109 replies to this topic

[Jus-A-CMax]

Yeah, hit it with 2 bar, or if you feel a wee bit more charge...3/4 bar. Only time I use 1 bar is when I am really low.

[ScubaDadMiami]

Wow, this car has a lot of torque when you are at two bars.  That's why I was wondering.

[Jus-A-CMax]

Wow, this car has a lot of torque when you are at two bars.  That's why I was wondering.

Yes! Wait till you try 2 1/2 bars. You have to experiment with it, don't be afraid of it and thats why I say, its not always SLOW to be efficient. Remember I started a thread "Punch it up the hill" such a long time ago...and thats when you use the engine at 2 1/2 to 3 bar burn in a second or 2 second - in such a short burst but it produces such torque, it really propels your CMax up these small grades - better than a 1 bar slow burn...and yet no one noticed...and I live up the hills, I'll be darn if I don't know what I am talking about...

Edited by Jus-A-CMax, 26 July 2013 - 12:36 AM.

[salsaguy]

hence my request to have a power point to show the pix and arrows and text

 

Ok Jus when you make reference to 1 bar or 2 bar, I'm not following what that is?  To quote someone before me I need a picture of what you mean by that.  Call me stupid but verbal instructions don't work well for this owner, never has all my life.  Maybe it is because I'm left handed? Lefties do better with visible props I like to call them.

[RaPieR]

I can't figure out how to embed the video, but I'm doing something similar in the video below. The only difference is I use eco cruise rather than feathering the throttle.

 

Edited by RaPieR, 27 July 2013 - 11:42 AM.

[Jus-A-CMax]

If its youtube, just simply copy and paste the link.

 

While I understand the eco-cruise, I still don't think its that efficient - however, next Monday, I will do my morning route to work in eco-cruise and see but driving conditions with morning traffic will vary.

[RaPieR]

You will probably do better by feathering but it is too much concentration and effort for me to do everyday that early in the morning hehe. It gets the job done. I can pulse ip if I need to and turn cruise off if I need to coast. It has to go hand in hand with looking ahead and timing lights/traffic

[salsaguy]

i was able to download the video and watch it.lots of background noise but i guess the pix was the main thing.so you got it up to 35mph or so and kicked on the cruise? or did you just back off the throttle to get it into EV mode?

looked like a  1 bar burn after EV kicked in.

Edited by salsaguy, 26 July 2013 - 09:11 PM.

[RaPieR]

Main point like just-a-cmax was saying, is to use two bars to get up to speed around the speed limit then back off to kick in ev. Using eco-cruise, it goes into ev when you hit the cruise button as long as you aren't pushing the gas enough to speed up. Then you can adjust speed for traffic and lights by pressing the throttle to pulse up again or hit the cancel cruise button to coast. It's not as efficient as doing it manually especially if it is hilly but it takes only a little bit of practice and not as much concentration as manually feathering the throttle.

[mtb9153]

Good input guys, thanks.  Enjoyed seeing your driving style RaPieR

[ScubaDadMiami]

I saw mixed results today.  However, I didn't drive my usual route at the usual time.  It was more like a test under varied conditions.  I actually lost some mpg today. 

 

For fairly heavy traffic, it seemed that the stomp to two bars, even if very brief, was less efficient than gentle feathering and gliding.  However, once you reach areas where you can glide for longer stretches, you come out ahead with the stomp and glide.

 

Secondly, it seems that the stomp and glide is like a longer term investment that yields higher returns but costs a little more in the early stages.  By that, I mean that I get worse FE on short trip than I do by gentle feathering.  However, after a certain distance of travel, I am back to even with where I would be with gentle feathering.  After that, it is bonus FE by using stomp and glide.

 

Using two bars, I went up some of the steepest bridges in my area, and this was at 45 to 55 mph zones.  What a fun ride, even if it costs a squirt or two of gas. 

 

I ended out getting caught in peak rush hour, with bumper to bumper traffic, too.  There was nothing I could do.  Too many errands to run.  I tried to rationalize that I was testing for this driving condition, but even in the C-MAX, that part was not so much fun.

[RaPieR]

I saw mixed results today.  However, I didn't drive my usual route at the usual time.  It was more like a test under varied conditions.  I actually lost some mpg today. 

 

For fairly heavy traffic, it seemed that the stomp to two bars, even if very brief, was less efficient than gentle feathering and gliding.  However, once you reach areas where you can glide for longer stretches, you come out ahead with the stomp and glide.

 

Secondly, it seems that the stomp and glide is like a longer term investment that yields higher returns but costs a little more in the early stages.  By that, I mean that I get worse FE on short trip than I do by gentle feathering.  However, after a certain distance of travel, I am back to even with where I would be with gentle feathering.  After that, it is bonus FE by using stomp and glide.

 

Using two bars, I went up some of the steepest bridges in my area, and this was at 45 to 55 mph zones.  What a fun ride, even if it costs a squirt or two of gas. 

 

I ended out getting caught in peak rush hour, with bumper to bumper traffic, too.  There was nothing I could do.  Too many errands to run.  I tried to rationalize that I was testing for this driving condition, but even in the C-MAX, that part was not so much fun.

You have to adjust how much you pulse based on traffic to try to keep as constant a speed as possible.  For example if a light turns green and you are close enough to pulse pass or if you're too far then you'd coast to try and time the light.  If you have you to keep pulsing from a complete stop, you'll kill your mileage.

[Jus-A-CMax]

SDM...Rather than do a whole trip and say 1 bar vs 2 bar burn....SDM, repeat what I did in my other thread with just one stretch of road and do the 1 br vs 2 bar to 35 mph and cut off and read the Trip to see how much gas you took to get up to 35mph from zero. NO EV start though. Are you using regular gas too SDM - cause if you are, then that would make it really interesting if your results vary...

[mtb9153]

Jus I'm not using Premium, when I did results just weren't worth the extra cost.

[ScubaDadMiami]

Premium gas from Costco.

[mtb9153]

I rarely fill at Costco since the closest one which sells gas in my area is across town.  Plus when I am over there I never need gas.  There is a Super Safeway near me which pumps gas and their prices are very close to Costco which is why there is always a huge line and why I never go there for gas.

[11StiLimited]

Great thread, TY.

[C-Maxgo]

Yes! Wait till you try 2 1/2 bars. You have to experiment with it, don't be afraid of it and thats why I say, its not always SLOW to be efficient. Remember I started a thread "Punch it up the hill" such a long time ago...and thats when you use the engine at 2 1/2 to 3 bar burn in a second or 2 second - in such a short burst but it produces such torque, it really propels your CMax up these small grades - better than a 1 bar slow burn...and yet no one noticed...and I live up the hills, I'll be darn if I don't know what I am talking about...

 

How long are the hills you "Punch"?  Are they miles long or short like a quarter mile?

[Jus-A-CMax]

How long are the hills you "Punch"?  Are they miles long or short like a quarter mile?

 

Very short....100 yards (1 burst) to 200 yards (2 burst). Gun and back off, let the momentum pull you up and repeat.

[ScubaDadMiami]

I have been using this technique, for the past couple of days.  Some things are working for me, and some are not.  Miami has pretty bad traffic.  However, I usually go out on my route during times that the traffic is not bad.  Coming home is usually fairly congested.  There are stops for traffic lights throughout the ride.

 

What I have been finding is that I end out stomping for such short periods of time that the SOC does not get enough charge.  So, I then end out having to purposely ICE my SOC back up with gentle feathering.  No big deal, if it leads to overall better numbers.  I am coming to that part.

 

Before I do, let me mention that this attempt has been killing my breaking score!  I often end out, even with short stomps, getting up to speed just in time for the light to change in a way that always seems to make me have to get breaking scores ranging from the 70's to 80's, which I never normally do.  Otherwise, I am already catching the car in front of me.  (Who said the C-MAX has no torque or power?   )  If I go with the gentle feathering on these parts of the trip, I do much better with things like traffic lights and traffic congestion (but not purely bumper to bumper type of traffic). 

 

Short trips also get worse FE for me, so far.  Conversely, once I get to the part of the road where I can keep moving along, I start to gain FE.  I can see where this pays off more for every additional mile traveled. 

 

So far, my conclusion is that this will be a useful tool for the right conditions.  For slower and congested travel, I am losing ground, at this point.  Perhaps things will change as my new C-MAX, with barely 2,000 miles, starts to hit its stride.