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Sedans Toyota Avalon Toyota Avalon 2005-
14780 messages, Last post on Dec 02, 2009 at 2:06 PM
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Replying to: havalongavalon (Feb 15, 2007 7:58 pm) That would definitely affect FE adversely. |
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Replying to: havalongavalon (Feb 15, 2007 7:58 pm) Or maybe it could be, that without the 'hesitation' I inevitably push the car a little harder and that is what is hurting the FE - which is still quite satisfactory at 27mpg overall BTW.
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Replying to: captain2 (Feb 16, 2007 6:37 am) With a manual transaxle and FWD you would NEVER consider using engine braking to slow the vehicle if the roadbed is slippery or you have reason to suspect it to be slippery, OAT well below freezing, black ice, etc. ABS is nice and all but even with RWD sometimes it is simply best to lightly apply the rear e-brake, especially "sliding" down a slippery incline. Not having an easy method for detecting roadbed condition most manufacturers of FWD have recently chosen to revise the automatic transaxle shift schedule in a manner that virtually eliminates engine braking on those front wheels at all times. And keep in mind that it doesn't take very much engine braking to prevent ABS from being functional on an extremely low traction surface, the worse possible situation.
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Replying to: wwest (Feb 16, 2007 10:25 am) now you know I'm not going to bite on this - and I understand what you are saying - to which I will counter that FWD makes for an inherently more driveable vehicle (other than possibly AW/4WD) especially in slippery conditions, despite your well founded concerns about engine braking. If we were to outlaw FWD as somehow being patently unsafe and all cars reverted back to RWD, we would have a whole pile of folks that couldn't get around anymore - especially on snowy/icy roads. RWD does have some disadvantages. |
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Replying to: ange (Feb 13, 2007 4:46 pm) |
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Replying to: captain2 (Feb 16, 2007 6:37 am) My daily commute includes 20 km (12 mi) of mixed country road/city street driving with 700 m (2300 ft) changes in elevation. I have compared driving up and down the same hills in D and in S, in light and heavy traffic, all seasons, for 2 years now. Driving in D up a fairly steep (12%) hill at 30-40 mph, my Av will not upshift from 3rd gear until well after having cleared the crest and on flat terrain again. This was an early observation that I found a bit annoying and it prompted me to experiment with the S mode. In S, I can nudge it into 4th and sometimes 5th well before reaching the crest, with no reduction in speed and with a noticeable gain in FE. Part of the reason obviously is that I can anticipate when the slope will change; the ECU cannot. But even after reaching level ground again, when in D, it waits too long and "hangs" in 3rd at 3500 RPM, when it could and should have upshifted earlier. When in S, my Av upshifts sooner -- or if it doesn't, I nudge it. The FE display clearly confirms the benefit of upshifting earlier. Since 50% of my daily driving is on hilly terrain, so 25% up hills when fuel consumption is clearly highest, I find that driving in S is in fact more fuel efficient for me than driving in D. The difference would be less for driving on mainly level roads. I assume that your daily driving does not include many hills -- correct?
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Replying to: jlsexton (Feb 16, 2007 12:58 pm) I recently installed, in another vehicle, a stand-alone wireless backup camera and monitor, paid Can$99 at Costco. Works very well. The camera protrudes a couple cm beyond the license plate, but remains contained within the recessed area for the plate. It would not be reached by light contact from a flat bumper from another vehicle. I haven't tried to install one in my Av, so can't suggest how to locate the monitor and wiring. If you do, please post your solution. Thanks.
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Replying to: havalongavalon (Feb 16, 2007 1:43 pm) Correct, I live in a very flat part of the US, don't get to play with hills very much. Are you leaving the tranny in S5, and 'nudging' the upshifts with your right foot, or a manual gear change?
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Replying to: captain2 (Feb 16, 2007 2:00 pm) Manually. I keep my foot off the gas pedal as much as possible; I find this helps the FE more than anything else! Pun intended; but really, it's interesting how little you need to step on the gas with the Av, even up hills. |
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Replying to: jlsexton (Feb 16, 2007 12:58 pm) |
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