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Hybrid Vehicles Honda Accord Hybrid Honda Accord Hybrid: Driving Tips & Tricks
89 messages, Last post on Jan 29, 2009 at 9:30 AM
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Replying to: nowakj66 (Dec 13, 2005 12:33 pm)
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Replying to: nowakj66 (Dec 13, 2005 9:17 am) The only cause other than the cold that I could think of is the change in gas formulation in cold-weather states in winter. I seem to recall a similar drop-off in my old car ('03 Maxima) this time of year. On the bright side, I drove the HAH in the snow for the first time last week, and it handled great! I went through some pretty deep snow on side streets and up some slippery hills, and the few times the traction control kicked in it worked really well.
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Replying to: robertsmx (Dec 13, 2005 2:13 pm) I do check the tire pressure to make sure that is up (I run them at about 33 psi). I am by no means a leadfoot. My autostop does not kick in nor does the ECO light until about Mile 7 or 8 of my 10 mile trip on colder days. In that state it is essentially acting much like a non-hybrid v6 Accord which I beleive gets about 21 mpg city. I am not sure if central Ohio has altered gas formulation during winter months. Anyone know?
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Replying to: nowakj66 (Dec 13, 2005 9:17 am)
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Replying to: nowakj66 (Dec 13, 2005 3:09 pm) |
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Replying to: cal_cal (Dec 14, 2005 8:10 am) |
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Replying to: nowakj66 (Dec 13, 2005 3:09 pm) Your 10mi commute is the killer for you. Until you see the temp gauge get almost up to its normal range, the ECU is running a fuel/air mix almost 2x as rich as normal, across all six cylinders. On your SoC - you'll see that the battery *stores* energy better in cold temps, but *distributes* it better in warmer temps. More a function of Ni-MH technology. Tires - I run mine at 38psi or higher, depending on where I'm driving. You'll often find tire salespeople inflating to 5lbs or so past the mfg's recommendation. Minimal discomfort vs. the stock 32, and I gain about 1mpg out of it. If you're willing to go higher (say, 45 or even 48), you can gain another 1-1.5mpg. But your ride harshness will increase - it starts getting noticable to me after 40psi. Autostop & VCM at 7-8mi out - yep, that sounds about right. You know what the real killer is ? When you've gotten the cat just warm enough to engage auto-stop, but sitting in traffic for a couple of minutes, the engine restarts because the sensors detected the cat got cold (at least, that's what I figure happened  All northern climates get different gas in winter vs. summer. Car starts easier, but the gas doesn't hold as much energy, so your mpg drops (plus the cold, which we know about). Actually, except for the very warmest areaa, I'd guess that the entire country gets reformulated gas in winter. Finally, the gulf coast hurricanes prompted an earlier change than usual to winter gasoline production (it's slightly cheaper / easier to make than the summer blend). This may be a topic for a new thread, but I wonder how many HAH owners, now that they have a taste of what's obtainable w/o too much effort in the FE dept, are considering trading in their near-luxury Accord Hybrid for the new Civic Hybrid ? I actually have a deposit on one, and am waiting for it to come in so I can try it out. I figure if I can get 35-45mpg out of a car rated at 29/37, I may be able to get 55-65 out of a new HCH at a minimum - and probably more, since it's tuned for greater FE, and you don't get the hit of six-cylinder operation. In other words, I bought the Accord for its refinement and lack of sacrifices to achieve decent FE. I'm now willing to trade off some of that refinement for even better FE because having the hybrid for a year, learning how to achieve good results with it, and seeing the events of the past year has now changed my priorities. Has it for anyone else ? |
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Replying to: mrmiles (Dec 13, 2005 2:34 pm) |
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I've seen where several attribute a drop in mileage to cold weather gas sold in northern states. Here in AR, it doesn't really get cold enough to effect gas so I doubt it's any different in the winter down here. However, we've seen a substantial drop in mileage for the last say 4000 mi. We're down from getting about 37 highway to barely 30. In town, we're doing good to hit 23. For what it's worth, we've now got 31k on the car that we bought in April '05. It goes into the shop tomorrow, but I'm not expecting anything positive.
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Replying to: herhonda (Dec 27, 2005 6:51 pm) All cars lose MPG in the cold. Hybrids are more noticable because people are expecting high MPG all the time "just because it's a hybrid." Unfortunately, the laws of Physics do not care what kind of drivetrain you have. Even moderate temp drops can negatively affect the hybrids MPG. In part, with the Hondas (I own an HCH myself) it's because the IMA system is used less when the car's engine is below optimium operating temps, and that happens more in winter weather. Until prime op temps are reached, the gas engine is used more, the RPMS are staying higher, and the battery is being charged with the gas from the tank. Your choices for helping maintain good MPG in the winter are: buy an engine block heater garage the car and use a space heater Other than keepin the antifreeze warm and/or keeping the car stored in a warm area, nothing else will help. These will help a little bit. But you need to come to accept the fact that your hybrid will suffer in coldish temps. I have been using a space heater for 25 minutes every morning, blowing 80 degree air under the front of my car from about 18 inches away. It helps a little bit - I do in fact lose LESS MPG every morning because of the heater usage.
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