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Noob alert! :)

Wondering if there is any sense in asking whether or not there are any 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid / Mercury Milan Hybrid techniques that are specific to these vehicles for better fuel economy? Are there any techniques that should (or definitely should not) be used with the FFH/MMH that might be obvious (or perhaps not-so-obvious no-no's)?

Wayne's eXCELlent rules of thumb are below, which are a great stepping off point...

* Slowing down and maintaining even throttle pressure;
* Gradually accelerating and smoothly braking;
* Maintaining a safe distance between vehicles and anticipating traffic conditions;
* Coasting up to red lights and stop signs to avoid fuel waste and brake wear;
* Minimize use of heater and air conditioning to reduce the load on the engine;
* Close windows at high speeds to reduce aerodynamic drag;
* Applying the "Pulse and Glide" technique while maintaining the flow of traffic;
* Minimize excessive engine workload by using the vehicle's kinetic forward motion to climb hills, and use downhill momentum to build speed; and
* Avoiding bumps and potholes that can reduce momentum

Credit: Link to AutoBlogGreen.com 1,445 miles/tank article (http://www.autobloggreen.com/2009/04/28/ford-fusion-hybrid-hypermiles-goes-1-445-miles-on-a-single-tank/)

Sorry if I've missed any resources already out there. I haven't seen anything extremely detailed (as far as efficient driving "habits") on the new Ford Fusion hybrids, and thought here would be a great place to ask! Anyone have any links or thoughts they'd like to share? Any Fusion-based ideas from Basic Efficiency Skills (like those above that anyone/everyone could or should be doing) to Fusion-specific Advanced Techniques would be appreciated...

Thanks in advance!

Hi Rtw819:

___The CleanMPG team members covered the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid – 1,000 mile Challenge really really well. Having really no time to even get on the web, I was pleasantly surprised when I arrived home on the Wednesday after the event to see what the membership had posted. The techniques we use are a bit more detailed than the watered down Ford used for the press releases however...

___In chronological order...

Ford's 2010 Fusion Hybrid in a Challenge Marathon drive for Charity (http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?p=201414)

1,000 mile + weekend for charity has begun! (cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21418)

Ford's 2010 Fusion Hybrid in a Challenge Marathon drive for Charity. (cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21239)

One Thousand Miles And Counting: Fusion Hybrid Breaks 1,000 Miles On Single Tank (cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21500)

A Weekend with Wayne, Ford, and the Fusion Hybrid (www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21502)

Fusion Hybrid Averages 81.5_MPG - World Record - 1,445 Miles on single tank of fuel (www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21523)

___We are going to pick up the 1,000 mile “Challenge” vehicle this coming week for the MiHG meet (see the Home Page: Next MiHG Meet, 5-23-09 - Ford & 1,000-mile Challenge Fusion Hybrid (www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22048)) and I will try and knock out a full review on it for the short time I have it.

___Do you by chance live in the Chicago area? If you do, I will be performing clinics in the “Challenge” vehicle and you can get first hand techniques from behind the exact windscreen we drove plus it will be even better setup than I was allowed in DC too ;)

___Ford shipped me a 2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid for 2-days to figure out what was needed to do to break 1,000 mile barrier but unfortunately, it was raining for ½ the drive and with temps in the 30’s for much if it, it was frustrating at best to reach just 59.x mpg :(

Mercury Milan Hybrid Review Blog -- March 9 - 11 (www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=19886)

___Good Luck

___Wayne

One thing I've tried to do with my FFH is to help maintain my glide portion of pulse and glide I'll feather the pedal a smidge as I reach the -5mph below the speed limit to maintain that speed. It does use some of the battery power but because I drive on mostly long flat roads I can maintain my glide for an extra 10-20 seconds without a significant hit to the battery.

Other than that.....when it is cold out, as it was this morning, it took a few minutes for my engine to warm, just dropping into neutral for those warm-up pulse and glides helps.

And actually I've noticed that the car likes to glide better when I drop it into neutral, even with the electric motor on.

I'm not a super skilled hypermiler like Wayne but I'm a fast learner. And I was hoping after a couple months of driving it, to post some tips for others about maximizing mileage in it.

Right now has been painful because of the spring time temps in Michigan. Right now it is almost 70F out, but this morning it was 38F out!. I've had glimmers of glory with this car, getting 74.7 and 94.0 MPG on two separate trips this weekend, but that should get even better with the warmer weather and also once my car actually breaks in...I've only had it 2 weeks!

Quick update on the car. The car will do 'stealth' EV mode up to about 60-61mph. I noticed this over the weekend at highway speed on hilly roads.

The dash says just PWR like when the gas engine is on however it is NOT on. The first 5-10% pressure you put on the throttle will not increase RPM and starts to drain the battery and the instant MPG rockets to 60+

Also noticed this stealth EV mode was super hard to induce, basically had to be on flat or descending road surface.

Hi David:

___It is a warp stealth and you can see it with a SG-II. The ICE is spinning via pack output into MG1 but not consuming any fuel.

___Good Luck

___Wayne

Hi David:

___It is a warp stealth and you can see it with a SG-II. The ICE is spinning via pack output into MG1 but not consuming any fuel.

___Good Luck

___Wayne

Hi Wayne

Is this just DFSO and MG2 holding the idle speed with the wheels? My SGII reads 9,999 Instant MPG and Open-Loop in "D" above 40mph in my '09 FEH during decel but if I add gas pedal pressure I go Closed-Loop and decrease MPG. Charging the battery is reduced during full or part DFSO from MG2 but I have no drain. How does the FFH differ?

GaryG

Hi Gary:

___There is a drain on the pack anytime you are above 40 mph and not regenning as MG1 is spinning the ICE yet you are not consuming fuel in fuel cut. Is there a balance point between Regen and WS, sure but there is energy being depleted through MG1 spinning that ICE. The FFH has a very high resolution image on battery activity and above 40 mph during a glide; you can see the draw from the pack while the ICE is not spinning. Counter or back EMF is how it was explained to me.

___The FFH has another mode that you can maintain about 60 mpg at extremely light load and you can "build" SoC. I was using it some on our trip from Dearborn to IL but it did not really add to the FE (holding 59 to 60 mpg per the 2-minute bars) but I did have a SoC closing in on 80% while going down the Interstate. Of course the FFH did not like it up there and at the next opportunity during any slight climb or accel, would dump SoC with assist like crazy :(

___Good Luck

___Wayne

___The FFH has another mode that you can maintain about 60 mpg at extremely light load and you can "build" SoC. I was using it some on our trip from Dearborn to IL but it did not really add to the FE (holding 59 to 60 mpg per the 2-minute bars) but I did have a SoC closing in on 80% while going down the Interstate. Of course the FFH did not like it up there and at the next opportunity during any slight climb or accel, would dump SoC with assist like crazy :(

___Good Luck

___Wayne

I know exactly what you speak of. I have unfortunately experienced that too and it is quite annoying. Especially after a long highway trip I'd like to have that 80% SOC to EV hang time my glides once I'm back on city streets.

Basically and unfortunately any extended time on the highway means your SOC stays pegged at 50%

Hi David:

___The FFH just like the FEH and HSD equipped Hybrids tries to maintain a 55 to 60% real SoC for pack longevity reasons and that is why the BCM's tend to manage SoC to that level.

___Hang Time is a IGN based SHM mode for highway travel and is not really a city technique.

___Good Luck

___Wayne

Hi David:

___The FFH just like the FEH and HSD equipped Hybrids tries to maintain a 55 to 60% real SoC for pack longevity reasons and that is why the BCM's tend to manage SoC to that level.

___Hang Time is a IGN based SHM mode for highway travel and is not really a city technique.

___Good Luck

___Wayne

Thanks for the info. At least now I know the proper terms to use. Still learning this hypermiling stuff. But I'm enjoying learning it and already seeing the tangible real world benefits.

Hi David:

___No problem as my acronyms can get in a way sometime ;) You are leading the pack when it comes to the FFH and I cannot wait to see your progress and achievements as the summer progresses :)

___Good Luck and thank you for purchasing what I consider to be the second most fuel efficient vehicle available in America.

___Good Luck

___Wayne

David and Wayne, why does the FFH glide better in neutral? When the ICE is off, is the FFH always doing regen?

David and Wayne, why does the FFH glide better in neutral? When the ICE is off, is the FFH always doing regen?

Easy answer is that when you glide in D it attempts to regen the battery. You lose ALOT of momentum when that happens(at least 25-30%), when you slip it into N you can literally feel the car start to roll better.

Regen is based upon alot of variables, so it is not always recharging. But as a general rule if you are in D, above 15-20 mph, on some kind of good road surface and your foot is off the gas it'll start to regen the battery.

Speaking of which I was preparing some thoughts of a good info packed update for tomorrow on some things I learned about the car this weekend.

I'll give a little hint, 57.1mpg over 87.4 miles. Highway driving. :cool::cool:

So, if you feather the throttle can you keep it from going into regen mode? Or would that be less efficient than going into neutral because you are still providing power to the electric engine(s)?

Well now you've run upon a catch-22 that I've encountered myself.....

You can feather the TPS to keep it from regen at the expense of burning battery...and it still feels like it glides better in N

But.....

Dropping it into neutral can drain the battery, but will stop draining at about 40%. But if you are in N going downhill(or uphill) it usually wont drain the battery. Oh its confusing :p

Yes that is confusing! I get mine this week so I can play with it. Do you have any idea why the battery would drain in neutral (aside from running AC etc)?

Also, is there any revs matching required when moving from neutral back to drive or do you just shove it into drive? :)

I've never rev matched and anyways if you try and rev match in neutral it tends to just spin the electric motor(actually push the gas pedal to the floor and nothing will happen or it might even start to regen the battery!!). So no I don't think rev matches are required and usually when you glide in neutral the gas motor is off due to aggressive fuel shutoff

Hi Guys:

___You can glide the FFH in N or by applying a small amount of accelerator to remove assist and regen (the second being harder) but the problem lyes with the way the fields are still being generated even while in N from higher and higher speeds Ford did not drop the MG1/2’s fields out in N like the Toyota’s do. You can see a the pack pull via the Power mimic while in a Glide from 47 down to about 40 mph where it disappears from the mimic but it is still there. Theories about HSD during a Glide in N include a back EMF build which you can remove in N under 41. The FFH unfortunately was not constructed in such a manner and a glide no matter if in N or D with the pedal is drawing current :(

___Regarding all highway numbers, the FFH can do some damage on the highway as shown in the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid at the May 2009 MiHG - Second 1,000 mile tank in progress (cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22218).

___Do not try and rev match as the engine is set to pick up to match automatically when it is required. You will feel two distinct shimmy’s as you approach 47 mph from the top or bottom when the ICE transitions.

___Do not try and run EV above ~ 37 mph as the losses are higher than running on the ICE. Do however Glide down from higher speeds and above 47, WS, transition to a glide and hold until you have reached the lower speed target due to traffic, lights and signs or coming to a stop at your destination.

___ The TCH can perform similarly and at higher speeds under its own brand of SHM but we will not know how close until later this year.

___Good Luck

___Wayne

There are two operating states of neutral, ACTIVE which is above 6MPH and PASSIVE which is below 6mph. Below 6mph there is no charging by regen or the generator when in neutral and the engine will remain running or in EV which ever the state it was in when shifted to neutral. Above 6mph the generator can charge the battery but regen is not available. This is what makes neutral coasting 36% further than "D" coasting. Trying to glide with gas pedal pressure in "D" does not eliminate some regen so shifting to "N" is far better. You cannot REV match from "N" to "D" and there is no need to with the Ford eCVT. Engine speed and wheel speed are not directly connected. You can only get DFSO in "D" or "L" but never in "N" because no power or torque will go into or out of the traction motor which is free wheeling with the wheels and gear set. I shift to "N" only when in EV for gliding. The engine is off in EV so the generator cannot charge the battery but you need to shift back to "D" for any regen or brake pedal regen. In other words the brake pedal cannot provide regen in "N" either. The engine cannot be started in Passive "N" under 6 mph but can be key started in Active "N" above 6mph. Ford warns in the owner's manual against key-Off FAS and restarting.

GaryG

What exactly dis-engages in neutral? Is it the MG2 from the wheels? The ICE from the MG2?

And what happens in Low? Does it limit the top speed? Or just increase regen when you release the gas pedal?

Hi WP, I am wondering if there is no LGA for the FFH? My somewhat limited experience to date with the FFH in Low Gear did not seem to lend itself to the higher charging rates as reported in other hybrid vehicles in Low? But, since I've only ever driven an FFH and no other hybrids, hard to say for sure?

I believe the FFH uses the ICE engine while in Low (perhaps without burning gas?) for increased engine braking. A few trips of driving downhill for several floors in a parking garage (different days at work) seemed to indicate that there was a better HV battery charging experience using the normal “D” drive mode (with the foot off of the accelerator providing the normal drag regen) and using normal regenerative braking around the corners, instead of the forced engine braking in “L”? While it did govern the downhill speed to a better degree in Low by itself, my thoughts are there was less charging/regen when in Low. Since I was just getting warmed up and out of the garage, I wanted to have the additional SoC for the stop and go before the highway, so I only tried Low a couple of days hoping to find some additional charging that didn't seem to be there? We don’t have very many downhill stretches of road in our part of the country to test against otherwise. Anybody have any info here? Average speed and slope of the decline may have some effect on this too. I wasn't going very fast in the garage! :)

GaryG - Thanks for the info on the Active & Passive Neutral modes! Makes sense!

Hi All:

___According to the people that designed the FFH, there is no disconnect. Also, to induce regen below 6 mph, you can use R and than push back to N at the stop. Remember however that your backup lights will scare the hell out of anyone from behind...

___LGA in the FEH was not so much a regen enducing technique as it was a way to shut down the ICE when it was not needed. The FFH shuts down at every opporuntity and I have not seen a single failure in well over 1,500 instances of enducing a glide.

___Good Luck

___Wayne

Hi All:

___According to the people that designed the FFH, there is no disconnect. Also, to induce regen below 6 mph, you can use R and than push back to N at the stop. Remember however that your backup lights will scare the hell out of anyone from behind...

___LGA in the FEH was not so much a regen enducing technique as it was a way to shut down the ICE when it was not needed. The FFH shuts down at every opporuntity and I have not seen a single failure in well over 1,500 instances of enducing a glide.

___Good Luck

___Wayne

I might have to try that dropping into R when I'm at low speed for regen....especially when I get caught in stop and go traffic(every freaking day) might add another couple tenths of mpg.

And it might get some of those FSP to back off a little :)

Of course I'm going to try it on an empty street first to make sure the car and cvt dont flip out when i do it. Although if it works and i do it during rush hour the rear park assist and cross traffic alert are going to flip out and beep like madness

Wayne, GaryG over at BlueOvalForums recommends not letting the electric assist kick in when you accelerate the ICE and also recommends "blipping" the ICE on before it comes on automatically, to reduce or eliminate the electric assist at ICE startup. I'm having no success with this - the electric assist always seems to come into play when accelerating the ICE or at ICE turn on. Do you have any tips or suggestions?

Wayne, GaryG over at BlueOvalForums recommends not letting the electric assist kick in when you accelerate the ICE and also recommends "blipping" the ICE on before it comes on automatically, to reduce or eliminate the electric assist at ICE startup. I'm having no success with this - the electric assist always seems to come into play when accelerating the ICE or at ICE turn on. Do you have any tips or suggestions?

I've had the best success by shifting to neutral and back to "D" during deceleration before the blip. You need a SGII SoC X-Gauge to verify how much if any SoC is reduced at a restart. Once the start-up is complete then you can slowly accelerate at 83 - 90% engine load for your pulse back to your desired steady state speed. I set the cc on flat roads at the steady state speed for recharging the battery to or above 42% for maintaining the steady state speed in EV still in cc. I then glide in EV and neutral once the SoC drains down to ~40.8% till I get close to a restart at around 40.3% SoC then shift back to "D" for the quick accelerator blip to restart the engine. This is my P&G technique below 40mph in my FEH but the FFH has a higher EV speed up to 47mph.

Any time I need a restart for acceleration I shift to neutral first and back to "D" for the blip restart to save as much battery Soc as possible. Also, accelerating at 83 - 90% engine load you will not get motor assist till you reach above 99% load. There are exceptions to this like when the battery SoC is above the MG1 charging limits and during the warm-up strategy.

GaryG

Perhaps a silly question, but looking at the PDF for the vehicle specific codes, will the same Xgauge codes listed for the FEH work on our FFH?

Are there any FFH specific Xgauge codes that aren't listed in the PDF?

Also, any recommendations on which gauges are the most useful for day-to-day driving?

Is the "blip" technique achievable without the shifting?

Thanks in advance!

Perhaps a silly question, but looking at the PDF for the vehicle specific codes, will the same Xgauge codes listed for the FEH work on our FFH?

Are there any FFH specific Xgauge codes that aren't listed in the PDF?

Also, any recommendations on which gauges are the most useful for day-to-day driving?

Is the "blip" technique achievable without the shifting?

Thanks in advance!

My '09 FEH has many of the changes the '10 FFH has and everything seems to work with the X-gauges still. After all, they both have the same engine and the eCVT only has a few upgrades. I go by CarlD's list of X-Gauge programs because there are a few mistakes in the SGII site PDF.

I monitor 2 SGII's in my FEH:

1. Instant MPG - To determine what driving methods work and how conditions are affecting my mileage.

2. Engine Load (LOD) = To regulate acceleration of the Pulse and climbing hills and bridges.

3. Open/Close Loop (LP) To monitor Fuel-Cut with Instant MPG (9,999mpg).

4. State Of Charge (SoC) To maintain HV battery management.

5. Tank MPG Average - To monitor overall MPG for control. I change this gauge to Current and Today's MPG every so often to monitor sudden changes in Tank MPG.

The blip can be done without changing gears from "D", but it's not as effective (some SoC loss) and you don't take advantage of a neutral glide. The neutral glide will give you a big increase in your overall MPG average. I prefer not to drop below 25mph during a P&G segment before a restart.

GaryG

I went out and did 5 runs today on an 8 minute, rolling-to-hilly course. I set the FFH gauge to "Engage" so I could see power output from the electric motor and the ICE. On 2 of the runs, whenever I engaged ICE I tried to keep the ICE power around the second line on the power gauge (0 being no power). On the other 3 runs whenever ICE engaged I tried to keep the ICE power around 4. The power level goes up to 6. I would only accelerate up to a maximum speed of 45, then lay off and go to EV mode until my speed got to 30-35 or I hit a hill.

Every time the ICE engaged the electric motor would contribute. I can't seem to stop this, and the "blip" thing doesn't work for me although I admit I haven't tried going into neutral first. It can be difficult to keep the ICE at a given power level when the electric engine is kicking in and out.

Here are the MPG results of the 5 loops:

ICE power at "2":
45.5 mpg
49.4 mpg

ICE power at "4":
50.7 mpg
46 mpg
48.5 mpg

There doesn't seem to be much difference in MPG, if anything using the higher power level is slightly better. That's good to know because it means I can accelerate significantly quicker ("normal" acceleration) without penalty.

Thoughts/comments?

Today I beat my previous best mpg going to work - 60.4 mpg vs 57.4 - I modified my normal technique by applying more power than I had been before when using the ICE. This seems to bear out my results in the last post.

Is this what others have found too? Moderate throttle to ICE is better than low throttle to ICE?

Note, the route to work has a lot of downhill in it. Normally I get about 36mpg on the way home - will be interesting to see what I get today.

Today I beat my previous best mpg going to work - 60.4 mpg vs 57.4 - I modified my normal technique by applying more power than I had been before when using the ICE. This seems to bear out my results in the last post.

Is this what others have found too? Moderate throttle to ICE is better than low throttle to ICE?

Note, the route to work has a lot of downhill in it. Normally I get about 36mpg on the way home - will be interesting to see what I get today.

From reading your blog you're doing great Bill! The average lifetime MPG is what you need to record here because that is the bottom line for the driver and the vehicle. There is no long term mileage data established for the FFH and I hope you can make Ford proud with your results.

I'm finishing the last tank in my '09 FEH for the year of ownership with about 12,300 miles on my lifetime OD and I think I'll break a 49mpg average in an SUV with all the learning and break-in of a new vehicle.

GaryG

From reading your blog you're doing great Bill! The average lifetime MPG is what you need to record here because that is the bottom line for the driver and the vehicle. There is no long term mileage data established for the FFH and I hope you can make Ford proud with your results.

I'm finishing the last tank in my '09 FEH for the year of ownership with about 12,300 miles on my lifetime OD and I think I'll break a 49mpg average in an SUV with all the learning and break-in of a new vehicle.

GaryG
Thanks Gary, I must admit I'm really impressed with your numbers. My car average around here, where its moderately hilly, is 43.5 mpg. On my 17 mile test loop I got 54.3 the first two times and 55.2 tonight :) although my SOC was shot.

I don't know how I would average that in normal day-to-day driving, though I hope to keep learning.

Well a little update on my car...I refueled over the weekend. Managed 816.7 miles on 16.024 gallons. I could have went farther....however my MTE went all wonky on me and strangely dropped about 50 miles off the top one day for no reason. So scared me into refueling earlier. But still, nearly broke 51mpg(50.96mpg) for that tank. Lifetime average is 47.5mpg now.

Basically I can without trying too hard get 50+ mpg every day now. On lucky days I'll crack low 60s. And only a few times now I've broken 70mpg on a trip.

Was really proud of the car and myself this weekend, I managed over 40+ minutes of 60+ mpgs at highway speed. And at the end of that trip which was about 80%highway 20% city managed 57.3mpg over 137miles.

And as far as SOC is concerned on my 8 mile trip to work, if I feather things out, I can keep the car in EV for at least 70% of the trip if traffic isn't too harsh. I did some measuring even, the warmup period just kills me since its a short drive. I say this because if I drive my car to work and the car is already warmed up I can usually eek out anywhere from 59-68mpg. From a cold start my very BEST was 58.3mpg, usually more like 51-54mpg.

Either way if I can average low 50s lifetime in this car I will be extremely satisfied.

51 mpg for a tank! Wow! My average is 43.6 - how are you getting such great mileage? How hilly is it where you are driving? I drive in moderately hilly conditions. On the highway I can get 47-50 - what is your secret?

Thanks Gary, I must admit I'm really impressed with your numbers. My car average around here, where its moderately hilly, is 43.5 mpg. On my 17 mile test loop I got 54.3 the first two times and 55.2 tonight :) although my SOC was shot.

I don't know how I would average that in normal day-to-day driving, though I hope to keep learning.

I'd love to have some hills to work with here in my area because there is nothing like the MPG boost to gain speed, pick up some regen and free ride down in EV or fuel-cut.

Those of us here that get the high averages must get extreme MPG above our averages for it all to work out. I'm talking 65 - 70mpg segments in my FEH to bring back MPG averages lost due to stops. We know Wayne got a 88mpg segment in the FFH so you need to know how to get into that extreme MPG to make up for those no so extreme segments. Cold starts are a killer but it's those repeated stops for shopping every few miles that kills my average. For this reason I must plan by driving to go the longest distance first to average out that cold start and any stops on the return trip. An example I had yesterday was a 15 mile trip with three more 20 - 60 minute stops. I had a 54mpg average on the 230 mile tank at the cold morning start-up but had my average drop to almost 52mpg when I got home. I'll have to get a lot of extreme MPG driving to get my average back to 54mpg so chances are I will not have a 54mpg tank this time.

This is not rocket science to me because I've had 4 years with a Ford hybrid. My goal is to cut short anyone's learning time that I had to discover over the years. Others here are doing the same thing so experiment with their techniques until you get them to work and then blend them with your conditions. My '09 FEH is changing as it breaks-in and I'm changing to climbing bridges in EV more often with DWL. As you put the miles on your FFH you will see the same things I saw on my '05 FEH and now on my '09 FEH.

Learn how and where to get those extreme MPG out of your FFH and work them into your daily drive and your average will increase also.

GaryG

51 mpg for a tank! Wow! My average is 43.6 - how are you getting such great mileage? How hilly is it where you are driving? I drive in moderately hilly conditions. On the highway I can get 47-50 - what is your secret?

Well today driving back on a 85 mile trip I managed a decent 54.0mpg trip(too cold and windy today). My secret is like Gary talked about, doing the little things for extreme mpgs. Keeping my tires at 52psi, going downhill tap the brakes(which shuts the gas engine off) then slip into neutral and let off a glide. without even needing a pulse because with your tires inflated up the car rolls even better.

Judicious use of CC is what really gets me bang up mileage for highway speed trips. Last week I did a 145mile roundtrip highway speed roadtrip and pulled off 59.8mpg(so close to 60 I was kinda mad)

And you have to let your car start to break in. I'm guessing you aren't much past 1000 miles. I'm almost to 5000 miles.

I can average usually 50-60mpg on my drive to work(actually yesterday coming home from work I pulled off 65.8mpg) and thats including the fact that I only drive 8 miles to work one way. And my current tank I'm on track for another 800+ mile 50+ mpg.

EDIT: And as a thought, I'm no where near as good as Wayne is but I can imagine if he ever gave me a clinic I could probably start getting 60+mpg all the time.

Hi All:

___According to the people that designed the FFH, there is no disconnect. Also, to induce regen below 6 mph, you can use R and than push back to N at the stop. Remember however that your backup lights will scare the hell out of anyone from behind...
___Wayne

This is very strange that anyone would want to pick-up regen in "R" below 6mph but it could be a big benefit to pick-up regen in "R" in higher speeds where charging the battery is needed. Is regen possible also above 6mph in "R" and would this be the same as "L" in prior models like my '05 FEH? My '09 goes to high RPM fuel-cut anytime I shift to "L" at all times which is a big change from the '08 FEH and earlier models.

GaryG

Gary, I don't have any info on the subject but I would suspect that the FFH (and your FEH) is like other vehicles in that it will simply ignore a shift to R over 6mph and simple continue on as though the shifter was in N.

Gary, I don't have any info on the subject but I would suspect that the FFH (and your FEH) is like other vehicles in that it will simply ignore a shift to R over 6mph and simple continue on as though the shifter was in N.

I can confirm that. Flipped my FFH into R going about 35mph to test it in EV mode...and nothing, no regen just coasting like in N. And tried it at about 52mph, again same thing act liked it was in N.

Tried to regen in R and it kinda worked, insofar that it regened and then when I came to a full stop felt like the car wanted to throw me through the windshield/locked my seatbelt.

I can confirm that. Flipped my FFH into R going about 35mph to test it in EV mode...and nothing, no regen just coasting like in N. And tried it at about 52mph, again same thing act liked it was in N.

Tried to regen in R and it kinda worked, insofar that it regened and then when I came to a full stop felt like the car wanted to throw me through the windshield/locked my seatbelt.

I've been in "R" by accident in my '05 FEH many times over the years and a few times in my '09 FEH but never below 6 mph. Like Sean said the computer ignores the command and nothing happens. I think Wayne said shift back to "N" before you stop so I would not come close to a full stop. Presently, I get most of my regen in "D" and using the brake pedal in my '09 FEH and the workshop manual says you get 100% of regen before the pads are used now. I might try "R" below 6mph when I get below 6mph on a decline and don't need to come to a complete stop.

I have a severe case of foot neuropathy which leaves me with very little feeling in the bottom of my feet. If Debbie Katz remembers, I had to drive with my shoe and sock off with her during the '07 MPG Challenge. For this reason "N" coasting is better for me than the slight gas pedal WS technique. I always thought WS was a way around the negative split mode in the eCVT where MG1 is controlling the idle with the generator brake. The negative split mode is where the battery is at its upper limits at highway speeds and is the least preferred mode for FE according to the workshop manuals. For everyone, here is what the '09 PCM/ED manual states:

"Negative Split Mode

In this mode the internal combustion engine is running but the generator motor is reducing the engine speed. This mode is never preferred but occurs when all of the following vehicle conditions are met:

* The engine is running.

* The vehicle speed is high.

* The high voltage traction battery is charged.

* Reducing engine throttle is not desired."

"Driving Modes

There are 5 fundamental operating modes in the hybrid electric system:

* electric mode

* positive split mode

* negative split mode

* neutral mode

* engine cranking mode"

There is also a "Creep Mode".

The wording in the '05 - '09 workshop manuals did not change for neutral mode, reverse gear or "L" gear but I know the strategy in "L" gear is completely different in the '09 FEH. You folks with the '10 FFH need to monitor our '09 FEH threads because we just learned that a tap of the brake in "D" will cause fuel-cut with a battery SoC below 46%. We all need to read and then test techniques in both the '09 FEH and '10 FFH to see if they work the same and post the results. I still have not ruled out getting my wife a FFH so I'm also monitoring it here and other forums in the meantime.

GaryG

Well today driving back on a 85 mile trip I managed a decent 54.0mpg trip(too cold and windy today). My secret is like Gary talked about, doing the little things for extreme mpgs. Keeping my tires at 52psi, going downhill tap the brakes(which shuts the gas engine off) then slip into neutral and let off a glide. without even needing a pulse because with your tires inflated up the car rolls even better.

Judicious use of CC is what really gets me bang up mileage for highway speed trips. Last week I did a 145mile roundtrip highway speed roadtrip and pulled off 59.8mpg(so close to 60 I was kinda mad)

And you have to let your car start to break in. I'm guessing you aren't much past 1000 miles. I'm almost to 5000 miles.

I can average usually 50-60mpg on my drive to work(actually yesterday coming home from work I pulled off 65.8mpg) and thats including the fact that I only drive 8 miles to work one way. And my current tank I'm on track for another 800+ mile 50+ mpg.

EDIT: And as a thought, I'm no where near as good as Wayne is but I can imagine if he ever gave me a clinic I could probably start getting 60+mpg all the time.

You're right, I'm only at 1450 miles or so.

That's a great tip about tapping the brake to shut the engine off - I tried it today going about 50 mph and the engine power level went to zero. I guess its still spinning at that speed though.

I always thought WS was a way around the negative split mode in the eCVT where MG1 is controlling the idle with the generator brake. The negative split mode is where the battery is at its upper limits at highway speeds and is the least preferred mode for FE according to the workshop manuals. For everyone, here is what the '09 PCM/ED manual states:

"Negative Split Mode

In this mode the internal combustion engine is running but the generator motor is reducing the engine speed. This mode is never preferred but occurs when all of the following vehicle conditions are met:

* The engine is running.

* The vehicle speed is high.

* The high voltage traction battery is charged.

* Reducing engine throttle is not desired."

"Driving Modes

There are 5 fundamental operating modes in the hybrid electric system:

* electric mode

* positive split mode

* negative split mode

* neutral mode

* engine cranking mode"

There is also a "Creep Mode".

The wording in the '05 - '09 workshop manuals did not change for neutral mode, reverse gear or "L" gear but I know the strategy in "L" gear is completely different in the '09 FEH. You folks with the '10 FFH need to monitor our '09 FEH threads because we just learned that a tap of the brake in "D" will cause fuel-cut with a battery SoC below 46%. We all need to read and then test techniques in both the '09 FEH and '10 FFH to see if they work the same and post the results. I still have not ruled out getting my wife a FFH so I'm also monitoring it here and other forums in the meantime.

GaryG

What is workshop manual? Is there one for the FFH? Can you say more about those different modes? I assume they are strategies the software is using to balance MPG, SoC, etc?

When you tap the brake above SoC 46% does it go into fuel cut or only below 46%? I tried it today and it worked but I was not monitoring SoC.

What is workshop manual? Is there one for the FFH? Can you say more about those different modes? I assume they are strategies the software is using to balance MPG, SoC, etc?

When you tap the brake above SoC 46% does it go into fuel cut or only below 46%? I tried it today and it worked but I was not monitoring SoC.

Hi Bill

The workshop manuals are the manuals the Ford Techs use to repair your vehicles at the dealerships and come in DVD's or paperback copies. Ford writes the manuals and they are published and sold through Helms at:http://helminc.com/helm/homepage.asp?r= The 1010 Fusion workshop and PCM/ED manuals are not available yet and my '09 workshop manuals just became available about 5 months ago. The '09 FEH/MMH PCM/ED manual came out first last Oct. '08 and that was what I was quoting from in my post. I highly recommend the PCM/ED paperback manual as soon as it comes out. I got all of my '05 FEH manuals (4) on eBay for $110 and the two volumes of workshop manuals for $100 about a month ago. I paid retail ($55) for my '09 FEH/MMH PCM/ED manual when it first came out because I could not wait for an eBay bid to see the changes.

I can't rewrite all the modes here as quotes but basically positive split mode is where the engine is running and power is split to the generator (MG1) for charging the battery and to the wheels. Electric mode is just that with the engine off and the electric motors are providing all power to the wheels. In Neutral mode the output shaft is disengaged and there is no power going into or out of the eCVT. Neutral mode can allow the engine to charge the battery above 6mph (Active state) but there is no regen with the traction motor (MG2). Neutral under 6mph (Passive state) will not allow restarting the engine as Active mode will. Also, Passive state neutral will keep the engine on or off which state the engine was in when the vehicle was shifted into passive neutral. There is a new safeguard in my '09 FEH that will not let the battery drain below 32% SoC, but I don't know this is the case in passive neutral when the engine is off. Cranking mode is where MG1 spins the engine for start-up. There is no separate starter like the gas only versions.

We are getting full fuel-cut above 40mph when the SoC is above ~46%. Rick discovered we could also get full fuel-cut above 40mph with a lower SoC by a tap on the brake pedal. Our '09 FEH's is limited to a 40mph EV speed where the FFH can go EV at 47mph. The battery and charging system has changed in the '10 FFH from our '09 FEH so you guys with the FFH will need to test Fuel-cut restrictions for your vehicles and report back results.

GaryG

Gary--Per:

"We all need to read and then test techniques in both the '09 FEH and '10 Ffh to see if they work the same and post the results. "

I now own a 2010 FFH--does it work the same way?

Gary--Per:

"We all need to read and then test techniques in both the '09 FEH and '10 Ffh to see if they work the same and post the results. "

I now own a 2010 FFH--does it work the same way?

I think the '09 FEH and '10 FFH drivetrains are very similar and the '10 FEH is even closer to the FFH. All three engines are the same but the '09 FEH has a belt driven A/C for the cabin and the battery. The FFH and '10 FEH have an electric A/C for the cabin and no A/C for the battery. The FFH has much better highway mileage than either of the '09 or '10 FEH. Of course the FFH has the highest EV speed of 47mph, the '10 FEH is 44mph and the '09 FEH is 40mph. Ford has improve EV programming in the '10 models over the '09 FEH.

As far as the techniques for hypermiling the jury is still out because I'm not getting any feedback from '10 FFH or '10 FEH owners. My '09 FEH is getting much better mileage on E10 than my '05 FEH and the techniques for hypermiling are much different because of the engine change and EV programming. There is also less work involved in hypermiling the '09 than the '05 FEH.

Try using some of the techniques I'm using in the '09 FEH Techniques thread and post the results. If you need more information than I provided just ask.

GaryG