Stealth at 45?

I believe your ICE did in fact begin to recipricate at 42 MPH, but because of the low demand situation, no actual combustion was taking place, so you didn't "feel" it transition.

I can transition through 34 MPH EV/Stealth threshold, and the 42MPH Stealth/Warp(recip) threshold, without inducing running of the ICE, all the time.
Just takes light footwork prior to the transition points.
I'm most proud of the EV transition.

I can travel over 3 miles from the interstate exit ramp to my house, never using gas. EV, glide, stealth, glide, warp stealth, glide-- all the way.
And the interstate exit ramp to my job. And rush hour traffic in between. And anywhere it makes sense.
Because I own a car that can run on no gas. I'm taking advantage of that.

 

Your ICE was spinning, but it was not providing power. The arrows on the MFD show power flow, not state, so there is no way to tell from the MFD if the ICE is spinning or running. The process of starting the ICE makes a noticeable vibration. Merely spinning it is undetectable.

Tom

 

Above 42 MPH or 66 kmPH it's "warp stealth", as the engine MUST spin.
Get a Scangauge II, set one of the gauges to RPM, and you will be able to see when the engine does and does not spin. If you set another gauge to fuel use (GPH or lPH) you will be able to see when fuel is being injected as well, but ignore the 0.01 or 0.02 reading - it's a spurious readout of the Scangauge.

 

9G-man, I think I understand the 42 mph stealth transition of the ICE beginning to spin, but can you explain what the 34 mph transition is?

PA P

 

Sure,
I have the factory EV switch installed., When using EV mode, there is a 34MPH threshold where the ECU kicks you out of EVmode.
That will usually induce the ICE to start running.
BUT, if you are in EV mode, and at 33 MPH (or prior to the transition) , induce a glide and turn it off, or let it kick off by itself while you're in that glide, you can then reappy gas pedal pressure to continue in normal stealth mode.
And the ICE never starts.
DO the same thing at about 41 MPH and you can transition from stealth to warp stealth, without the ICE starting.

 

Got it, 9G-man. Thanks.

PA P

 

Just keep in mind that anytime you are using battery you are using gas. 9G's case may be somewhat special, as he does this all right at the end of his commute. Given that the ICE will have to run through the warmup cycle in the morning which will put some charge back in the battery he may end up ahead of the game. In general any driving that takes power out of the battery or puts it back in will result in lost efficiency. There are exceptions and special circumstances where the ICE->electric->battery->electric->wheels inefficiency is overcome by improved efficiency in the ICE. Still most find it a good rule of thumb to use as little battery as possible when trying to maximize fuel economy.

Rob

 

Rob is quite correct. Something else to consider is what I'm doing is just another form of pulse and glide. And as such, I put the vast emphasis on the "glide" part of what I described in my post. I have to remind myself that the N.(ish) Georgia topography affords me some uncanny opportunities to glide, because it's such an endless expanse of rolling or slightly inclined roadway.

 

I'm hearing what you're saying, Sounds like your topography is making it difficult to find an even balance betweem being forced to use the ICE and forced to accept regen. So you want to be in some form of "EV", stealth, warpstealth, to take advantage of whats in your battery. Emphasis on gliding is where the real gravy is, and it sounds like you know that, but can't take advantage. Sometimes the hills can be too steep.

I see you're in the midwest. Is it that steep where you are.?

 

a scan gauge will certainly show that your ICE was indeed spinning as David Beale stated. Now, on the other hand, as you are coasting and your speed is increasing, as you approach 40 mph, shift into "N" and then when you go over 41 mph, the ICE will not come on. I do this all the time so I can go faster (usually when I'm in traffic) but I can still coast and the mpg read out is still 99.9 on the MFD and 9999.99 on the scan gauge, and the scan gauge shows NO rpm's at all.....

 

Power for the ICE spin was from kinetic energy. Just another form of warp-stealth -- at least the way I use the term to mean ICE spinning but no fuel use.

All of us will see this mode frequently when we have plug-ins and are travelling at low (55 - 60 mph) steady-state highway on the level.

A question for people with gauges: above 42 mph, does the ICE spin jump up to a minimum, or is spin rate linear with supra-stealth speeds ?

 

The ICE is spun at about 960 RPM if in stealth (the motor spins it). In warp stealth I saw about the same RPM at 90 km/hr (about 55 MPH). It is spun to reduce the RPM of MG1. While you can stop this it isn't good to fool the HSD (or mother nature). It's possible to do damage if you spin MG1 too fast. From my brief visits to warp stealth, I don't see the rate change with speed. I suspect at some speed warp stealth wouldn't be possible, but I defer to the warp stealth experts on that. Getting into warp stealth is just too finicky for me.

I let the HSD take care of itself.