Nothing rigorous here, but I thought I'd note that in the past month, most of which has been cold to very cold (including quite a bit of snow) I've been keeping basic track of the MPG reported by the SYNC/NAV system.

Over more than 700 miles through mid-November and thusfar into December, my average is 28.4 MPG. This is down from an average of approx. 31.5-32 MPG in mixed driving (and I don't live in the flatlands) when the weather was warmer.

So it looks like about a 10-15% reduction, including some very very cold days with nighttime temps. in the teens or lower.

When it's cold, the FEH starts the ICE right away and keeps it running until everything is good and warm, so my guess is that you lose most of the MPG in the first 20 miles or so.

I'm going to reset it today and drive for another month exactly and I'll report the average mileage again in late January.

 

I would support that notion in general, the longer the trip, the better the mileage. It also helps to turn off the cabin HVAC fan when it's not required - when the vehicle interior is fully warmed up as an example. We joke that the fan control is an engine off switch!

 

I'm not as obsessive about it as some people are/have been, but I am interested to see the general trends, so averaging over a month in the winter including all kinds of driving from local EV hops to highway, etc., seems like a good plan. As the weather warms up when spring arrives, I should see a solid signal. Of course this "smears out" a lot of things, but I'm interested in overall mileage on an 11 year old FEH that's not driven obsessively to maximize mileage. It also has no engine block or battery heater.

It's doing pretty well overall, I think. I may stick on a low-wattage engine block heater if it stays really cold in Jan-Feb just to keep the ICE above cryogenic. That should help the cabin warm up faster, which should help the battery warm up faster. I wonder if the electronics turn on the battery fans to *warm up* the battery when everything's really cold?

 

I don't know for sure but listening to our 2010, the intake fan drivers side in cargo area seems to run all the time when the vehicle is on. This would kinda makes sense since it is trying to balance the battery temp to the acceptable temperature range (that humans are comfortable with too). So the fan will run in cooler or warmer temperatures. Not sure if it turns off around 20C or not.

 

i dont think that we can put on a block heater. they are only made for the duratec engine.
does anyone know.
maybe built for canada is different ?

 

mine dropped off too - and i live in austin tx
i mentioned to to a friend who restores cars and he said: oh it got cold.
since english is his second language, i did not ask to go into detail - got the message.
so i guess it is the normal thing.
mine held 30 something and on short trips;
dropped down to 26 to 28

 

Our Canadian 2010 FEH has a block heater. 4 cyl. Ford/Mazda engine. Works well and is very useful in January-March in Ontario to provide cabin heat and full EV mode earlier, plus it reduce engine emissions including CO2 and CO2 overall due to Ontario energy source mix for the generation of electricity.

 

I'm going to find something that sticks on, I think. I haven't decided yet. My FEH doesn't have the factory harness but I'll get under the car this weekend and see what I can reasonably do. Most of the time where I live it's not necessary but there are some subzero nights as the winter gets nasty. I know that warming the block and oil up during the truly cold times can help, since the computer is going to force the cold start no matter what. I'm using Mobil 1 5W-20 Ext. Perf. but when things drop below zero, cold is cold.

 

Yes it is. The ICE is going start right from scratch in the cold and it has to run a little rich for a while until the catalysts light, which takes a little longer in the cold, and the computer has to protect the batteries until they are in their normal operating range, so it's probably cutting back on EV assist until everything gets up to temperature. As a result you burn more gas, there's no way around it.

 

i think my post is in error: there is a block heater for my 09 limited hybrid.
cat's number is 11409; but i have been to parts stores (online) that says it does not fit,
but others say that it does.
pretty sure it does (i do not have the duratec engine).
i am going to check zerostart to see what i come up with.
I was under the suv and saw a plug on the right side (back of the engine) and it was about 3 or 4 inches above the
oil pan, and close to the plug of the ac compressor. i guess that one is it. but it took a 10 mm socket. I could not see enough
of it to say for sure that the hole would be a 3/4 inch NPT. that is where kats (5star manufacturing) located it to be.
I need to verify. (does anyone know). i do not want to buy unless i know for sure that it will work.
found this - as far as block heater properties:
"A frost plug heater is an electric heater that heats the engine of a vehicle to give quicker starts and protects your engine from damage that can occur during cold weather starts. Warmed engines also deliver better fuel economy, plus improves oil flow to provide better lubrication to the engine, which reduces wear and increases engine life. The frost plug heater also cuts back on pollution as it aids in vaporization of fuel, thereby cutting back on emissions."