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Old 11-11-2015, 06:04 AM   #2 (permalink)
RedDevil
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Red Devil - '11 Honda Insight Elegance
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The reason it idles higher is that it is released from the drag of the gearbox.
The ICU makes it use just enough fuel to enable combustion, which makes it rev a bit higher than it does under load, where the same amount of fuel is not enough to overcome the drag so the ICU adds fuel to prevent it from sinking below the minimal RPM.
Despite the higher revs, it will use less fuel idling in neutral than it does in drive.

My cars idle consumption in neutral is about 60% of what it is in drive, by the gallon per hour readout on my UltraGauge. It idles a bit higher.
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