40 mpg -- What am I doing wrong?

thanks KSS for the info about P&G. If I'm NOT mistaken (Please CORRECT me if I'm wrong)... You "PULSE" to a higher speed and let the car cruise for a bit gently allow it to "GLIDE" into the cruising speed and let it continue to coast until speed becomes too slow and then you pulse again and let it glide...

Works great on long stretches of road with flat terrain but does't translate well to NY/LONG ISLAND bumper to bumper traffic on the LIE... I can PULSE high enough to glide comfortably before I have to BRAKE because someone cuts me off and/or before the driver in front of me has to SLOW down due to bumper to bumper... however, CC works for my short commute if I stay at least 2~3 car lengths behind and in the middle or right land at around 55~65mph... I wish I could pulse up to 70~75mph and glide the rest of the way but TRAFFIC in NY/LONG ISLAND doesn't permit this... Please do let me know if I got the gist of Pulse and Glide? I have tried this one time late into the evening after 11pm when there was hardly any traffic and it was sweet just gliding along... but that is not possible during the day especially during rush hour... *sigh*

I would love to get better suggestions for you and/or anyone here on the forum regarding NY/Long Island driving tips...


Thanks!

 

I think its your tire pressures. I have Scion tC 17" wheels on my car with 200 treadlife tires and I'm still getting 49.3mpg on the HSI. Probably more like 46mpg actual. My tire pressures are 40/38 and I have a slightly hilly area.

 

Concur that your commute is too fast and too crowded for P&G as a primary technique.

I think you described the pulse fine. Once at the top speed, let off the throttle and feather back in until there is no regen and no assist (no bar at all). This only works up to 45 mph (42 in gen2). Glide is an engine off state.

Above 45, you can warp stealth, in which you feather back in to remove regen and apply a tiny amount of assist. The ICE must spin (without fuel) above 45 to protect MG1, so there are more losses there, plus the glide distance is less due to drag of higher speeds.

Use both techniques when the opportunity arises. Otherwise, stay in the slowest lane you can find and pray for deliverance.

 

Thanks for filling out the questionnaire. Pump up those tires and check the oil. Have the 12 volt battery checked as well, just in case it is "weak". Good luck, I hope you see improvements.

 

Hey guys,

Don't mean to post a Newbie question, but if you guys are technically over-inflating your tires, aren't you just tradng new tires for MPG? My thought is that new tires cost more then your theoretical increase in mpg, so why do it? (not to mention additional road noise)

Thoughts?

Steve

 

Many folks who increase their tire pressure above the car placard recommendations seem to be getting increased tread life in addition to increased MPG. Tire wear patterns strongly hinted that the placard recommendations on my previous cars were too low for good tire life. Tire pressure is a compromise among many competing factors, and compared to my own preferences, they overweighted ride comfort.

I refuse to call anything at or under the sidewall pressure rating 'over-inflated'. I prefer the phrase 'fully inflated', and note that several of my tires list this as a required minimum when operated at the full rated weight load.

 

Regarding the expected mileage, please do read http://priuschat.com/forums/other-c...uth-about-epa-city-highway-mpg-estimates.html. Most fuel-efficient cars is what Consumer Reports got on their tests. You also might find New EPA mileage figures and New EPA mileage figures, Fuel economy results interesting.

Your having to use AC due to the high outside temps is definitely hurting your mileage a bit. Also, having 17" wheels means a bit of a mileage hit vs. the 15" wheels on lesser models.
Thank you for answering my questionnaire!

I can't speak for the 3rd gen but it seems the consensus on the 2nd gen was that the placard (sticker near door) pressures were too low for its stock Goodyear Integrities, resulting in premature wear on both edges. I went slightly over placard pressures and still had that problem.