Did you recently take on (or consider) a loan of 84 months or longer on a car purchase?
A reporter would like to speak with you about your experience; please reach out to PR@Edmunds.com by 7/22 for details.
A reporter would like to speak with you about your experience; please reach out to PR@Edmunds.com by 7/22 for details.
Options
Comments
Again my AC on my 2008 Sport AT Fit is awesome so far
I doubt that you're running your car dry every time though.
If you fill up with a little reserve in your tank, say 2 gallons or a little less, you're getting over 28 MPG Given your short commute (12 minutes is short, meaning for close to half of it your car will use more fuel trying to get to normal operating temperature), that doesn't seem outside the realm of possibility. That highway drive can't be long if you have five lights and it is still just 12 minutes.
I'm not trying to discount your story, but rather hopefully shed some light as to why you're getting the mileage you do. I can't help you on the A/C issue though, as I've never experienced it.
I'm not saying the mileage is good or bad, because it seems like a car that small COULD do better, but it doesn't seem too terrible.
40.2 mpg - I am so excited.
I try hypermiling when possible, but I find I have to brake on occasion - I also experimented this tank with not driving over 60 mph on the highway (posted limit is 65 mph). Some people say they won't do this because they feel the need to "keep with the flow of traffic", but we have five lanes, so I just stay to the right, and let people pass. It doesn't hurt my ego, and it's helping my wallet, so I'm good with it.
I've also been using the cruise control on the highway, when possible. Atlanta has a LOT of traffic, at all hours, so this isn't always easy to do.
It may help that I have the manual transmission, and that I coast to stops, and don't start suddenly from stops. I also don't drive much outside of my 24 mile round-trip commute to work. It's about 60% highway, 40% city traffic. I combine trips if I have errands to run, and I don't drive around on weekends - mostly, the car is parked on weekends.
Anyway, I could not be happier with my Fit, after one year of ownership. I've gone from 34 mpg when it was new, to a new high of 40, and I hope it levels off there, if not going higher!
if you dealer thinks 240 for the whole tank is acceptable, I'd laugh in his face and look for some other recourse.
Unless you are using every last drop in your tank before you refill, you are computing your mileage incorrectly!
The Fit only holds 10.8 gallons. By the time your fuel light goes on, you have at least a gallon left. (In my old Civic Si, I always had at least 2 gallons left when the fuel light came on.)
You need to divide the number of miles driven (since the last fill-up) by the number of gallons purchased (since the last fill-up). Set your trip meter back to zero each time you fill up.
-Nate
412.8 km using 22.551 liters or 5.46 l/100km = 43 miles per gallon
(Hwy with some climbs, taking it easy, mostly under 110km/hr)
530.5 km using 32.971 liters or 6.22 l/100km = 37.8 miles per gallon
(Hwy with more climbs, also taking it easy too)
290.0 km using 24.080 liters or 8.30 l/100km = 28.3 miles per gallon
(All city with alot of traiffic and stop and go)
437.4 km using 29.239 liters or 6.68 l/100km = 35.2 miles per gallon
(Hwy with lots of climbs, not so easy, speed vary from 110km/hr up to 140 km/hr, engine rev to 6k at some points)
554.4 km using 33.022 liters or 5.96 l/100km = 39.5 miles per gallon
(Hwy with some climbs, not so easy, speed vary from 110km/hr up to 140 km/hr, engine rev to 6k at some points)
Overall averag for the trip is 6.35 l/100km = 37.0 miles per gallon
My first tank was at 34 mpg, and it basically went up from there, but usually hovering around 35 to 36 mpg. I honestly think it's only going up now because I am nearly obsessed with getting the best mileage possible. The price of gasoline is really hitting me hard - I don't make enough money to cover gas and my car payment each month, if you know what I mean - so I'm doing all I can to keep the mileage up up up! It really seems to be about driving style, tire pressure, and weight. Good luck to you!
Keep in mind that IF the ILP was done correctly by the dealer and nothing has killed power to the computer, such as a dead battery or certain fuses, doing it again won't help. ... However, whether or not it was done at all or done correctly is/was left up to the person actually getting the car ready for delivery to the customer. It can not be verified one way or the other.
Doing it correctly, yourself, will do no harm, as it is part of "Get Ready" and should be done again whenever changing batteries and so forth.
ILP procedure should be the same for all Hondas.
This one is straight from a Honda TSB. See page 3 left column, near the top.
http://www.hondalac.com/service/Bulletins/x02-029e.pdf
OR
Go to Honda Pilot "Real World MPG" forum, page 11, Post 201-202.
kipk, "Honda Pilot Real World MPG" #201, 30 Dec 2006 5:02 am
This is very straight forward, how to do correctly, with least amount of personal time. Hope it will help you.
Kip
You don't need to have the price in the equation at all. It should list (both at the pump and on your receipt) the EXACT number of gallons or liters (or litres!) that you are putting into your tank.
# of miles (or kilometers) divided by # of gallons (or liters) = mpg (or kpl).
I drive 38 miles each day going to and from work, in mixed city/highway driving. About half the trip is at 35 to 45 mph with a lot of stop and go, and about half at 60 to 65 mph with a few stops. I have been getting an average of around 33 mpg doing the above. I have taken the car on two 200 plus mile round trips so far at fast highway speed, in the 70 to 80 mph range, and got about 35 mph doing so.
I'm happy!
Thanks for the excellent instructions! Before doing the ILP I noted that my idle was between 1200-1300 RPM. After completing the ILP it is somewhere between 850-900RPM.
My guess would be that the idle alone ought to improve my MPGs. Now to test it out on a few fill-ups of California $4.05/gallon. Thanks again.
Sure hope it will help ya!
Just out of curiosity. If you were to do the ILP again, how much "hands on" time would it actually take? Anything you had to do such as disconnecting and re connecting the battery, actually watching the fans, re setting the radio, windows etc. But not counting warm up time, when you could have been doing something else.
THat ought to be easy enough to notice--don't all Fits have a tachometer? And isn't 1200 is awfully high? My Civic Si always idled at 750.
5 minutes to disconnect and reconnect battery
5 minutes to reset radio code/time on clock windows
10 minutes waiting for fans to go on and off twice(followed your tip and just let it
idle by itself for the first half hour).
By the way, yes I did think the original idle was high long ago- but without your instructions I didn't know how to fix it - knowing something is wrong is one thing, fixing it is entirely another. Thanks again
Anyway, I'm pretty happy with the MPG.
There is a catch to this thingie. Chances are good that all cars won't behave the same.
When our Pilot decided to drop the average mileage by about 20%, I didn't "notice" any change in the characteristics of the idle. Didn't "notice" it being high or rough in any way. After doing the ILP, I still didn't notice any change in the idle. But that was my particular car.
However, because I had never done it before, and didn't know what to expect, I stayed glued to the side of the left front fender the entire 1/2 hour or so. Waiting for those (or that) fan to come on. I did notice the idle get somewhat rough and the engine shaking for a few seconds, at least once. Seemed as though the RPM had dropped quite a bit, and engine was about to stall. By the time I realized this, got out of the chair and to where I could see the tach without opening the door , the idle had smoothed out again.
Our CR-V got the ILP before the dealer tank of gas ran out. Again, I was glued to the fender. Didn't notice any shaking or roughness at all.
That is when it dawned on me that it ain't necessary to watch the whole time. All we "NEED" to see is at least 2 fan cycles from the COLD start, and then give it an additional 10 minutes of idle.
Just replaced the batteries in both our cars. Did the ILP on both at the same time. May have missed a fan cycle or two, but not important as I know i saw 2 cycles and waited an additional 10 minutes of idling, before shutting off.
Obviously there is more going on than the engine learning to idle. Something is being "Set Up" in the computer for the characteristics of that particular engine, while it transitions from cold to operating temperature.
There were some debates a while back, on this forum, as well as other forums, concerning this. People spent more time debating why it doesn't need to be done than it would have taken to do it. My belief is, that as it is part of the "Get Ready" procedure, it is necessary, PERIOD.
The ILP is not a cure for traffic, terrain, load, speed, or driving techniques. But it is something that Honda deemed necessary, on my year models. I also checked the oil lever and tire pressure when I got home. Oil level on both were slightly above the "Full" mark. which is typical from the factory. Tire pressure on one of them was very high. Over 40#.
Since the "Get ready" tech didn't do things that can be verified, such as correcting the air pressure, he may have also not done the things that can't be verified, such as the ILP.
Kip
New off the lot here in Daytona Beach FL.
First test was two fold . One to fill up with the fuel gauge exactly at the half mark. This would tell me how well the level sensors system in the gas tank would acurately read the capacity. And two what the mialage came out to be at the halfway mark.
With the fuel gauge at exactly at the half mark it took 5 gallons even. A tick under 5.4 true capacity for halfway. The mialage on the odometer was 150 miles even, thus 30mpg.
6 miles of which were true interstate. about 25% for rural roads 50mph and 75% city.
So all in all this was great for starters,
Daytona Bob :shades:
The light comes on about 320 or 330, etc etc.
Date
ODO
Gallons
Gas $
MPG
Comment
05/10
26.0
8.500
30.26
n/a
Dealer Fill-up
05/15
311.0
8.530
31.38
33.4
Shell Inverness
05/22
592.0
8.300
31.53
33.9
Shell Inverness
06/02
896.0
8.786
33.99
34.6
Shell Inverness. 15% A/C
It keeps going up, but I have a feeling that I may reach a zenith here soon because 1) My commute involves two 3/4 mile hill climbs at about a 30 degree angle, and 2) I'm not going to drive through an Alabama summer with no A/C. I'm still pleased as hell with the car so far. I looked at A LOT of cars before I got the Fit, and could not pass up the value you get in this vehicle.
-Nate
I wonder if 2500 rpm shifts would put undue forces on the engine parts designed for less load? I know the engine might not be lugging at that rpm, but that doesn't mean you're not wearing things out. Anyone know?
ps. my gas light comes on average of 1.88 gallons before end of tank.
If you are the first in line at a stoplight, it is sometimes embarassing when you crawl along once the light turns green, and the vehicles behind you start really pushing forward.
Also, maybe it is my imagination but there seems to be a lockout on the first gear, when the car is moving and can only shift into it, after coming to a full stop. I only saw a reference to a lockout for the reverse gear, in the manual with no reference to a lockout for 1st gear.
You say you get 38mpg with all city driving that's really good, at best I'm getting 31 mpg. 353 with 11.1 gallons. And in order to get that I had to run out of gas.
How long have you had your car? Is it the manual basic or the sport? I've had my fit for only 2 months.
You have a great car, I know a young lady who own's a fit and she's having the same problem I am. When we both drive our vehicles at normal velocities (meaning 50 to 65 miles per hour, or 80 when passing where fast vehicles move) our mpg goes down to 27 at best.
I figure the vehicles purchased down here in the island of Puerto Rico are of less quality then those of the states. Really, you guys have all the options you like. Down here because of the territorial taxes the dealers have to pay they are forced to come up with vehicles which attract customers. Example; the Rav4 only comes in 4 cylinder's because the 6 cylinder would cost the same as a highlander so we don't get the choice to buy it. From the reviews I've read in a way the 6 cylinder has a better mpg the 4. The Yaris S is not sold down here because it would cost the same as the Corolla. The economic version of the Prius is neither sold down here, and check this out; CR tested both and the cheaper Prius is the one which gives 44 mpg's, the more expensive version gives 42mpg's.
So maybe, perhaps just maybe the Fit sold down here would be those cars which are not up to par to the ones you guys get.
The there's the road conditions and the hot weather all year round. I mean we get good week's and bad one's but still at least 6 months out of year are hot. I think the AC usage may have a lot to do with low mpg. My AC is at knob 1, I'm only testing the vehicle the way I'm driving to see what kind of mileage I get out it. Under what would be considered normal the ac would be set at 2 & 3, and when the gang is with me it's 4. So there are many reasons why my fit is giving me such low mpg. Now while this is true my other friend get a heck more mileage out his Yaris hatch back manual driving like he pleases and that takes me back to believing we buy certain cars of lesser quality not sold state side.
Well that's the story Jerry... (idiomatic expression used by New Yorkers) That's the deal. So, what do you think of all this Bla, bla, bla?
The compressor is running the same, I believe, whether or not the "FAN" is set on 1 or 4, so as I see it, don't be hot, just set it where you want it if you're going to run it anyway.
Re: the other question about my tranny, it's a MT.
We must have different ideas of "hot enough." I come to work at 9am (you probably do it earlier), and in my car, the A/C was on from the time I left the driveway to the time I pulled into my parking space. And, on the way home, I'd rather not sweat since I have places to go and people to see after I get home!
I just heard James Spann's forecast on WZZK; 93 today, 92-95 through the weekend here in Birmingham. You may be cranking that A/C before you know it!