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View Full Version : Week of 8/28/06 - 09/03/06


brick
08-29-2006, 06:49 AM
Nothing special over here. Lousy morning segment driving through the airport parking garage and another lousy one after getting back last night. 40mpg this morning. And it's going to rain buckets this afternoon.

psyshack
08-29-2006, 07:13 AM
Week started out good with a 49 to 50 mpg effort for the drive yesterday. Today will be spent in a company truck. Making a run to OKC. Have to replace the pumps and some controls on a domestic water booster system.

Will be back in the Civic wensday. :)

zadscmc
08-29-2006, 07:37 AM
I had to fill up last night, because of the rain and some grocery runs, the tank finished out at 61.x.

Today's drive to work, however, yielded a 68.2 segment over 69 miles. Not a bad start. However, rain is in the forecast for today, so that may go down the tubes.

krousdb
08-29-2006, 08:46 AM
75ish again this week. At least I am consistent.

tbaleno
08-29-2006, 09:08 AM
So far so good. I haven't used any fuel this week ;)

rhwinger
08-29-2006, 11:45 AM
Three 31 mile segments so far this week- 64, 68 and 67 mpg. In the afternoon trip, I look for the slowest drivers on the interstate and follow them! I call it the FSD technique. ;-)

3 bars left on the tank, hoping for 660 miles.

A couple of times this morning, while traversing a flat road, I saw the "Assist" bars come up while going approx 35 mph, tach at maybe 1300-1400 and the iFCD pegged high. The engine was quiet (radio off) and then after a short while, I felt the gentle "lurch" of the ICE cutting in, and the iFCD dropped off to the 50's range. Can the HCH-II EV at these kinds of speeds? Or was this just my imagination?

diamondlarry
08-29-2006, 01:57 PM
I couldn't post any results yesterday because my satelite ISP was out due to the weather. The segments were: 58.2 to the wife's work, 56.8 from her work to mine, 59.7 from my work to her's in the afternoon, and 57.9 from her work back home. It was generally rainy all day; not real hard but just enough to screw up the FE.:mad: Today was a little better. The segments were 56.6 to the wife's work, 66.1 to mine, 60.6 back to the wife's, and 60.3 back to home. The tank average is sitting at just over 58 mpg.

brick
08-29-2006, 03:44 PM
AHH! This is terrible! Heavy rain, traffic, puddles, less than optimal ambient temp...I just hit a 31.6mpg segment on the way home. The FE gods are sitting on my head.

diamondlarry
08-29-2006, 06:41 PM
I just hit another new best segment. I picked my daughter up at her school after her volleyball game and I told her we were going to go the back way and see if we could set a new record. I almost forgot, the trip to pick her up was 65.2. In 5.3 miles, the SG2 was reading 75.1 mpg after I got turned around in the drive. When I turned into the drive it was over 77. :woot: My tank is sitting at 59.4 after 86.5 miles. 60 mpg? Very possible. :D

zadscmc
08-30-2006, 07:03 AM
Eventhough there was a fair amount of rain yesteday and this morning, the traffic flow, though slow, was consistent. After about 180 miles, the osd reads 65.1. I have to take a different route home today, so I believe the FE will suffer a bit.::sigh::

PCK
08-30-2006, 07:42 AM
Ernesto turned out to be a dud as far tropical storms go, but the winds pushed my poor
Honda Civic all over the place driving into work today.

I drive from Western Broward County (right where Alligator Alley begins), and drive to Miami
across from Bayfront Park on Biscayne Blvd. It was a work just to mantain hwy speeds with
all the wind in the end I managed 49mpg in a 40 mile trip.

rhwinger
08-30-2006, 03:25 PM
Reality check today. Picked up the kids on the way home. Between the rain and the bickering kids in the back seat, it was all I could do to safely drive the car. 60.8 mpg on the 32 mile segment is the best I could do. Been able to come in with 64 - 68 mpg segments lately. But hey! Beats the 25 mpg that I used to get with the old car.

xcel
08-30-2006, 06:16 PM
Hi PCK:

___“I was battling the remnants of a Tropical/storm hurricane and I only hit the EPA …”

___Bob, “60.8 mpg segment and it basically sucks …”

___All I can add is that all of our expectations have increased just a wee little bit and I love it! :D

___As for my daily Grind … I was playing around with the SG-II’s connectors from side to back and side and found during each that it defaulted to a 3.0 w/out a hybrid mode. This was in the Ranger for a trip to the bank and Sam’s Club for groceries … I was staring at 15.7 mpg in a FAS after my first pulse and it just sat there … I am like WTF? Oh darn it. Wayne, stop putting the SG-II through every imaginable scenario anyone could possibly do on their own … my first ½ mile of usual 70 - 100 mpg sat at that 15.7 and wouldn’t budge in that FAS. Not in hybrid mode :( and a 3.0 L selected … Ok, then. At the first stop light, I set it all back up again for the 2.3 L Ranger and hybrid mode … I saw 114 before I had to restart the third time and then hit stop light after stop light although still held 42.6 when I arrived at the bank after 1.8 miles … Left the bank, headed for Sam’s club on the way home and crawled in rush hour for about 15 minutes to travel another 2 miles :( At the Sam’s, 43.7 … Ok, better then I would have thought given the conditions. Sat at two more lights but caught them after very long FAS’ on the way home and pulled in the drive at 50.6 mpg after a touch over 5 miles. One of these days, I am going to see something special from that P/U … After I clear out the back as it is still full of paint cans and junk and I close all the windows because the Golden wanted to come with along and she likes the windows open ;)

___As always, never give up!

___Good Luck

___Wayne

highwater
08-31-2006, 04:04 AM
Been cooler around here, should warm up a bit toward the weekend. Could be that depression going up the east coast, pulling down some northern temps into our area.
Have been facing some headwinds on the trip home. FE is still holding up pretty well.

Randall

edit=spelling

rhwinger
08-31-2006, 07:16 AM
More rain today. Standing water on the road, no way to avoid it. But observed a really cool thing this morning. Had the wipers on low speed as I was driving. Came to a stop light and the autostop kicked in, as usual. But then...I noticed the speed of the wipers slowed down. When I was stopped with my foot on the brake, the wipers shifted to intermittant speed or something. The designers even thought to reduce electrical demand by reducing wiper speed while stopped! Pretty cool, IMHO!

diamondlarry
08-31-2006, 02:22 PM
Today's numbers were about average, for me. The drive to the wife's work was 60.8. From there to my work was 64.5. This afternoon's trip to pick up the wife was 64.8. From her work to home was 65.4. The tank average is sitting at 59.0 after ~195 miles. Last night though, I had another 70+ segment. When I got into my drive and turned around, the SG was reading 70.5. I have a chance at some more 70+ segments later this evening when I go to pick up my daughter after her V-ball game. Possible new record?

xcel
08-31-2006, 04:38 PM
Hi All:

___Took the Ranger P/U into work this afternoon to test the SG-II as well as the P/U’s mostly highway FE capabilities …

Per Chicago’s local news AM station (WBBM 780 AM – Traffic and Weather on the 8’s ;)): Temps 72 - 77 degrees F. Tail wind of ~ 5 - 10 mph for 60% of trip, side the rest. 85% - 55/65 mph Interstate/15% City/suburban, ~ 5 miles of stop and crawl …

___Techniques used: All but far less HS P&G then I would normally use. Still working out the details as to rate and range + gear(s) to use.

SG-II output results:

92.4 miles
1.8 gallons
MAX Speed: 70 mph
MAX RPM: 2,607
Total Time: 2.0 hours
Avg. speed: 45 mph
FE: 50.5 mpg

___Good Luck

___Wayne

diamondlarry
08-31-2006, 05:10 PM
That's amazing. Especially through Chicago. I suppose though that if anyone could do it, it would be you.:p

brick
08-31-2006, 05:43 PM
50.5mpg in the Ranger? I'm at a loss.

krousdb
08-31-2006, 06:01 PM
RT's and tank is still at 75.x. **** I'm boring.:p

diamondlarry
08-31-2006, 06:21 PM
Hey Dan, not too shabby. I just set a new personal record for my 5.3 mile trip home from picking up my daughter. Starting from a dead stop and making 2 more stops along the route,(ok, I'm a hypermiler so they weren't complete stops:p ) I ended up with 75.5 by the time I got turned around and set-up for tomorrow's drive. By the way, the trip to my daughter's school was a new best for that direction at 67.0.

krousdb
08-31-2006, 06:25 PM
Note to myself to watch out for Larry trying to knock me off the top ten. It's only a matter of time.:eek:

diamondlarry
08-31-2006, 06:34 PM
I am your worst nightmare!:D But seriously, you are giving me a target to shoot for that is not too unrealistic for me to hit. Keep up the good work Dan, no matter how boring it gets for you; I need your challenge.

krousdb
08-31-2006, 07:47 PM
Just wait until you see what I have up my other sleeve........ Starting 9/18 at a theatre near you.....

laurieaw
08-31-2006, 09:16 PM
what a ho hum week. i was holding about 68mpg on the 4-lane last night, but when i turned off there was a ferocious headwind that really knocked me down. i am off my game lately and not sure why. feels like the car is not cooperating with me.

tbaleno
08-31-2006, 09:29 PM
Probably the weather.

It is starting to get colder.

xcel
09-06-2006, 03:53 AM
Hi All:

___Two night’s ago while driving the Ranger into work, a terrible commute. 53 mph average speed, 5 - 10 mph headwinds, little in the way of traffic to draft in, few FAS’ and/or HS/LS P&G’ing (it was a holiday weekend after all) and I was running a little hot. I should have taken the reverse warm P&G route to help pick it up but was on the cel with Terry (Tigerhonaker) at the time and could not perform with a cel attached to my ear. Terry, it was your fault ;) I pulled into the parking lot an hour and a half early at 43.7 mpg which kind of sucks :(

___Yesterday morning, it was raining but 66 - 67 degrees for the first 20 miles and dead calm. P&G’ed on the warm up route dodging the standing water for all it was worth and pulled out of the P&G route at 62.3 mpg’s after 19.6 miles in the rain. Lost a ton of that at the higher speeds in the light to medium rain on the Interstate but HS P&G’ed for all she was worth and ended up at 50.5 mpg’s sitting in the drive. Not bad for rain. Tank is well beyond 400 miles and still not down to ½ on the gauge. I am hoping to see 800 this time around that one would be a huge stretch goal for the P/U …

___Good Luck

___Wayne

rhwinger
09-06-2006, 12:34 PM
Left the house at 4:45 AM with moderate to heavy rain and gusty winds. The roads were almost devoid of cars, but they were fairly heavily littered with tree debris like clumps of leaves, numerous twigs and the occasional heavy branch. The tops of the trees whipped back and forth like ghosts in the outermost glare from the headlights. A gusty headwind and crosswind buffeted the vehicle and I could just feel the additional energy needed from the engine to move the car against the elements. Occasional standing pools of dark liquid sapped even more energy as I made my way to work.

Finally made it to the base. The guard at the security gate stood in the blowing wet darkness. As I pulled up, I could see he was soaked despite his heavy foul weather gear. He wiped water from his eyes, and his flashlight dripped as he checked my ID card and motioned me to pass with a courtesy and poise only the military posses during such times. Pulled into the parking lot – 52 MPG. At least I beat the EPA estimates today. A mad dash across the parking lot thru the wind and sheets of rain. At the building entrance I swiped my badge and entered the code into the reader, hoping the soaked device would work. Entered the building and went up to the office. After a few minutes I noticed water was leaking in under the windowsills and there was a bubble of water forming between the paint and the drywall. Odd?

After an hour the department manager came in and asked if I could help lift furniture at the front of the main building. We found standing water in the offices and for three hours ran wet/dry shop vacs trying to dewater the office areas. Even the group commander got involved. He was supporting the shop vac hose with his hands, trying to prevent it from collapsing, as we scurried from office to office. Where’s a camera when you need one?

Around 1030, they decided to give up and ordered us home before the low lying roads became flooded or otherwise impassible. The secondary road I used to get to the base was almost covered with water. The only way to drive was on the crown of the road as the water was up over the curb and into people’s yards on both sides. At this point I thought there might be serious trouble, but plodded along. On my way to the interstate, I passed four or five stalled SUV’s and cars. Found the interstate was moving slowly but steadily. More vehicles pulled off onto the shoulder. SUV’s, cars, even semi’s were falling victim to the elements – one even had the cab tilted open, engine exposed, four way blinkers barely visible in the ongoing downpour. The wind just made it more interesting.

Made it to my exit and as I rounded the blind turn, came upon a tree nearly blocking the exit. Maneuvered around the tree and continued while the wind blew debris from the trees onto the car. The water was as high as I’ve ever seen it at the bridge that goes over Mill Creek, but at least it didn’t threaten to flood the roadway. The traffic lights were swinging wildly in the gusting wind, but most were either not working at all or just blinking constantly. The neighborhood shopping center stores were dark, as was most of the neighborhood.

The lights in the neighborhood were dark as I made my way to our house. Pulled into the driveway and found the garage door opener inoperative, so got out in the rain and manually raised the door. 54 mpg at wheels stop. Made it home safe – and still beat the EPA estimates.



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