Quote:
Originally Posted by MinnesotaNice
How interesting.
I just started this, and haven't got any read on mileage, but I'm guessing I'm engine off about 80% of the time. If I'm not pulsing, it's off for the most part. Waiting to turn in the intersection, dodging traffic, no.
Is it just ... easier driving that determines 10-15% off? And half if ... someones looking? :-)
Allan
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Thanks for the chuckle - easier driving and less EOC if someone's looking!
I think it has a lot to do with route. Or maybe I'm just not EOC'ing enough???
My commute is mostly highway, about 55 miles each way, with generally light traffic. EOC going down say 45 or 50 mph just isn't feasible if I want a reasonable commute time. My car coasts pretty well but even so, I need to run the engine most of the time to keep the car going at highway speeds.
Driving my HX I have one consideration most drivers don't have. The HX will run in lean burn mode, with the air:fuel ratio at something like 20:1 or maybe even more. I figure I net an extra 10-15% mpg when it's in lean burn. BUT if I kill the engine it won't do lean burn until at least 1.5 miles after restarting, and often it requires 2 miles to go into lean burn again. So usually I prefer to keep it in lean burn as much as possible, and let it idle in neutral if I can coast down a hill. I wouldn't be doing that idle-coast if it didn't have lean burn capability.
So at the GGP, which has a 2.45 mile loop of track, I did tons of EOC. That track has many hills as well as banked curves, is perfect for EOC. Not good for lean burn in the HX because you're constantly on and off the gas pedal; it would hardly ever go into lean burn under those conditions and would go right out of lean burn at the next upgrade or coast anyway.