. Another thing my car had wrong with it was an overspray like look over the windshield. I tried to clean it over the weekend but it did not come out.
The list I provided the dealer was:
- Windshield overspray
- noise from wheels in motion (metallic sound)
- wheel slipage / traction issues.
- TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System) not working.
They buffed the windshield, hopefully the overspray is gone (it was nighttime when I got the car back)
The noise/metallic sound is normal
Tire traction is due to the type of tires installed. (I will change the tires to Michelin HydroEdge or Harmony to add better traction).
TPMS is not standard or an option of the 2007 version of the Honda Civic. (It is standard on all 2008 model Civic).
I assumed TPMS was installed because I was looking at the 2008 EX-L prior to getting the hybrid. Did not realize it did not have it. ( I will be ordering the TPMS module for the hybrid once it comes to the channel network. Non-Consumer parts department from Honda). I looks like I will need to change the dash cluster with the '08 version and add the radio frequency valve stems to each wheel.
#37
10-23-2007, 08:35 PM
Re: Poor Gas Mileage
Okay, the mileage is now at 38-39 range. I am okay with that.
I had my car at the dealer today to do some minor warranty work/checks. I was not happy to find that my vehicle rolled off the lot with 24psi in the tires. This tells me that this dealer did not check the car prior to delivery. Another thing my car had wrong with it was an overspray like look over the windshield. I tried to clean it over the weekend but it did not come out.
The list I provided the dealer was:
- Windshield overspray
- noise from wheels in motion (metallic sound)
- wheel slipage / traction issues.
- TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System) not working.
They buffed the windshield, hopefully the overspray is gone (it was nighttime when I got the car back)
The noise/metallic sound is normal
Tire traction is due to the type of tires installed. (I will change the tires to Michelin HydroEdge or Harmony to add better traction).
TPMS is not standard or an option of the 2007 version of the Honda Civic. (It is standard on all 2008 model Civic).
I assumed TPMS was installed because I was looking at the 2008 EX-L prior to getting the hybrid. Did not realize it did not have it. ( I will be ordering the TPMS module for the hybrid once it comes to the channel network. Non-Consumer parts department from Honda). I looks like I will need to change the dash cluster with the '08 version and add the radio frequency valve stems to each wheel.
I had my car at the dealer today to do some minor warranty work/checks. I was not happy to find that my vehicle rolled off the lot with 24psi in the tires. This tells me that this dealer did not check the car prior to delivery. Another thing my car had wrong with it was an overspray like look over the windshield. I tried to clean it over the weekend but it did not come out.
The list I provided the dealer was:
- Windshield overspray
- noise from wheels in motion (metallic sound)
- wheel slipage / traction issues.
- TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System) not working.
They buffed the windshield, hopefully the overspray is gone (it was nighttime when I got the car back)
The noise/metallic sound is normal
Tire traction is due to the type of tires installed. (I will change the tires to Michelin HydroEdge or Harmony to add better traction).
TPMS is not standard or an option of the 2007 version of the Honda Civic. (It is standard on all 2008 model Civic).
I assumed TPMS was installed because I was looking at the 2008 EX-L prior to getting the hybrid. Did not realize it did not have it. ( I will be ordering the TPMS module for the hybrid once it comes to the channel network. Non-Consumer parts department from Honda). I looks like I will need to change the dash cluster with the '08 version and add the radio frequency valve stems to each wheel.
#39
10-24-2007, 08:34 AM
Re: Poor Gas Mileage
I had my dad drive my car to the dealer since he is closer to it than I am and he made the same comments about this Civic as compared with his 1998 DX and my 1994 DX, it is definitely louder with road noise than previous generations. But then the engine is not loud on this car so it may be quieter overall (the newer Civic). Reading other site reviews, the Hybrid Civic is nothing to write home about. Yes you can get higher mileage out of it compared to the similar DX/LX/EX model Civic but you are giving up safety with that. Changing the tires will help in that reguard. Traction is very important to me. I am not a speed demon, but I do want responsiviness in the braking when I need it. The low roll resistence tires should be banned from the US, It is almost like putting plastic tires on the rims and driving around. When winter comes, I can imagine what might/could happen.
HydroEdge is about 88.00 - 135.00 per tire and the Harmony is about 100.00 per tire
#40
10-24-2007, 08:48 AM
Re: Poor Gas Mileage
06hch2,
"the tpms is not working".
"it doesn't have a tpms".
"doh".
--
06hch2,
The 2008 version of the Honda Civic (all models) have TPMS standard as required by law for all 2008 vehicles. I was looking at the 2008 EX-L prior to purchasing the Hybrid 2007 and I did not realize it did not come with TPMS. It is not a big deal, but I do like the feature being there. I may install an aftermarket brand (AirWave) when I change the tires to HydroEdge or Harmony. AirWave is the aftermarket brand that a major ODM makes for Honda, Acura, MB, BMW, and others.
But yeah, Doh would be the word I would use when they told me the reason TPMS didn't work was because it doesn't have it (hehe)
"the tpms is not working".
"it doesn't have a tpms".
"doh".
--
06hch2,
The 2008 version of the Honda Civic (all models) have TPMS standard as required by law for all 2008 vehicles. I was looking at the 2008 EX-L prior to purchasing the Hybrid 2007 and I did not realize it did not come with TPMS. It is not a big deal, but I do like the feature being there. I may install an aftermarket brand (AirWave) when I change the tires to HydroEdge or Harmony. AirWave is the aftermarket brand that a major ODM makes for Honda, Acura, MB, BMW, and others.
But yeah, Doh would be the word I would use when they told me the reason TPMS didn't work was because it doesn't have it (hehe)
