FAS stands for forced auto stop.
That only happens when we are stopped.

How can you be moving but be in FAS?


Are you shutting the car off while moving?

 

Yes, I'm shutting down the engine while moving. Shift to Neutral, key back from IG-II to IG-I for a few seconds, key forward to IG-II. This allows you to coast in Neutral without the engine running. Coast distance/speed is much better in neutral, and of course, fuel economy is much better if the engine is off.

When it's time to restart (while still in Neutral), key forward to IG-III as you normally due when starting. Then you can shift back to Drive.

That's a pretty simple overview of it. There is a lot of info on it in various threads on this website and others.

 

Oh!
Well that explains how hills could up your MPG.

I won't do that.
I don't think it is safe to turn off the engine while the car is moving since the steering and brakes are not fully functional in an emergency.
But to each, his own.

Thanks.

 

I wasn't trying to hide it. I have still gotten good fuel economy and benefits from the hills on this particular trip without FASing, but it was always in the mid to upper 60s. I still think hills can sometimes be good for fuel economy (with or without FASing). It really depends on how steep the hills are and how you handle them.

In the HCH-II, power steering is only gone for a few seconds after doing an FAS. I have never lost power brakes. You would have to pump them several times to lose them.

Of course, it's certainly not for all driving conditions or even all drivers. For me, I am usually doing this on gradual downhills at speeds from 25 to 40 mph.

As you say, to each his own.

 

That link that I have showing my fuel economy in the HiHy (it was 45 mpg over a 39 mile round trip compared to the EPA numbers of 31/27), did not have any FASing. That wasn't the same exact route, but it was very similar (a lot of the same roads).

https://www.greenhybrid.com/share/sh...hp?i=2543&c=22

 

Not true. The manual for my hybrid says 13.2. I've put in 12.6 and wasn't out of gas. The batteries sit atop the load floor of the car, not underneath, so there's no reason they'd take space away from where the gas tank usually goes.

I have *heard* (but have no evidence) that California cars can't use the plastic gas tank and the substitute metal tank has a lower capacity because it can't go in as many nooks and crannies. Perhaps you're quoting the capacity for the *metal* tank, but that has nothing to do with hybrid status; it's a state reg for all Civics. (If it's true. I've never seen a Civic with a metal tank, but I don't live in Cali.)

--doug

 

Not true? You made me step out into the garage and check my manual. I flipped to the back page of the manual for my 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid and it clearly stated the capacity was 12.4 gallons (47 liters).

For the 2007, Honda's website says 12.3 gallons.
http://automobiles.honda.com/models/...d&Category=ALL

Edmunds also says 12.3 for the 2007 Honda Civic Hybrid.
http://www.edmunds.com/new/2007/hond...608/specs.html

Edmunds reports the same thing for the 2006 model.

 

No offense intended, Mr. Kite -- that's cool. Interesting that Honda's website then doesn't agree with its own manual. (Rounding error?)

My manual (2007 Owner's Manual Civic Hybrid): Specifications (p. 242) "Fuel Tank: Approx. 13.2 US gal (50 l)." And, again, I'll trust my lived experience of putting more than 12.3 gallons in the tank. So, yes, "not true."

However, apparently there are two different fuel tank sizes out there, if we have various "absolute" sources giving different numbers. I see in your profile info you're probably not driving a California car, so that hypothesis doesn't work neatly. Would you be willing to check whether your tank is plastic or metal?

And sometime, when I can either convince my spouse it's okay or do it without her knowledge, I'm going to drive a tank dry, put in a one-gallon reserve to get me to the gas station I always use, and then fill it to the top there. Then, at least for my own car, I'll know the score for sure.

--doug

 

Say Hey,

"12.3 gallons plus a smiggin' is the tank Limit".
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I found this out the hard way with my very first fill-up. Crusing along the freeway drive home @ around at 63 mpg. on what I thought were more than just fumes in the tank, I noticed in my rear veiw mirrior there was an enemy ( lol ) "Privis" was coming up on me strong. Couldn't quell my thoughts to just let him fly by, so I floored it.

Yepper ( gospil story ) right then & there, "Blah no gas to be Had" !!!!

Pretty much dead in my tracks, I limped down the side of the road for abaout 1.5 mils on the IMA hopeing to make it to the rest top at the top of a hill. Yeah right, lol . Out of concern for what I had done I made a few calls, one of which was to the dealer. General info I gathered that has not been forgotten:

"You cannot hurt the system by running out of Gas", but most important, ++++ "Do not fill past the first click of the Pump" ++++ ( as this will overflow gas asap into the tube that leads down under the car to the charrcol emissions canister element. soak that baby up with petro & you will have problems ).
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Since then this the fomula I use so to play-it-safe when running past the no-bars-showing jazz. I end up with around 1/2 gal. to spare when I run things real low, and a few times been quite surprized at how I was able estimate what my fill-ups would be knowing where the gas stations are located. I become conservative ( who me, lol ) once to warning light flares-up:

Add 1.4 mpg ( some here say as high as 1.8 ) to the tank mpg. avg.
Multiply this # by 12.25 gal. to see the set distance for the criuse.
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"Kinda reminds me of using those free tokens at the Arcade".

John

 

No offense taken.

You are right, the car was bought in CO. I don't know if it's a plastic or metal tank. I cannot easily tell which it is.

Here's my experience. Most of the time, I do not top off my tank. I stop at the first click. During these tanks, the most gas I've put in has been 10.5 gallons when running down slightly below 0 bars on the gas gauge. The 3 times I have topped off, I ended up putting in an extra 2.0, 1.8 and 1.9 gallons.