I check mine at the pump everytime and find the gauge is off by about 5 to 10% on most tanks. I did have one tank that was on the money. [/b][/quote]
Guys....

We are all getting RIPPED OFF at the pumps in more ways than just one.

Don't be so gullable as to think the gas station is giving you an accurate reading as to "How much gas you just put in your tank". THEY ARE NOT.

• Take a five gallon gas can and go to your favorite gas station
• See how much gas you can actually put in

I find that I can somehow magically fit about 6 gallons of gas in my 5 gallon gas can at the 5 gallon mark no matter where I buy my gasoline. I've got 3 different 5 gallon gas cans all of which are exactly equal in volume at the 5 gallon marker.

Your Civic has a 13.2 gallon gas tank. How many of you have been able to put 14 gallons of gas in your Civic when you didn't run out of gas? How would this be possible?

• I guarantee you that you will not find a single gas station anywhere that actually gives you 5 gallons of gasoline when the pump says it has
• I'll also guarantee you that the reading on the pump will show you that you got more gas than you actually got
• I will also guarantee you that you will never find an example where the pump says you got less gas

Seems that federal regulations only restrict the stations to be accurate within a 10% guideline in either direction. With a 10 gallon tank, that would be an entire gallon of gas.

I would venture to say that your vehicle's reading are absolutely accurate and that the gas pumps where you are buying your gasoline would be the culprit to the inconsistancies.

 

May I add, when measuring per tank, you're always going to be off by a bit. It's the averages that count.

 

If you are that concerned about what the EPA says about your car maybe you should have done some research into what the EPA does on their tests. My 20 mile trip is close to the EPA average. Now if I had a five mile trip it wouldn't be within 10 mpg.

How are the gas mileage estimates on the car labels obtained?


This is from the EPA site:

The gas mileage estimates are based on results of tests required on new motor vehicles (cars and light trucks). Designated pre-production prototypes of new models are driven by a trained driver on a dynamometer, an instrument similar to a treadmill. The same tests are performed on each vehicle tested, following approved procedures, as described in the Federal codes or regulations. These
procedures ensure that each vehicle is tested under identical conditions, therefore, the results can be used with confidence to compare similar cars.

Two different tests and gas mileage estimates are done for each vehicle tested; a city estimate, designed to represent typical everyday driving in a city, and a highway estimate, to represent driving in a rural setting. The tests measure the waste substances emitted from consuming the fuel, not the actual fuel consumed. From the measurement of emissions, EPA can estimate the miles per gallon achieved by the vehicle on average.

The test used to determine the city estimate simulates a 7.5 mile, stop-and-go trip with an average speed of 20 mph. The trip takes 23 minutes and has 18 stops. About 18 percent of the time is spent idling, as in waiting at traffic lights
or in rush hour traffic.

The test to determine the highway estimate represents a mixture of 'non-city' driving. Segments corresponding to different kinds of rural roads
and interstate highways are included. The test simulates a 10 mile trip and averages 48 mph. The test is run when the engine is warmed up and
with very little idling time and no stops until the end of the test.

To make the numbers on the labels more useful for consumers, EPA adjusts the laboratory test results to account for the difference between the controlled laboratory conditions and actual driving on the road. The city estimate is lowered by 10% and the highway estimate by 22% from the laboratory
test results.

Experience has proven that these adjustments make the nfflcage estimates on the labels correspond more closely to the actual gas mileage gotten by an average driver.


Why does my actual mileage vary from that given on the label?

No test can simulate all possible combinations of conditions, climate, driver behavior, and car care habits. EPA adjusted the laboratory test results
based on an average of the factors which can change mileage (described in following question).

Your actual mileage depends on how, when, and where you drive and how closely this matches the average conditions used by EPA in determining mileage. EPA has found that the mpg obtained by most drivers will be within a few mpg of the
estimates on the labels. Each label also lists a range of mpg that can be expected given certain variables.
Certification Division, Motor Vehicle Emission Laboratory


If you drive under conditions different from the average used in determining the
estimates, you might not stay within the range.

• Temperature. The laboratory tests are all done to simulate a 75'F day. Cooler temperatures will significantly decrease gas mileage, especially during short trips, because extra fuel is required to heat the engine. Tire rolling resistance also increases significantly at cooler temperatures.

• Road conditions and terrain. Gas mileage is decreased by rough pavement, pot-holes, gravel-surfaced roads, wet roads, and snow-covered roads. Going uphill decreases gas mileage substantially, up to 30% for the steepest grades usually
encountered on main highways. The energy saved in going downhill is less than the extra energy used to go uphill, so overall gas mileage is decreased in hilly terrain.

• Vehicle load. The laboratory test represents a vehicle containing an average-weight driver, a passenger, and certain options. Extra passengers, additional options, or other weight carried or pulled will decrease fuel economy.

Optional equipment. While the use of some optional equipment, such as air conditioners or a loaded roof rack, is averaged into the laboratory tests, they cannot be totally accounted for. These items not only add weight to the vehicle, but place increased loading on the engine. The four-wheel drive option adds weight, rotating inertia, and frictional drag. Any of these options decrease gas mileage. On the other hand, the use of engine block heaters and radial tires tend to improve gas mileage.

Vehicle speed and wind conditions. The laboratory tests are done at moderate speeds. Although the estimates from these tests are adjusted, in-use vehicles which are driven at speeds above the posted speed limits may not achieve the EPA estimates. For example, driving at 65 mph instead of 55 mph decreases gas mileage by about 15%. Driving into a headwind decreases gas mileage, while tail winds increase mileage. Crosswinds can also decrease gas mileage.

• Vehicle condition. Proper maintenance helps to ensure a car achieves its best mileage. A poorly maintained car may consume up to 15% more fuel. Some common causes of excess fuel consumption are low tire pressure, misfiring, incorrect wheel alignment, low transmission fluid level, and excessive brake drag.

• Length of trip. Taking short trips, especially starting with a cold engine, causes very high fuel consumption. Energy is required on each trip to get the engine up to operating temperature.

• Driving style. Different drivers using the same vehicle over the
same road and in the same weather conditions experience up to a 20% variation in fuel consumption. Aggressive driving habits such as unnecessarily quick accelerations, fast stops, or driving at high speeds result in higher fuel consumption. Long engine idling also increases fuel consumption.


For more information, write or call February 1991 Certification Division, NVFEL
2565 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, Ml 48105 (734) 214-4440
Certification Division, Motor Vehicles Emission Laboratory
What are some of the things that can change mileage?


Lets not blame the government for a system that has worked for year, but doesn't work as well for Hybrids.

BTW this is the first car that I have acually beat the EPA ratings.

 

Personally, I gas at Sam's members club stations. I get a 5-7cent/gal discount over the cheapest other station.
If I find myself far from my fueling spot near empty I might stop wherever and put in 2 gallons.
Later when I get to Sam's and put in...say 12 gallons. Combined with the 2 I put in earlier I would count 14 gallons against that tank's trip odometer.
I haven't had to do that (yet) but it's possible.

Steve

 

I find that with my non-hybrid Civic I get better mileage (up to 5 MPG better) on hilly terrain provided that the roads aren't curvy and none of the downgrades are steep enough to require braking or else cause your speed to get over 65 MPH. On hills you are doing a form of pulse driving. If you climb the hill with the engine in its most efficient range of power output (70% to 80% throttle, RMP below 3000), then freewheel down the hill in neutral, you will get better mileage than doing the same distance on flat terrain. I assume the same would hold true with the Civic hybrid, plus with the hybrid you could regen if the downhill speed threatened to get too high.

 

I can hold a 53-55MPH speed on a flat road at 76-90MPG on any given day.

Minor hills are not a problem with MPG.
Pick the highest point on your FCD that sustains your speed and hold the accelerator exactly there without moving it.
When a hill is encountered do not move the accelerator. The car will climb the hill and loose some speed. On the other downward side of the hill the car will pick back up and you have lost none, if any MPG on the hill you just tackled. The only thing you have lost is a couple of seconds time.

On larger hills this will not work.
I have a series of 4 SUPER hills on the last few miles of my commute.
These monsters climb perhaps 500' in 1/2 mile, go to a 100' plateou then climb again at the same rate.
These burn off good MPG figrues any way you cut them. It takes considreably more energy to climb them than can be recovered on the down side.
In this case decide the minimum speed you need to be going when you reach the top.
As you begin the climb it is a gradual slowdown and time it so your minimum speed is reached at the crest of the hill and feater back at the top.
This works for practically any ICE vehicle.

Jason is formattng for greenhybrid.com a very detailed article on getting great MPG.

Steve

 

I still haven't developed much of a technique. I just did a 770 mile drive (roundtrip) when I went home to GA. I kept it on 70 MPH and averaged 44 MPG each way so at least it was consistent. There are some steep hills between here and Augusta, though. On a level road, I was getting 50 MPG.
I did notice something funny. I drafted some semi's a few times and watched my mileage peg out at 120 MPG doing 70 MPH. I don't think they liked me staying that close, though.

 

After driving the Civic Hybrid for a while, and playing around with different techniques -- I think I can add something that helps MPG. Unfortunately, it only applies to manual transmissions.

Maybe this was obvious to everyone but me (it took me a few drives to figure it out), but here goes:

You can put the car in 4th gear in situations where you normally wouldn't with a regular gasoline engine and improve your MPG. Anytime you hit a flat or downhill stretch (going fairly slow -- 30MPH flat or 25MPH down hill), you should be able to shift into 4th gear and see MPG go from 40-55 to 60-75 (or higher if the downhill grade is greater than it looks).

The engine doesn't seem to mind the low RPMS and if you hit a slight uphill grade, the electric assist will kick in and keep the engine from struggling -- so you don't have to shift unless the grade change is large.

If you are going down a larger hill, you'll still get high MPG, even in 3rd gear; this technique only seems to show noticeable MPG improvement on slight downhill or flat roads.

If the road looks flat but is really uphill, you'll probably have to shift back to 3rd gear.

I used this technique (along with accelerating quickly to let the electric motor help get me up to speed), driving a 22 mile round trip to my friend's house --with dog and power washer in car. This was urban/suburban driving with lights, one 2 mile highway stretch, and fairly flat roads for most of the trip. I got 52 MPG average.

Has anyone else noticed that this works (or does not work)?

Thanks,

Andrew

 

That's similar to how Chevy has kept the Corvette out of "gas-guzzler" status for years. They have a 1-4 skip shift on manual transmissions. If your RPM's aren't high enough in 1st, it will force you to shift from 1st gear to 4th rather than 1st to 2nd.

 

Hi Sirlan:
___I wouldn’t exactly call the Corvette a “Gas Guzzler” … There was a car magazine that had a 375 HP version over in Germany for a comparison 2 or 3 years ago. They received something like 32 mpg while driving 80 + on the Autobahn during the course of their testing … Even the EPA gives the latest 350 and 405 HP 5.7 L monster’s an 18 city/25 - 28 mpg hwy estimate depending on if it uses the 4/6-speed Auto or Stick.

___375 HP at 80 + mph and 32 mpg from that Car mag’s actual recorded mileage? Imagine if all cars received that kind of real world hwy mileage and had that amount of torque and HP on tap. We wouldn’t be having an energy problem and we most certainly wouldn’t have a lack of power from our rather anemic Hybrid’s either

___Good Luck

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___Waynegerdes@earthlink.net