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Toyota Highlander Hybrid Driving Tips & Tricks

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Comments

  • cdptrapcdptrap Member Posts: 485
    Gazguzler,

    32 MPG is impressive! Can you please share techniques you are using?

    We are past our third tank getting about 28.5. At start of fourth tank, we began with 29.7 for the first 40 miles and have since dropped to 29.1 at 74 miles. Looks like our techniques are not good enough to break the 30 MPG mark yet.

    Keep up the "hyper miling" benchmark for the rest of us!!!
  • gazguzlergazguzler Member Posts: 137
    It needs to be qualified that if T had made this on the 4cyl and/or configured consumption over performance, mid 30s would be the rule for everyone without trying. Furthermore, even as is, if they had a P&G cruise control with an upper and lower speed limit and preference for electric motor instead of gasoline engine, we'd all be happy.

    I just got 32.4 from Delaware beach to Baltimore (100+ miles) last night. This time with hyper inflated tires. But again, when there was a truck bearing down on me or a slow coach to zip by, I'd abandon and slurped gas down. I’d say I was trying 75% of the time. I’m sure that you could get 45 if this was your only aim and never accelerated or felt peer pressure from other drivers.

    As for my strategy, I'm really just trying to keep the motor(s for 4WDi) going as long as possible. The combo engine/motor's fine, too, you can see that it's still getting in the 40s. When it's all engine then I rev up and get to a fast cruising speed and let go again. I don’t waste much time trying to stay neutral between the two arrows as it’s hard and I don’t mind if I’m recharging or using the motor to keep the speed going.

    I’ve notice that a slow acceleration doesn’t use any motor - only engine. But if you do a moderate acceleration the motor(s) help the engine and (I assume) that helps consumption.

    I P&Ged between 70-60 and other times 60-50.

    What really helped me both times was traffic (this time at the bridge). I glided through it, anticipating goes and slows from the traffic ahead. I must've done 5 miles exclusively on motor (and the bridge is quite an incline (for tankers to pass beneath). Of course, coming down was easy. Both times that seemed to make up for the non-disciplined accelerations I did.

    I want to get back in my old 4Runner and see if P&G works with engine-only vehicles. I used to save quite a bit of gas by having a kill switch and having it in neutral for any downhill or stop light, for that matter. Now I’m wondering if speeding up and then gliding without engine would do the same even if there’s no electric motor?

    One thing I know is that the HH rolls with far less resistance than the 4. My goodness you can push the HH around with a finger on the flats and you have to heave your shoulder into the 4 to get it even moving even on a downhill.

    It’d be fun to have a tortoise and hare race with hybrids where it’s based on distance.
  • cdptrapcdptrap Member Posts: 485
    Thanks for the informative post.
  • gazguzlergazguzler Member Posts: 137
    I should add that in the beginning I got some really disapointing numbers. I think the car wears in a little and you learn to drive more in tune with the electric. Short runs are the killer though. You'll never get good mileage on a short run from a cold start . . . untill you adapt to plug in.
  • cdptrapcdptrap Member Posts: 485
    Ulev,

    You certainly have to decide for yourself whether 22 vs 26 is worth the money.

    As for calling reports of >30MPG "BS", that word choice is unfortunate. Observing etiquette rules of this forum, it would have been better to use "...exaggerated...".

    Most, if not all, of HH owners posting here, I believe, are not interested in huffing and puffing about our cars. If it has "warts", you will likely see us talk about it here. We are just interest in learning and sharing driving tricks so all of us can eeek out that extra 1 MPG. "BS" or not, only we will know, personally, I won't bother trying to convince non-owners.

    Those of us (my family included) who have reached the 28-30 MPG mark know what this car can do and wish Toyota could have done more to let us push it up into 35-40 MPG. May be the next version.
  • tomslycktomslyck Member Posts: 70
    I've always heard that low tire pressure hurts mileage, but I never paid much attention until recently. Our HH was dropping in mileage, so I checked my tires and found that they were all around 25 instead of the 35 shown on the side of the tires. Our mileage went up around 3 mpg since then -- from 25.2 to 28.4. I guess I'll have to watch that from now on.
  • mike4698mike4698 Member Posts: 18
    I went on a 4 hour trip. Got 26.6 miles per gallon. Like to seen better. Then when I got back, I seen on the board here about checking tire pressure. Checked my tires Tuesday and they were all at 20 lbs.Tires now are 32 lbs. I reset everything, after 67 miles later, I'm getting 27.7. They let the tire pressure down when they put them on the trucks for they don't roll easy. Must be some dealers don't check the tires when they get them in. So, check your tires. What a GREAT SUV. Love It.

    Mike
  • ulevulev Member Posts: 57
    You are correct !!
    I deserve to be corrected.

    I am guilty of 'over exuberance' in my characterization, not of individuals but of statistics. What is that saying we all learned in college? "statistics don't lie only..."
    I leave it to the collective imagination to finish the sentence.
    Also, if you kindly notice the '>' included in my post, which of course means 'greater than ' it delineates the statistical population I was referring too.
    Perspective is yet another consideration, if you previously drove a Tahoe with 10 mpg/tank then you are HAPPY with getting 2.6 times your previous mileage with the Avg. 26 mpg of the HH...if you are a previous Toyota Truck owner like myself, a 0.846 times previous mileage result is less than satisfactory.

    The vehicle is 'well built' I cannot argue that point, and drives like a tank, as well as havingnumerous safety features, having survived a 'headon' accident several years ago, if it saves your life, it is priceless.

    However as you have mentioned, there are 'warts' and one of them is the heralded gas economy, which when compared to 'older' models kinda makes you wonder..

    It is not so much 'revisionism' as it is 'realism'.
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    I am enjoying the Vineeta website. I am curious. Do you plan to take your HH on 3rd world journeys?
  • gazguzlergazguzler Member Posts: 137
    ulev,

    I do share your view that older T's are bullet proof (literally in our case). T stopped making the 22RE for the same reason the textile industry stopped making polyester . . . it never wears out and that's bad for business.

    The HH could've never made that trip. And only a fool would try as there's not technician outside Japan and N America who can even work on one, never mind that it’s really a Camry. (To answer your question, gagrice, we will do a short one to Alaska next year and then later try a modified world tour with less offroad when there's more H support from T).

    We got a rock-steady 20mpg with a mix of in city, hwy and offroad and the later would've left the HH with burned out motors and no undercarriage. (Sorry, no screen shot for this).

    My wife and kids (3 and 5 – born on the way) did that trip (so you can be sure I wouldn’t risk brakes or steering) and that car’s the best thing I’ve ever owned and the HH will be a cube of crush metal before the 4R ever sees a grave. My wife, to this day, won’t drive the HH and still loves the 4R. I don’t think I have to tell you how the kids feel about the 4R as they literally grew up in it.

    I will never wax poetic about the HH as I do about the 4R.

    The HH is not for everyone or every environment (though it is better for the environment). It's sadly not all it could be. The world doesn't need an SUV that goes under 7 seconds in 0-60. It needs an SUV that goes over 40mpg and this could with 4cyl and p&g cruise control. I'll never change my opinion about that even if I break the 35mpg barrier by driving like Arnie Palmer on a golf course.
  • cdptrapcdptrap Member Posts: 485
    We truly appreciate your frustration and concern. Did not know you are an owner because I do not normally check back old posts.

    I had exactly the same deep concern for the first 850+ miles even though we did not buy this car just for its MPG. It was returning only 22-26MPG regardless of what we did. My wife had to the voice of reason each time I computed the MPG at the pump.

    We are now seeing low 29's from on-board calculation, subject to verification at fill-up. We compute our own MPG when we fill up and the difference is about +/- 0.015 gallon depending on if we top off. So we are confident that in our area, this car can achieve >= 30 MPG. May be in the fifth or sixth tank.

    The MPG variables are terrain (hilly, mountainous, flat), driving style (P&G, aggressive), tire pressure (32?, 35?), distance (short, long) and someone said weather (A/C or no A/C).

    Give it time, try P&G that suits your driving conditions and it may work out yet.
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    we will do a short one to Alaska next year

    The HH should be great for that. I work with a guy that goes back and forth to South Dakota twice a year in his Lincoln Town Car. The Alcan is like any other highway for the most part. It would be worth the effort to come all the way up to Prudhoe Bay. Then you will have been to both ends of the continents.
  • gazguzlergazguzler Member Posts: 137
    ulev,

    If you've got a wager there please state is precisely. I didn't understand other than an artful escape from my wager, which was very clear and declined.

    At least three posters understood from your post that you didn't have an HH. Re-read and see. I'm not doubting that you have an HH but you can't doubt that your post gave the opposite impression as everyone who replied thought you didn't.

    But no biggie, we've moved on.

    I didn't report to greenhybrid until I had 2.5k. It was under 2k that I got my most dissapointing results. As my average on green hybrid is still below 30mpg my first reports can't've been over 30mpg, logically. I think my first was 29.4 or something. Dont remember but my first report was after 2.5k and at a mpg below 30mpg. I've only added the NYC trip and beach to baltimore, as they're the only ones I've recorded.

    Around the world was relevant to the 4R kill switch on brakes and steering that you brought up. Not HH. I was talking about nonH.

    I don't know what else to say other than this is still insulting and way out-of-hand.

    I'd again suggest that you discuss your car and techniques and I'll discuss mine and we don't deny what we can't know.

    As for proof, I'm all for that. Tell me what wager you're willing to make.
  • gazguzlergazguzler Member Posts: 137
    You know, there's only 150 kms of road missing from Prudhoe Bay to Tierra del Fuego (Colombia-Panama border). And if they built a bridge (or had a ferry) from Alaska to Siberia, you could drive all the continents (Australia's an island) without a ship. Last I was there the Alcan's was gravel. Now it's paved?
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    It is not all paved. They use some type of hardening agent that is really better than paving. It does not seem to get the frost heaves. I would recommend the Cassiar highway if you are going in the summer/fall time of year. It is much more scenic and cuts off 130 miles. the last time I drove it was 1994 and it was pretty good then.

    We just befriended a French Canadian that has ridden his bicycle to the North and South of every continent. Prudhoe was his final leg. It took him 5 years. Very interesting stories. I can only be envious of you folks that have had the inner strength to leap out into the unknown whether in a vehicle, by foot or bicycle.

    Thank you for sharing your website with us.
  • gazguzlergazguzler Member Posts: 137
    Thanks on the site.

    I, when younger, biked Africa and it's the best (and certainly cheapest) way to travel. No arguement about MPG.

    Am I understanding that you're in PB? Also there are two roads up? That'd be great because we'd do one up and one back down (but I thought there's only one).
  • gagricegagrice Member Posts: 31,450
    Yes I am in Prudhoe Bay. The Cassiar is a shortcut that is only open during the summer. It cuts off just south of Whitehorse. It by passes Watson Lake & Liard Hot Springs. Just an alt route for part of the Alcan. Have a nice trip and take care. Keep us posted how the HH works on long trips.
  • mmreidmmreid Member Posts: 88
    In the wake of increased hurricane activity, we went and purchased two rechargeable battery lamps yesterday, both of which say they can be recharged in your car if the power is out. So I started wondering if the HH can be used to do that - husband said his BMW is a "hot" car and that he even has to unplug his fuzz buster everytime he turns off the car or it runs the battery down. But not the '93 Toyota pick-up. . .so what does that mean in case we need to charge the lamps? Do I have to run the engine or can I simply turn it on and let the battery charge up. I guess you can tell I'm not terribly mechanical but living in the Gulf Coast I do need to be able to deal with a major hurricane and we have pretty frequent power outages anyway (lots of thunderstorms). And how many stupid ways are there for me to run the battery down accidentally (so I won't do them)?
    And since I can't drive and figure out the NAV screen programming at the same time, can I sit in my driveway with the vehicle on and play with the screen without running the battery down? Or how long is safe?

    In light of what was said the other day about not getting great mileage on short hops (which is unfortunately most of my driving) is there anything I can do to increase my mpg? I'm one of those people who would probably benefit a lot from the plug-in technology as most of my daily round trips are less than 20 miles. And on fairly flat turf. I still have less that 2K miles on the odometer. I took the suggestion of putting up the little screen behind the steering wheel that shows the mileage with the bar instead of the one with the engine and that helps without having to look at the NAV screen and run the risk of an accident. But there seems to be times - going up small hills or road so flat you can't coast at all, where I'm using gas and have to stay in the 45 mph speed limit. Any suggestions?

    mmreid
  • gazguzlergazguzler Member Posts: 137
    Godspeed to all of you avoiding Katrina and the Waves.

    I've not done much 12v charging with the HH but, as has been discussed, the battery is hopelessly undersized. If you want to do anything with 12v, you better get a bigger battery and move the WW fluid spout to accommodate this.

    When we were doing serious travel with electronics we had two batteries in the 4R, which could be disconnected to stop drain from each other. We even had a solar panel to recharge when camped a long time. There's not enough space under the HH hood.

    Cigarette lighters are normally connected with tiny wires and fuses and it's always better to direct connect to the battery. I had heavy-duty cables coming from a battery to the inside of the car for this.

    The NAV screen in motion has been solved.
    darmock, "2006 Hybrid Toyota Highlander" #1100, 31 Jul 2005 7:18 pm

    Plug-in is going to be answer for a lot of problems. On a short morning run I do with my wife, I've been experimenting with turning off the engine and gliding in neutral to stop signs. It's absurd but I can't stand to see the engine revving just to charge the batteries.
  • johnnyroasterjohnnyroaster Member Posts: 23
    I have taken my HH onto the sand. I can not say I have been tracking in the Mojave, but it did well on a remote stretch on Cape Cod. I have a pass to drive on Nauset beach in Orlean/Chatham MA and the HH did great. I did notice I had to take the tires down to about 10 instead of the 18 with my old Suburban. Most of the trails are pretty well established two track but there are a few spots that got completely washed out last winter and are really loose. I would not feel comfortable taking the HH out into any serious sand but for the 15 mile round trip at Nauset it did great.
  • johnnyroasterjohnnyroaster Member Posts: 23
    Has anybody out there actually timed how long your engine warms up for? I understand the idea is to warm up the catalytic convertor to reduce emmisions. My ICE stays on for a consistent 1 minute and 57 seconds. This is dragging down my mpg because the majority of my trips are less than ten minutes(my commute is only 4 miles.) I have been getting about 25 mpg with my awd ltd on short trips but have gotten in to the mid forties with 30-40 mile trips. The average temperature here is about 75 in the morning and I am wondering if the winter will cause even longer warm-up times. Why can't the exhaust simply warm when the ICE is used? It seems a bit wasteful to burn gas just to warm up the convertor.

    I saw another poster mention a 30 second warm-up but was not sure if that was a guess or an actual time.
  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    After all, the converter is warmed up by the exhaust gases. There's really no way around that. I imagine that that's about the most efficient way to get the converter up to operating temperature.
  • markrsmith83markrsmith83 Member Posts: 30
    Does it make a difference whether the converter is warmed up sitting in the driveway or on the road? It seems to me that more or less the same amount of pollution results, but gas is wasted while it's in the driveway.
  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    I don't think I'd sit still waiting for the converter to warm up. Only seems to make sense to get the vehicle moving.

    Think of it this way... you're going to burn X amount of gas to warm that converter up. The converter doesn't know or care if the vehicle is moving or not. It just needs enough hot exhuast gas to get itself heated. If you sit still, you'r going to get 0 mpg for that X amount of gas. If you manage to go a mile or so, you'll have a postitive number.

    The emissions will be the same, but you'll be further towards where you're going.
  • johnnyroasterjohnnyroaster Member Posts: 23
    Just to make things clear, I am not sitting in my driveway waiting for the ICE to shut off. I only have one short stretch of less than a half mile that is over 30mph on my commute to work. I can make it to work without even using the ICE if I had to and nobody was behind me. My first two miles has a 25 mph limit, so in my case the ICE is running needlessly.

    If anybody has the time, just see how long it takes in the morning or from a cold start from when the ICE kicks in to when it shuts off with the HH in the driveway. Make sure there are no extra drains on the system like AC and the battery is about 2/3 full.
  • cdptrapcdptrap Member Posts: 485
    johnnyroaster,

    We did a quick experiment on our HH and found the following:

    1. The ICE of our HH comes on for 30 seconds every AM upon start-up. This is timed.
    2. Our HH's on-board MPG indicator value did not change after this 30 sec. run.
    3. On one AM last week, the traction battery had only 2 pink bars left and the ICE stayed on for a good long while charging until traction battery showed 3 blue bars, then it shut off.
    4. For this charging while sitting idle, on-board MPG indicator dropped from 28.3 to 28.1 MPG.
    5. We failed to time length of this charging run, :(.

    In general, we get rolling upon start-up "READY" so the car is already moving even when the ICE is on warming up for those first 30 seconds. We do not believe 30 seconds is too bad in the larger sense but whatever it takes to squeeze in that extra mile :).
  • mmreidmmreid Member Posts: 88
    Both the dealer in Nashville, TN where I purchased my HH and the dealer here in Florida told me 5,000 miles for service and oil change. OR every six months. Since I put so few miles on a vehicle in a year, I end up usually doing the every six months oil change.
    The guys on Car Talk recommend that too (if you are a low mileage person).

    We are taking the HH back up to Nashville next week to babysit the grandkids for a week and it is a mixture of interstates 10 and 65 and rural highway (Hwy 231 in Alabama which takes you through small towns and lots of traffic lights at times). Any suggestions as to using cruise control or not using it? I've not been in a situation to really check out whether using the cruise control increases or decreases mpg. This is the first real trip the vehicle will be taking since we bought it and were told not to use the cruise bringing the car back to Florida. It is about a 1,000 mile round trip, not counting any driving we do in Nashville (which is nice and hilly and I'll get a lot more chances to check out pulse and glide). Any and all suggestions appreciated. It's also going to be our 2 yr old dog's first big road trip too. We always took husband's car on road trips but as gas prices soar, the HH makes a lot more sense plus even a thousand mile road trip once or twice a year still doesn't add up to a lot of miles for me when my commute to work is a walk to my studio. Right now the HH has 1900 miles on it. . .and I've had it three months.

    mmreid
  • discussion1discussion1 Member Posts: 103
    Hi Mmreid,

    The cruise control has worked well for us. It has been able to do better on MPG on a few stretches of our local freeways. With cruise control, the on-board MPG shows 28-35 MPG for a 10-mile stretch while I can only do around 24-28 on the same stretch if I use my heavy foot.

    The only time we do not use cruise is climbing a steep freeway grade when there is traffic. The HH will move too fast while there are cars slowing on the climb.

    Have a safe trip!
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    Having and using cruise control is somewhat comparable to having an autopilot in an airplane. Cruise control allows you to concentrate on other things that are of importance. I find that setting my cruise control allows me to more easily drive ~500 miles a day and at the end of the day I am a whole low less stressed out, more relaxed.

    I get better than 28 MPG in my Porsche C4 at a consistent 75 MPH. 22 MPG in my 2001 AWD RX300 at ~65.
  • markrsmith83markrsmith83 Member Posts: 30
    2nd Tank Friday.

    15.072 gallons, 347.6 miles. That's about 23.1 mpg. Only 690 miles on the vehicle yet and still using lots of A/C around here.

    Cruise control (was able to use after 500 miles) does seem to improve MPG. I also took the tires up to 35 psi.
  • discussion1discussion1 Member Posts: 103
    The auto-pilot analogy is a perfect match for the HH and general driving.

    For a time, I was also zipping around between lights, always in a hurry to get some place. One night, an old friend who is a fighter jock talked about what he does on duty and it put my driving habit to shame.

    Since then, I treat street driving as "taxiing" on the runway, merging onto freeway as take-off and freeway driving as cruising at altitude. This simple change in mental state really helps with learning how to drive our HH to reduce gas consumption.
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    With cruise control I can spend more time watching the traffic ahead, behind, and around. Watching the traffic, especially ahead, allows me to "plan" my path and be in the correct lane at the right time so I can remain on cruise control.

    I haven't used a radar detector for over 10 years but I do note that there seems to be enough of them out there(***) that I get an early warning. Watch for brake lights when the traffic ahead is cresting a hill or rounding a curve. Sometimes you can even see the detector lights, especially at night.

    Not encouraging anyone to speed, as I do not, just a heads up since lots of drivers take eratic actions when their detector trip or they first see a trooper alongside the hwy. Many states are advising construction crews not to use drone radar when operating near the traffic flow due to the traffic conflict that develops and may threaten their lives.

    *** ~26 million are estimated to be in use, more commonly used at higher speed roads, freeways, etc. Apparently about 12% of truckers use them although it is illegal for a commercial vehicle to have them. The 12% number is dramatically multiplied by the truckers use of CB radios. Apparently about 12-15% of passenger cars are also radar detector equipped.
  • jdkahlerjdkahler Member Posts: 50
    On our non-Limited HH you can watch the current mpg gauge vary using cruise control as the speed and up and down of the road effect the regen/motors/engine systems. You really don't notice it by feel, the computer seems to be consistently adjusting to meet its programming standards for fuel efficiency/performance. I suspect no driver can be as accurate as the computer in this regard, pretty much use it any time there's an open road or interstate. And it does make the drive more pleasant.

    Comments that you do need to cut out cruise on hills - you're not kidding! The HH just keeps on chugging, though compared to a standard engine/automatic you don't get the feel of the downshift to tell you you're going to speed up. The HH just goes. Pretty much would overtake anything if the driver wasn't quickly correcting for inclines. It's also different on downstrokes, regenerative braking maybe seems to keep speed under control while the tailgaters coming over the crest - trucks especially - don't have the same slowdown. Have to watch the vehicles behind too. - John
  • newthhownernewthhowner Member Posts: 8
    Being in SATX, traffic really gets congested around 4:30 and I can sit at a light for at least 3 cycles. I have noticed that the battery gets drained quickly and when I have just started the hh, the engine continues running while I am in the line to go through the light. :confuse: I have now gone to turning off the vehicle completely in some instances to save the battery and to eliminate the engine from continually running. Once I get out of the 2-3 lights that I need to navigate, the vehicle runs like a champ and the battery recharges.

    Question: If the vehicle isn't moving but the engine is on indicating that it is driving the tires, is the battery being charged? I don't think it is but please give me your insights.
  • dzdncnfzddzdncnfzd Member Posts: 34
    My guess is that the battery already has a sufficient charge and is not being charged. The reason the engine is running is not to charge the battery but to heat up the catalytic converter. Once the engine, and the the catalytic converter ,are up to temp you will experience longer electric only periods.

    Also, before the battery can be used it has to be in it's operating temperature. If it is too hot or too cold they may run on the ICE. Only using the battery in it's operating temperature is one way they extend the overall longevity of the battery.
  • cdptrapcdptrap Member Posts: 485
    Newhhowner

    Are you referring to the 12V draining down? or is this the traction battery draining when sitting at a traffic light?

    Each time we turn off the engine and restart the car, regardless of ambient temperature or how short the stop was, the ICE comes on for 30 seconds to do its thing. On days when we have multiple short stops, this just kills our MPG. So turning off/on the engine frequently may not help and may actually bring down your MPG.

    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.
  • stevedebistevedebi Member Posts: 4,098
    "Question: If the vehicle isn't moving but the engine is on indicating that it is driving the tires, is the battery being charged? I don't think it is but please give me your insights."

    If the battery needs charging, it is being charged, otherwise no. The ICE always provides charging power along with electric boost, while driving the wheels.
  • gazguzlergazguzler Member Posts: 137
    If the engine's on past the first minute after start up and you're stopped, it's recharging the battery. No other reason to be on. On the big NAV screen it shows the arrow going from the engine direct to the battery.

    BTW, I've caught the big NAV screen and the small indicator with the insturment panel showing different info at the same time more than once.
  • energyeconenergyecon Member Posts: 16
    On my non LTD awd HH I notice that the KW guage shows battery discharge--sometimes over 50 Kw--while the graphic display of ICE-battery does not show any battery discharge. It shows that only the ICE is running. Can anyone explain this?

    The lack of an electronic average MPG display(on non-LTD) is puzzling because all the info needed--instantaeous mileage and trip distance--is being collected electronically. Is there any reason why Toyota could not program the below speedo display to include average mpg? If reprogramming is possible, all non-LTD HH owners should bombard Toyota with that request.

    BTW, the KW guage is very confusing in the recharge (blue) range. It rarely dips far into the blue except during braking on steep hills. Is the guage linear? If so, the maximum recharge rate would be about 20 kw.
  • cdptrapcdptrap Member Posts: 485
    Our dealer spent time discussing this when we picked up our HH. The tech said the KW gauge shows a combination of ICE+Battery output, not just battery discharge. It is possible for the ICE to provide all the power to the wheels while the battery does nothing. This may explain your observation.

    It would be nice to have a tachometer or a Power Curve display on the ICE just to see how it is behaving.
  • energyeconenergyecon Member Posts: 16
    The KW gauge can't be showing a combination of ICE and battery because:

    1. The max kw on the gauge is 200 kw = 150 hp. The combo is actually 265 HP.
    2. The guage regesters zero most often when the ICE is powering the wheels under light acceleration.

    The KW gauge might show a discharge when the battery is drawing power from the ICE for recharge, but in fact this is not the case either. The KW gauge shows discharge when accelerating, just as one would expect. I think that the multifuction display graphic is simply incorrect or at least slow to register discharge. This could be remedied by reprogramming I suspect.

    While they are at it they could provide the trip average mpg and and show the ICE to battery recharge too.

    WTH, they could also give us an economy option so that we can choose more electric operation versus less power.

    Why not, the car is run by a computer (or actually several computers). There must be a way to do this with the existing hardware.

    Marvin

    Marvin
  • cdptrapcdptrap Member Posts: 485
    Energyecon,

    Looking it up in an old mech. eng. book, 1 KW = 1.34048 HP, so 200KW = 268.096 HP.
    The HH power is rated at 268 max, not 265. So the KW gauge is combining the 2 power sources. I would love to see either a digital or analog RPM or Power Curve display of the ICE just for fun.

    We have also seen the gauge needle dip deep into "blue" (recharging) when we perform a quick short (not hard) stop on flat roads. It often dips practically to the bottom. Recharging is also quite efficient whenever we coast a lot, even over flat roads. The battery easily goes from 50% to full, 1 green bar from full on the energy screen. This car can really coast a long way.

    Someone responded earlier to your post that their non-NAV HH has a place where it shows average MPG number. You may want to take a look at that response.
  • mmreidmmreid Member Posts: 88
    Today there was a letter to the editor about ways to increase mpg and of course adding extra pressure to the tires was mentioned. In discussing this with someone this morning, he replied that while it would increase mpg, it might also increase the wear on the tire (too much pressure, wear down the middle, too little, wear on the sides). Should I be concerned about shortening the life of my Michelins if I increase tire pressure to 40?

    mmreid
  • cdptrapcdptrap Member Posts: 485
    As long as the tires are not so puffed up that only a narrow middle strip is touching the asphalt, you sould be fine. This will not happen if we stay within the recommended range, we did not see that in our tires after increasing to 40 psi last night.

    My wife pointed out a concern and that is when we visit our friend's farm, the 40 psi may open up the tread grooves a bit more exposing the base skin of the tire. This is the part below the tread. Sharp rocks may be able to wedge themselves deeper into the grooves right up against the tire skin. Under the right condition, they may be able to damage and puncture the tires. So I promise her that we will not visit the farm for the duration of this experiment :-).

    The 40 psi gives a slightly stiffer ride though still surprisingly smooth. I will do this just to see whether we can increase our mpg. It will go back down to 38 after our experiment.
  • mike4698mike4698 Member Posts: 18
    Here is what Michelin web site has to say.


    Air Pressure
    Keeping your tires properly inflated is essential for the proper performance and longevity of the tire. Not to mention, the ride quality and safety of your vehicle. Your tires carry the entire weight of your vehicle. When underinflated or overinflated, they cannot do their job properly. Operating your tires underinflated can also result in sudden tire failure.

    How Often
    We recommend checking air pressure once a month, and before a long trip. Whether you have a full-sized or mini-spare, make sure that it is properly inflated as well.

    Recommended Pressure
    Always inflate your tires to the recommended pressure listed by your vehicle's manufacturer. This information can be found in the owner's manual and often on a placard located in the vehicle's door jamb, inside the fuel hatch, or on the glove compartment door.

    The Best Time to Inflate
    Air expands when it's hot and contracts when it's cold. For accurate pressure, always check the pressure when the tires are "cold" — at least three hours after the vehicle has been stopped and before it has been driven one mile. It's best to inflate your tires in the morning before the day's heat.

    For example, it is possible for a passenger tire initially inflated to 35 psi to lose 1/2 psi per month. A substantial, seasonal temperature change can also affect inflation pressure, with cold ambient temperatures causing effectively lower air pressure.

    Tires cost is high, so why try to save pennies on gas mileage.

    Mike
  • larsblarsb Member Posts: 8,204
    quote Mike-" Tires cost is high, so why try to save pennies on gas mileage."-end quote

    The reason is that you spend a lot more money on gas than you do on tires, especially with gas $2.80 a gallon.

    Most people driving this SUV will spend $1200-$1600 a year on gas, and only buy new tires every 2-3 years. So gas cost is far higher and gas costs CAN BE REDUCED, unlike tire costs.
  • cdptrapcdptrap Member Posts: 485
    Where I live, it just went up to $3.12 unleaded, $3.19 regular, $3.25 premium.

    After driving like a snail to achieve 30 MPG, I was hoping to stretch a little by enjoying the HH power on this new tank but not with such prices.

    And yes, I will need a special helium gas blend for my tires :-), and make that front and back solar cell layered aerolons and a stabilizer of same :-), toss in a 15-hp in-line electric motor driving a 2-blade prop in the rear, we are ready to cruise in style :-).

    Seriously now, industry "experts" all agree that gas will return to around $2.5 in 8 months and then things will be back to "normal". With the Fed's ready to build more refineries, the price drop may just happen. Then all will be same again, as if nothing had happened. Our HH will become collector's item in 2 years, a few of us will become good at working with it to make a few dollars. HUMMER will offer the new H12 with a whopping 500-hp engine for $22,000, Ford will offer a Ford MobyDick V36 SUV in Super Ocearn Blue...

    Let's see what really happens to all this hoopla in 8 to 10 months.
  • cdptrapcdptrap Member Posts: 485
    Oh and to be fair,

    Toyota will then counter with the Toyota LandBattleship Yamato-class V42 for a whopping 750 hp. :-)
  • gazguzlergazguzler Member Posts: 137
    There's no way prices are going back down. There's less oil and more demand . . . that used to be because of us but now it's mainly China and a little bit India. We'll be a drop in the barrel of oil consumption very soon.

    But the funny thing is that many posters LOVE higher prices becaue it 'justifies' the HH. There's a glee to it.

    But it's not saving us money at all. If gas goes up, that costs us more, too. We're not saving a thing. It's costing all of us more.
  • ulevulev Member Posts: 57
    "But the funny thing is that many posters LOVE higher prices becaue it 'justifies' the HH. There's a glee to it. "

    My sentiments exactly...
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