ptjones

Don't forget a BIG Benefit for snowy areas, Grill Covers keep the snow out of grills. :) Paul

LOL :lol2: Is it as good as CMAX? Paul

If you don't want to put any holes in it just make large Velcro strips to attach cover with. If you get alot of surface area on the edges it will be difficult to get off. :) If you need some help let me know. Paul

Looks like you solved the cooling problem, but not sure about the aerodynamic one. :) I assume you still have the Lower Grill Cover on. Paul

OUCH! You are going to cut the Grill Cover? Wouldn't it be easier just to screw in four sheet metal screws, two on each end and forget about it? I did cut up one Grill Cover for member and wasn't that pretty. :sad: It just makes the Grill Cover flimsy. IMO Paul

I liked my 2010 and 08 FEH for that too. I use the brake coach instead, still have 98% Regen. :) What MPG's is your wife getting? Paul

Well last night I talked to Bob, one of the 2 drivers of KIA NIRO GWR cross country trip across America. He has 2013 CMAX SE, but his wife drives it, he drives Sonota Hybrid. He explained in plain English what their strategy was DWL(drive with load) which means pretty much you have even pressure on the accelerator all the time. So you end up slowing down going up hill and speeding up going down. This lets the ICE/EV do what ever it wants to do. You match your speed to the FE you want to get. They wanted to be above 74 mpg so they tried to keep the average above 80 mpg to have some breathing room. It sounded like they were going around 50 mph+/-. Interesting that there is no gauge in the NIRO that tells you how much EV miles you have driven. :headscratch:He said he liked the CMAX Smart Gauges better than NIRO. You could call this a mild P&G strategy. I also use this except I don't use constant pressure on the accelerator and instead use the Two Bar Rule for acceleration and let off the gas to get into EV. I believe this was part of the problem with Wayne trashing the 2013 CMAX four years ago, and with Post to him it seemed to me he wasn't trying to make the CMAX look good. :sad: FORD gamed the system and he wanted everyone to know it. :swear: The latest info I have gotten is the NIRO is suppose to be available in April, It will be interesting to see what the real production KIA NIRO mpg's is. :headscratch: Paul

Even with cold weather I was able to squeak out 53.6 mpg's last fill up a few days ago. With warmer temps I'm back up to 57.4mpg/56mpg actual probably. :) Mark the Grill Covers really work. ICE Block and Oil Pan heaters too. :) Paul

You Lucky Dog, I wanted to go, but I'm not in the area now and can't get a way. :sad: :sos: BUMMER Paul

IIRC the Smart Temp Gauge starts moving up when the WT hits 226*F and slowly moves up to 246*F, top line and alarm goes off. I want to impress to members this is very hard thing to accomplish, it can only happen when you are going on a very long uphill climb and easily corrected by letting off the gas. The two times that this has happened to me it startled me and I instinctively let off the gas. When this happens you have at least three options, first turn on heater full blast, temps will drop very quickly. Second just slow down, using less gas makes less heat. Third pull over and stop and remove lower Grill Cover and replace when you aren't climbing anymore. :) One way to minimize potential over heating problem is to use EV anytime a long climb levels out for a short distance. This gives time for the ICE to cool off and also turn the heater on which does a very quick job of cooling the ICE off. :) Paul

If you can I would use sheet metal screws to permanently secure Center Grill Cover on so you don't have to worry about it. You could mount the plate on the inside of cover using top holes to have a more aerodynamic surface. :) Paul

If you can block the top grill and tape around the center Grill Cover that will help to keep the cold air out of the ICE compartment. Oil pan heater isn't a bad idea to preheat the ICE and insulate it. :) Paul

Two ways to look at this, first it is a bummer you have Trans problem :sad: and second it's going to be a new CMAX pretty much and it didn't cost to much extra. :) Paul

:) Paul

This is better than nothing, but it is hard to speculate but all the Auto News outlets said it was significantly slower in acceleration so apparently it is using ICE for that job. :) Paul

I Posted in another thread that there is one NIRO on Fuelly.com and he is getting 45.5mpg which I would be more realistic for most people than Wayne's. http://www.fuelly.com/car/kia/niro/2016/arska/534123 Hopefully it would be much longer before I can test drive one and keep my opinion. :) Paul

It would be nice if members would comment on their results so others would be encouraged to do so. :) Happy MPG Motoring :) Paul

Now that I got your attention :) it would appear from Fuelly.com CMAX Average MPG results that alot of CMAX drivers aren't driving their CMAX's the way they were designed to be driven by breaking the 2 Bar Acceleration Rule. :drop: To get the best gas mileage you need to Drive using the Empower Display 2 Bar Power Acceleration Rule where the ICE runs the most efficiently and charges the HVB the fastest. When driving you can use a mild Pulse and Glide strategy by accelerating at 2 BARS to around 5 mph over the speed you want to cruise at then let off of the accelerator for a second to allow EV to engage then back on to maintain speed until HVB SOC gets low enough for ICE to start then accelerate at 2 bars to 5mph over and repeat. :) This is worth atleast 2 MPG's and probably more. :yahoo: BTW covering up the grills is worth another 2-4 mpg. http://fordcmaxhybridforum.com/topic/970-cmax-grill-cover-testing-2-5-mpg-gain It would be nice if members would comment on their results. Happy CMAX Motoring :) Paul

Actually FORD came up with the update in July 2013 for ECM, which operates on speed and temperature to control the shutters. The problem is to much air is getting by the shutters. We will see if the NIRO has the same problem. :headscratch: Paul

I don't want members to get confused about CVT transmission and drive /charging motors/ generators. Here is a image : As you can see the motors are part of the CVT transmission. :) Paul

Post picture of your Grill Covers. :) Paul

The CMAX will be around for another 6 months anyway and KIA NIRO is suppose to be out at end of month or early next. The reviews I saw were suppose to be US versions that were being tested in the US. The info I saw put the NIRO 0-60 mph time about 2 seconds slower than CMAX. Pretty slow IMO. Similar to New Prius. Base Weight NIRO 3143lbs, CMAX Hybrid 3607lbs 464lbs difference. Transmissions are different, Automatic vs CVT and CMAX's 2 motors are inside of the Transmission, very compact design. FE NIRO 45.5 mpg, CMAX 40.5mpg (44mpg with Grill Covers)(the last 7k miles I've averaged about 52.5MPG Fuelly/53.8MPG Smart Trip)As far as the NIRO getting 76 mpg, It was done by a Professional Hypermiler Drivers, I'm an amateur driver and I've gotten 68 mpg going cross country twice in my CMAX Hybrid, but most people will have difficulty doing that. :sad: I have gone on the CleanMPG, KIA NIRO site and asked Wayne a number of times on what strategy, suggestions, hints, tips or speeds he used to get that 76mpg record and He has responded with nothing useful , no help there at all other than to say he gets great FE. :gaah: :sad: As far as KIA NIRO using Grill Covers, if they designed it right it wouldn't need them. BTW I read somewhere the NIRO has shutters that close at 35 mph, I guess they think it makes it more aerodynamic. :headscratch: Should be closed all the time IMO. :shift: :) Paul

Found this NIRO on Fuelly: http://www.fuelly.com/car/kia/niro/2016/arska/534123 NIRO only averaging 45.5 mpg. and From a performance stand point NIRO isn't that close to a CMAX. The more I read about the KIA NIRO the more it sounds like a Prius V with less space. Add to that it only has a 43 hp electric motor, 139 total hp and 0-60mph in over 10sec. , sounds like a Prius V. It will be interesting to see what people think when comparing the CMAX with two electric motors for 60 hp, 188 hp total and 0-60 in 8 sec. and with Grill Covers you can get similar MPG's. We have many Prius owners that traded in for CMAX's. You would have thought KIA would have come out with a NIRO more sportier than Prius V and It's still only 4mpg better than Prius V. IMO :) Paul