Okay, the weather's finally hot, how's your mpg's?

[GrySql]

When I say hot, I'm talking about over 100F, which it is every year at this time where I live.

My mpg's are sinking like a rock.

I have one of those early model, wonderful driving, comfortable, great looking and I love it FFH's that averages 37-38mpg's lifetime, no matter what I try.

June was a nice weather month, nothing over 90F but we used the A/C all the time and I was lifetime averaging in the mid 38's mpg.

Now, it's 100F (or more), still using the A/C but my mpgs have taken a nose dive, getting mid to low 30's average on Trip mpg's which has dropped my lifetime average a whole point.

Yesterday I tried my darnedest and I got 34.8, it was about 104F ambient.

 

The HVB discharge rate is quite fast now, charging and the A/C push the mpg's into the 10-20mpg range.

I'll use the ET Mode today and watch my ICE temperature.

 

I think my HVB's are remembering the months they spent in a railroad car in the Sonora desert in Mexico waiting to be put in my car.

 

I have an appointment with my Dealer on Monday for the 'Cracking' repair and we'll discuss a few other items I have in my TSB/Recall/VHR file.

[acdii]

Here where I am, nuttin but rain, rain rain rain rain rain. So sick of rain right now. I feel like somehow Washington state and IL swapped places. My basement once again has water seeping up from under the slab. It hasnt been sunny here enough to get to even 90 yet, so cant say how this car will do yet.

 

 

Does your battery cooling fan come on that you can tell? The other day when it was in the mid 80's after a short drive, I nad to do something in the trunk, I think that was when I put the cargo thing in, that I noticed the shelf does get quite warm, so if the packs arent cooling well, they could discharge quicker.

[GrySql]

 

Does your battery cooling fan come on that you can tell? The other day when it was in the mid 80's after a short drive, I nad to do something in the trunk, I think that was when I put the cargo thing in, that I noticed the shelf does get quite warm, so if the packs arent cooling well, they could discharge quicker.

I'll pay attention to that now, I've heard the HVB fan before but with these temps it ought to be running more.

Thanks for the tip.

[hermans]

I went to the airport yesterday in the FFH (round trip) with the air set at 74 both ways and got 55 MPG going and 49.9 coming back. Air set on manual with reticulation on. Be sensible and you will get great summer mileage. The car was very comfortable @74 and the blower set to low speed. The ambient temperature was 87.

[lolder]

I would leave the AC in Auto in warm weather. A low blower speed doesn't save much energy and creates less flow through cooling for the HVB. The blower is only about 1/4 of the AC load.

[GrySql]

Be sensible and you will get great summer mileage.

I'll refer you to my wife on that one... ;)

It is 107F today and the A/C is on Auto at 72, that's the way she wants it.

 

Your car and my car are quite different in the overall mpg's, mine is not as fuel efficient, never has been. I get tired of trying all the tricks, all the time and never getting even close to what you and others report. There are times when I see crazy high mpg's, but never enough to offset the HVB charging periods, 37-38mpg is my average and I am reconciled to it now. It's a nice car and it will do for now.

However, I am looking ahead at the '15 models.

[hermans]

I got two good cars. Both frequently exceed the EPA mileage. In hotter climates I don't think I would get the mileage I do. I used to live and was there for the all time high of 122 degrees. I used to live in the San Diego North County area, but temps were no where near AZ.

[GrySql]

I got two good cars. Both frequently exceed the EPA mileage. In hotter climates I don't think I would get the mileage I do. I used to live and was there for the all time high of 122 degrees. I used to live in the San Diego North County area, but temps were no where near AZ.

Yes, one daughter lives in PHX, right now only 110F, they move to their cabin on a lake near Lake Tahoe in the summers.

My brother is in Palm Springs which is 118F at the moment. He calls it the pizza oven, the traffic cones melt.

The beaches just over the hill from me are high 70's/low 80's, very good beach weather with fog in the mornings.

We get these brief times each year, it's payback for all the nice weather the rest of the year.

As they say - it's a dry heat.....

[djminfll]

It's in the low 90's here in Fort Lauderdale, and my mpg is not changing. I keep the A/C on Auto 74 - occasionally turn the blower down a bit if the interior feels chilly or the blower is too high on Auto. I went to my dad's today, 50% highway, 50% suburban streets, I got 48.9mpg going and 47.7 coming back. My overall fill-up so far is 45.5mpg.

[terryb]

OAT indicated on the MFT display was 106 here in NW Houston area. I have set the A/C temp. as high as 85 and that has knocked down the climate draw below the first bar on My View, but I suppose the trip total for the tank will be in low 30s.

[djminfll]

OAT indicated on the MFT display was 106 here in NW Houston area. I have set the A/C temp. as high as 85 and that has knocked down the climate draw below the first bar on My View, but I suppose the trip total for the tank will be in low 30s.

I guess temps like 106 would have more of a negative effect than low 90's. Not being smug, but this is one of the reasons why I live in South Florida - beautiful in winter, and bearable in the summer!

[GrySql]

Not being smug, but this is one of the reasons why I live in South Florida - beautiful in winter, and bearable in the summer!

The hurricanes are a blast too! :)

[acdii]

The hurricanes are a blast too! :)

Very Punny! :)

[brcd131]

I'll refer you to my wife on that one... ;)

It is 107F today and the A/C is on Auto at 72, that's the way she wants it.

 

Your car and my car are quite different in the overall mpg's, mine is not as fuel efficient, never has been. I get tired of trying all the tricks, all the time and never getting even close to what you and others report. There are times when I see crazy high mpg's, but never enough to offset the HVB charging periods, 37-38mpg is my average and I am reconciled to it now. It's a nice car and it will do for now.

However, I am looking ahead at the '15 models.

GrySql, I think we have similar cars because my mileage is about the same or a little lower. The MPGs were improving a little with the warmer weather, but yesterday it was 106 and the car struggled to get about 34 MPG. I had the AC set at about 77 and checked the energy usage and it wasn't using much more than usual. I didn't listen for the battery fan, but doubt that I could hear it. The state likes to tar and chip all the roads - they think they're saving money that way - so there is always a lot of road noise to contend with even in this quiet car.

[djminfll]

The hurricanes are a blast too! :)

True, we do have to worry about them! I actually had my house up for sale just before the recession b/c I was tired of hurricane warnings, especially after the season with Katrina and Wilma. I used the following criteria:

1. No hurricanes

2. No snow

3. No tornadoes

 

I had it narrowed down to either Phoenix, Tucson, or Albuquerque. But the value of the house kept dropping faster than I could lower the price, so I'm still here! I've got my hurricane supplies in the garage, and gas for the generator. Fortunately, we haven't had any problems since 2005!

[acdii]

True, we do have to worry about them! I actually had my house up for sale just before the recession b/c I was tired of hurricane warnings, especially after the season with Katrina and Wilma. I used the following criteria:

1. No hurricanes

2. No snow

3. No tornadoes

 

I had it narrowed down to either Phoenix, Tucson, or Albuquerque. But the value of the house kept dropping faster than I could lower the price, so I'm still here! I've got my hurricane supplies in the garage, and gas for the generator. Fortunately, we haven't had any problems since 2005!

Only have to deal with Flash Floods in those areas, and heat. There was an area in Utah that I liked, an oasis in the middle of rocks. It was middle of august and very pleasant.

[GrySql]

True, we do have to worry about them! I actually had my house up for sale just before the recession b/c I was tired of hurricane warnings, especially after the season with Katrina and Wilma. I used the following criteria:

1. No hurricanes

2. No snow

3. No tornadoes

 

I had it narrowed down to either Phoenix, Tucson, or Albuquerque. But the value of the house kept dropping faster than I could lower the price, so I'm still here! I've got my hurricane supplies in the garage, and gas for the generator. Fortunately, we haven't had any problems since 2005!

You left earthquakes off your list, our specialty here in CA!

Northern AZ is really nice but has a modest amount of snow, I like that area near the Mogollon Rim - a real wild west kind of place.

There are forests, lots of elk/deer, streams, rivers and lakes - and, of course, the beautiful red rock country. The Salt River Canyon is like a little Grand Canyon, not that far from the real Grand Canyon. Not many Ford Hybrid service Dealers though.

[djminfll]

You left earthquakes off your list, our specialty here in CA!

Northern AZ is really nice but has a modest amount of snow, I like that area near the Mogollon Rim - a real wild west kind of place.

There are forests, lots of elk/deer, streams, rivers and lakes - and, of course, the beautiful red rock country. The Salt River Canyon is like a little Grand Canyon, not that far from the real Grand Canyon. Not many Ford Hybrid service Dealers though.

You are correct, earthquakes were also on my list! I think they are worse than anything else, because there is no warning.

[GrySql]

You are correct, earthquakes were also on my list! I think they are worse than anything else, because there is no warning.

When we were kids we'd get tossed out of bed on to the floor, thought it was fun.

But, as time has past I know how destructive they can be.

I once watched the water in my swimming pool go straight up in the air on one side of the pool, come back down and exit the other side of the pool.

They move in different ways, not just back and forth, it's the up and down that gets bad and then the house falls off the foundation.

Many new houses out here have tensioned concrete slabs, tie bolted together, and act like a boat hull in a liquefaction situation.

 

I tell scary stories at campfires too. ;)

Edited July 2, 2013 by GrySql

[hermans]

When I lived in Calif. my hose was built with a steel frame.

[GrySql]

GrySql, I think we have similar cars because my mileage is about the same or a little lower. The MPGs were improving a little with the warmer weather, but yesterday it was 106 and the car struggled to get about 34 MPG. I had the AC set at about 77 and checked the energy usage and it wasn't using much more than usual. I didn't listen for the battery fan, but doubt that I could hear it. The state likes to tar and chip all the roads - they think they're saving money that way - so there is always a lot of road noise to contend with even in this quiet car.

Seems like a few of us, like you, terryb and B25Nut, have the 'normal, low' mpg cars. It's such a nice car in other ways and 37-38mpg is so far above any other vehicle I've owned that I'm reconciled with it the way it is. Actually saving over $300 a month on my prior fuel bill keeps me satisfied, 47mpg would make me ecstatic.

If I could get these annoying Dash Warnings to stop I'd be even happier.

[corncobs]

It has been hot the last two days around ( hot for my personal taste ) so a good chance to test the new PCM software in hot weather under known conditions.

 

Yesterday I got 44.8 MPG but today I was stuck in traffic while a signal was out and after seeing the following history I was prepared to barely break the 40's. Not being able to move and using the AC (93* outside) definitely kills the MPG.

 

 

To my surprise the trip still returned decent MPG.

 

[acdii]

3-8 MPG drop on mine. I usually get 48 coming in, this morning had the vent on low with AC and got 45. Over the weekend I drove into CL to go to Hobbytown and had Auto AC set to 72 and got 40 MPG. This last tank is only getting about 44, where my last two were at or near EPA post update.

[fhalasz]

In March, when the car was almost new, we drove from Albuquerque to Fresno and got something like 38 mpg at mostly 75 mph. Three months later, but less than 4000 miles on the odo, we drove back and got like 42 mpg - with an elevation gain of 5000 feet. Now that it's warm (about 90 daytime) with over 6,000 miles, we got better than 48 mpg on a round-trip to Santa Fe (100 mi), with A/C on. The major reason for the improvement, I believe, was the Customer Satisfaction upgrade this month. Mileage around town is also better than 47 mpg with A/C set at about 73, and over 50 mpg with A/C off. The car seems to love stop-and-go traffic. Bottom line: the car finally lives up to its fuel-economy billing, and Ford was right about waiting to judge economy in the first 4,000 miles.

Edited August 30, 2013 by fhalasz