Engine warmup/staying warm

[acdii]

So far the covers have shown a marked improvement in mine, and if I stay out of EV and keep the pack at 50% or above I am getting better MPG. It still isnt where it should be, but better than it was.

[ptjones]

Glad to here that. :)

[Fynack]

So far the covers have shown a marked improvement in mine, and if I stay out of EV and keep the pack at 50% or above I am getting better MPG. It still isnt where it should be, but better than it was.

That just goes totally opposite what one should be doing in a hybrid vehicle. Cant believe they still dont have an answer for you yet.

[neod192]

That just goes totally opposite what one should be doing in a hybrid vehicle. Cant believe they still dont have an answer for you yet.

I think Ford gave up on his case and are no longer looking into it. According to Ford, his car operates within the normal specs and there are no issues with it.

[acdii]

I think Ford gave up on his case and are no longer looking into it. According to Ford, his car operates within the normal specs and there are no issues with it.

Hey, you read the report too?

[neod192]

Hey, you read the report too?

Just going by what you posted around here :) Correct me if I'm wrong!

[acdii]

nope you got it, although I have been pursuing other avenues and now currently waiting on a CSM to contact me on this.

[lolder]

That just goes totally opposite what one should be doing in a hybrid vehicle. Cant believe they still dont have an answer for you yet.

You should avoid EV at higher power demands such as during acceleration and cruising above about 40 mph. The reason some are getting poor mileage in the 2013 is that it may be going into EV too often in their drive cycles. The EV system is only about making the use of GASOLINE more efficient. This is not an electric car. All the energy comes from gasoline and if you process more of it through the EV cycle to the wheels than need be, it's less efficient.

[acdii]

Well when you cant get it out of EV to maintain a steady speed.........

 

 

This is where most of my EV comes from, trying to hold 55 MPH it will go into EV and drain the pack, If I can get above 60 MPH I find it much easier to stay on ICE, but traffic wont let me do that most days, so I am constantly fighting the throttle to keep it on ICE and off EV. The days I can stay over 60 and out of EV I am seeing at least 40 MPG. Couldn't do it today, has some short bus driver hypermiling his school bus. That driver couldn't maintain a steady speed to save his life, and usually I get stuck 4 cars behind him. Then when we get to where the lanes split so we can go around, he speeds up to 60. So today, best I got was 38. I got frustrated trying to keep it on ICE so just set the cruise at 51 and left it there.

[ptjones]

Just noticed in my CMAX manual under Calculating Fuel Economy it says:"In general, lower temperatures mean lower fuel economy"

[jeff_h]

Just noticed in my CMAX manual under Calculating Fuel Economy it says:"In general, lower temperatures mean lower fuel economy"

 

Probably more accurate: "In general, lower temperatures mean lower fuel economy, and lower than you expect, and you may develop a love/hate relationship with your car and go back to your dealer wondering WTH is wrong with my car and they will test it and say nothing and then when it gets warmer things will seem better"

 

But I think they were trying to conserve space.

[acdii]

See they have the wrong people writing the manuals! Ever thought of working for Ford? :)

[jeff_h]

See they have the wrong people writing the manuals! Ever thought of working for Ford? :)

 

Ford already pays me since I am getting good MPG, remember? They pay me big bucks in PR money and I just do the 60-mile commute to the office as cover.

[GrySql]

Ford already pays me since I am getting good MPG, remember? They pay me big bucks in PR money and I just do the 60-mile commute to the office as cover.

My Ford Dealer filled up my gas tank the last two times I went in for Service this month (about my leather gearshift knob), just about at empty both times.

So far I haven't paid for gas in a month, I almost feel like I'm driving Coach's car!

Temps don't matter when I can get this kind of service.

Edited March 8, 2013 by GrySql

[Wildcat2xx5]

Well when you cant get it out of EV to maintain a steady speed.........

 

 

This is where most of my EV comes from, trying to hold 55 MPH it will go into EV and drain the pack, If I can get above 60 MPH I find it much easier to stay on ICE, but traffic wont let me do that most days, so I am constantly fighting the throttle to keep it on ICE and off EV. The days I can stay over 60 and out of EV I am seeing at least 40 MPG. Couldn't do it today, has some short bus driver hypermiling his school bus. That driver couldn't maintain a steady speed to save his life, and usually I get stuck 4 cars behind him. Then when we get to where the lanes split so we can go around, he speeds up to 60. So today, best I got was 38. I got frustrated trying to keep it on ICE so just set the cruise at 51 and left it there.

So, I have a question. If running in EV mode at higher speeds actually acts as a detriment to gas mileage, why did Frod set the EV capable speed so high?(I know, rhetorical question) Can I also make an assumption here, straight line, flat commutes that have average speed below 60mph will suffer most from this EV cycling? Can one overcome this EV cycling conundrum if they have long hilly stretches in both directions? I hope I am understanding this the right way, but would being able to "charge" on down hill stretches alleviate some of the demand on the ICE at these higher speeds?

 

I just want to note that before even buying the car, i am learning so much about reality and expectation, and learning some great tips. Also random question about cruise control, when you are in CC and you start coasting downhill, does the car take advantage of gravity for you or do you still need to hover over the brake?

[acdii]

So, I have a question. If running in EV mode at higher speeds actually acts as a detriment to gas mileage, why did Frod set the EV capable speed so high?(I know, rhetorical question) Can I also make an assumption here, straight line, flat commutes that have average speed below 60mph will suffer most from this EV cycling? Can one overcome this EV cycling conundrum if they have long hilly stretches in both directions? I hope I am understanding this the right way, but would being able to "charge" on down hill stretches alleviate some of the demand on the ICE at these higher speeds?

 

I just want to note that before even buying the car, i am learning so much about reality and expectation, and learning some great tips. Also random question about cruise control, when you are in CC and you start coasting downhill, does the car take advantage of gravity for you or do you still need to hover over the brake?

I think for most of the cars, the EV has a positive affect, so dont take what I post as what others may see, it may only apply to mine, and others like mine that have not been able to get out of the 30's no matter what we do. IOW, those few owners whose cars were built around the same time as mine was, and are experiencing poor MPG results, may benefit from what I find with mine, but the majority of owners, like Jeff_h and hybridbear, are getting more normal MPG results.

 

On the straight and level if the EV management is done right, it can greatly help fuel economy, when it can use only enough juice from the pack during EV that battery recovery doesn't impact the ICE economy. If it uses EV th pulse or coast, until half charge and then regen using a small amount of ICE energy, that would be the most efficient means of fuel/electric management. It takes a lot more ICE energy to charge from under 25% charge to 75% than it takes from 50% to 75%.

 

Sorry, I dont mean to get everyone confused. Hope that clears it up some.

[hybridbear]

You should avoid EV at higher power demands such as during acceleration and cruising above about 40 mph. The reason some are getting poor mileage in the 2013 is that it may be going into EV too often in their drive cycles. The EV system is only about making the use of GASOLINE more efficient. This is not an electric car. All the energy comes from gasoline and if you process more of it through the EV cycle to the wheels than need be, it's less efficient.

 

Exactly. I try to use the Empower screen to control when the car goes into EV mode and when the ICE comes on to be more efficient than the computer. Because I can see the terrain & traffic ahead of me, so sometimes I try to stretch out my EV mode if I know I'll be stopping ahead, so that I can then engage the ICE to accelerate. Or if I know that I'll be slowing down up ahead I'll try to run the ICE now so that I maximize the efficient power band for each motor.

 

So, I have a question. If running in EV mode at higher speeds actually acts as a detriment to gas mileage, why did Frod set the EV capable speed so high?(I know, rhetorical question) Can I also make an assumption here, straight line, flat commutes that have average speed below 60mph will suffer most from this EV cycling? Can one overcome this EV cycling conundrum if they have long hilly stretches in both directions? I hope I am understanding this the right way, but would being able to "charge" on down hill stretches alleviate some of the demand on the ICE at these higher speeds?

 

I just want to note that before even buying the car, i am learning so much about reality and expectation, and learning some great tips. Also random question about cruise control, when you are in CC and you start coasting downhill, does the car take advantage of gravity for you or do you still need to hover over the brake?

 

The EV mode speed is set so high for the EPA test cycles, I think we all can agree on that now. I think that flat commutes are less prone to EV cycling, on flat ground the ICE will run constantly. On gentle hills the ICE cycles on & off. If you are going above the 62 MPH threshhold and start going down a hill the ICE will continue to run (due to the planetary gears & the CVT's mechanical limits) but it won't use gas, so you'll still see high MPGs down the hill, it will also charge the battery if your speed would be increasing.

 

Cruise control: on gentle hills you're fine to leave it in cruise control, you'll feel the car starting to do regenerative braking & charging the battery (this is also indicated by the up arrow on the dash showing that the battery is charging). On steep hills it is useful to engage the hill descent control on the shifter to prevent your speed from increasing too much. It seems that there is a limit to how much regen braking can be applied by the cruise control unless you turn on the hill mode. In hill mode it will keep your speed exactly where your cruise is set, and when you reach the bottom of the hill, the hill descent regen braking should stop automatically. If you're doing a long downhill and the battery reaches 100% full then the ICE will kick on to do engine braking. The Owner's Manual says that the ICE does not use an gas during engine braking, but is just working to slow down the vehicle. This also works quite well, although it is a bit disconcerting to see the engine revving almost at the redline and screaming like mad! :confused: :headscratch:

 

Ford already pays me since I am getting good MPG, remember? They pay me big bucks in PR money and I just do the 60-mile commute to the office as cover.

 

Me too remember? Our trip to California was staged, we just photoshopped it into California scenes...

 

Although, be careful, some people might take our sarcasm seriously...

[acdii]

Why you two b....

 

J/K

[GrySql]

Our trip to California was staged, we just photoshopped it into California scenes...

As a 70 year native of California, the 'Golden State', I can say without reservation that we are not real, the whole place has been Photoshopped since Arnold was Governator.

Didn't you notice a certain unreality during your visit? Most folks leave with a feeling of 'do you believe that place' foremost in their minds.

No, sadly, we're slipped into the Pacific and what you saw was a Hollywood stage set just east of the San Andreas fault zone line.

I can't believe I'm still here either.