what's the most accurate way to determine MPG ?

Discussion in 'Gen 1 Prius Plug-in 2012-2015' started by fortytwok, May 6, 2013.

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  1. fortytwok

    fortytwok Active Member

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    No one is adding any gas to my car - its garaged, locked when out and I also have an electric mower = no gas in the garage! Wife wants no part of the PiP and hasn't even driven it.

    But - you bring up an interesting point - idling. I assume you mean those awful times ICE kicks in.
    I am rarely out of EV range and I've been keeping a log - some weeks the only gas "used" has been those 120 mile intervals when ICE kicks in...
    I maintain the system that says 6 gallons is off - 3 gallons per gas bars correct given 192 miles (20 were dealer miles).
    Pic coming later although I don't see what that would show
     
    #21 fortytwok, Jun 3, 2013
  2. El Dobro

    El Dobro A Member

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    A week ago, I ran the gas down until the last pip was flashing and the readout said I had 14 miles to go before empty. When I filled up, the car took 8.136 gallons, so there were probably around 2 gallons left.
     
    #22 El Dobro, Jun 3, 2013
  3. mmmodem

    mmmodem Senior Taste Tester

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    There was a previous post from a member wondering why he got terrible fuel economy. He drove 20 miles a day and charge every day and got 54 mpg as I recall. Say what? He posted a pic and it showed his kWh was the equivalent of 20 days worth of charge (I'm making up these numbers as I don't have a forum search function on my iPod). He had owned the car considerably longer than 20 days. So for whatever reason electricity wasn't going into his car.

    There was also the guy that said he got 20 mpg. Turns out it was 200 mpg. It's a lot easier to troubleshoot with the data instead of asking you a bunch of questions.
     
    #23 mmmodem, Jun 3, 2013
  4. fortytwok

    fortytwok Active Member

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    I promise I'll take pics and post in a couple hours !

    but everything else is in synch - bars show the max - 200mpg
    I've kept a log and know I'm over 700mpg - I'm at 2350 miles / 91% EV / 3 bars down ! Even if you want to round up and say the 3 bars mean 4 gallons that'd = 600mpg. I'm semi retired - I just coach at the local high school so I simply don't drive out of EV range on my 4 trips a day.

    The only thing out of whack is the read of 6 gallons - even ICE kicking in every 125 miles wouldn't get it there...
     
    #24 fortytwok, Jun 3, 2013
  5. Tracksyde

    Tracksyde Member

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    Just to be clear (because I think there is some confusion on this point), when you say "3 bars down", you mean you have 7 bars REMAINING, and have only used 3 bars correct?

    If that is the case, something does seem off. I dont see how the EV/HV ratio screen could say you used 6 gallons when you have 7 bars remaining. The only scenario I can think of is your car, prior to you driving it off the lot, had consumed 2-3 gallons of gas. The trip meters were reset when you bought the car, but the EV/HV ratio was not.
     
    #25 Tracksyde, Jun 3, 2013
  6. fortytwok

    fortytwok Active Member

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    correct - as shown in the pic I posted - 3 bars down means I have 7 remaining
    and no - driving it off the lot my car had never been in EV mode. They just didn't charge it for my test drives.
    It did have 20 gas miles on it and then they filled up for delivery to me.
    As problems go this isn't that bad, I'm just surprised given technology these days

    edit - to be clear - my PiP had 20 gas miles on it at pick-up AND odometer read 20 miles
     
    #26 fortytwok, Jun 3, 2013
  7. fortytwok

    fortytwok Active Member

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    Here's the pic taken just before hitting 91% - hopefully its readable - was hard to squeeze in the readings and show the gas bars
     
    #27 fortytwok, Jun 3, 2013
  8. 3PriusMike

    3PriusMike Prius owner since 2000, Tesla M3 2018

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    I see no picture. Are you sure you are uploading correctly? There is an icon for an image in both of your last 2 posts...but no pict.

    Mike
     
    #28 3PriusMike, Jun 3, 2013
  9. fortytwok

    fortytwok Active Member

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    it was in my sig but here's a copy :
    [​IMG]
     
    #29 fortytwok, Jun 3, 2013
  10. SLOW_RR

    SLOW_RR Member

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    So how exactly do you put a photo in your signature?
     
    #30 SLOW_RR, Jun 3, 2013
  11. SLOW_RR

    SLOW_RR Member

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    Figured it out....
     
    #31 SLOW_RR, Jun 3, 2013
  12. fortytwok

    fortytwok Active Member

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    not sure what that means - Is the pic not showing up properly ?

    [​IMG]
     
    #32 fortytwok, Jun 3, 2013
  13. El Dobro

    El Dobro A Member

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    No pics, just the dreaded red X.
     
    #33 El Dobro, Jun 3, 2013
  14. fortytwok

    fortytwok Active Member

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    trying again !
     
    #34 fortytwok, Jun 3, 2013
  15. El Dobro

    El Dobro A Member

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    Are you using the little tree icon to insert your image?
     
    #35 El Dobro, Jun 3, 2013
  16. fortytwok

    fortytwok Active Member

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    I've been unable to do that "little tree" option - so I cut and pasted (which apparently didn't work either)
    Odd as I'd done that before from my Iphone. I did manage to post pic on my avatar - not the greatest but if you squint you can see the numbers

    and here's using a photo service :
    http://s1329.photobucket.com/user/golfx15/media/photo_zps5a350369.jpg.html
     
    #36 fortytwok, Jun 4, 2013
  17. SageBrush

    SageBrush Senior Member

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    Easy Peasy.

    Fill up the tank to the brim; Measure amount required
    Remove a gallon;
    Repeat measurement as desired.

    ;)
     
    #37 SageBrush, Jun 4, 2013
  18. fortytwok

    fortytwok Active Member

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    thats not desired - and why I purchased the PiP ;-)
    I'll get my first fill-up in a couple months, just wondered if anyone here saw a disconnect with the remaining "gas bars" and the reading that showed gallons used...
    PiP 2350 Photo by golfx15 | Photobucket
     
    #38 fortytwok, Jun 4, 2013
  19. mmmodem

    mmmodem Senior Taste Tester

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    I see the pic. I don't see anything obvious. All we need now is the odometer and the calculated fuel economy from the car.

    If it is the same distance or close to the same distance as your combined EV ratio then we can infer that those 20 dealer miles used up 2-3 gallons of gas. In other words, the dealer and test drives used up 2-3 gallons. Maybe they left it on idling by mistake, some members have done that. You buy the car and tank gets full but the EV Ratio is not reset.

    This is pure speculation on my part.
     
    #39 mmmodem, Jun 4, 2013
    Tracksyde likes this.
  20. fortytwok

    fortytwok Active Member

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    pic of Odometer photo_zpse4cb6bbd.jpg Photo by golfx15 | Photobucket
     
    #40 fortytwok, Jun 4, 2013
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