Hi All:

I have a new 08 Hybrid Highlander with only about 300 miles. I had been driving in ECON mode but gas mileage actually seemed to be decreasing. And this morning for my 6 mile commute, I turned it off and MPG went up slightly.

I'm not sure why this is and which mode [ECON or normal] I should be using. Is it that I need to drive a whole bunch of miles to charge the battery before ECON becomes practical?

Sorry this is basic stuff. I'm not an expert on cars and am new to this forum and to my own Highlander.

-Russ

 

russ,

The econ mode is used by the system to determine how fast to run and how often to cycle the AC compressor and the speed at which heat and cooling are achieved in the cabin. If you run your defroster, the AC will come on "high" to de-humidify the air. This will turn off the "econ" mode as will turning the temp control to its lowest setting.

The "econ" mode will help more during the summer in adjusting the AC compressor load to what is required instead of a fixed percentage of the engine speed. This enables the cooling system to run the AC unit at 50% to 60% of its normal "speed" and still cool the cabin.

During cold weather and short commutes, there is not a lot you can do to increase mileage. Summer temps and warm weather gas formulations will help more than anything. This is assuming you are using the best methods to gain milaeage on your tanks. Try doing a lot of reading on this site for driving tips on how to increase your mileage. You will also get an increase once the engine and other systems are fully "broken in". This usually happens around the 5,000 mile mark.

Either way, have fun and welcome to the wacky world of hybrid drivers....

 

Thanks for the informative reply. But I'm still curious: the Highlander brochure says, "And by reducing engine output, ECON mode also helps minimize wheel slippage and thus improves acceleration in low traction conditions like ice- and snow-covered roads." The post suggests, though, ECON as a summer thing best used to offset the fuel suck of the AC.

Again, I'm new to all this so apologies.

--russ

 

Russ,

If you are making short trips in cold weather, espescially in very cold weather, as in below freezing, I have found that you're MPG will go down. My highlander is a year old with 10,000 miles. I live in North Carolina and we are having one of our coldest winters in years. I only live about 6 miles from work and It takes time for all the systems to get warmed up. So no matter what mode I'm in or how careful I drive the MPG is not what I was getting when the weather was milder. This past week the temp has been unusually warm and the MPG has gone back up. We have had a couple of snow days, but I tend to leave mine in ECON mode anyway unless I'm on the interstate and need the extra HP for passing.

 

This maybe alittle off topic but I live in NY and I was wondering is it a better idea to let the Car Warm up before driving it? Will that help in cold weather with fuel mileage?

thanks in advance..

 

Short answer for you nsxman2001 - Not by burning gas sitting on the driveway. See other posts in the forum.

 

Having owned a Camry Hybrid and now a Highlander Hybrid, I can tell you that the econ mode seems to work differently in the HiHy than it does in the Camry. In the Hybrid, econ mode reduces engine output and changes the driving dynamics of the vehicle; that's something I never experienced in the Camry. Accelerating from a stop in both econ and regular mode is different. Econ mode turns the HiHy into a slug, imho.