MPGs getting worse
Thread Starter
|
Enthusiast
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 27
Just did another tank.
37.0 MPGs.
It is not improving and it is not performing like everyone else's here. The dealership says there is nothing wrong with my car, but the Mileage seems to be getting worse and worse.
I didn't spend $21K for a Civic to get 37 MPGs... I could have got a $13K car to get that kind of gas mileage....
What do you guys think?
37.0 MPGs.
It is not improving and it is not performing like everyone else's here. The dealership says there is nothing wrong with my car, but the Mileage seems to be getting worse and worse.
I didn't spend $21K for a Civic to get 37 MPGs... I could have got a $13K car to get that kind of gas mileage....
What do you guys think?
Site Founder
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 4,623
Todd,
Your mileage is not getting worse. A 0.3 drop for your second month is not significant.
Based on the data you've inputted there are a couple conclusions I can draw. You appear to have relatively short trips (like I do). This tends to hurt mileage, as your car isn't warmed up. Also, how fast do you tend to drive in comparison to the speed limit? This may also lower it slightly. Finally, what is the terrain in Tennessee where you live?
I would think that you should get slightly better mileage than you are given your conditions, but if you really think about it, 38 is not terrible. If you hit 40 MPG you'd likely think that's fine. 40's seems to be the magic tens place. In response to "I could have got a $13K car to get that kind of gas mileage", remember that cars respond to conditions. It's likely that had you purchased a car with a lower rated mileage, your 38 would be 28.
It seems as if for your given circumstances, you are going to be a bit below EPA. Some people are above. Some people are below.
Your mileage is not getting worse. A 0.3 drop for your second month is not significant.
Based on the data you've inputted there are a couple conclusions I can draw. You appear to have relatively short trips (like I do). This tends to hurt mileage, as your car isn't warmed up. Also, how fast do you tend to drive in comparison to the speed limit? This may also lower it slightly. Finally, what is the terrain in Tennessee where you live?
I would think that you should get slightly better mileage than you are given your conditions, but if you really think about it, 38 is not terrible. If you hit 40 MPG you'd likely think that's fine. 40's seems to be the magic tens place. In response to "I could have got a $13K car to get that kind of gas mileage", remember that cars respond to conditions. It's likely that had you purchased a car with a lower rated mileage, your 38 would be 28.
It seems as if for your given circumstances, you are going to be a bit below EPA. Some people are above. Some people are below.
Enthusiast
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 12
From: Phily suburb
Dear Todd,
I'm a new member of the forum, but have owned a HCH 5-speed and subscribed to the Civic_Hybrid Yahoo! forum for a year.
Two thoughts on your mileage:
Have you checke the tire pressure lately? Try to keep it at 38psi. This is perfectly safe, your tires will last longer, and your mileage will improve about 5%.
When you get to cruising speed, see how much you can gently let up on the gas while maintaining speed, and glance at your MPG indicator. Cruising on the level at 55, with ho headwind, it should be at 60-80MPG.
Also: relax and enjoy the quiet ride!
There are some good tips on this site, too.
Good luck!
I'm a new member of the forum, but have owned a HCH 5-speed and subscribed to the Civic_Hybrid Yahoo! forum for a year.
Two thoughts on your mileage:
Have you checke the tire pressure lately? Try to keep it at 38psi. This is perfectly safe, your tires will last longer, and your mileage will improve about 5%.
When you get to cruising speed, see how much you can gently let up on the gas while maintaining speed, and glance at your MPG indicator. Cruising on the level at 55, with ho headwind, it should be at 60-80MPG.
Also: relax and enjoy the quiet ride!
There are some good tips on this site, too.
Good luck!
Enthusiast
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 38
From: Florence, Colorado
(sorry this is a little long)
Todd,
Sorry to hear about your mpgs.
In my case, I drive my HCH about 500 miles/week, and my wife drives it about 100 miles/week. I'm getting about 50 to 55 mpg when I drive, but she gets around 38 to 45 mpg.
Some things I've noticed. When I first drove the car, I tried to stay around speed limit by stepping on the gas until I was up to speed (say 60 mph). If I was starting to go too fast, I'd let off the gas too much, causing me to slow down too much. Then, I'd overcompensate and step on the gas pedal too hard to get back to speed. I'd go back and forth through this routine trying to stay around 60mph. This would cause me to bring my mpg down to 40 or below whenever I'd compensate for the slowdown.
Now -- I try to find the point where I can maintain 80 mpg. If I start to slow down, I'll apply a little more pressure on the gas until I see about 60 mpg on the FCD. If I'm not getting back up to speed fast enough, I may apply more gas until the FCD shows close to 40 mpg. Once I'm a little above speed limit, I ease off the gas until I'm at around 80 mpg or higher and try to keep it there. Now my main loss of mpg is on steep Colorado hills, where I have to drive such that my FCD shows below 40 mpg.
My wife, on the other hand, still drives the way I used to, overcompensating when slowing down. But that's okay, since her 38 to 45 mpg is much better than her 25 mpg in our minivan (what she used to use to drive to school).
Hope this helps. And I sincerely hope your gas mileage gets better. Maybe your particular car just happens to have a longer break-in period. I think older cars were
that way -- one car from a manufacturing line may be a little "tighter" than another from the same line, so both have slightly different break-in periods.
jinno
Todd,
Sorry to hear about your mpgs.
In my case, I drive my HCH about 500 miles/week, and my wife drives it about 100 miles/week. I'm getting about 50 to 55 mpg when I drive, but she gets around 38 to 45 mpg.
Some things I've noticed. When I first drove the car, I tried to stay around speed limit by stepping on the gas until I was up to speed (say 60 mph). If I was starting to go too fast, I'd let off the gas too much, causing me to slow down too much. Then, I'd overcompensate and step on the gas pedal too hard to get back to speed. I'd go back and forth through this routine trying to stay around 60mph. This would cause me to bring my mpg down to 40 or below whenever I'd compensate for the slowdown.
Now -- I try to find the point where I can maintain 80 mpg. If I start to slow down, I'll apply a little more pressure on the gas until I see about 60 mpg on the FCD. If I'm not getting back up to speed fast enough, I may apply more gas until the FCD shows close to 40 mpg. Once I'm a little above speed limit, I ease off the gas until I'm at around 80 mpg or higher and try to keep it there. Now my main loss of mpg is on steep Colorado hills, where I have to drive such that my FCD shows below 40 mpg.
My wife, on the other hand, still drives the way I used to, overcompensating when slowing down. But that's okay, since her 38 to 45 mpg is much better than her 25 mpg in our minivan (what she used to use to drive to school).
Hope this helps. And I sincerely hope your gas mileage gets better. Maybe your particular car just happens to have a longer break-in period. I think older cars were
that way -- one car from a manufacturing line may be a little "tighter" than another from the same line, so both have slightly different break-in periods.
jinno
Thread Starter
|
Enthusiast
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 27
Originally posted by Jason@May 9th 2004 @ 5:27 PM
Your mileage is not getting worse. A 0.3 drop for your second month is not significant.
Your mileage is not getting worse. A 0.3 drop for your second month is not significant.
It's amazing how wide a variable a person's perspective can draw...
My point is:
If you look at the data of my last 3 tanks (the best I've had was the last tank of last month) you will see the following statistics:
Tank #3: April 25th = 40.4 MPGs
Tank #4: May 2nd = 38.6 MPGs
Tank #5: May 9th = 37 MPGs
Although that is only a decent 0.3 MPGs from month to month, it is a 6.4 MPG drop from tank #3.
It is a very good point you are making and perhaps I need to adjust my personal perspective to be more along the lines of averages instead of how things occur from tank to tank.
I must say that when we use to tune our old cars; You know, "change the spark plugs, cap, rotor, oil, air filter"... We made determinations as to when to do that based on mileage drops of 2-3 MPGs.
Of coarse, most of these cars only got 12-16 MPGs ....soooo
I've got an old '78 Buick Regal with an odd fire V6. It's got 76k miles on it. Next week I'm adding it to the database just for giggles.
Thread Starter
|
Enthusiast
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 27
Jason,
I thought you had read my previous posts in some of the other sections.
I've been following the techniques described at this forum since my second tank. Everything from tire pressure to FCD techniques and fuel types.
Anyway.....
I thought you had read my previous posts in some of the other sections.
I've been following the techniques described at this forum since my second tank. Everything from tire pressure to FCD techniques and fuel types.
Anyway.....
Site Founder
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 4,623
It may be a matter of interpretation. When I speak to some of my friends and imply that they're rather dangerous drivers, they are taken aback and exclaim that they are positively not! Now, I'm not saying you're a dangerous driver, but perhaps your interpretation isn't the best.
Maybe it's just hopeless!
Maybe it's just hopeless!
Ridiculously Active Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 1,797
From: Atlanta, Ga
tmrpro,
What I may suggest is that you visit your dealer service department again.
I assume they are very familiar by now.
They should be happily willing to allow you to take their current demo car out for comparison. Make sure the test car has the same transmission option.
I'd give it a good mix of side street, highway and freeway, about 15-20 miles driving as you normally do.
I'd have a KNOWLAGEABLE HCH tech ride along for the "test drive".
Then, have the same technician ride in YOUR car the exact same route and same driving style.
If both cars perform relatively equally then perhaps it is something other than the car.
If yours gets 35MPG and the "test" car gets 55MPG you may have an issue.
At least then it will be clear if it's the vehicle or something else.
Thanks
Steve
What I may suggest is that you visit your dealer service department again.
I assume they are very familiar by now.
They should be happily willing to allow you to take their current demo car out for comparison. Make sure the test car has the same transmission option.
I'd give it a good mix of side street, highway and freeway, about 15-20 miles driving as you normally do.
I'd have a KNOWLAGEABLE HCH tech ride along for the "test drive".
Then, have the same technician ride in YOUR car the exact same route and same driving style.
If both cars perform relatively equally then perhaps it is something other than the car.
If yours gets 35MPG and the "test" car gets 55MPG you may have an issue.
At least then it will be clear if it's the vehicle or something else.
Thanks
Steve
