Mileage Help Please

I would not go over 40 PSI on The GoodYear Fuel Max.

 

Thank you for filling out the questionnaire.

What MPG are you getting now and what are you expecting?

 

That is interesting. You should be getting much better MPG from what you have told us. Have you tried not using the pulse and glide technique and just driving the car normally? If not I would suggest doing that and see what happens.

You can also try resetting your trip MPG while on the freeway. Then just maintain 65mph or so depending on your local speed limit and see what the display reads. You should be at 50mpg+. Then turn around and do the same thing going the other direction to eliminate any differences in road elevation.

 

Perhaps you're not hypermiling properly. I wouldn't pulse and glide on the highway (but that's just me). For city, you should pulse up to (at most) the approx the max speed EV speed (it's ~41 mph on the 2nd gen and ~46 mph (?) on the 3rd gen).

Since you expect 50 or 51 mpg, please read http://priuschat.com/forums/other-c...uth-about-epa-city-highway-mpg-estimates.html and see Most fuel-efficient cars for what CR got.

I bet your city drives are killing your mileage and they don't sound very long either.

Are you trying to stay in electric/EV when pulsing or electric? If so, that's not necessarily the most efficient way to drive.

Regarding your HVAC usage, I almost never use auto. I'd advise against it in the morning when it's cold as it could cause the ICE to unnecessarily run to provide cabin heat, instead of stopping at low speeds or while stopped.

I don't think the OP has Fuel Max tires. That's an example given in the questionnaire. Please confirm tire make, model and size.

 

Drive like a 100 year old man who can't see out the window. Oh! Thats me! LOL

Also pretend you have a piece of jello under your foot.

 

Ding ding - we have a winner!

Short trips will kill EVERY car's fuel economy. How long does it take you to cover this 12 miles? If your trip to work takes less than 20 minutes, understand that your mileage will suffer.

Want to test? Reset your mileage and go for an hour ride - anywhere. Check the FE at the end of the trip.

AFTER THE ENGINE COOLS (read: the next day) reset the FE and do your regular commute. Compare the results.

-Brad

 

I'd suggest getting the block heater. If your commute is fairly regular time a timer will help, or just plug it in right when you get up, if you have at least 1 hour (1.5~2 hours best).

The part is around $70~80. You can install yourself, but it's a bit of a bear. Just for piece of mind the dealership can do it, and I believe then it would be kosher for warranty. It's pricey though: we got ripped at $400 installed, $250 would be reasonable.

You'll likely get funny looks, asking for block heater in your climate, and it will likely need to be shipped in.

Double zip-tie the cord at the front grill, a couple of locations an inch or two apart. And try to use an extension that releases easy, and is securely anchored (ours is wrapped around barbecue wheel, LOL). Sooner or later you will forget to unplug it.

We use the block heater religously, year 'round. My wife's the principal driver, a mix of short trips with some medium. Right now, halfway into a fairly typical tank, the dash is saying 4.4 liters/100 km.

We just picked it up from the bodyshop (minor work), and they'd likely been idling a bit, it was up to 4.7, on 150 km travelled. We went downtown, about 30 km and back, and I managed to push it back down to 4.5.

Now, telling: the next day, after my wife's driving to various clients, short trips, it was at 4.4. Invariably you can add 0.3 to those numbers, the "Toyota BS factor". So say 4.7, which translates to 50 miles per US gallon.

I appreciate the blockheater only warms the car for the first run of the day, but that's the worst, and as long as your subsequent trips aren't poles apart, the car's still partially warmed. Basically, when we take off after sitting on the blockheater, the car shuts often is shutting down at idle at the first stop sign or light.

I've not been paying close attention to it yet, but I recently got a ScanGauge, and have it set to show coolant temp. I believe at start up it's around 130F (ambient temps around 70F), which is well on the way to operating temp, around 190F.

 

I have the same kind of commutes, 12-20 miles. I've been experimenting with different routes to take, and keeping my pulse ONLY UP TO the speed limit, and gliding until I get to 10mph below the speed limit.

I've also been keeping better tabs on what I'm doing with the gas pedal, and when. I stopped accelerating heavy when going up an incline, I've just been keeping it steady, and glide as long as I can after the crest of the hill.

I've seen anywhere from 5-10mpg increase just in the past week because of critiquing my driving. My best in one trip from one side of the town to the other last week was 61.1 average, using the ScanGaugeII.

Driving under 70 on the highway has done wonders for me.

Hope you can see some increases in your fuel economy. It's pretty exciting to see it keep going up. I'm still learning, but mine is getting better and better.

Good luck!