!!!! Fridgid Baby needs some good luck wishes ( lol ) !!!!

Below the numbers, and I must say, quite the time to go into the tank ( pardon the pun ). Finally pull-in a couple "HyperTanks" during my travels over the Thannkgiving Day weekend when I headed east to visit my parents & son in the Toleto OH./Ann Arbor MI. area, and I am thinking the "Big Oh Yea", as I am seing 60 mpg's + at times.

Well, it has been a very tough knock since "Hitting the bumpers with the PinBall". The fill-up & weather report before crossing the border of Minnesota/Wisconson had me wondering what maybe in store over the last couple hundred miles of my trip, not to mention the on going weather since.

Strong drop in temps w/ daily 10-20 mph headwinds & lowering mpg's does not make for the good thrill of the cruise. As it was, when I rolled into the driveway, and by the time I topped-off the tank again I had only gained .7 per gal, as shown by the 44.7 mpg. A struggle to top 45 mpg for almost 500 miles. My only thought, "A winter of this & it isn't even Minnesota cold yet" !!!!

"Disappointing some what ....


mpg......... miles......... gal......... temp

42.2......... 451......... 10.7 ..........10
44.7......... 489......... 10.9.......... 30
54.1......... 600......... 11.1.......... 40
50.3......... 450........... 8.9......... 40
44.4......... 518......... 11.7.......... 50
48.9......... 307........... 6.3.......... 40
48.6......... 544.......... 11.2......... 30
46.5......... 533.......... 11.5......... 40


.... perhaps untill Today".

The cold driving of "HCH II" places new meaning to the phrase "Never-ending Learning Curve". On my latest tank I am just averageing over 39 mpg, and temps for the most part have just hovered over the single digets during my 70 mile trips in & out of the MLPS/St. Paul metro.

But, I say But !!!! Considering I started off with the tanks first reading @ 34.6 mpg, and adhering the "Pulse & Glide Method" with very slight gains doing so, today's change in driving style improved with a jump of almost 4 mpg ( 39.0 + to work /43.4 coming home ) gives hope to hit 40 mpg before I must make the pit-stop with-in the next 140 miles.

Seems what worked best both to/from work was holding the pedal steady to have "One bar of Green" showing as much as possible. If I increased/decreased speeds, got the values to close @ 100%, assisit as needed, some semi drafting, or what ever once things were settling back I always again go for the "One bar of Green".

"Oh, and here is another thought to ponder Folks" !!!!

Both this morning & this afternoon I did not just jump in the driver seat, and head out as has been attested strongly-to by some in these pages. I figured if I wasn't going to get anything called higher-mileage, I certain wasn't going to get a cold to seat to sit into. Both times, 5 min.+ warm ups. Both times, better mileage. Bot times, no seeing my breath ( lol ).

Perhaps like summer, winter has it's own quirks & twiks to make these cars roll.

John

p.s. Having already dropped 1.3 mpg's on my overall average since the purchase, I have set my goal on nothing less than 45 mpg's when the "First robin of spring is Sighted". Quite the car.

 

I live in Los Angeles county.
This week for the first time ever it got cold enough for it to not auto stop, even after being warmed up on a 30 minute freeway trip.

 

Did you have the defrost on? Even the defrost/feet setting will cause the car to not autostop.

 

Yes it's strange on auto even the A/C will work. but manual and the defrost/feet setting at the lowest possible setting and the car won't auto stop

 

Not a HCHII,,, but a 06 EX Sedan 5MT. 42 miles 27f to 31f temps. 43.8 mpg.

 

No, no defrost or AC.
It was just very cold.

It killed me to have the engine running waiting at a red light.

 

Kenny, unless you're in the mountains in northern LA County, I don't know why your autostop didn't work. I live in northeast OC, and it's been cold enough here that autostop begins to work at the last light before I get on the freeway... but that's only 1.5 miles. Can't imagine why it wouldn't be warm enough with 30 minutes of driving. How many SOC bars do you have? If it's less than four, that might be the cause... though with 30 min. of driving, no reason why it would remain so low. Bit of a mystery!!!

 

Another plus spin ....

Morning commute in temps: 7 degrees starting out/11 degrees reaching St. Paul MN.
Afternoon commute out temp: held steady around freezing ( wow, a warm-up ).

Same deal as yestarday. Solid warm-up of the vechile before placing the "CVT into D". Ride a "Single bar of Green" as frequently possibile, and mix-in all the rest when/as best I could.
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The trip in: 48.6 mpg @ 68.9 miles

Impressive numbers one could say, considering this was the first time driver & car have dealt with single digit temperatures. Traffic was light, and the few semi tractor-traliers that were rolling along were just moving a bit to slow for my low-end taste. As it was, I made the haul on my own, with but on a few occasions making the speedo climb above 68 mph. For the most part, 62 mph to 65 mph was the norm.

What was really cool was I kept the B trip meter showing so I could observe/increase my tank mileage. I thought, "Huh, no biggie. One mile + per gallon", until I buttoned over to the A trip meter. Anytime I push past 47.5 mpg I am pleased, so to see this, and doing so at such low temps is reason for glee !!!!

The trip home: 44.4 mpg @ 86.2 miles.

The haul home brought me up to 42.1 mpg on the tank of the "PinBall" when I filled up. About 60% of the cruise was in-town metro, as I had to make a few stops ( plus many lights ) on the way home including the tie-down to the top with this yrs. "X-Mas Tree".

The other 40% of the time spent on the freeways posting up speeds at 70 mph + to make it to the greenhouse before closing at 5:00 pm. This was nearing the end of the commute, and knowing I wouldn't drop much mpg's, I made the push. As it was, just three 10ths. I do enjoy the fast pace commutes, this with added incentive. Another night at Elm Manor w/o the tree, and it was to the dog house for me. lol.
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So who's to say what makes these cars do thier scpheel. Again just like the first the few days of warm weather driving when I first rolled down the road I have say, "Hell if I know". Honestly, my only thought trying the "One bar of Green" was a last gap measure to give some sort of "Rhyme-or-Reason" to the frustrations of the past week of colder/dropping tempertures & mpg's. I suppose one could say, "Regen braking for mileage on a more constant Basis". Again, what do i know. lol.

As it is I hold 41.5 on the B trip meter after my fill-up, and the back road cruise home with the Fraser Fir twined down to the top. Sure to pull a few extra tenths tommorrow, "Oh Yeah". Great reading of the comments with-in this thread. I myself, have run defrost/feet for yrs. on end when i commute. Direct heat has a way of making me do the sleeping chicken peck, not a good thing. Is there nothing the "HCH II" is not going to have some sort of change to my driving habits. Even if it's at the stop signs & lights ( lol ).

.... Quite the car.

John

p.s. Kenny- My heart bleeds bro.