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What took you so long to realize there is a problem?
There are a lot of possible reasons why your MPG is low. Let me start with some of the most obvious ones and work down.
1. There is something wrong with the IMA hybrid battery system on your car. The dealer can test that and tell you right away if there is a problem. Anything found with that test can be easily remedied with warranty work.
2. You have not taken any initiative as a hybrid owner to learn how to drive your car for the best possible MPG. Anyone can get into a hybrid and achieve bad mpg. Bad driving habits in regular cars are amplified in hybrids. Jackrabbit starts, racing to the next light, etc., are habits a lot of drivers today find hard to eliminate from their list of bad habits. Use the tools like the real-time MPG meter in your car to help you know how and when the car is achieving it's best MPG and adjust your driving habits to fit the car. Not hard to do at all.
3. Check your air in your tires. Low inflation is not only the number one cause of tire failure, it is a big reason why cars get lower MPG. More rubber on the road equals more energy required by the engine to push the car down the road. Make sure at the VERY LEAST that your tires are at recommended PSI levels and preferably a little higher.
4. Are all your trips sort, as in 5-10 minutes or 5-10 miles? If so, this does not give your car time to warm up and reach optimum engine temps, which are required for best MPG.
Look around the web for driving tips - there are hundreds of them for your car posted on various hybrid-related websites.
With just a little education, I improved my 2004 HCH from 38 MPG to a lifetime figure of 48 MPG and had a top tank of 56 MPG.
Good luck, and keep us posted.
After doing research on hybrid driving and changing our habits our mpg went up substantially from mid/low 30's. We now average high 40's consistently.
The air pressure level is huge; it can effect by 10-15%. Also, if you do a lot of stop and go traffic, that can wreak havoc on your mileage, particularly if it is in very cold weather for short trips, or when you are running your a/c a lot, and you are doing lots of hard acceleration and fast braking.
Let momentum be your friend. Coast more, brake less (requires watching down the road a bit for safety's sake). Don't accelerate more than necessary.
This is very different than a standard car and if driven right you should see mpg move substantially upward.
Good luck, let us know what happens.
Derek
The good news is that after getting it back from the dealer the mileage has improved greatly. I averaged 47 mpg on the way back from the dealer. The bad news is that the dealer said they didn't do anything but complete the recall work.
The service manager said they ran the car through diagnostics and could find nothing that would affect the mileage. This was very frustrating to me, so I am hoping that somehow the recall work was affecting the mileage.
We will be taking our 1,200 mile thanksgiving trip so I will let everyone know how we do on the mileage.
The worst mileage in a hybrid is better than the best mileage in a gas-only car.
The system I use is to calculate the MPG based on filling the tank to the same exact point each time, dividing it by the tripmeter reading and comparing it to the elapsed MPG gauge. It is usually fairly accurate, if the gauge reads 50MPG my manual calculation will be 51MPG.
I base my decision on when to fill up on the tripmeter reading and elapsed MPG gauge. Trying to drive on one bar or less is nerveracking for me, and is cutting it too close for comfort.
Also in most cases when you are pumping gas, after the auto shut off engages you can squeeze in another 1.5-2 gallons of gas, although it may take a few minutes. At 50MPG this can extend your driving range by 75-100 miles.
You'll also get fuel in your vapor canister and cause a Check Engine light because you've screwed up your emissions system. PLEASE don't over-fill. Instead, I fear you'll end up spending all the time you've gained at the dealer getting your car fixed.
A better way to ensure a proper fill is to set the pump to run at less than "full-speed." This means less air will go into the tank (foam and bubbles occur as the gas flows faster, meaning you pay more for gas you don't get, and you get a little less than a full tank. The fuel will shut off at the same level, but you can be sure it is all fuel, and not 95% fuel and some bubbles/foam on top causing your shut-off. If you keep adding gas, eventually you'll overfill it an get it in the vapor-canister (I don't know the tech term for it, but it is what traps the vapors from your fuel tank and prevents them all from pouring out when you refuel the car - and is why you open the cap slowly, I believe).
I'm not a hybrid owner, just a fellow Honda owner checking things out and sharing some advice I've gotten in other forums.
The HCH is funamentally a gasoline engine. MPG will ALWAYS be related to engine RPM.
If I can park the rpm at 2200 I will consistantly get 43 mpg and show 68 miles per hour.
Kansas is damn windy. Wind decreases my mpg because it cause the engine RPM to go above 2200.
Using cruise control will cause the CVT transmission to quickly kick to 3700 rpm, even on minor hills. This decreases mpg when the engine begins using this kind of fuel.
Tires are important. Switched to Michelins and immediately lost 5 mpg. Went back to Dunlop LRR OEMs.
Colder temperatures make my mileage go down. 20 Deg. F drops mileage 5 mpg.
MPG for life of car has averaged from 37 to 43 mph per tank in mixed driving. Once I got 46.6 mpg.li>
Accelerating from stop to 3,000 rpm seems to work best for me. Causes IMA bar to peg, gets me up to speed quickly.Once there, I let off.
Abruptly letting of the throttle once at speed (or slightly above) does seem to fool the car into shutting of the fuel. You can see this on the instant MPG gage.
I don't doubt that some people always get 50 mpg, but I CAN"T in Kansas unless it is 70 Deg F, no wind, and I am willing to drive 50 mph.
Jacking up tire pressure helped (especially with Michelins) but made ride way too harsh.
Interesting car. I buy a new one every year. Will be hard to sell this because not much else will get this MPG given my driving habits.
Finally, all car companies LIE about MPG. Consumer Reports seems about as honest as they come (they rate my 07 HCH at 37 mpg mixed city/hiway. This is spot on from my driving experience.)
Thanks.
Car companies are required to use EPA numbers, and to test using EPA conditions. They are not allowed to post anything else. That is one reason that the stickers come with that "your mileage may vary" warning.
So don't blame them for inaccurate numbers, blame the government.
I for one get over EPA figures routinely in my non-hybrid Honda. This includes a 1500 mile trip to the land where the "Wind Comes Sweeping Down the Plains" (name that state!) from Birmingham, Alabama.
EPA figures are for comparison purposes only. If your car is listed at 30 in the city and you get 24 in your commute/driving style, you should expect to get 20 MPG in a car listed at 25 MPG
Add me to that list. I get slightly better than EPA in my 2006 Freestyle, and got almost exactly EPA in my 2003 Honda CR-V.
Driving habits count for a LOT...
Does anyone know if there is a way to reset the computer for the gauges? :confuse:
My husband's commute is about 60% arterial/local highways ranging from 45 mph with stoplights and 55 mph with local traffic. The other 40% of his drive is on a tollway at 72-75 mph. This section destroys his mileage in the HCH (okay, well, it goes from 46 or so down to around 40 mpg). I guess we can't really complain. Mine is nearly all city/arterial roads and no interstate whatsoever so I mostly use the hybrid. Truth be told, the HCH really shines for us when we can hit around 60-63 mph, set the cruise and leave it. The mileage really soars then. There are some backroads around here we've been opting for over the highways we used to take because the mileage increase has been so pleasant. We've been tracking our mileage based on gas refuels and odometer readings and comparing them to the computer gauge. So far we've ranged from 43.3 mpg to 45.2 mpg for the life of a tank. I know we haven't owned ours very long but we sure have done a lot of driving in that time to make up for it!
Couple of interesting things we've noticed:
-My husband is simply not as conservative a driver as I am. I tease him and call him a "Bad hybrid driver". At first, he was very focused on upping the mileage but now he is slipping back into some of his old habits.
-That said, I have noticed he is more relaxed in stop and go traffic than before. The engine cuts off and he seems to be a little less stressed, so even the cut in mileage is ok since he's less stressed.
-Using the IMA does help when accelerating, particularly from a stop but only to a point and then you need to let off and be patient. It's only a 4 with 110hp for heavens sakes. (this is where by fella becomes a bad hybrid driver!)
-It took me a couple days to learn not to edge up at stop lights just because the guy in front of me did.
-Planning ahead for speed changes and stops makes a huge difference but isn't always possible.
Any tips on how you folks get up to 50 mpg??
Thanks-
85 mph = 39 mpg
80 mph = 42 mpg
75 mph = 45 mpg
70 mph = 47 mpg
65 mph = 49 mpg
60 mph = 50 mpg
55 mph = 53 mpg
50 mph = 55 mpg
These are my personal observances with my own HCH 04 manual. Cruise control
90% of the time. It can be achieved but at the cost of the rest of the freeway going by you 20 mph faster. I usually stay in lane #4 when i'm really shooting for high mpg, as to not annoy other drivers. and just as your husband does, if i forget and drive it hard or are in too much of a hurry, i'll get 39-40. So it is really the way one drives.....Hope this helps...
Caaz
All cars will have lower mpg in winter, but hybrids seem to have a larger decrease in mpg because their mpg is so much higher.
I have just purchased a 2006 HCH II, and my mileage has been in the low 30s in mostly city driving with temperature in the mid 20s to 30s. Several people have said that fuel mileage drops in the winter. Has anybody used an engine block heater in the winter and how much does it help? Of course, I realize engine block heaters use energy which will offset to some extent the gains in gas mileage. Also, I would appreciate any other tips for keeping gas mileage up during the winter.
Thanks
Sorry, i couldnt resist the sarcasim... but..fyi...you cant drive the car with it plugged in so it will do you no good.
Good luck
caaz
Hardly worth the effort of plugging in the car.
There might be a slight benefit for the starter as it has to work less to start the car, land there would be less drain on the battery but I doubt it will translate into a longer life for the battery or the starter.
Of course if the outside temperature is minus 30 or even lower a block heater is almost mandatory.
In any case the engine will generate heat sooner, the coolant will warm up sooner and the heater will warm up the cabin almost immediately.
No, seriously, my intent was to use the engine block heater for a couple of hours to heat up the engine prior to leaving the house, and then disconnect it. My thought was that a warmed up engine would be easier to start and would allow the auto stop feature to work much faster compared with a cold start in the winter.
dhilldiner
dhilldiner
Just had my 40,000 mile check up, and have read a few posts, and would like to share my experiences.
First, my overall mileage stands at 52.2 MPG for 40,000. my high tank mpg was 63. my low was 43 {mid winter }. I have gotten outstanding mileage on long trips 500 miles at highway speeds, 65-75 mph, {55 mpg}. as well rural and city driving. 50+ I would have a much higher MPG except for my job , where I must make several 1/4 mile trips back and forth between plants..
I always drive my car a bit aggressively to get to from 1st to fifth gear, and once there settle down to cruise at 60+ MPG. I have been told that Honda does not make the manual transmission any more, which is a shame.. This is by far the best car I have ever owned.
I find my daily commute is 38 miles downhill, 38 uphill.
I find if you drive downhill alot, get up to about 65mph then coast (no gas). My best mileage to work is 79mpg, but then doing 58mph or so uphill yields 32-36mpg.
Although my monthly car payment went from $387 to $433 I am easy saving $125-$150 a month in gas costs.
In comparison I can drive my 2004 Honda Civic (gasser) at your indicated speeds and get more like 38-43 mpg. (not equipped with computer read outs)
I would eye the computer and check the figures against the manual odometer readings/calculations.
At those speeds, that MPG figure is probably about right. The HCH will actually provide better MPH at lower speeds, and in traffic.
But how the heck do you manage 80 MPH in LA? You must commute at off hours?
Best ever was 45.
2006 CRV MT gets 25/28.
With warmer weather I expect it will improve to 54MPG. I have strict driving habits and seldom exceed 60MPH on the interstates, when I do I try to do it for limited stretches with a tailwind. I try to time traffic signals in advance and coast whenever possible rather than having to accelerate from a full stop. I keep the tires inflated to 40psi front/38rear.
1. contrary to what I have learned Cruise control does not seem to get me better mileage; I assume this to be due to high revs to keep engine speed.
2. I try to drive 66mph (all interstate) and wind resistance (due to ambient wind, not mph) really seems to have a significant impact.
3. I goosed the tire PSI to 40 front and 38 rear and IMMEDIATELY noticed 3-4mpg improvement.
4. not noticed too much difference if I use AC. I try to keep at 75 and lowest fan speed.
5. SAEFELY drafting semis improves mpg but can be mentally and physically exhausting.
6. have filled up twice...both talkfuls took 11.1 gals and got 508mi and 515mi respectively.
Does anyone know of any other tricks to improve MPG?
THANKS, really enjoy the forum!
After renting a Prius for a week I am more than impressed with Toyota's level of hybrid technology however after being impressed by the Prius to the point of inquiring into purchasing one I found the reasons I won't. Long waiting lines, cash deposits to get into line, an only fair chance of getting the colors and options I really want (much longer waits to get exactly the color and option package I wanted), no negotiation off the rather large sticker price (of course some dealers are adding to the sticker price with their modern piracy tactics), long payback even at todays AND probably tomorrows gas prices (this is something I could live with however), a rather austere car once the hybrid technology is removed from consideration. On the other hand that 51.3 mpg average for the rental time frame was hard to give up.