what is every1 in the chicagoland area

Please do come to the ChicagoPriusGroup meet-up on May 20th. A few tips and hints could prove useful to you. Since I drive mostly in Chicago itself my MPG is higher, but my 100 mile trip to the Milwaukee Hybrid Group meeting this past Saturday on I-294/I-94 showed a 65.5MPG on the ScanGauge so good highway milage is possible.

Wayne

 

Hi Newlifin5,

I am not sure where you are driving 75 mph on a Chicagoland expressway. My experience is that as soon as one gets to 75, one would have to start slowing down due to congestion up front. I see this every morning, even at 6 am. A line of cars goes by in the fast lane at 75, which are then passed in a few minutes by the cars in the slow lane (as they are all dead stopped). Then the cycle repeats. Of course the Hybrid system is only so good, and its not going to recover 100 % of the braking energy. The total efficiency speed, to wheels is about 40 to 45 %. The recovery efficiency is very good (about 85 %), but the battery to wheel efficiency during accelleration is the killer. Still, its better than totally loosing that energy altogether. Which is why my old Saturn SL2 would only get 28 mpg on the same trip the Prius is in the mid 50's.

Are you doing allot of inter-city travel ? Are you doing the Rockford-Schaumburg commute?

Possibly you will see better mileage lately. Seems allot of people are slowing down on the expressways since gas went over $3.25/ga , and that is causing more congestion at the choke points. Or, the students are on the roads now, going to thier summer jobs. Or both. This has added about 5 mpg to my average this tank. Even with the AC during the 90 degree day.

I would recommend cold tire pressure of 41/39 PSI. Set this in the morning, before the sun heats the tires.

Techlite is right. Additionally, while force is going up as square function, power is going up as a cubed function. So the power required to overcome air drag at 65 mph is 65 percent of the power required at 75 mph. Yet distance covered is only 15.4 percent higher per unit time at 75 than at 65 mph. The overall Prius fuel efficiency curve has a drop off at 40 mph, then a plateau around 60 to 65, then it drops off again. Above 68 mph or so, the car cannot drop into electric on downhill sections, or coasting down, due to the ratios in the gear box. And the engine must run.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(FireEngineer @ Apr 24 2007, 08:53 AM) [snapback]428949[/snapback]</div>

Thanks for your input at the Chicago Prius meeting. Enjoyed it and will plan to attend some of the other scheduled meetings. I worry about the 50 lbs of pressure you were recommending. Side of the tire says max of 44 psi. Loved the idea of an engine block heater and the foam for the front grill area. I had to leave before the Prius Tech had a chance to speak. Did he have anything to say about the modifications? I wish I could have heard his comments about maintaining the Prius. I like doing a lot of things myself. Not sure if I want to tackle the block heater but I might feel up the back side of the motor to see if I can find that cavity.

Thanks again!

Bruce

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(BMahon @ May 21 2007, 04:57 AM) [snapback]446533[/snapback]</div>

I'm getting a combo of 55-56 mpg city/hwy, mostly on I294 and if someone doesn't ride my tail. :huh:

Where do you put the foam for the front grill and where do you get it? Likewise, the heater?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(N_IL_Priusfan @ Jun 1 2007, 02:58 PM) [snapback]453460[/snapback]</div>

You'd know if you came to the meet-up...........

The foam is 1 inch pre-slit pipe insulation available at any home improvement/hardware store. The upper grill takes a 3 foot perfectly, the lower takes a 3 foot if you have fog lamps, if no fog lamps get 4 foot. Cut in half length wise, fold a half in half, stuff in grill. Do not do this above 50F for the lower grill unless you have a ScanGauge II or CanView to monitor engine/inverter-MG temps.

Engine block heater can be ordered from Metro Toyota or Sigma Automotive. Installation is done free by me, just PM me when you have your block heater.

Be sure to keep track of our ChicagoPriusGroup because there are more hints, tips, techniques, lessons, info, education and fun coming up.

Wayne

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(FireEngineer @ Jun 1 2007, 04:11 PM) [snapback]453530[/snapback]</div>

I would have loved to come to the meet up but I didn't find out about it in time!

So only use the foam in cooler weather? So around here, that would be October? B)

Are you sure you'd want to come all the way to Lake County???

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(N_IL_Priusfan @ Jun 1 2007, 04:46 PM) [snapback]453554[/snapback]</div>

Well I have gone a little farther to install a block heater :lol: . Gurnee is just around the block compared to others.

Wayne

 

I wish there was a helpful group like this in the central Illinois area as well. You guys really seem to know your stuff!!

 

Peoria area

 

Well, newlifein5 hasn't posted much since this initial inquiry, and doesn't seen to differentiate between the EPA and Toyota, but what they said they were getting at 75 MPH wasn't unexpected. See my sig.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(spideyman @ Jun 1 2007, 09:24 PM) [snapback]453725[/snapback]</div>

That's only 2 hours from my house (with no wind). You can come out, make a fun day of it. Although our next formal meet-up won't be until September the group is still busy. If you could make Hybridfest for a day or two you'd learn a lot. August 11-12 is the Illinois Renewable Energy Fair in Oregon, IL just off of I-39, which is not a meet but a outreach-to-the-public event, but it's lots of fun and the people there sometimes give some real stumper type technical questions. And come October or November we'll probably have a group engine block heater install, you know you want that done .

Wayne