- #141 of 196
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Windshield wipers re pknj. Question
by pat85
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Apr 02, 2008 (10:22 am)
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I used Silblade replacement wipers on the 4 Runner I traded in on my 09 TCH.
They were garenteed for 5 years. I had them on for 4 years and they still worked fine.
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- #142 of 196
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Re: TCH Wheels? [flipcreatie]
by oac
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Apr 04, 2008 (9:22 pm)
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Replying to: flipcreatie (Mar 06, 2008 7:13 am)
I have 18" on mine and it works perfectly. I also have 50 aspect ratio tire. No worries with upgrading your stock to 18"... Look around here and you can find my car pics so you can seee how it looks on 18".
Hope this helps
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- #143 of 196
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Re: Modify performance chip [captainbot]
by saltyhacker
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Apr 11, 2008 (5:17 am)
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Replying to: captainbot (Feb 20, 2008 9:39 am)
I live in Massachusetts also but only get about 35 mpg at best during my 20 mile, back road, 35 MPH average, commute. I to am looking for a easy way to get the 08 Camry to keep stay in electric mode longer to maximize MPG. I understand that the HP rating of the electric motor is not rated to drive the car alone in all conditions but more for supplemental power. Still I think there must be a simple way to reprogram the car to use more electric and less ICE. Heck the battery level never seems to drift off 90%.
---Captain Marty
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- #144 of 196
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Re: Modify performance chip [saltyhacker]
by talmy1
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Apr 11, 2008 (5:58 am)
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Replying to: saltyhacker (Apr 11, 2008 5:17 am)
The car uses electric power when the ICE would not be able to run the car efficiently, so it is already doing the best it can. Running electrically on the battery is not free energy -- the battery is charged via the ICE and gasoline, and the charge/discharge cycle of the battery will use energy. So forcing more electric power will likely increase the gasoline consumption.
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- #145 of 196
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Re: Modify performance chip [talmy1]
by tsy
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Apr 11, 2008 (7:25 am)
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Replying to: talmy1 (Apr 11, 2008 5:58 am)
Actually, you forgot about the regenerative braking, which in a sense is 'free' energy, or perhaps, recaptured energy that normally is wasted (turned into heat by your brakes). So some of that electrical energy is indeed 'free'.
I think the battery could be used more, and the car would get better fuel economy, but at the expense of battery life, which I'm sure Toyota doesn't want.
The car is perfectly capable of running just off the ICE (in fact, if you ever run the battery down this is precisely what the car does) and the car becomes a bit slower.
tom
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- #146 of 196
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Accessories and Modifications
by n735xv
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Apr 11, 2008 (12:56 pm)
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Has anyone installed a wood accent kit to the interior of a new Camry? If so, where did you buy the kit, what areas does the wood cover, and how difficult was it to install.
Thanks for the help
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- #147 of 196
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Re: Modify performance chip [tsy]
by spenbaba
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Apr 12, 2008 (1:32 pm)
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Replying to: tsy (Apr 11, 2008 7:25 am)
I have noticed on several occassions that I have run in electric mode for a mile or more at 25-30 mph on a flat, straight road (along the beach) and the battery has run down to about 25%, according to the pictogram. This has happened when I am very gentle with the accelerator. It also happened when I was stuck in bumper to bumper traffic for about an hour. I will be curious to see how this affects battery life since I heard it is best to keep the battery charged, like from 60-80 % or so. I was definitely outside that and the controls seemed to allow it. During these times, the mileage on the bar graph is maxed out.
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- #148 of 196
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Re: Modify performance chip [saltyhacker]
by wvgasguy
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Apr 12, 2008 (5:33 pm)
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Replying to: saltyhacker (Apr 11, 2008 5:17 am)
While running in EV mode indeed saves on gas it does require recharging and thus the ICE will eventually run to recharge it. However I don't worry about hitting the EV mode, it is most economical when driving around 50 mph on rolling roads where I can use the momentum down hills to run at a FE of 60+ and then use the battery in conjunction with the ICE on the slight grades. If there is more hp available than needed then the ICE will charge the battery then as well. I don't find 35 mph as being very effecient. 40 to 50 seems to work best for me if I don't have a lot of stops.
37.2mpg lifetime after 45,500 miles in the hills of WV
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- #149 of 196
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Re: Modify performance chip [spenbaba]
by tsy
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Apr 13, 2008 (10:03 am)
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Replying to: spenbaba (Apr 12, 2008 1:32 pm)
From what I understand, the battery graph we get is a bit deceptive. When it reads "0" the battery is actually at 50% (someone correct me if I'm wrong), thus keeping the battery in it's optimal range, and thus preserve battery life.
I'm sure as things improve so will the use of the batteries and we'll have higher mileage cars.
tom
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- #150 of 196
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Re: Modify performance chip [tsy]
by wvgasguy
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Apr 14, 2008 (3:55 am)
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Replying to: tsy (Apr 13, 2008 10:03 am)
You may be right on the 50%, but I thought the range of the graph was 40 to 80%. It's been so long since anyone has asked. It's in the earlier threads.
Bottom line though the batteries are never fully discharged (or anywhere near it). The computer is designed to kick in and out of this state to keep them in this range to provide the longest life.
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