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Hooray Springtime!

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Fuel Economy' started by Highly ImPriused, Apr 10, 2008.

  1. Highly ImPriused

    Highly ImPriused Impressive Member

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    It's been a long hard winter slog here in Western NY (and I'm sure other northern climates) with the Prius. I had trouble attaining many tanks above 50 mpg, whereas that had become the norm for me last summer on my daily commute. I saw my lifetime fuel economy drop from 50.1 mpg on October 1 (about 10,000 mi) to 48.9 mpg on March 30 (18,500 mi). Blocking my grill and getting a scan gauge last fall certainly helped, but there's not much you can do when it gets down below 20 F or so (the engine just wants to run all the time).

    Now that the weather has finally broken and we're seeing daytime highs regularly in the 50's or better, I'm getting the best mileage yet on my one year old Prius. I'm approaching 60 mpg on a tank for the first time. We'll see when I fill up in another day or two (though I suspect some bias on the low side due to increased bladder flexibility with warmer temps which will allow me to add more gas than on the previous fill). This is better than I was able to achieve last July/August. As far as my daily commute (22 mi. each way and quite hilly), I was able to get close to 58 mpg coming in and 70 mpg heading home yesterday with temps in the 55 - 65 F range. Whereas in the heat of last summer, those numbers were closer to 50 coming in and 60 heading home.

    I attribute this improvement over last summer to a few things.
    • Front grill is still partially blocked. I removed only the lowest 2 of 5 pieces of insulation on the lower grill around April 1, when engine temps started getting above 200 F. I haven't seen it get much above 190 F since. I imagine I'll have to remove more as summer approaches, but can probably leave the upper grill totally blocked.
    • 'Super Highway Mode' - I read about and learned to implement this technique last fall shortly after getting my scan gauge. I don't really even do much actual highway driving but there are a couple of relatively flat stretches of my commute where I usually have to maintain speeds in the 45 - 55 mph range. Attempting high speed pulse/glide or warp stealth simply wasn't working well in this range. Using SHM with IGN 14 to 15 (RPM 1200 - 1300) for the most part and a few mini-pulses at IGN 18 (RPM 1800-1900 ) has really helped on these stretches.
    • Moderating my acceleration in general (thanks to scan gauge). I had been trying to use the suggested range of keeping iMPG > 0.5MPH. I think that was working OK for the most part, but having an actual RPM reading to directly monitor has perhaps helped a bit. I try to stay at about 1800 - 1900 rpm when accelerating from a stop. When going up steep hills I try to keep it under 2300 rpm. Sometimes I do have to exceed that on a couple of really steep hills, especially if there's anyone behind me (the nice part is picking up speed on a gas-free glide on the downside).
    • Is the car/engine continuing to break-in? I'm just over 19,000 mi now. I've read somewhere about a possible secondary break-in around 20K (after the initial one around 5K). Incidentally I'm not even sure I saw much of an improvement due to engine break-in around 5K. It's hard to distinguish whether mpg improvements might be a result of engine break-in or 'driver break-in' when you're picking up and learning all these new techniques.
    Sorry for the lengthy and somewhat gloating post, but I feel like I've finally been freed from the shackles of winter here. I knew my mpg was going to improve, but I didn't expect it to be this much better all ready. Just one more reason to be happy that spring has finally arrived. Feel free to share your springtime success stories here.
     
    #1 Highly ImPriused, Apr 10, 2008
  2. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    We are in the low forties today, with a forecast of ice and snow on Friday and Saturday. Even so, most of the snow is gone and our mileage is improving. By the end of the month we should have some leaves on the trees.

    Tom
     
    #2 qbee42, Apr 10, 2008
  3. BIGGDOGG

    BIGGDOGG New Member

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    Oh The Temp here is a sunny 74 degrees. AHHHHHH! Tomorrow morning I bet there will be frost on my windshield though.
     
    #3 BIGGDOGG, Apr 10, 2008
  4. Neicy

    Neicy Member

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    Finally have 65F and sunny for at least one day anyway.
     
    #4 Neicy, Apr 10, 2008
  5. john1701a

    john1701a Prius Guru

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    What's this "spring" you speak of?

    The snow is coming down pretty hard here right now.

    .
     
    #5 john1701a, Apr 10, 2008
  6. sdp40f500

    sdp40f500 New Member

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    I was tempted to take a totally unnecessary 200 mile drive last weekend when I saw my MPG continue to climb in the lovely 50 degree weather! Of course we're back in the upper 30s today with plenty of the liquid form of the stuff John1701A is being buried under. But it was enough to tell me that there is hope ...

    Jim

    :amen:
     
    #6 sdp40f500, Apr 10, 2008
  7. N3FOL

    N3FOL Member

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    If I were you, I'll be headed south by now. :D

    Hang in there...warm air is not too far away.
     
    #7 N3FOL, Apr 12, 2008
  8. N3FOL

    N3FOL Member

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    The warm temp is very welcome over here. I filled up last night and I calculated 49 mpg on my last tank. (best ever - so far.)
     
    #8 N3FOL, Apr 12, 2008
  9. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    I share your spring fever my friend! My milage is slowly climbing!
     
    #9 F8L, Apr 12, 2008
  10. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    Here too. Everything is white and it's still coming down. We are back to full-on winter.

    Tom
     
    #10 qbee42, Apr 12, 2008
  11. mingoglia

    mingoglia Member

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    Forecast is 83 today in Arizona. :) The weathers beautiful and perfect to sleep with the windows open at night... Supposed to be 94 tomorrow and 99 on Monday though. :eek: In the next month or so it will be 100 degrees in the middle of the night. Arrgh, but I'm enjoying it while it's lasting. It's amazing to me that it's snowing up in MN while Monday it may break 100 degrees here.

    Mike
     
    #11 mingoglia, Apr 12, 2008
  12. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

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    Hooray Springtime ... indeed!

    Even here in So Cal, the temps for the past 2 weeks were strangely cool ... meaning the low & mid 40's on the way in to work ... then 60's in the daytime.

    But come ON folks, get an EBH !! It'll make a ton of difference.
    Our Prius normally'd drop into the bottom 50mpg's during winter, and then back up to maybe 60 in the summer. But with the block heater?

    WOO HOO !! Back to 600 mile ranges again ~
    Here's the Prius's Tank, just down to the last pip (not yet blinking)
    [​IMG]

    So I'll be filling up on the way home. And you can see, the warmer temperature ... in the 60's. Next week that means I won't have to plug in the EBH. But people, you don't have to be in a deep freeze to benefit from the EBH.
     
    #12 hill, Apr 12, 2008
  13. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    That is just sick Hill!

    If I didn't have two commutes I could do it but it takes some work to get those numbers. My best was 62mpg and I'm currently sitting on 61.3mpg and 178miles on the tank but Tuesday I have classes and that commute will drop my milage back down to 58mpg or so. :(

    And to think only a year ago I was complaining about terrible milage and having to work hard to get high 40s. A little knowledge and getting rid of my aftermarket wheels made a huge impact. :)
     
    #13 F8L, Apr 12, 2008
  14. Brodie

    Brodie New Member

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    With the temp increase, 1000 miles on the car and tires, and still learning the tricks, my mpg has inched from 45 to 47 in a month, mostly in the last week....I'm pretty happy, especially since my commute is only 7 miles each way.
     
    #14 Brodie, Apr 12, 2008
  15. Rangerdavid

    Rangerdavid Senior Member

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    Yeah, we're getting an early spring snow here as well. But I'm halfway through this tank, and was on 51.1 when I got home this afternoon. This could be my first 50+ tank since fall. I love springtime!! :D :D
     
    #15 Rangerdavid, Apr 14, 2008
  16. Highly ImPriused

    Highly ImPriused Impressive Member

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    Well I finally hit my first 60 mpg tank thanks to all this unseasonable warm weather were having here. I was never able to accomplish this feat before over any kind of sustained period. Previous best was about 56 mpg last summer. I just got over the 60 hump today with 2 fuel bars left and 458 miles in:

    [​IMG]
     
    #16 Highly ImPriused, Apr 23, 2008
  17. TonyPSchaefer

    TonyPSchaefer Your Friendly Moderator
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    I was thinking "Hooray Spring!" just today. After a series of warm days, I'm happily at 67.8mpg after about 400 miles. I'm hoping that over the next couple hundred miles I can bring it up closer to 70.
     
    #17 TonyPSchaefer, Apr 23, 2008
  18. ewhanley

    ewhanley New Member

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    The warmer weather (54 F today!) has increased my fuel economy quite significantly also. I was getting around 45 mpg, but on my commutes yesterday and today, I got ~500 mpg*.... on my bicycle. There is nothing I like more than riding my bicycle.

    * I cannot vouch for the veracity of of this estimate, but suffice it to say I get much better fuel economy on my C'dale than in my Prius. </smug> ;)

    It’s Just A Ride » Bicycle MPG Calculator
     
    #18 ewhanley, Apr 24, 2008
  19. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    Most of our snow is gone. I have to look for it now. Our little village is in the process of installing a sanitary sewer, so we are mostly back to dirt roads and detours. It will be good when it is done, but it's not helping my Prius at the moment.

    Tom
     
    #19 qbee42, Apr 24, 2008
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