Bye Bye Fuel Economy!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(DaveinOlyWA @ Dec 19 2006, 12:48 PM) [snapback]364259[/snapback]</div>

Please o Please take a photo for me!

My mileage is dying, I am now at 35mpg! I drive reasonable, try hard to be economical, but mostly do short 5-15 minute trips only (maybe a 30 minute trip once a week)

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tideland Prius @ Dec 20 2006, 12:40 AM) [snapback]364489[/snapback]</div>

He's not alone. I saw 38.8mpg calculated and 40.1mpg on the MDF on my last tank. My avg. tank this winter has dropped to 41mpg MDF. Once I get moved to my new place, I'm going to swap the stock wheels/tires back on and see if that changes anything significantly. Nightime temps are in the 30s-40s with daytime highs in the mid 50s. Sad part is I am driving slow and trying to be careful with the gas pedal.

 

the wife's 2k4 is not much better than 38US right now and I have it totally blocked off. Picking up a new thermostat today as what I saw on CAN-wiew was erratic ICE temps that never got to 86C till I was completely across town. Jon from home to UBC gate, so you know what I mean, it spent most of the time in the 60's. Others, the temps have been in the low 30's F and the drive was about 10 miles in moving city traffic. Took about 35 minutes. From what I saw temp wise is it climbing then dropping while the ICE was running so that's what makes me think it has a defective themostat.

 

I am wondering if it's a Vancouver thing? I live near UBC and like I said I am getting 35 - and I'm trying to maximize economy!

Maybe our hills and moist climate are throwing off the Prius systems?

Anyone else live in Vancouver and getting bad gas mileage?

 

F8L,

What are your driving conditions? I have been getting 73.x mpg during my commutes to work in the last few days.

I got about 73.x again this morning and it was 36F according to the MFD temp. No grill block. I do have a block heater.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(VABeachPrius @ Dec 20 2006, 08:08 AM) [snapback]364593[/snapback]</div>

The last tank I drove about 10-15miles at 45-55mph with some stoplights. Then on the freeway at 65-70mph (those are the speed limits) for another 50miles. That is my usual commute to my moms. For school its 45mph for about 2miles then freeway at 65mph for 10miles. That is my school commute. I'm not doing any pulse and glide stuff yet I am not taking off fast or flooring it to pass either. I have a speaker box in the back but I only weigh 160lbs so that kinda makes up for some of the bigger members here. My 17" rims never made much of a difference before so I doubt they suddenly started ruducing my milage by 4-5mpg.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(VABeachPrius @ Dec 20 2006, 09:08 AM) [snapback]364593[/snapback]</div>

It's about 35-45 every day, rainy most days with 90% humidity. Lots of hills around here and mostly short trips only around town, 5-15 minute trips mostly, some 30 minute trips.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Ecojosh @ Dec 20 2006, 07:57 AM) [snapback]364581[/snapback]</div>

the wife is currently doing 6.6 now and I might blame the gas but I gassed both cars up at the same station on the same evening within 15 minutes of each other and I'm doing 5.2 right now 350K into the tank. That makes me believe there is some other issue and as I normally don't drive her car that much it was an eyeopener to watch the ICE temps going across town. Esso regular both cars.

 

just hit 5.2 at 380 when it dropped to half a tank.

 

well Henry let me borrow his Scangauge for a bit and it has trip info. so did last few days worth

miles temp mpg
5.3 41 42.3
5.1 39 48.0
14.1 45 53.0
19.2 52 56.0
7.0 37 42.1

 

Dave when you list the temp is that the OAT or the ICE in C?

 

the temps listed is OAT after about 5-10 minutes of driving. i park in a garage so it takes a while for the thermometer on my Prius to adjust. and its in Fº. i borrowed Henry's Scangauge and all it provides is the water temp.


hmmm i should put dashes or something in between the figures. i am tracking stats for the next few weeks or so... or until i give Henry's scanner back. its nice that it separates each trip. saves a bit of math on figuring the trips.

like today, it was handy since i went to work and back

morning trip

temp 46º, distance 5.1 miles, average speed 22 mph, consumption 44.5 mpg. (morning direction is elevation increase of about 250 feet)

night trip

temp 45º distance 5.4 miles, average speed 19 mph (more traffic, less convenient light timings) consumption 49.6 mpg

heck i originally borrowed it just to monitor engine and water temps, but no matter how far i go or how fast i drive, water temp max's out at 208º... i can live with that. tomorrow will be doing a good chunk of driving (40 miles one way, mostly freeway) hopefully it will be fairly warm OAT just to see how high it can go.

 

wow 208 that's 97C, about where I consider taking the lips out of my Classic. Did about 8 miles today in the 2k4 and never got the temp over 73C mid 160's

 

well that is water temp not engine temp

 

that was the ICE temp, the thermos was mimicking it but there is a reason. The ICE holds 4 liters of antifreeze and the thermos holds 3, heater core and hoses and pumps and valves probably adds up to another liter so you trying to heat more antifreeze than in a big block V8 with an ICE that is the size of one piston's displacement in a 460 Ford. All while trying to squeeze every last mile out of it. No wonder blocking off the front openings helps, all that cold air blowing over all the hoses and valves and pumps almost 3 feet from the ICE robbing the heat your paying for.

 

yep. i do know that OAT is a huge effect on the engine and water temps. the water temp goes from usually around 55ºF to around 110-130ºF in the first 5 seconds then usually drops down slowly as the effects of the thermos dump levels off.

so far so good. despite colder than normal temps, lots of rain (wet pavement and standing water greatly adds to the drag and rolling coefficient of your Prius) i am at 51.4 mpg on this tank at about 350 miles. that is a good 2 mpg higher than previous winters before i blocked the radiator

 

I have not been able to find out where to show the water temp on my 2006 - is it possible on the newer models to pull up this data on the display?