Here on GH we don't advocate breaking any laws, even Laws of Physics.

 

RE: All the stuff above (or below) depending on how you have your preferences setup...

I appreciate all of the suggestions given here and the links to different threads with additional information. I am still reading the low gear thread and am trying to make sense of all the information. The thread has a ton of information in it and it appears that people's thinking changed over the coarse of the thread. I am still trying to figure out how best to use 'L' in my day to day driving.

I hate seeing people getting angry with each other over this thread. I am looking for everyone's opinion and I will filter the replies to help achieve my own goals with my FEH. Personally, I am not trying to be a mega FE guy. I want to learn how to adjust my driving habits to maximize my FE while driving in a manner that is both comfortable and safe.

I especially appreciate the suggestions from the people with the highest FE because it shows me what can be done... I have not seen anybody suggest using a grappling hook on a semi yet, but that seems to be an ideal way to increase FE to an amateur like me! --- THAT IS A JOKE! ---

Back to the thread topic...

I drove down to San Diego today (~90 miles each way) and I had a strange experience... For this trip, I drove 65 MPH using cruise control in the right lane (parts of this trip has a speed limit of 70MPH) and I just used a few fake shifts, shift to 'L' when slowing down if I had a low battery, and two neutral glides when there wasn't anybody around on a downhill section. I used the AC in recirculation mode the entire time as it was more than a little hot! During the first part of the trip (after about 25 minutes warm-up) I was getting about 31MPG shown on the Nav System. Later in the drive, during a section I would think would be the same or worse MPG wise, my FE increased to about 33 MPG. I was surprised to see this and flipped my odometer from trip to total miles and I was at 3008 miles. It appeared that just about exactly at 3000 miles my FE changed. <strange> A second thing I noticed was I am now able to accelerate to 35 MPH in 'L' while staying in EV mode. Yesterday, there was no way I could do this... I tried! <even stranger>

This makes me wonder if the 3000 mile break-in that is often quoted is not just a rule of thumb, by something programed into the software by Ford. Any thoughts?

Finally, a FYI I discovered yesterday when I was playing around with some of the 'L' suggestions on the local dairy roads. During a test where I was trying to shift from 'L' to 'N', I actually shifted from 'D' to 'R'! Lucky for me the FEH was smart enough to ignore me and I quickly corrected the mistake!

 

Like any conversation, people are going to say things that annoy someone. It goes with the territory.

The grappling hook might be a little tough - maybe a magnet would work better.

The jury is still out on the 3000 mile "program" thing. I was able to do much better in my '06 than the '05 right off the lot. In the '05 I had plateaus in my mileage graph at 1000, 3000, and 5000 miles. In the '06 it was basically flat after the first tank. It then ramped up at 7500 or so miles but that corresponded to cooler weather/less a/c use.

A lot of us kinda knew that nothing would happen if you shifted into reverse with the car moving. I think it was Gary that actually had the nerve to prove it. Probably don't want to experiment with Park....

 

Hi Ray

"A lot of us kinda knew that nothing would happen if you shifted into reverse with the car moving. I think it was Gary that actually had the nerve to prove it. Probably don't want to experiment with Park...."

It wasn't nerve and I didn't want to prove anything. It was a mistake that scared the crap out of me is what it was. I remember this was information that Rich or John brought back from the Dearborn event. I agree, stay away from park while your moving, I'm sure that would sound like a spoon in the garbage disposal.

Edgart, wind has a big bearing on FE. This is why we talk about RT's (round trips) giving everyone our mileage acomplishments or failures. Are you sure it wasn't wind direction that may have increased you mileage?

I have not totally ruled out a program change, but why would there be one? When I first got my FEH, I could work real hard to break into what I thought (you just can go by the gas you pumped) was a 40mpg tank. As I put more miles on my FEH, I learned how to drive it better to increase mileage. You newer owners have the benifits of what we slowly learned from one another. The problem is, you've got to break your vehicle's in first, to catch up with us old timer's numbers.

Your comments are interesting about the LGA thread. You must see how the old timers battled it out over the FEH, and now have a much better picture of how things work. A few months ago, I went back to some old threads on Hybridcars.com before my FEH arrived and after. Now, if I knew then what I know now, I could have saved alot of gas. Back then, I never dreamed I could run in EV this long and at speeds near 40mph. It will takes some time for you and others to fully understand what we've picked up the past year, but if your interested, it's all written in our threads.

GaryG

 

Sorry 'bout that. I thought it was you that threw it in R to see what would happen. Too many threads over the last year.

Electronic transmission or not, I'm not going anywhere near R unless I am stopped.

Remember the Oldsmobile commercial from 20+ years or so ago. They showed a Cutlass or something going from smoking the tires forward to smoking them in reverse while at WOT the whole time. I guess the point was to show how tough they made their stuff. I always wanted to try that out - in someone else's car of course.

 

Gary,
I posted a thread a little while back stating the same thing about the 1,000 mile mark. No doubt in my mind it is a program milestone that is set to allow some form of break-in. When my vehicle hit 1,000 my EV ability went from 25mph MAX to about 30. It was sudden and obvious and to me there is no way it was a coincidence.

 

Hi Tim

The fact that a program change was sometime in the '06 models, I'll take your comment serious. I was able to get to about 32mph in EV the first day with 20 miles on my FEH. I was so happy because I thought I was going to be limited to 25mph from all reports and articles back then. You can stay with traffic in EV much better with the increase in speed.

Phillip says he is limited to about 30mph in his '05 AWD in EV, but many are reporting 35mph. If I get a good tailwind, I can get to 38-39mph in EV till the battery gets low. Keeping the battery temp cool is a big key during the summer heat.

Thanks for your opinion on the program change. Lets hope other's can look and report the same info. I'm left out here with few reporting the kind of mileage I'm getting.

GaryG

 

Gary, I'm not sure why I wrote your name....I meant to address Doug's comment about the 3,000mi mark. However, if anyone has the ear of a Ford Hybrid engineer I'd love for them to pose that question about hard-coded mileage restrictions etc.

 

Every single owner's manual says there is a 1000 mile break in period, and owners should not expect promised mileage until after then.

Ford will tell each and every one of us that this is for the mechanical parts to smooth out and seat in and lube up and all that.

When I test drove a brand new '06 MMH on a lot with like 6 miles on the Odo...
I noticed right away lower EV speeds and very little coasting ability. Bearings were tight and all that.

I don't rule out a program issue... but ??????

 

Very true usually its mechanical..... However in this one case there ***COULD*** be a reason to not go full tilt on the battery at first. Many types of batteries have issues breaking in. I'm not sure about the ones in the FEH. But I can imagine its possible they decided to program the vehicle NOT to pull full load on the batteries until they had been through a few discharge cycles.

I have NO evidence, nor knowledge if they did such a thing... but its a thought.