No-Feather electric mode!

[daniel]

Okay. We all know about feathering the pedal to slip into electric mode. So the other day I got bored with that game and was just driving it, when I looked at the MFD, and my car was in electric mode. I have noticed this numerous times since. Maybe feathering can get you into electric mode a bit sooner, but the car will go into electric mode all by itself when the computer decides that this is what's best.

I wonder if we are accomplishing anything other than having a bit of fun when we try to trick it with the pedal-feathering game?

I have also noticed that occasionally I will see extremely high (75+) instantaneous mpg numbers at constant speed on a level road, even though there is no charge coming out of the battery. Apparently, under the appropriate conditions, the Atkinson-cycle ICE can operate at extremely low fuel consumption.

For those who like to squeeze out every last mpg by conservative driving, I say, more power to you. But you really can just drive this car and get spectacular results. It's just those short trips and our cold weather that are the killers.

[Brian]

When I get up to speed, I have found that my Hybrid Synergy Drive will never shut the gas engine off to use only electric mode. Once gas engine is on, it stays on till I do something to make it shut off.

[daniel]

How fast is "up to speed"? The ICE won't (generally) shut off above about 42 mph. The speed limit on Fargo's city streets ranges from 25 to 40.

I never noticed this behavior until recently, but I don't know if that was because of:

1. The winter temps; it's only recently warmed up;
2. The break-in period; my recent road trip boosted my odo from 1250 to 2500, and I've got a few more miles now; or
3. I was always feathering the pedal to try to get it into electric mode, and so never gave it a chance to do so itself.

[efusco]

Originally posted by Brian
When I get up to speed, I have found that my Hybrid Synergy Drive will never shut the gas engine off to use only electric mode. Once gas engine is on, it stays on till I do something to make it shut off.

Brian,
Again, I think this is, in part, a time/break-in issue. I noticed significant positive changes in the behavior of my car at about 5000k miles. But even at your low mileage you should be (and most certainly are) going into no ICE cruise fairly often....but the ECU is programmed to delay that if there is steady pressure on the pedal. Feathering just says "I don't think I need all this ICE power to keep my speed for a while" and the ECU will let you go into electric only Stealth or warp-stealth.

[daniel]

Originally posted by Brian
When I get up to speed, I have found that my Hybrid Synergy Drive will never shut the gas engine off to use only electric mode. Once gas engine is on, it stays on till I do something to make it shut off.

Another thing: The ICE won't shut off until the computer goes into Phase III. FIRST the engine must be up to temperature, and THEN you must EITHER stop for 10 seconds, OR accelerate over some set speed, I forget exactly (somewhere around 30 or 40 mph???) If you have a short commute and low speed and no stops, you might not be getting into Phase III.

I notice, however, that there are times when it WON'T go into electric mode, feathered pedal or no, even though it is in Phase III, has previously been in electric mode, the battery is at 7 bars, and I am moving at a steady, slow speed on a level street.

[Wolfman]

Have you noted the temperature when it does this. I find mine doing this on occasion when the temps are in the mid 50's.

[daniel]

Yes, the temps have generally been around the 50's here lately. The thing is sometimes it goes into electric mode, and sometimes it does not, on the same trip, same road and speed conditions, and with the battery at 6 or even 7 bars. And it hardly seems to me as though the ICE would have cooled off, either, because at every stop sign it runs as I accelerate back to speed. (I don't like to block the traffic behind me by accelerating slowly enough to stay in electric mode.)

So, for example, it'll be in electric, and it will stay in electric until I stop, whether it's a couple of miles or just a few blocks. But when I go again, it will refuse to go back into electric, even if the battery is at 7 bars because the previous run in electric was only a few blocks.

Note: I do not have an EV button. I coax it into electric by feathering the pedal, or it goes into electric on its own.

[Wolfman]

I wonder if it isn't some sort of unnoticed glitch in the software. I know my car isn't cooled down, as I am freshly off of the highway, where it's been running constantly. Since mine's an 03, whatever this commonality is, it's present in both systems.