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Toyota Highlander Hybrid Driving Tips & Tricks

428 messages,  Last post on Oct 16, 2009 at 6:44 PM

You are in the Toyota Highlander Hybrid Forum. Your Host is pf_flyer

What is this discussion about? Toyota Highlander Hybrid, Fuel Efficiency (MPG), SUV


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#353 of 428
Question for Owners of HH & Prius by cdptrap
Jul 06, 2006 (5:58 pm)
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Prius owners talk a lot about running the Prius with no regen-braking and no battery power. If I understand this correctly, it just means the car can coast more freely without power and without regen-braking to slow it, true?
 
Has any HH owner here done this and notice significant benefit?
 
We accidentally did this with our HH a few times and have learnt to do it more often but not sure if it is worth all the work.
#354 of 428
Re: Battery Drain in Traffic [cdptrap] by terry92270
Aug 23, 2006 (8:53 am)
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Replying to: cdptrap (Sep 16, 2005 6:30 am)

"We have taken the oppostie course of action by leaving the engine ON for short stops of 5 minutes or less. One of us will wait in the car of course. The ICE never comes on during these 5-minute stops and the traction battery never drains down, at least not that we have noticed. To prevent the 12V from draining during such stops, we turn off stereo, AC, display and everything that requires power but the daytime running lights will stay on."
 
Seriously?
 
You spent all that money to do that
#355 of 428
Re: Battery Drain in Traffic [terry92270] by cdptrap
Aug 23, 2006 (9:35 am)
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Replying to: terry92270 (Aug 23, 2006 8:53 am)

My "old" post was dated September 2005 so things have changed a bit. We got the car in August last year and mileage was low in September then. We were having fun squeezing out every MPG we could. The car was not broken in, so it was a challenge to keep the MPG number up.
 
Yes, we still keep engine ON and wait if it is a quick run in and out. There really is no need to turn anything OFF. We even leave the A/C on now if necessary. A full-charge can sustain a little over 15 minutes of A/C run before it drains to 3 bars. It is really nice to have the A/C ON but burning no gas.
 
We also naively tried to run on electric as much as possible last year. That did not work too well because draining the battery meant ICE running longer to charge. Now, we just maintain power in the zebra-band whenever speed allows. The car will charge when it needs to, use pure ICE or pure electric or a combination of ICE and electric when necessary. As long as the power is in or close to the zebra band, the MPG number is at or above 25-MPG.
 
The car has broken in now and we have learnt a lot, it has been a fun ride, worth every penny. Especially with gas at $3.30 for "Regular" and $3.40 for "Premium".
#356 of 428
Re: Battery Drain in Traffic [cdptrap] by terry92270
Aug 23, 2006 (9:55 am)
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Replying to: cdptrap (Aug 23, 2006 9:35 am)

Well, I am glad to hear you are no longer sweltering and doing without the radio!
 
I too have fallen into the "trap" of trying to get the highest numbers, so know what fun it can be. I think many of us, having prior notions of the EV1, and other pure electric cars, had lots of mis-informed conceptions about Hybrids. Once one realizes their true genius of walking the tightrope between ICE and electric, one appreciates them even more!
 
BTW, in Reno regular is "just" $3.09
#357 of 428
Re: Battery Drain in Traffic [terry92270] by cdptrap
Aug 23, 2006 (10:39 am)
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Replying to: terry92270 (Aug 23, 2006 9:55 am)

Our latest "obssession" is getting the HH to "roll" with no regenerative charging and no electric assist when speed and traffix allow. We borrowed this from the Prius owners . Watching the NAV screen, there are no arrows, no flows.
 
As the car breaks in, it is becoming more obvious that with a full charge, 6 - 8 bars, the car easily starts off on electric and can stay in electric up through 20-MPH before the ICE kicks in. It can move so quickly that we thought it was the ICE kicking in to help. When there is little traffic, we can nurse it on pure-electric all the way to 40-MPH before setting CRUISE and let the drive computer take over. We could not do this prior to breaking 10K miles.
 
This Prius no-flow technique seems to really help with keeping a battery charge. Still experimenting with how long it can "roll" in this manner, which road can it roll best, at what speed can we do this safely.
 
Reno gas is cheap, we are in SF Bay area, .
#358 of 428
Re: Battery Drain in Traffic [terry92270] by jbollt
Aug 23, 2006 (11:03 am)
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Replying to: terry92270 (Aug 23, 2006 9:55 am)

BTW, in Reno regular is "just" $3.09
 
Wow! Today in Tucson, $2.69 at Sam's Club! No complaints here!
 
I am curious how to get the "no arrows" that is mentioned in the post by cdptrap just above mine. I have a new TCH, with only 1400 miles, and havn't been able to acheive this feat yet. It seems that i can get the ICE turned off, but always get charging back into the battery. AH! Maybe it requires a totaly full battery? Any advice?
#359 of 428
Re: Battery Drain in Traffic [jbollt] by terry92270
Aug 23, 2006 (11:43 am)
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Replying to: jbollt (Aug 23, 2006 11:03 am)

Please do not succumb to cdptrap's obsession!
 
LOL !
 
The battery is always optimally charged, to allow head room for regenerative breaking charging, etc. Starting with it at 100% actually defeats the system technology, and will shorten your battery life.
#360 of 428
Re: Battery Drain in Traffic [jbollt] by desertfox1
Aug 23, 2006 (12:56 pm)
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Replying to: jbollt (Aug 23, 2006 11:03 am)

OK,
 
Where are the "bars" that is always being mentioned? Is that on the NAV layout that shows a car for every 50 w of enegery bing genereated in each time period?
 
I see no benefit of getting "no arrows" unless the arrows are fromn the ICE.
 
FYI - 06 HH Limited AWD, got last Thursday, 8/17.06. 250 miles, and am showing a 28.7 ave mpg. It had 66 on it when I got it, and the ave mpg then was 16. Don't know what idiot drove the first 66.
#361 of 428
Re: Battery Drain in Traffic [desertfox1] by terry92270
Aug 23, 2006 (2:03 pm)
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Replying to: desertfox1 (Aug 23, 2006 12:56 pm)

That "idiot" would be the porters, driving them at a very rapid rate onto the ship for transport, off again at the POE, typically Long Beach, California, and then again onto a train or trailer for transport to the dealership......and then off the trailer, onto the dealers lot.
 
Then still more "idiots" drive them through the dealers car wash, fuel them at a nearby gas station.
 
Then even more idiots, buyers, like you, me, test drive them.
 
That is where those miles came from, and just who those "idiots" were....
#362 of 428
Re: Battery Drain in Traffic [desertfox1] by cdptrap
Aug 23, 2006 (2:24 pm)
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Replying to: desertfox1 (Aug 23, 2006 12:56 pm)

The "Bars" is the battery graphic in the NAV's Energy Flow Diagram. Arrows flow to and from the battery. Full 8 bars turs it green, 6 bars turns it blue, 2 bars turns it pink.
 
The "no arrow" thing is just a recent discovery so we are having fun trying it. Not convince it is really worth doing all the time. There are other ways of making sure the battery maintains a strong charge when we come to a stop. The strong charge allows us to start moving again on eletric.

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