Hch I Fas?

lowandslow · #11 06-28-2009, 11:04 AM

Hi Mr. Pancake,
I also have a HCH-I 5-spd (and live in OH).
Like you, I've just tried turning the motor off a few times in my daily drive to/from work. I had been using the key-start 3 or 4 times but from the advice posted here I tried bump-starting this week. Well that seems to help and I did it more often since my IMA battery SOC held up better. For the first time, I saw numbers over 70 mpg so I'm starting to get a better understanding of the potential of this great little car.
BTW, I just received my pre-programmed Scanguage II last week (thru Cleanmpg), installed it, and am hooked on watching the Lean Burn guage (thanks Wayne!!!). I highly recommend it !
Best Regards,
LowAndSlow

Mr. Pancake · #12 06-28-2009, 01:34 PM

Sounds good, my trip meter for this tank is at 70MPG at the moment. This car really likes the warmer weather, a lot easier to get into lean-burn. How far off is your trip meter from your actual calculated MPG for a tank? So far, my seems to be about 5MPG off.

lowandslow · #13 06-29-2009, 08:47 AM

On mine, the Average MPG displayed on the dash is usually about 1-2 mpg higher than what I get when calculated from the pump. It has been as much as 5 mpg off (false high) to as much as 2 mpg low (I suspect some of that noise is from variation due to tank fill). I started going to the same pump and orienting my car the same way lately. It might be helping a bit but too early to tell for sure. By the way, I've got Micheline Harmony tires (what tires are you running?). I haven't checked the spedo or odometer for accuracy yet.

I've been coasting in neutral (engine on) down a few hills and have found that sometimes I get a few bars of regen as long as I begin my coast above 50 mph (maybe 51 or 52 mph). I say "sometimes" because it doesn't always happen and I'm not sure if it is something I'm doing different, or if some mystery-to-me parameter is not satisifed (SOC, water temp, etc). Do you see that sometimes?

Yes my car likes the heat (more than I do).

lowandslow

Right Lane Cruiser · #14 06-29-2009, 09:07 AM

I've seen the regen in N a couple of times when driving Laurie's '05, but didn't find any repeatable set of circumstances that will trigger that behavior. I believe both times were at lower speeds and right after a bump start.

lowandslow · #15 06-29-2009, 09:21 AM

Thanks Sean,
It is still somewhat of a mystery to me. I think I've narrowed it down to starting at greater than 50 mph (don't recall ever seeing it at a lower starting point), I think the car has always been up to operating temp. It may be associated with coming out of 5th (can't recall getting it from 4th gear). Or maybe it is just when the moon and stars are aligned right (LOL).
Laurie, Are you able to coax yours into coast-regn, or is it just a matter luck?
lowandslow

Mr. Pancake · #16 06-29-2009, 11:46 AM

I have Bridestone Insignia tires on the car (they were on it when I bought it), haven't checked the speedometer but the odometer agrees with the one in my other Civic. I get the NICE-on regen sometimes too, usually on the way home on the down side of an overpass doing somewhere between 55-60 MPH. I don't get it everytime and I've seen it a couple other places but not with any regularity. Does the car know when its going down hill and that coupled with no load on the engine (since its in neutral) makes the electric motor engage to charge?

Right Lane Cruiser · #17 06-29-2009, 12:57 PM

I've seen other behavior in my Insight which may explain it? I see brief blips of regen when my car drops into fuel cut between gears (if I'm not fast enough getting through the change). Perhaps the HCH-I does the same thing and in some circumstances "forgets" to stop regen when idle RPM is attained?

lowandslow · #18 06-29-2009, 03:46 PM

All,
Another observation I've made is that with mine, there is a delay of 5-7 seconds from the time I shift to neutral before the nice-on regen starts and it seems to fade away when the speed drops to around 40 mph. I've only seen it start above 50 mph so I've tried to initiate it right around 50 and perhpas if I cost down to below 50 before the 5-7 seconds interval, that might be contributing to the lack of coast-regen from time to time??? I find it rather interesting to continue learing how this car "thinks" so to speak. Just about when I think I've got it down pretty well, I notice something else. For example, I've found IMA assist to be rather sensitive in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd gear such that it is hard to stay out of the battery (even with a very light foot). Just noticed the other night that if I wait until I'm over 2000 RPM before shifting out of 2nd gear it seems much easier to avoid assist in 3rd (even easier than might be expeted from the reduced load on the engine due to the higher shift point).
Best Regards,
Ed