Archives




View Full Version : Week of 11/06/2006 - 11/13/2006


tbaleno
11-06-2006, 09:16 AM
Pretty good trip in. A small drizzle of rain and warmish temps (46f) got about a 45mpg.

brick
11-06-2006, 09:18 AM
HA! I knew that would happen eventually...I posted the same thread at the same time. I'll delete the one I started.

**EDIT**
Couldn't delete it but I did manage to render it harmless. Maybe a nice mod could kill it off completely for me?

This week should be a good one. There will be a bit of rain, but that should bring warmer temps and even some morning lows as high as 45F. That will make it a little easier to tune the new commuting route.

tbaleno
11-06-2006, 09:28 AM
I don't see your thread.

psyshack
11-06-2006, 09:47 AM
I put the SG back in the Civic this am. Went back thru the setup. zeroed the trip a/b, setup the navi for the work address and watched. In 42 the sg and navi were spot on the trip a and b were off 4/10th's of a mile to low side from the navi and sg. Even with that thats not much for a 500 or 600 mile tank.

Anyway SG showed 49 mpg for the trip this am.

brick
11-06-2006, 09:47 AM
Gone now. I guess someone else saw it...I changed the thread title and body text to "Delete me!" Problem solved either way.

And now, back to the grind...

diamondlarry
11-06-2006, 02:05 PM
My experiment with nICE only seems to be going well.:) Today started out at 48F in the morning. The trip to the wife's shop was 46.7. From there to my work was 51.2. This afternoon, the temps rose to ~56F and the trip back to the wife's work was 52.3 and from there to home was 52.2.

philmcneal
11-07-2006, 04:18 AM
i tried to attempt a 100 mpg segment and failed miserably (only 50 mpg) because of my poor planning and the nasty rain I had experienced (water was splashing everywhere! I was getting worried if my car would short circuit but it just cleaned it :). Also my grille is naked again so I decided to focus on using the N of the Prius and by goodness what an improvement it makes! I've manged to pull quite a lot of 2.5 LPK (94 mpg) 5 minute segments lately (3 for my way home from work and manged to keep the SOC the same) but when averaged with my nasty 7.5 LPK cold start it really only works out to be about 60 mpg so right now when it comes to cold starts (which I have quite a lot of... everything is nearby me :D) its really the killer of my mileage.

its going to be tough getting back my 20%...

brick
11-07-2006, 06:38 AM
I did the commute in two stages today. The first stage to the polling location was terrible because it was about a mile and a half on a cold engine. I didn't even look at it, really. The second stage was from the polling place to work on a warm-ish engine, and the results were quite good. that was 37.4mpg over about 18 miles. I used just about every trick in the book to some extent.

Chuck
11-07-2006, 07:58 AM
Got 79mpg and it was 50F and very foggy.

tbaleno
11-07-2006, 08:37 AM
It is nice and warm here today (about 55f) I was able to get in to work at about 51mpg. These sorts of things make me want to move to a slightly warmer climate ;)

wburke8302
11-07-2006, 09:02 AM
I've been struggling as of late. Morning temps were in the 30s last week, frost, the whole 9 yards. Had to let my car idle and defrost several days. My tank was 47 mpg. The last 2 days have been in the 40s or 50s in the morning but rainy. I got 44.6 on the way in yesterday and 47 going home, then this morning got 47 on the way in to work. Cooler temps are really starting to drop my mpg. I'd just gotten to where I was consistently between 48-50 MPG too! :(

tarabell
11-07-2006, 09:51 AM
This week starts out with a new tank and nice warm fall weather. Monday I finished up at 68.2mpg. This morning I saw 72 and parked at 68.5 so I’m still somewhat hopeful of achieving that 70mpg commute on this tank. Skies are clear and blue, air is dry and crisp with barely any wind. That’s because our Santa Anas mainly affect the foothills and mountains, much less often the city part.

My fill up last weekend resulted in a 65+ tank, which I found rather incredible as many commutes were less than 65mpg and my Trip-B predicted only 61+. Not likely I can blame an under-fill as husband has been pumping my gas for the last 20 years and though he’s under strict orders to go only to the first click, I know he likes to make it a round number.

DebbieKatz
11-07-2006, 05:47 PM
So far, not a bad week for November. Yesterday I gave a ride to a friend whose husband is in the hospital - 3 starts & stops while the engine was still cold, then one more stop before I got home - but I pulled into the garage (backwards these days:) ) with 40.2mpg on the NAV screen.

Today I was a "deputy registrar" at a northside poll, but it was just past where I work, so I could use my usual commuting route - parked there with 40.4mpg. Finished there mid-afternoon, then back to the south side to vote & treated myself to a drive along the lake (the best part of my PM commute for adding mpg's). It took forever to get past 40.5-40.6mpg, but by the time I got home the NAV display was up to 41.5mpg:) :) :)

The rest of the week is looking very promising, temp-wise:)

brick
11-08-2006, 08:41 AM
Things have been a little ugly since my last report. I got stuck at the office for an extra hour yesterday, putting me on the road at the heart of rush hour and in the dark. I didn't play the extra stopping and heavier congestion the way I would have liked and didn't even make EPA highway. Conditions this morning were actually worse but I did better for some reason. Wet roads got me started, followed by a brief LS P&G routine while following well behind traffic that was stuck behind a school bus, and finally a very ugly stop & crawl for a couple of miles on the highway for no reason but an inability or unwillingness to merge like adults. That was a 33.xmpg segment which I expected to be worse. The fuel gauge is stil hanging in there as I approach the 500 mile mark so I think this ought to be an OK tank anyway. I might fill this evening since I don't really like driving on the "E."

tarabell
11-08-2006, 11:12 AM
Yesterday I was so close. I saw 69mpg towards the end of my commute and I even coasted down that hill in autostop again, but then the traffic came to a stop&crawl situation and I had to watch it sink back into the mid-60s again. Traffic is a real problem even when I stay only a few minutes later at work lately.

This morning I hit 72+mpg again and this time was able to park it at 70.2. Hopeful again for this evening.

psyshack
11-08-2006, 01:19 PM
Yesterday I had to make a run to NW Arkansas for work. Loaded down with tools and a adult passenger I got 43 mpg. No hypermiling at all with speeds from 55 to 85 mph.

This morning I got 50 mpg coming into the office. I can only hope for close to that this evening.

I will fill up tonight or in the morning.

Thrusday I will have to come in the office in the morning. Then at noon hop in the Civic and head to Ft. Worth for a meeting thrusday evening. Then over to a factory we rep. for a day long workshop. Friday night I will drive back home to Okmulgee. I expect to use a full tank of gas. The trip should come in at just under 700 miles. With a bit of luck and some good hypermiling it should happen.

Adder:
I got home with the SG showing 52 mpg current. Filled the car up, for top off style. Did the math and the tank came in at 51 mpg. I think my SG is fubar!!!

hobbit
11-08-2006, 11:25 PM
I finally got the block-heater and new WAI installed; web page still
pending since there's a lot of picture postprocessing to do.
I've also been using the EV button a lot to stretch the whole
warmup hit over a much farther *distance* -- there are plenty of
opportunities after that first 50 seconds or so of cat-warming,
per various things noted in the "five stages" document. Which, by
the way, I have posted up a recovery and slight rework of at
http://techno-fandom.org/~hobbit/cars/five-stages.txt since the
copy over at Priuschat seems to have finally croaked.
.
_H*

xcel
11-08-2006, 11:50 PM
Hi Hobbit:

___A bit OT for this thread so we need to take this into the HW or Toyota forums on the next go around.

___You are the resident Prius II technical expert here and I hope you would document your findings in the HW or Toyota forums as a sticky or FAQ linked from your sig or even as an article. If you don’t post, few will ever have the chance to see the many details you have pulled from your Prius II to date. Create an article or sticky from it and it will be posted for anyone visiting CleanMPG to see with you as the author. I can take care of the FE related stuff as that is where my expertise lyes but the detailed tech work you have performed to date is beyond my abilities yet should be available for anyone casually reading through the many important threads here.

___I am particularly interested in the WAI for the Prius II as I remember some of the last discussion of it in the YaHoo - Prius Tech forum showing little to no increase in FE while using one down into the 30 - 40 degree F temp range IIRC?

___Good Luck

___Wayne

rhwinger
11-09-2006, 05:46 AM
Changed the oil to Mobil 1 0-20 wt synthetic Tuesday. 6800 miles on the odometer.

This morning it was 61 degrees with a bit of a wind. Headed in to work - the last day of the work week. The boss has been giving me a case of industrial diarrhea lately. If it weren’t for the fact that he is not supposed to be in today, I would have called in sick, and it wouldn’t have been much of a stretch. On days like this I try to hit Starbucks on the way in to try to cope with his crap. But if the mpg gods are with me, I am willing to make a sacrifice to them and forgo the Starbucks to avoid the mpg hit.

Anyway, about a mile into the segment the car was feeling like it was running smoother than usual. I was doing about 35 mph and I glanced down and I was shocked to see 4 assist bars – a steady 35 mph on the electric – this was new! Got to the first waypoint and it was about 4 mpg over normal – and somebody was in front and tripped the light for me – so for the first time since taking this route I didn’t have to stop at this light. The first real clue the Starbucks might have to wait.

A little farther down the road, I broke out of the trees and the flags at the car dealership told me I had a wee bit of a quartering tailwind. But the traffic lights were not cooperating and I seemed to be snagged at every other one. The mpg indicator would climb to 67 and then get knocked down one or two as I continued. A few miles later and my luck with the lights seemed to be turning.

About 6 miles from work, there is a nice smooth road posted at 45 mph that isn’t well traveled at 5:20 AM. I can usually snag a few E/V glide segments, so if I lope around between 35 - 45, nobody gives me a hard time. 68 mpg and counting. After this section, there is an approach to an interstate overpass and the speed limit goes up to 55. Seems like I get crowded at my 6 here, but most peel off to hit the interstate. This morning there was a pair of odd triangular HID headlights in the rear view at this point. Prius behind me? As I was heading up the grade for the overpass, I glanced over as the triangular headlights took the ramp. Spotted the tell tale profile and the rear deck. Hmm, identifying cars by headlights now – I’m a sick puppy! Rolled down the other side of the overpass and the mpg indicator reported 69 mpg. Where’s my Fred Flinstone pedals when I need them?

Snagged a few more E/V glide sessions closer to the base and when I turned onto the road for the gate, we were sitting at 70.1 mpg. Dumped the headlights for the guard and tried to stretch the glide for all it was worth to the check point. 70.3 mpg. Had to stop and show the guard the ID card. Maneuvered past the serpentine barriers and made the turn toward the building, mpg back down to 70.1. Snagged another E/V glide and it was up to 70.3. Coasted clear across the parking lot and drifted to a stop.

70.4 at wheels stop. A new Bond Mobile record (for the inbound segment).

Sorry for the long post.

brick
11-09-2006, 06:34 AM
Great story, Bob! You guys in your HCH-IIs never fail to amaze me.

My morning was really good, too. First, I filled last night and confirmed that my ScanGauge is reading consistently low on FE. 35.4mpg displayed, but 36.7mpg at the pump. That's my best tank in at least a month! So I have the ScanGauge adjustment factor back to -2.5 or so, which is about what it should have been before I started having trouble with fill inconsistency.

This morning it was at least 55F and a little damp, but not so much water on the roads as to cause a problem. The "voices" were telling me to milk this one for all it was worth, which is exactly what happened. First it was out of my space and straight down-hill in 3rd gear, closed throttle to try to let the engine get some heat in it while building a little bit of FE. Then it was around the corner and down another hill...but what's this? Warmup FAS? He doesn't usually do that! Good for about 1/3 of a mile right up to my second stop sign. After that it was pretty straight-forward. I hit a bunch of lights but managed to get some FAS miles out of them, and same goes for the school bus that I alwas end up 4-5 cars behind. The good news is that his routine is very predictable and the impact is no worse than one light, fully mitigated if I take it as a LS P&G cycle. The drivers on this route (except for one juvenile in a rice rocket) have been very tolerant of my puttering around at the speed limit so I didn't do much DWL unless there was an excuse, like a changing light up the hill. The highway section didn't go as well as it has in the past but it didn't seem to matter. I rolled into my space (face out, of course ;) ) with 38.7mpg showing. I'll be ****ed if I wasn't in the 41-43mpg range before hopping on the highway and drowning that number in gasoline.

November isn't such a bad month to drive, afterall.

Chuck
11-09-2006, 08:48 AM
Must have been an off day for me - 76mpg. Cold front is going to send temperatures well below 65F in the mornings this weekend in Dallas.

brick
11-09-2006, 04:31 PM
Great weather, great home-bound commute. I tried to match my morning effort and pulled 40.1mpg door to door. It's amazing what happens when you get perfect temps and quit letting the car idle.

rhwinger
11-10-2006, 06:42 AM
It was gorgeous yesterday afternoon. Out of the office early. The leaves are really starting to turn color, so it was like following the yellow brick road or something. The yellow orange leaves contrasting a crystal clear blue sky - it was just such a nice day. The temp was in the high 60's I think. 67 mpg on the way home.

xcel
11-10-2006, 06:52 AM
Hi All:

___45 - 48 degrees and 52.5 mpg’s w/ a 52 mph average to the Park and Ride this morning. Just went beyond 925 miles for the first time in over 6 weeks w/ out a short fill to get me to a cheaper station too. Have to fill tonight however and fuel is up over $0.13 - $0.21/gallon depending on the station since election eve :(

___Good Luck

___Wayne

brick
11-10-2006, 07:47 AM
This morning wasn't bad. A little cooler than yesterday but still managed 37.9mpg. People were obnoxious, though. I don't understand what's so offensive about going a consistent 40-42 in a 40mph zone? Ahh, well. I'm used to it.

Chuck
11-10-2006, 10:19 AM
This morning wasn't bad. A little cooler than yesterday but still managed 37.9mpg. People were obnoxious, though. I don't understand what's so offensive about going a consistent 40-42 in a 40mph zone? Ahh, well. I'm used to it.

My fantasy, right after they swerve around you, etc. they get stopped by a reporter on the scene and everybody gets to see them on the evening news expaining away their road rage. :p

rhwinger
11-10-2006, 11:26 AM
Great story, Bob! You guys in your HCH-IIs never fail to amaze me.

Thanks Brick - I think the HCH-II is a great car.

psyshack
11-12-2006, 10:47 AM
My trip to DFW was a bust! My mpg going down stunk with 20 mph head winds. Got stuck in traffic on hwy 121 cutting over from hwy 75 to Fort worth. Got rear ended about 8 miles from Fort Worth in the insane traffic. Then the person driving the Mustang that hit me turned down the embankment and ran. IE hit and run. Then I had gas stolen from my car in the hotel parking lot. And then got awful mpg coming back to Oklahoma on I-35 heading north into a 20 to 30 mph head wind.

Im just sick about the trip. There is going to be a huge battle monday at work when i turn in my trip log. Logging these tanks is going to be sick.

Should I log the stolen tank?

xcel
11-12-2006, 12:10 PM
Hi All:

___Had a terrible 37.4 mpg - 30 mile segment the other day :( Filled her up beating the lmpg after almost 940 miles. Last 3 have been 44.7, 45.1, and 47.5 in high 30 to low 40 degree temps.

___Good Luck

___Wayne

philmcneal
11-12-2006, 03:53 PM
My trip to DFW was a bust! My mpg going down stunk with 20 mph head winds. Got stuck in traffic on hwy 121 cutting over from hwy 75 to Fort worth. Got rear ended about 8 miles from Fort Worth in the insane traffic. Then the person driving the Mustang that hit me turned down the embankment and ran. IE hit and run. Then I had gas stolen from my car in the hotel parking lot. And then got awful mpg coming back to Oklahoma on I-35 heading north into a 20 to 30 mph head wind.

Im just sick about the trip. There is going to be a huge battle monday at work when i turn in my trip log. Logging these tanks is going to be sick.

Should I log the stolen tank?


wow what a handful of events psy, man i can't believe people stole from your tank! i wonder why a civic like yours was targetted...

so how nasty is your damage?

Chuck
11-13-2006, 08:00 AM
My trip to DFW was a bust! My mpg going down stunk with 20 mph head winds. Got stuck in traffic on hwy 121 cutting over from hwy 75 to Fort worth. Got rear ended about 8 miles from Fort Worth in the insane traffic. Then the person driving the Mustang that hit me turned down the embankment and ran. IE hit and run. Then I had gas stolen from my car in the hotel parking lot. And then got awful mpg coming back to Oklahoma on I-35 heading north into a 20 to 30 mph head wind.

Im just sick about the trip. There is going to be a huge battle monday at work when i turn in my trip log. Logging these tanks is going to be sick.

Should I log the stolen tank?

I should take the blame for not suggesting you to take Hwy 380 or probably better, Hwy 82 off US 75 to I 35, then in Lewisville, take the second 121 exit.

DebbieKatz
11-13-2006, 08:10 AM
*Sigh*...

Despite the block heater & FE-friendly temps last week, I wound up with 41mpg on the NAV, which came out to an actual 37mpg, calculated when I filled up on Friday AM:( Still, when I posted this tank here, my average only dropped to 40.1, so I get to stay in the 40's for another couple of weeks.

Yesterday I covered the grille with a sheet of cardboard, so I'm looking forward to this week to see how that helps.

psyshack
11-13-2006, 01:15 PM
wow what a handful of events psy, man i can't believe people stole from your tank! i wonder why a civic like yours was targetted...

so how nasty is your damage?

The bumper cover needs replaced. Most folks would just touch it up and polish out. It has a bend line in it. I was able to pop alot of it out and get the rear under tray set back right. The exhaust system seems ok. I havent even looked at calc's on the mpg. Im sure hours of redline fun would have netted better mpg than this trip.

psyshack
11-13-2006, 01:27 PM
I should take the blame for not suggesting you to take Hwy 380 or probably better, Hwy 82 off US 75 to I 35, then in Lewisville, take the second 121 exit.

Chuck,,, no fault of yours at all. I had planned to come in on I-35 and beat the late afternoon rush. But as things turned out I had to go 75/69. I get the feeling that thrusday afternoon and evening was just a very bad day for traffic in north Tx. I found some radio stations that where ontop of traffic and coupled with the navi I figured my best bet at the time was 121 from Mckenny across to Ft. Worth. If I had went down I-35 I would more than likely got caught in the wreck by the speedway that killed 4 or 5 people. There were whole sections of hwy shut down all over the metro that day because of wrecks.

When I got down in that mess on 121 I got a sinking feeling that I was going to get rear ended. I could feel it. Im glad the traffic was beep and creep or it could have been much worse.

The company I work for is going to help with repairs to the car. And the missing gas. They knew I didnt want to make this trip. They know that Tx. and i just dont mix. and hopefully I never have to go back. :)



Copyright 2006 Clean MPG, LLC. All Rights Reserved.