If it helps, in addition to the techniques that were mentioned above, I had to learn how to hold my foot on the accelerator. When driving a consistent speed, there are two positions of note on the accelerator. The first is the point at which any more gas would cause you to accelerate. The second is the point where any less gas would cause you to slow down. I had previously been driving on the first. Learning to drive on the second made a big difference. And personally I think the cruise control drives on the first and doesn't get as good of mileage as it should.

Although mine is a 4wd, and I expect lower mileage than you, it took me quite a while (~20k miles) to figure out how to drive it. I should note that no matter how good you are at these techniques, short trips will kill your mileage.

Good luck!

 

Pral

I reset that button at fill-up with my Navi and my EB Exployer on the dash. It just begins a new average everytime you reset it. On both vehicles, you can use the reset do determine instant MPH at a given moment. I did alot of testing the FEH for acceleration with different RPM's to find the best FE, and the Scangauge and the navi are almost exactly with there readouts. The data on the dash only hold its average for about 10 hours of driving, and then starts dropping old data for the current data being added. The Scangauge retains enough data for more than a few tanks of gas.

If you want additional information on driving for better MPG, I wrote an Article for http://www.cleanmpg.com/ and the direct link to that article is http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=350. I did a steady state speed comparison with both the Cruise and my foot which is in that article as well as other techniques that can improve your mileage if your interested.

Salsbr good point, I used that technique every minute while at a steady state speed with great results. Just look at the tach when you back off the accelerator and still maintain your speed.

GaryG

 

Phillip:
Re-setting the average mpg thingy doesn't help to program the computer, the 8 plus mile run at 60 on a flat road with the cruise control on does.

The computer takes the opportunity to re-calibrate itself.

I figured two things would occur. One, you'd see better than 28 mpg average and two, if you were out of calibration, the 8 miles would re-calibrate the system.

The calibration story is in the owners manual.

MM

 

I think I saw one a while ago...

 

Yeah I noticed in your initial post you were doing 70 on the freeway. If you go to the government's fueleconomy.gov website they explain how the window sticker fuel economy test works. The government basically has a profile of "city" driving which invovles varying speeds at specific timing intervals all of which they stricly require -- the manufacturer is not allowed to take liberties. After running the scenario several times, the number basically is what it is -- that's what they are required to print on the window sticker and no it does not represent most driving. Additionally I think the freeway tests assume a fully warmed up vehicle, no hills, a perfectly constant speed, and the speed is only 55. At 70 on a real freeway you wont come anywhere close to the window sticker economy.

I reset mine on every tank and then log it in a notebook I keep in the car.

It doesn't do anything to the engine computer -- that's just a drive info computer. It simply shows the average economy since the last time you reset it.

It will get the best fuel economy on slow roads which "flow" well. I find that some surface streets with average speeds of about 45 will yield significantly better fuel economy that freeways at 55. 70mph speeds are just out of the question. Ford showed a fuel economy graph for the car at their owner's experience event a few years ago -- I wish we had that graph to post. Basically ALL cars do better at slower speeds... but when you get onto roads with 25-35 mph speed limits these tend to be city or neighborhood streets with lots of traffic lights and/or stop-signs. You spend considerable energy overcoming inertia to get the vehicle up to speed -- once it reaches the required speed it takes much less to just maintain the momentum. Unfortunately you come to a light/stop-sign/traffic congestion and have to hit the brakes and all that kenetic energy gets disappeated into heat when you step on the brakes of a normal car. In a hybrid, much of the energy is capture by the regenerative brakes -- but ONLY if you stop slowly (long braking distance.). If you step on the brakes hard the real disk-brakes engage and energy absorbed by the disk brakes isn't regenerated -- it's dissapated into the air as "heat".

 

Very Good Post Tim!

The only thing I would like to add, is keep the ICE off as much as possible and coast in neutral for distance.

GaryG

 

Also, it should be noted that the fuel economy reported by the vehicle computer is on the high side. By my calculations, the NAV reports MPG about 2-3mpg higher than my manual logs. Lifetime, my average is about 28mpg....the average of the NAV reported numbers is about 29mpg.

 

...don't forget that the regenerative braking system wont engage if the car is in 'neutral' (the car is forced to use the disk brakes instead). So you want to pop back into Drive or Low when hitting the brakes.

 

WOOOO HOOOO !!!!

last fillup............. 31.88 MPG

Took most of the advice I got, and did my own thing as well.

1. No heavy acceleration, I get up to speed, but I don't stomp it.

2. I take slower roads when I have the time, city street instead of freeway or expressway. OH, it it hard some time, but on the freeway, I set the cruise for 65 or 70 and just let the cars zoom by.

3. I also try to keep the short trips to a min. Man the warm up part of the drive eats gas... big time. Ride my bike for my Starbucks.

4. I have gotten pretty good at coasting, but coasting in gear. Neutral coasting does not charge the battery, and sooner or later it will charge, and that means ICE, unless you can do it at breaking and coasting.

I think the biggest thing was the advice to let the computer retune the engine.

Thanks !!!!

So now we have a monthly 2 am run to morgan hill and back... only time you can catch all the lights green. Monterey highway is pretty level.

 

I can't break 30 MPG ever. I do everything except the hypermile unsafe techniques which i will not do. Still under 1K miles.