Cowmeat learns to drive the Volt

[rmay635703]

Originally Posted by cowmeat

Added another mile to the estimated range I get on a full charge this morning.

I now get 11 more miles of estimated range than I did when I bought the car a couple of months ago. It started out showing the standard 35 miles of range, so I'm pretty sure the lady that owned it before me wasn't a hypermiler!

You will keep improving, my recommendation if you can take the ride, is to bump the tires up to the full 52psi, usually that gains you a couple more miles

Oddly your tires wear better too.

Also you can defog the windows without using much heat, just set the defroster for a low temperature and it will still defog but not use much juice to heat anything.

Also another option is to "idle" your car a 10 minutes, set it to eco, defrost, fan to low and plugged in and you should see minimal loss of capacity but it should get your heater core warmed up.

[Hank1510]

I preheat my car about 30 minutes before I leave. The battery will get warmed up for range, but shouldn't cool down much before driving. The extra 15 minutes (pre heat is active for 15) is to allow the battery to top off again.

I just aired back up to 45 psi. Today was our first day below actual freezing.

[cowmeat]

Also you can defog the windows without using much heat, just set the defroster for a low temperature and it will still defog but not use much juice to heat anything

I need to read up on how to do it remotely. I think there's a button on the remote that does it but I haven't tried it yet

[Hank1510]

You can press lock, then hold the remote start button for for 3 seconds.

I guess they don't want to remote start the vehicle in a garage if someone sets something on their key on the kitchen counter

[cowmeat]

You can press lock, then hold the remote start button for for 3 seconds.

Do you know if it starts the ICE or the elecrtic? I just need the defogger to work before I get in the car while it's still charging, but I sure don't want to use any gas to do it

[Hank1510]

I have a 2014. In my menu options, there's a "allow engine to run when charging to precondition" yes/no.

I suspect yours would have a similar option. It's for cars charged in a garage.

[cowmeat]

I'll check mine, but I'm not sure the 2012 menu is that sophisticated. I don't remember seeing anything like that when I set up the charge schedule, but I was kinda out of my element, I've never had a car that needed programming!

[Hank1510]

It's in the main settings menu under climate control I think. Not very intuitive.

[straight5]

We bought my wife a 2013 Prius back in the spring. I considered a volt, but she is driving about 60 miles a day and I don't believe they have a charging station where she works. I just wasn't sure how well it "fit" with her habits / anti-hypermiling driving style.
Wondering about a volt for me, because I need to replace my Saab turbo 5 speed. I drive 58 miles a day, Monday - Friday. About 80% of the drive is highway or interstate, and very few red lights. There is no charging station at work. I'd been wondering if I could stretch the range on a 2011 - 2013 volt that far, but it doesn't sound like I could.
In the volt, does the engine run only when you get down to a predetermined state of charge, or do you have some control?

[WyrTwister]

I think that is how it is programmed . I have read it is suppose to transition from battery to gasoline seamlessly .

Suppose to do very well on gas , when in gas mode .

God bless
Wyr