Playing with technique

[elhigh]

Oh, man. If I had a flat highway and little traffic, 45mph steady state is where my car just effortlessly floats along. I'd get 80 miles per gallon average.

The presence of traffic is the single most complicating factor of hypermiling. I know what I'm going to do, it's contending with whatever the hell all these other people are going to do that makes things hard.

[Cobb]

Your hch gets 80 mpg at 45mph?

[elhigh]

On the flat, that's about what the mileage meter says. So it's probably something more along the lines of a real-world 70-75, the meter is pretty optimistic.

God knows if I don't have to hold a higher speed, that modest pace is where most of my cars feel happiest, just loafing along with my foot barely grazing the accelerator pedal. There's a long, straight valley here where I can cover about five miles - it's the longest nearly-flat road I know of around here - where I can drive up the car's moving average mpg almost without trying, the speed limit is 45mph on the entire length of road and it's straight enough that anyone wanting to go faster will have plenty of opportunity to swing around me, so I don't feel pressured to appease the faster masses.

Unfortunately I don't live on that road and it's nowhere near any of my usual trips, so it's only for Sunday afternoons.

[Cobb]

Well, if its got lean burn you should be easily able to push triple digits. Most of the gen 1 insight guys can get impressive mpg with careful use of the ima system, but even more with lean burn.

Ive fooled around with the gen 2 insight and it seems best mpg is from not using the ima system and like using cruse control for constant speed.

[Mustang Dave]

Originally Posted by elhigh

The presence of traffic is the single most complicating factor of hypermiling. I know what I'm going to do, it's contending with whatever the hell all these other people are going to do that makes things hard.

Very well stated!
I hope you don't mind if I add that to my signature.

[elhigh]

Originally Posted by Cobb

Well, if its got lean burn you should be easily able to push triple digits. Most of the gen 1 insight guys can get impressive mpg with careful use of the ima system, but even more with lean burn.

Ive fooled around with the gen 2 insight and it seems best mpg is from not using the ima system and like using cruse control for constant speed.

Actually I have to replace one of the O2 sensors, I have the CEL on right now and I'm not getting lean burn at all. So the decent numbers I've whistled up these past few tanks have just been from technique. Gotta get the heat shield off the cat so I can put a real wrench on the sensor, the silly split-socket just spreads and starts to round the corners. Can't have that!