How are you tracking your MPG?

[Optimus]

I'm not sure how much the G2 mpg methods for determining mpg calculations apply to a G1, so I thought I'd see what the G1 owners are doing. I've read some limited information with G1's that the reported trip meter mpg reads about 2mpg higher than actual. Are any of you using the old school method of recording your mileage at fill ups and noting the # of miles driven between them? How accurate is that, considering there's a bladder that isn't going to fill up consistently each time?

[bwilson4web]

Hi,

I record and post my mileage at Hybrid Mileage Database - GreenHybrid.

Initially I was recording both the weekday and weekend mileage to get an idea about what different experiments. Later, after I got a Graham scanner and finished my fuel studies, I just fill with Shell 87 when it gets a little low.

Bob Wilson

[eco]

Ditto. Only got 2 tanks recorded

Originally Posted by bwilson4web

Hi,

I record and post my mileage at Hybrid Mileage Database - GreenHybrid.

Bob Wilson

[Optimus]

thanks--how are you calculating though? If I go by the mpg trip meter, we are averaging about 48-52 depending on the driving routine.

Oh, and bwilson4web--you have a fill up of 14.4 gallons recorded on that website???

[bwilson4web]

Hi,

Originally Posted by Optimus

thanks--how are you calculating though? If I go by the mpg trip meter, we are averaging about 48-52 depending on the driving routine.

Oh, and bwilson4web--you have a fill up of 14.4 gallons recorded on that website???

I use the gas station receipts and one of the trip meters. BTW, if you pass over the "notes" on that 'large' tank, what happened is I forgot to reset the trip meter on one fill up. By the time I realized it, I had already put a bunch of miles on the car. So later when I filled up again, I just added the two receipts and trip meter mileage ... don't sweat the small stuff. <grins>

I prefer to use the MFD mileage display for experiments. So when I was testing hill climbing efficiency, I simply reset it at the beginning of each climb and recorded the MPG at the end for different speeds. Since the MFD miles is imprecise, I'll often clear one of the trip meters at the same time to get the distance to the nearest 1/10th mile.

GOOD LUCK!
Bob Wilson

[DaveinOlyWA]

i do it the old fashioned way... paper pencil... well actually, gas receipts and excel.. but same thing....

[Optimus]

Originally Posted by bwilson4web

BTW, if you pass over the "notes" on that 'large' tank, what happened is I forgot to reset the trip meter on one fill up.

Thanks--I passed the mouse over dozens of those "notes" entries towards the stop and all of them showed a pop up saying there weren't any additional details. I assumed all of them were empty, and I never even checked the entry for the 14.4 tank, so my mistake! That's what I get for assuming!

[rapidroy]

Hi, Bob I noticed from your millage post, the cars seem to get better mileage when the tempter is higher. Would you think it is the intake air for the ICE or because the oil is hotter and thiner with less resistance. Maybe the car needs a higher thermostat for better mileage. I think I will install a watter tempter and oil tempter gage and monitor them to see if higher tempter makes a difference in millage. Any thoughts on this. Thanks Roy

[bwilson4web]

Originally Posted by rapidroy

I noticed from your millage post, the cars seem to get better mileage when the temperature [rjw] is higher.

This remains an area of great interest and the more we look at the data, the more curious it becomes. Every winter I have learned one new thing but in North Alabama, our winters are short and mild. I'll summarize these lessons later ... not enough time for a full answer.

Originally Posted by rapidroy

Would you think it is the intake air for the ICE or because the oil is hotter and thiner with less resistance. Maybe the car needs a higher thermostat for better mileage. I think I will install a watter tempter and oil tempter gage and monitor them to see if higher tempter makes a difference in millage. Any thoughts on this. ...

Welcome to the CLUB! Some of our Japanese friends have done some work in changing the coolant thermostat and I think Patrick Wong did something in this area.

Bob Wilson

[DaveinOlyWA]

Originally Posted by rapidroy

Hi, Bob I noticed from your millage post, the cars seem to get better mileage when the tempter is higher. Would you think it is the intake air for the ICE or because the oil is hotter and thiner with less resistance. Maybe the car needs a higher thermostat for better mileage. I think I will install a watter tempter and oil tempter gage and monitor them to see if higher tempter makes a difference in millage. Any thoughts on this. Thanks Roy

better gas mileage in summer is result of several things:

summer gas has more energy. gas has a relatively high freezing point. to prevent gas line freeze ups, components are added to lower the freezing point. simply put, the components take up space but dont burn... hence a "gallon" of winter gas does not have a gallon of "gas" in it.

cold air is denser. denser air means the car has to work harder to get up and maintain speed.

warmed up cars get better mileage. your Pri, like any car with ICE runs best around 180-190º F. that means that those short trips you do in the summer can be up to 50% more efficient than the same trip in the dead of winter since in winter you will not get that high on trips shorter than a few miles. i ran several tests on my 2004 with CANVIEW and found that in the winter time, not only was getting the Pri warm took longer, i also had issues with keeping it warm if driving on surface streets at speeds 35 mph or less. on drives with frequent stops, i may lose 5-10º of engine temps just by sitting at stoplights. get a handful of those in a short stretch and i was seeing engine temps down to the 150's...iow, at the bottom of the warmup stage again.

defrost and A/C defrost is a killer on your mileage. its also something that is vital in certain areas (me for example since humidity is 99% EVERY winter morning here). unlike the AC in the Pri which is electric, highly efficient and evolved to reduce energy consumption, the defrost is not. barrring temps in the high 100's, The Pri's AC has a relatively small impact on mileage unlike the old belt driven compressor style AC of the past.