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Not likely. Winter is coming and here in Canada, it will be pretty bad. This morning is a taste of things to come. First it's cold at 16C and it's raining heavily. The whole traffic pattern changes and that throws off all timing on the lights. Then there is this one section with a long slope down followed immediately by a 90 degree right turn ramp with a steep climb. I normally glide through the thing with zero gas input. Trouble is there is a school right at that corner and since the school year has started, there are cops controlling the traffic at the school entrance. So cars are backed up all the way down the amp. I had to stop at the very bottom of the section and lost all the kinetic energy that I normal trade for potential energy up the ramp. And then I had to inch up the ramp with bursts from the ICE because it's too steep for the electric motor to take alone. I had a 40mpg bar for the 5 minute with that section. I haven't seen one of those on a warmed up car for a very long time now. One more day of this and I'll have to find a new route to bypass the school.

I started the the day with 3.5L/100k at 52km on my current tank. I ended the morning commute at 3.8L/100k at 72km. That works out to roughly 50mpg for the morning alone. If rain is doing this, just imagine with snow will do in a few months...

Anyway, I think in the Prius II section, the one to watch is priustideland's new car. Steve took it to 59mpg on the first tank and he is more than capable of maintaining that. And there is another car on 63mpg first tank. Being able to do 60+mpg with 15min trip duration is just mind blowing, first tank or not. As for Dan Kroushl, he is driving extremely well these days but his has a lot of historical bagage. It would be very hard for him to do significantly better than where he's at right now, in the near future at least.

<!--QuoteBegin-xcel@Sep 8th 2004 @ 10:14 AM
___Congrats with all your future Hypermiling goals. That 1,000 mile tank we were discussing is only a few tens of hours away [/quote]
Again not likely. You should see the wince on my wife's face every time I slow down to wait out a red light. She would not be able to understand what a thousand mile tank means. There are a few things in life more important than high mileage, unfortunately

Andy

 

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Yes, I would be really interested in instructions for a Prius II hot air mod. Could you dig it up if you don't mind? It's in English I hope. There has been a Japanese document floating around. I tried translating it through world.altavist.com but it was really awkward. And it's for Prius I.

In any case, I think my main problem yesterday was the change in traffic pattern with the start of the school year. The rain just makes everything worst. It is not raining this morning but still traffic jam everywhere. Mileage is better than yesterday but still significantly worst than the weeks before. I think I'll have to find a new route for the second half of the morning trip. Too bad it's been so finely tuned for the last month or so. The route for the trip back home seems fine though.

Andy

 

'Scuse my ignorance, but what would a warm air mod do for a Prius? Is it to battle the loss of MPG brought on by cold weather?

I thought the cold weather loss of mpg problem is related to how the batteries react to cold weather? If so, how can a warm air mod help THAT problem?

 

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Well, I guess I am a hypermiler. The EPA numbers for 97 Saturn station wagons vary depending on which engine you have. So the combined should be either 28mpg for the smaller engine or 30 mpg for the larger.

I have no clue which I have so I shot for five tanks over 30mpg and just got it.

Let me know if I have the wrong basis for declaring myself a hypermiler!

 

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Personally I long for fall/winter, granted Atlanta weather isn't too harsh.
It usually hovers just below freezing at night then with 40's-50's in the day.

In my opinion:
#1 Enemy of hyper milage is other drivers using the car. (Bless her heart she tries)
#2 Is AC.
#3 Is Passengers (Weight)
#4 Stormy weather (Headwind, rain etc)
#5 Cold weather

Notice cold weather is last on the list.

I know you in the North have more issues with cold engines etc.
God knows I remember my youth in Minneapolis.....3AM mornings @ 30 below and a frozen solid block mustache....Tires so cold that it takes 100' just to round the flat spots on the tires...Oh the humanity!

Any thoughts?

 

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