Explain this for me

pixeltaker · 06-12-2007, 02:47 PM

Why is the second MPG bar blank?

Here's the scenario: I was driving south on I-405 down from the Sepulveda Pass in heavy stop and go traffic. Stopped for no more than 20 seconds or so then move forward 40 feet and stop and do it again. This is a downhill run into the Santa Monica area for several miles. I can understand the full 99.9 MPG bars because of the downhill run and I never got going fast enough to use any measureable amount of fuel. The car was in D not N. I regenerated power in the second bar, but got 0 MPG.

Here's my idea of what happened: Even though I was moving, I didn't use ANY fuel whereas the other bars I was using only a small amount of fuel. I was coasting and regenerating power back to the battery, but the graph looks like I was stopped for 5 minutes.

What are your thoughts on this weird graph?
[attachmentid=8801]

Skwyre7 · 06-12-2007, 02:57 PM

Is it possible that in that five minute period you did not go 1 mile?

bestmapman · 06-12-2007, 02:59 PM

It has happened to me several times. It doesn't seem to change the overall MPG figures.

wan · 06-12-2007, 03:36 PM

Nice temperature outside, 70F is perfect

qbee42 · 06-12-2007, 04:02 PM

I suspect you didn't go far enough to register in the calculation.

Tom

pixeltaker · 06-12-2007, 04:20 PM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Skwyre7 @ Jun 12 2007, 11:57 AM) [snapback]460320[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

Is it possible that in that five minute period you did not go 1 mile?
[/b]

It's certainly possible that I didn't go more than a mile. During the first 20 or so minutes, the whole distance was probably 4 or 5 miles.

NoVaSnow · 06-12-2007, 04:48 PM

It's happened to me a few times, always in stop-and-go driving. The first time it happened, I posted the question here. I received several reassurances that it was normal. When it happens now, I just notice the oddity and forget about it.

morpheusx · 06-12-2007, 06:07 PM

If you look at the owners manual on page 168 (2007) it says the bars represent the momentary fuel consumption.
Which I have always taken to mean it is just a bar graph of what your consumption was at that exact moment and not the average for those 5 minutes.

Andre_PacPal · 06-12-2007, 11:39 PM

I see the blank mileage bar with the green 'energy recovered' icons from time to time on the last four miles of my commute on Sunset Blvd. It is up and down through two canyons with an overall elevation drop of several hundred feet so I can do it at 35 mph without starting the ICE. I believe the missing bar means that no gasoline has been consumed in the 5 minute period.

ken1784 · 06-13-2007, 03:43 AM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Andre_PacPal @ Jun 13 2007, 12:39 PM) [snapback]460612[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

I believe the missing bar means that no gasoline has been consumed in the 5 minute period.
[/b]

Japanese people are saying this is the new feature (not a bug

) on the 2006/2007 high-resolution MFD.
The 2004/2005 low-resolution MFD shows 100 mpg on that case.

Ken@Japan

06-12-2007, 02:47 PM	#1
pixeltaker Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 14 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	Why is the second MPG bar blank? Here's the scenario: I was driving south on I-405 down from the Sepulveda Pass in heavy stop and go traffic. Stopped for no more than 20 seconds or so then move forward 40 feet and stop and do it again. This is a downhill run into the Santa Monica area for several miles. I can understand the full 99.9 MPG bars because of the downhill run and I never got going fast enough to use any measureable amount of fuel. The car was in D not N. I regenerated power in the second bar, but got 0 MPG. Here's my idea of what happened: Even though I was moving, I didn't use ANY fuel whereas the other bars I was using only a small amount of fuel. I was coasting and regenerating power back to the battery, but the graph looks like I was stopped for 5 minutes. What are your thoughts on this weird graph? [attachmentid=8801] Attached Thumbnails

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06-12-2007, 02:57 PM	#2
Skwyre7 What's the catch? Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Richmond, VA Posts: 2,302 My Car: 2005 Prius Package: #4 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 1	Is it possible that in that five minute period you did not go 1 mile?

06-12-2007, 02:59 PM	#3
bestmapman "Dream" Prius Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Cincinnati, KY Posts: 747 My Car: 2007 Prius Package: #2 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 2	It has happened to me several times. It doesn't seem to change the overall MPG figures.

06-12-2007, 03:36 PM	#4
wan Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 25 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	Nice temperature outside, 70F is perfect

06-12-2007, 04:02 PM	#5
qbee42 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Northern Michigan Posts: 6,236 My Car: 2006 Prius Package: #7 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 6	I suspect you didn't go far enough to register in the calculation. Tom

06-12-2007, 04:48 PM	#7
NoVaSnow Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Centreville, VA Posts: 147 My Car: 2006 Prius Package: #6 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	It's happened to me a few times, always in stop-and-go driving. The first time it happened, I posted the question here. I received several reassurances that it was normal. When it happens now, I just notice the oddity and forget about it.

06-12-2007, 06:07 PM	#8
morpheusx Professor Chaos Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Akron, OH Posts: 1,263 My Car: 2007 Prius Package: #2 Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 3	If you look at the owners manual on page 168 (2007) it says the bars represent the momentary fuel consumption. Which I have always taken to mean it is just a bar graph of what your consumption was at that exact moment and not the average for those 5 minutes.

06-12-2007, 11:39 PM	#9
Andre_PacPal Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 2 My Car: Package: Nominated 0 Times in 0 Posts TOTM Awards: 0 Friends: 0	I see the blank mileage bar with the green 'energy recovered' icons from time to time on the last four miles of my commute on Sunset Blvd. It is up and down through two canyons with an overall elevation drop of several hundred feet so I can do it at 35 mph without starting the ICE. I believe the missing bar means that no gasoline has been consumed in the 5 minute period.