rzighel

My 2006 Civic Hybrid is doing about 33 mpg. I can get to 40 mpg if I work very hard for it.

I noticed the following:
Highway on a slight incline.
RPM between 3000 and 4000
mpg around 25 mpg
And the battery indicator shows the battery being charged.

Could this be a sign of miss synchronization for when the electric engine should be working?

ps: Car is supposed to be in good shape, It has been maintained by the Honda dealer since it was born, never missing an appointment.

GolNat

iTrader: (7)

https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/factors.shtml

rzighel

Thank you. My two issues:

Under normal circumstance, I am driving the exact same way as last year, when I was getting 40 mpg. Now I get 33 mpg if I do not make extra effort.

The effort to get up to 40 mpg is exactly the opposite of what the linked article recommends:
- I hit the gas all the way to try to get up to speed as quickly as possible.
- I cruise for as long as I can trying to keep the mpg bar above 50 mpg (even if that requires slowing down). When car too slow, I hit the gas all the way again.

Normal driving, 60-70 miles/hour on interstate, speed as constant as I can maintain due to traffic conditions, gets me only up to 33 mpg.

GolNat

iTrader: (7)

That is an odd decrease.

Have you calculated it by hand not using the computer?

Have you had the car scanned for any codes?

rzighel

A tank of gas gets me a bit over 300 miles. I should be able to claim about 300/10 = 30 mpg.

I took car to dealer to ask if they could read codes to determine of anything is wrong because of millage. Rep. claimed I needed to leave the car for complete checkup and forensics. I was not willing to do that.

Maybe you could recommend an iPhone friendly car comp. code reader?

ezone

This might not the the right way to approach.

Don't ask for codes to be read.....ask instead to find out why your fuel economy has dropped.
Also you must present your supporting evidence: detailed records of each tank fill ups, odometer readings, and MPG calculations for each tank

I know in our shop if you don't have real documentation for your complaint then it's kinda pushed aside.
The few times someone actually wants to pay for a mileage check...we top off the tank, drive it conservatively on the nearest 55 MPH road for about 20-25 miles out and back, then top off the tank and calculate on paper for documentation (or check mileage display on newer cars)


Summer blend fuel almost always nets better mileage than winter blend
Cold weather will lower fuel economy
Air up the tires !!!! (this is huge)
Tires were replaced with low mileage type instead of LRR? Wrong size? Each can be a significant factor.. The cheapest tires on the planet aren't normally going to give good fuel economy.

IMA battery getting weak? If the system is constantly trying to recharge it, that could be a clue. How much assist can the IMA give before running out?

Trans is CVT type? Does it have a problem? (you mentioned RPMs, is that a big change?)

rzighel

I will try to write down millage and gas filling for a few days.
Tires are relatively new, purchased at the dealer per dealer recommendation.
In the Bay Area, cold should not be an issue.
Battery was replaced (by dealer) about 18 month ago.
- Strange, I complained about a transmission issue, the replace the battery.
(I still think the problem was the transition, but who am I to tell?).
This was a month after warranty expired on transmission).
Yes, CVT type.
I used to drive at 2K rpm most of the time. It still works around 2K most of the time.
I feel (no notes) that when accelerating it is running many more rom's than before (I is easy to run at 5K rpm).

I moved to the bay about 18 month ago and I am not very happy with local dealer. I don't think I have choices.

Thank you for your suggestions. I will keep notes on numbers for a week or so,

ezone

Well....if it used to stay around 2000 RPM on the highway but now it's much higher on the same road/same speed, that would be a problem...that would consume extra gasoline/lower fuel economy.

There are plenty of choices.
There's probably a dozen Honda dealers in the bay area, plus many independent Honda specialty shops, and I know Luscious Garage (independent hybrid specialists) is in SF too

Always read reviews carefully, consider many people only write a review when there's a problem



As far as your fuel economy documentation, I meant you need records from long ago. Many people who drive in heavy stop and go traffic can't ever get anywhere close to ideal gas mileage. Window sticker said up to 40 MPG? Not in a constant traffic jam you can't.