Since we purchased the HCH, we tend to accelerate slow-moderately (less than 2000 rpm) up to the desired speed (60-70 km/h on local roads). Would employing a more rapid acceleration up to the desired speed, then bringing down the rpm increase overall FE? If so, how fast should I accelerate?

Does anyone find that the computer gas mileage differ from what you calculate based on how much gas you put in and the odometer? I find that for my four tanks, the computer reading averages about 5.7 l/100 km while if I calculate by hand I get about 5.0 l/100 km. I'm not sure which is correct... Any thoughts?

I notice that when I reset my single tank mileage (trip A), I seem to have very high FE (according to the computer) for the first 50 km or so - about 4.7 l/100 km. I'm not sure the reason for this, however I don't think my driving techinque differs during this short time frame.

I'm hoping that as the car continues to "break in" and as our driving technique improves, we will see increasing FE.

 

My questions are as follows:

6. I sometimes hear a electrical humming noise when I brake. I'm not sure what it is but I hypothesize that it is the battery charging. Does anyone else hear this noise?

This noise is in fact...the servo motor for the brakes, not the motor going into regen as has been suggested previously. The Civic does not use vacuum from the motor for the brake master cylinder boost like most other cars. Instead it has a servo type pump to give your brakes the necessary boost.

Try using the brakes a lot at low speed and eventually the servo kicks in giving vacuum to the master cylinder.

All perfectly normal...and very clever!

 

Tan - I have noticed that with normal traffic (not stop and go urban), accelerating pretty quickly gives me the same or better FE than doing it really slowly. I usually accelerate to speed with about 4-5 bars of assist and the engine at around 2800 RPM.