New Guy from Manassas VA

I needed a newer car and I started looking around. I almost got the Saab Aero until a friend dropped by to let me drive his 04 Prius. I was hooked from the start. I bought an 05 the next day (the day Obama got inaugerated?). I like the fact that I am getting good gas mileage, and I love the display and the challenge.

I've driven the Prius about 6k miles so far. I typically drive between 60 and 100 miles per day for work and they give me 48.5 cents per mile. In addition, I am divorced, and I drive 100 miles to pick up my son and 100 miles back, and 100 miles to drop off my son and 100 miles back, every two weeks.

Originally, when I drove the Prius, at the end of the trip I was exhausted. Can I ride I-66 and the Capitol Beltway and never hit my brakes? I was getting in the low 50's mpg initially and gradually it got better.

The great thing about the Prius is that when traffic sucks, you can get some great gas mileage. I reset the trip meter everytime I make a trip and I tend to go to the same 5 places all the time. So I have old records to beat going to each place. Over 60 mph for a trip is a good day for me. I think my record is 67 over 100 miles, and Friday I got 65 mpg for about 70 miles. Traffic has to suck the right amount to get those numbers (for me). While I am exhausted at the end of a record breaking trip, it is a good kind of exhaustion.

While I think I have stumbled upon some of the methods to get great gas mileage, I took the time today to look for more answers and solutions. I am ready to order the SGII (Scan Guage II) and I am thinking I want the EVMode thing that puts me in electric only mode under the speeds of 34 mph. As best I have read, it cancels the electric only mode when the battery charge (SOC) falls below 3 bars or the speed increases above 34. As best I have read, it allows quicker acceleration via the battery (up to 34). I think this would be a good addition.

The SGII would be used to monitor engine temp, SOC, IGN and RPM. I want to block the radiator in some fashion in colder weather.

I guess my goal is to take the next leap and have a trip in the 70 mpg range.

I do love the Prius.

Art

 

Thanks guys. I ordered the SGII last night and the EV switch. I am interested in the EBH (Block Heater) too.

I would ask questions, but I haven't done enough homework (yet). I read about the $10,000 plug in battery addition and it makes me drool.

In the DC area, the drivers are crazy. It really pisses them off if you are not less then 10' behind the car in front of you. And they love to accelerate and use their brakes alot. At times I am going a bit faster then I prefer and following a bit closer then I prefer to supposedly make them happier. But "they" are never happy unless you are getting crappy mileage like everyone else.

I live 2 miles north of I-66 on Rt 234 (Sudley Road). When I am coming home from work and I get on 234 north, in a mile there is a light on Rt 29 and 234. EVERYDAY, you have to wait through at least two light cycles before you can get through. EVERYDAY. And the speed limit is 35 mph. And it is kinda up a hill and then down a hill. I don't want to race up the hill just to stop and wait for the light so I try and pulse and glide and charge on the downhill prior to stopping at the light for 10 minutes. I am not sure why this pisses them off so much. I drive at least the speed limit and we all get to sit in stopped traffic at the end.

And I don't want to race to the next red light that is already red. And when traffic is going 0 and then jumps to 20 mph, and then drops back to 0, I will open up the distance between the car in front of me because I don't want to constantly hit the brakes. I don't want to spend more money on oil that goes to people that hate us so we can all sit on I-66 going 0 mph with occasional bursts to 70 mph and quickly back to 0.

I guess I need thicker skin. Any thoughts?

I hate getting worse gas mileage so the guy behind me can get bad mileage too.

And I find if I am doing 70 mph, I am still holding someone back so they have less time to spend with their families and friends. I have never had a car that could fast enough to satisfy everyone. But I do have a motorcycle that can easily (07 Yamaha FJR). But I prefer not riding it to work because of "them". Plus it is almost impossible to talk on the cell phone and text people while eating breakfast and putting on my make-up while reading the newspaper on the bike while following the car in from of me within 10 foot.

I guess I am wanting gas prices to go up dramatically.

The EV switch is to allow me to make it the last mile when traffic opens up and the battery can charge with the ICE running. I think that greater acceleration without kicking in the ICE might make some people happier.

I ride I-66 into DC and this dumps me off on Constitution Ave and then there are lights (poorly timed) for the next 1/2 mile. And I-66 is kinda downhill on the last leg so I my batteries are in good shape to make the next 1/2 mile or so. Generally I am speeding up and then slowing down and charging the battery so I am not using much energy. I am just looking for a little bit better gas mileage in certain instances. Perhaps that will get me to 70 mpg on a trip.

Plus perhaps this will help my buddy with the 6 mile trip to work finally get out of the 40's on his trip.

Art

 

Jim,

I want to stike a balance too. Hell, I want the world to be better. I want us all to get better gas mileage. But I am not King yet nor President. I want us all to get along.

And I think that gas is a good thing, and you should be used wisely on the commute to work at least in this area if not everywhere. Waste not want not.

In addition, there are other things that consume gas. A friend of mine has a boat. He and other like to ski and this uses gas. I like riding the motorcycle and this takes gas. I got grass to mow and this takes gas. Gas is good.

But wasting it for no reason by commutting stupidly bothers me. Certain roads around here always suck at the same time everyday. It is a fact of life.

And today really sucked because the sun was rising in the east and me and a bunch of other people were driving from the west (we do this everyday), and the sun was in our EYES. It was horrible just like it was yesterday. And the day before. So it was slow.

And today, I really watched the battery charge because in instances like this, I run out of battery and the ICE needs to run at the wrong time and my numbers suffer. And I did what you said and brought the ICE on in the uphills and used this to gather speed and charge the battery. My battery management was really good.

I got to my destination 43 miles away and 252' closer to sea level and with the wind and my gas mileage was 76.4 mph. A new world record for me. I called everyone I knew when I got to work.

I got 43 miles to get back home and 252' to rise and I am headed into the wind back home. And of course you got the sun thing headed west in the afternoon (just like yesterday). And traffic sucked. And it sucked on I-495 more then usual so I took the "back roads" home.

There were instances that I was the only one there and I maximized gas mileage and at times I was going 15 mph going down hill to charge the battery. I would use the ICE to gain speed and charge the battery. The speed limit was 35 mph. I eventually gained a guy on my rear end with a red Chevy S-10 and he was following close. I did the best I could to stay above 35 mph and get great mileage.

I eventually hit a light and I hit the park button and step on the parking brake and I get out and tell him just to pass me when the light turns green. I don't want to slow you down, but I am getting the greatest gas mileage I have ever gotten and I am at 73.7 mpg's right now. Just pass me so I can go whatever speed I want. I am two miles from my house and I don't want to slow you down.

He didn't realize I was slowing him down and he was impressed with the 73.7 mph. We continued to chat and the light turned green (there was no one behind us) and I showed him the mileage graphs for today, my miles on the tank and how much gas I had left. I cranked up the JBL speakers with the ICE not running and he was impressed by the sound and the space in the Prius. He thought we were little green people in a little green car. I think we have yet another red neck converted to the cause (I am a red neck too). 73.7 mpg is a common language among American's these days.

I finished the day at 73.2 mpg (by the computer over 86 miles) and it is my personal best. Someone out there owe's me a high five!

In stupid traffic it is important to keep the battery charged when going uphill even if you can do it with the battery. You need to keep the battery juicey. Battery management was the word for the day.

Art