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Hybrid Vehicle Maintenance, Repair and Concerns

133 messages,  Last post on Nov 16, 2009 at 3:58 PM

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What is this discussion about? Toyota Prius, Honda Fit Hybrid, Ford Escape Hybrid, Honda Hybrid, Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid, Toyota Highlander Hybrid, Hybrid Cars, Coupe, Hatchback, Truck

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#57 of 133 Re: [envirofriend] by Mr_Shiftright HOST Mar 14, 2009 (9:32 am)
Replying to: envirofriend (Mar 13, 2009 8:07 pm) Your overall miles on the odometer are too few yet to accurately calculate fuel mileage and yes, short trips are usually run on a cold engine (resistant from cold fluids) andan enriched fuel mixture.   Once you hit about 3,000 miles or so, go on a freeway trip for 100-200 miles and I bet you'll see a big jump.   As your car breaks it, even short trip mileage should increase but 5 mile trips are not easy on a car's fuel economy. If you were driving ALL DAY in the city, that would improve things because the car's properly warmed up.
#58 of 133 Re: Honda Civic Hybrid 2008 [george128] by stevedebi Mar 15, 2009 (8:47 pm)
Replying to: george128 (Mar 13, 2009 5:54 pm) "As advertised by Honda, I do not feel that my car ever goes to electric drive only . Honda says under 35 mph on a level road with a battery sufficiently charged,engine warm,light throttle.and in city cruising etc.that it does.The service mgr says it is happening but you won't know it and also said that if it fails that an error code occurs.I asked for specifics as to when it will happen and got no answers and no error code involved.In my letter to Honda in California I was pushed back to the Dealer.So I have no answers.Are there any thoughts on this issue? "   The HMA system uses electric motors in the drivetrain, to assist the gasoline engine. To my mind that means there is no way for the car to run on electric only (it would essentially be running the engine, which is connected to the drivetrain - unless they somehow uncoupled the automatic transmission). The Internet articles I've read indicate the IMA cannot run on electric only.   The advantage of this system is that it doesn't require a lot of hybrid-specific changes to the vehicle (it is essentially an add-on to the current transmission), and therefore costs less than a "two-mode" hybrid, which is capable of running on electric (for a short distance), hybrid-electric, or gasoline.   I had thought that the IMA only turned off the engine at stops.   Anyone else? Replies to this message: kdhspyder (Mar 16, 2009 12:31 pm)
#59 of 133 Re: Honda Civic Hybrid 2008 [stevedebi] by kdhspyder Mar 16, 2009 (12:31 pm)
Replying to: stevedebi (Mar 15, 2009 8:47 pm) I believe that you are correct ^^^^.   The IMA has an electric motor attached to the engine output shaft which 'assists' the motor to run more efficiently, ergo the Integraged Motor Assist ( IMA ) nomenclature.   AFAIK it is not possible for the IMA vehicles to drive on electric power alone, except maybe at startup from a dead stop for a very very short distance ( meters ).   OTOH the very elegant engineering solution that Honda has created is less expensive and more compact than Ford's or Toyota's or GM's so it's well suited to smaller and less expensive vehicles, the Civic hybrid and the Fit hybrid ( Insight II ).
#60 of 133 tires and mileage by dber Apr 08, 2009 (9:20 am)
My 08 Civic Hybrid with 35K miles has burned through the OEM Dunlop tires averaging just over 50mpg (calculated using overflow fill-ups). Mileage was increasing with tire wear--the last 4K miles on them averaged just over 53mpg.   I have replaced with the Dunlops with an 80K mi.Yokohama tire running at a little higher pressure and my mileage has gone in the tank--averaging 46mpg over first thousand miles. Is it these tires, new tires, or can someone offer some other arcane explanation?   dber Replies to this message: kdhspyder (Apr 08, 2009 3:09 pm) whitey9 (Apr 10, 2009 9:42 am) xkmail1 (Apr 10, 2009 10:13 am) Mr_Shiftright (Apr 10, 2009 10:25 am)
#61 of 133 tires and mpg by xkmail1 Apr 08, 2009 (10:09 am)
Yes. I replaced the stock dunlops with costco michelin x radials, my mpg dropped from 40~ to 32~ overnight. With 3000 miles break in I have no improvement running 32psi, then 40psi. Run the dunlops
#62 of 133 Re: tires and mileage [dber] by kdhspyder Apr 08, 2009 (3:09 pm)
Replying to: dber (Apr 08, 2009 9:20 am) It takes a while for the new tires to become 'broken in'. Many report significantly lower fuel economy after putting on new shoes. The tire is heavier because it has more tread and the thicker tread grips better ( more friction ). A temporary loss of 10% in fuel economy is not unusual.   Watch after 5000 miles. Replies to this message: whitey9 (Apr 10, 2009 9:42 am) xkmail1 (Apr 10, 2009 10:13 am) Mr_Shiftright (Apr 10, 2009 10:25 am)
#63 of 133 Re: tires and mileage [kdhspyder] by whitey9 Apr 10, 2009 (9:42 am)
Replying to: kdhspyder (Apr 08, 2009 3:09 pm) It is difficult for me to fathom how ANY drop in fuel economy could ever be TEMPORARY with the replacement of tires. I would expect that loss to be permanent. If the replacements are less efficient, then I would fully expect the drop to be permanent. By less efficient, I mean in terms of rolling resistance. I have seen estimates of from 2%, up to 25% of total fuel economy. That indeed seems like a very wide varience.
#64 of 133 Re: tires and mileage [kdhspyder] by xkmail1 Apr 10, 2009 (10:13 am)
Replying to: kdhspyder (Apr 08, 2009 3:09 pm) I have the gas receipts and mileage to show that statement about mpg coming up is false. I have now over 5000 miles on my costco michelin x radials. MPG when pulling in to replace tires, average 40-43mpg, straight highway driving at 60-65mph 43 constant, one trip to san diego from los angeles doing 60mph was 58mpg, 118 miles traveled about 2 gallons of gas. The next tank 30mpg, now 4 months later over 5000 miles at 32mpg~. On a 3000 lbs car the actual tire losing less than an ounce or two of weight has no scientific or practical reasoning to gain back 10mpg. The costco michelins saved me about $150 over the dunlops. Each tank of gas with the michelins is costing me $8 more, In 4 months I have allready lost my savings on the cheaper tire, and used up non-reusable natural resources. The stock dunlops rock! If I wasn't so broke I would go to americas tire and get the 4 stock dunlops. Replies to this message: Mr_Shiftright (Apr 10, 2009 10:25 am)
#65 of 133 Re: tires and mileage [xkmail1] by Mr_Shiftright HOST Apr 10, 2009 (10:25 am)
Replying to: xkmail1 (Apr 10, 2009 10:13 am) How might a person know if there is confusion here between Causation and merely Correlation? Maybe something happened to the car at the same time the tires were installed...in other words, maybe 2+2 =5 in this case? That's a formidable drop in MPG. Unless the replacement tires were a) much wider and b) put on MUCH larger diameter specialty wheels (which can really eat into MPG) I'm really surprised that this could happen just with a tire brand switch.   But live and learn. I guess you could switch back to original tires to prove or disprove the theory.
#66 of 133 Re: Honda Civic Hybrid 2008 [george128] by galileo5 Apr 12, 2009 (5:06 am)
Replying to: george128 (Mar 13, 2009 5:54 pm) I saw Honda announce that, too, on its official press release, but from all the Insight test-drive reports I read online, they all say that it cannot run on electric-mode alone.   The gas shuts off on the Insight only when it comes to a complete stop or when you're rolling downhill.   That is the difference b/t a mild hybrid (Insight) and a full hybrid (Prius). Replies to this message: whitey9 (Apr 12, 2009 8:44 am)

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