CleanMPG Fuel Economy Challenge VI - Summer 2009

stick a fork in me, I am done as well and did not get the 24.2 I was reaching for to get my spot back (rain and now cooler weather have taken their toll on this tank) In fact I may lose another spot and I was doing so well

470.4 Miles (new pb)
19.900 gals (most ever added)
23.62 MPG

On to a new Challange

 

I finished last night too, I wish the HCHII was more tolerant of temps below 68F the tank wouldn't have ended so poorly. :*( I even used the EBH a few times.

As long as I don't get down to last winter's numbers everything will be fine.

It seems to have 4 levels and they seem to be affected disproportionately by me. Below the 50s, 50-60F, 68-95F, and HOT.

I'm great in level 3, ok in level 4, I don't do well in level 2 and level 1 is the worst. To me performance feels the same at -19 as it does at 40, just how quickly she gets below that 195f she likes to run.

 

I had ice fog to deal with this morning!!

ICE FOG!!!

WTH!!!

This winter is not going to be pretty. I ended up with a lousy 50 mpg this morning because I had to pull off the road and let the engine heat up enough to keep the windshield deiced. I'm glad I will be carrying this current tank into the next competition. I'm starting to think I'm going to be stuck in that region for the next 6 months ...

I know it isn't quite the same thing as your HCHII temperature related vehicle performance, but I certainly "feel your pain"!!!

It should be really interesting to see how Plug-In Hybrids handle the cold weather (sorry, I can't say anything more than that) ...

 

Sounds like time for a full grille block!

 

I'm glad you mentioned that.

I really should have had a 95% grill block for the entire summer. To be quite blunt, I have been physically and intellectually lazy. Although I made a significant effort to get a warmer STO thermostat, I gave up after getting 3 thermostats that were not the themostat I ordered (not only were they colder thermostats, they also didn't even perform to specification). I quit working on that issue and have done nothing since.
I've already blocked off 80% and it never even came close to running hot during the entire summer. The vast majority of mornings, I never reach my stable engine operation temperature of 206F!! Obviously, I should block off more air. ESPECIALLY WITH WINTER APPROACHING!!!


P.S. a couple of question for others:

Have you become entrenched in your routine and stopped looking at ways to improve your FE?

Could you make small incremental changes to your habits and vehicle usage patterns that would add up to a significant difference?​

Thanks for the kind reminder Nevyn!!

 

I'm going to be putting mine on/making a new one this weekend if all else gets done.

If not, I'm zip-tieing(tying?) some coroplast to the grille.

 

I add a lower block during the Summer (I never took off the top ones)

 

Quick question...why are your adjusted EPA numbers for the FE run VI 3mpg lower than your regular EPA numbers...? You have an E6 handicap at 2%...that would only lower your EPA numbers by 1 mpg city and highway, and that's with rounding(otherwise it wouldn't even be a 1mpg difference)

Just curious, since you're at the top of Div B
Wouldn't want a cheater

Seems like you just lowered your numbers by 3mpg instead of 3%

 

I think I worked this out the right way. If not someone let me know.

The EPA combined for my car when new was 24 mpg. The new 2008 rating (which we go by for the challenge)for my car is 21 mpg. Here at Clean MPG my rating works out to 21.5 mpg (due to a 50/50 balance of city & hwy) I just adjusted my 21.5 mpg by 3% for this challenge. Which (just by chance) brought my rating to the new EPA.

 

Oh. I use the new rating for my car for everything. I thought your normal log used new EPA, which explains why I thought you FE run car's rating is so much lower.

I thought we used new EPA and didn't change them for highway/city driving.

 

ooops wrong forum!