New high: 65.64mpg
 

I have gone alternator optional. Adapted to no alt with an Odyssey deep-cycle motorcycle battery + on-board specially designed Odyssey 6amp charger. I plug the car in at night now. I also have slowly installed LED and HID lights. I am hitting new highs at a time I should be seeing declining FE: morning temps are in the 50s/60s, nights are longer, and I'm encountering some rain. It is not Minnesota, but it is not ideal, either. Things are working nicely. But I had hoped to hit 70mpg this tank. Still, I'm hopeful I might get to a 65mpg three-tank or 90-day average yet this fall.

:thumbup: Give some credit to your aerodynamically better vehicle, too.

Very nice, congrat's:thumbup: my 90 day average projection for the next refuel is 61.14mpg and falling due to colder weather wind and rain. :mad: I thought I had you, but you sliped into a zone I won't be able to reach until next summer:o.
However you should see me in your "ecomodder mpg" rear view mirror at my next refuel. :D

Very nice! Glad to hear the alt-optional mod is working. What does the battery voltage do over the course of a drive?

Very nice. Next summer you'll be sure to hit 70!

Excellent. Hey, did you notice the car at #3? I was just checking your position and started looking at others fuel logs... the Metro at #3 ... the owner stops recording fuel data in late summer early fall and does not pick up again until mid/late spring! Hahaha!!

Great job. Congrats on you new Best MPG!

Just wondering what is the lowest morning startup temps that would justify the hassle of adding an engine block heater?

I am considering adding one to my HCH II.

For this winter I have bought a 4 amp 'Inteligent' battery charger that I will mount in the engine bay and plug in with my block heater at home and work, because of EOC in the dark, morning and evening. I will also try to install some form of solar panel battery charger. The problem I have had in the past with solar panel battery charging, is that the battery discharges at night through the solar Panel. I think that by instaling a charge controler I can avoid the discharging. The task at hand is to minemise the affect of winter on FE...

My experience suggests: battery charger good. Even better when alt is disconnected. Experiment. See what works for you.

Well, here is a study summation cited in the wikipedia entry for "block heater": http://www.hydro.mb.ca/your_home/hom...ck_heaters.pdf.

But more directly to your question maybe is this graph from MetroMPG's great site:

http://www.metrompg.com/zoom_image.h...20watt%20graph

It would seem to suggest a real benefit is engine warm-up time, even when starting from relative mild winter freezing temps.

And here is his data for engine warm-up and fuel consumption:

http://metrompg.com/zoom_image.htm?H...m%2Dup%20graph

What size battery do you have an how far can you drive before needing a charge?

I have been thinking about an alternator and A/C delete but was scared or limiting my range. I do 70 miles round trip for work and have no way to charge it while at work.

You going to do a write up on your install or did you follow somone elses write up?