Re: accord v6 fuel mileage
 

"slider" <daroy@hfx.eastlink.ca> wrote in message
news:ICrie.68338$tg1.24367@edtnps84...
> that 31 is highway,in the summer.
> the 15 city during winter is what scares me.Oh well,gotta pay for comfort
> I
> guess.
>
The winter problem is even more of an issue with cars that get much better
economy normally. My wife's car is a '02 Prius (hybrid) and she gets 50 mpg
around town in three seasons and low/mid forties in the winter. It has a
real-time mpg display, and I decided to see what would happen if we turned
the heater up full and opened the windows in town one winter day. I was
amazed to see the 5 minute average drop to 25 mpg! I guess the heat has to
come from burning fuel one way or another.

Mike

Re: accord v6 fuel mileage
 

"slider" <daroy@hfx.eastlink.ca> wrote in message
news:ICrie.68338$tg1.24367@edtnps84...
> that 31 is highway,in the summer.
> the 15 city during winter is what scares me.Oh well,gotta pay for comfort
> I
> guess.
>
The winter problem is even more of an issue with cars that get much better
economy normally. My wife's car is a '02 Prius (hybrid) and she gets 50 mpg
around town in three seasons and low/mid forties in the winter. It has a
real-time mpg display, and I decided to see what would happen if we turned
the heater up full and opened the windows in town one winter day. I was
amazed to see the 5 minute average drop to 25 mpg! I guess the heat has to
come from burning fuel one way or another.

Mike

Re: accord v6 fuel mileage
 

> The winter problem is even more of an issue with cars that get much
> better economy normally. My wife's car is a '02 Prius (hybrid) and
> she gets 50 mpg around town in three seasons and low/mid forties in
> the winter. It has a real-time mpg display, and I decided to see what
> would happen if we turned the heater up full and opened the windows
> in town one winter day. I was amazed to see the 5 minute average drop
> to 25 mpg! I guess the heat has to come from burning fuel one way or
> another.

I would be very surprised if the engine comsumed more or less fuel
based on the amount of heat being directed to the passenger compartment.
There is so much excess heat being produced all the time.

Has anyone else noticed this?

The only way I can imagine an increase in fuel comsumption due to
heating the cabin is if the engine got so cold it went into "enrichen
the mixture" (equiv to choke) mode. In that case you would feel very
little heat from the vents because the engine was so cold.

(wild speculation) It also could be possible that fan motor used more
power, but 5 mpg?

Re: accord v6 fuel mileage
 

> The winter problem is even more of an issue with cars that get much
> better economy normally. My wife's car is a '02 Prius (hybrid) and
> she gets 50 mpg around town in three seasons and low/mid forties in
> the winter. It has a real-time mpg display, and I decided to see what
> would happen if we turned the heater up full and opened the windows
> in town one winter day. I was amazed to see the 5 minute average drop
> to 25 mpg! I guess the heat has to come from burning fuel one way or
> another.

I would be very surprised if the engine comsumed more or less fuel
based on the amount of heat being directed to the passenger compartment.
There is so much excess heat being produced all the time.

Has anyone else noticed this?

The only way I can imagine an increase in fuel comsumption due to
heating the cabin is if the engine got so cold it went into "enrichen
the mixture" (equiv to choke) mode. In that case you would feel very
little heat from the vents because the engine was so cold.

(wild speculation) It also could be possible that fan motor used more
power, but 5 mpg?

Re: accord v6 fuel mileage
 

I was always curious as to why they advertise mileage in "highway and city
driving"and not "winter and summer."
"Brian Stell" <bstell@ix.netcom.com> wrote in message
news:N8Aie.998$kj7.486@newssvr21.news.prodigy.com. ..
> > The winter problem is even more of an issue with cars that get much
> > better economy normally. My wife's car is a '02 Prius (hybrid) and
> > she gets 50 mpg around town in three seasons and low/mid forties in
> > the winter. It has a real-time mpg display, and I decided to see what
> > would happen if we turned the heater up full and opened the windows
> > in town one winter day. I was amazed to see the 5 minute average drop
> > to 25 mpg! I guess the heat has to come from burning fuel one way or
> > another.
>
> I would be very surprised if the engine comsumed more or less fuel
> based on the amount of heat being directed to the passenger compartment.
> There is so much excess heat being produced all the time.
>
> Has anyone else noticed this?
>
> The only way I can imagine an increase in fuel comsumption due to
> heating the cabin is if the engine got so cold it went into "enrichen
> the mixture" (equiv to choke) mode. In that case you would feel very
> little heat from the vents because the engine was so cold.
>
> (wild speculation) It also could be possible that fan motor used more
> power, but 5 mpg?

Re: accord v6 fuel mileage
 

I was always curious as to why they advertise mileage in "highway and city
driving"and not "winter and summer."
"Brian Stell" <bstell@ix.netcom.com> wrote in message
news:N8Aie.998$kj7.486@newssvr21.news.prodigy.com. ..
> > The winter problem is even more of an issue with cars that get much
> > better economy normally. My wife's car is a '02 Prius (hybrid) and
> > she gets 50 mpg around town in three seasons and low/mid forties in
> > the winter. It has a real-time mpg display, and I decided to see what
> > would happen if we turned the heater up full and opened the windows
> > in town one winter day. I was amazed to see the 5 minute average drop
> > to 25 mpg! I guess the heat has to come from burning fuel one way or
> > another.
>
> I would be very surprised if the engine comsumed more or less fuel
> based on the amount of heat being directed to the passenger compartment.
> There is so much excess heat being produced all the time.
>
> Has anyone else noticed this?
>
> The only way I can imagine an increase in fuel comsumption due to
> heating the cabin is if the engine got so cold it went into "enrichen
> the mixture" (equiv to choke) mode. In that case you would feel very
> little heat from the vents because the engine was so cold.
>
> (wild speculation) It also could be possible that fan motor used more
> power, but 5 mpg?

Re: accord v6 fuel mileage
 

"Brian Stell" <bstell@ix.netcom.com> wrote in message
news:N8Aie.998$kj7.486@newssvr21.news.prodigy.com. ..
> I would be very surprised if the engine comsumed more or less fuel
> based on the amount of heat being directed to the passenger compartment.
> There is so much excess heat being produced all the time.
>

I don't actually know, but I'm not sure that is true any more. (It isn't for
the Toyota hybrid system, which restarts the engine based on system
temperatures.) I suspect engine downsizing and increases in efficiency have
meant less waste heat. Cold mpg has always been the pits, even in the old
days, and maybe excessive heater use cools the engine enough to impact fuel
economy. That's pure speculation on my part, though.

Mike

Re: accord v6 fuel mileage
 

"Brian Stell" <bstell@ix.netcom.com> wrote in message
news:N8Aie.998$kj7.486@newssvr21.news.prodigy.com. ..
> I would be very surprised if the engine comsumed more or less fuel
> based on the amount of heat being directed to the passenger compartment.
> There is so much excess heat being produced all the time.
>

I don't actually know, but I'm not sure that is true any more. (It isn't for
the Toyota hybrid system, which restarts the engine based on system
temperatures.) I suspect engine downsizing and increases in efficiency have
meant less waste heat. Cold mpg has always been the pits, even in the old
days, and maybe excessive heater use cools the engine enough to impact fuel
economy. That's pure speculation on my part, though.

Mike