Big MPG shift

[OneAlienBoi]

I mean, you're still getting very respectable fuel economy numbers, even in the cold. Getting 36-38 mpg is still better by far than what most trucks get, even under the most ideal conditions. The only thing that concerns me is the hybrid seems quite load during cold startups, moreso than our explorer. I'm curious of what the rpm's are under those conditions, I believe others have said cold startups on the hybrid idle around 1,500 RPMs, pretty normal. But the tone of the engine makes it sound like it's revving a little higher than that. As long as it's not causing premature wear and wear, I'm not worried.

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[mamboman777]

I believe that you're truck is behaving normally.

A cool down will primarily use the HVB (high voltage battery) which will only run the ICE (internal combustion engine) when the HVB has become depleted.

A warm up will always run the ICE more because the ICE is used as the heater. The heater is a heat transfer from the exhaust and is used not only to heat cabin, but also battery system. The ICE will run in a warm up, even if climate control is off. The truck is unable to warm up using the HVB.

To me the most surprising thing is that you've been getting 46 mpg while remote starting the truck to cool it off every day.... In my book, that's remarkable.

 

[merlin101]

Yes I am familiar with it's background and have lots of dyno experience myself., I would prefer the 2.0 turbo and give up a few mpg in warm weather myself. I would bet there is a drop in efficiency in cold weather.

You'd be giving up a hell of a lot more than a few MPG. Not that the 2.0 turbo isn't relatively efficient, but on average you'd be losing 10 mpg at minimum depending on your exact driving conditions. I mean if you were getting 46 mpg before, I can guarantee you you wouldn't be getting much over 26-30 with the turbo. The thing to remember is the two drivetrains are most efficient in opposing conditions--so if your getting above average efficiency with your driving conditions for the hybrid, those are most likely conditions in which the turbo would in fact be much less efficient. Just my two cents.

 

[MaverickSVT]

You'd be giving up a hell of a lot more than a few MPG. Not that the 2.0 turbo isn't relatively efficient, but on average you'd be losing 10 mpg at minimum depending on your exact driving conditions. I mean if you were getting 46 mpg before, I can guarantee you you wouldn't be getting much over 26-30 with the turbo. The thing to remember is the two drivetrains are most efficient in opposing conditions--so if your getting above average efficiency with your driving conditions for the hybrid, those are most likely conditions in which the turbo would in fact be much less efficient. Just my two cents.

Probably even less than 26/30 in the turbo during the winter!

 

[Snox801]

Haa! A few years ago a large group of our family went to Cancun on vacation. One morning at breakfast while we were playing with our phones I started bragging I could start my truck back home from right there if I wanted. My sister was going to one up me and told us her car started every weekday morning at a set time before she went to work. As she was saying it you could see the blood drain from her face as she realized she'd forgotton to turn that feature off before she went on vacation. LOL.

I'm guilty as anyone for warming up a vehicle to long. With the stories on here about the eco boost and fuel dilution in the oil from excessive idling, I'm definately going to have to change my habits.

I can tell you for a fact oil dilution is not from idling. All my trucks are for work they idle hours a day everyday. And are ecoboost engines. The cold start is were some comes in but I would argue that warming it up would help. As it preheats the cat and also if you make shorter trips gives more time to evaporate. But honestly don’t worry about it to much use a good oil that is capable of protecting at high dilution rates. Many available and I’m not talking ford oil. I run amsoil as it’s been great getting all mine well over 300k of abused miles.

As for warming up it’s always a good idea. Different metals expand at different rates. Now depends on temp on how long. As good as things are now as long as it comes down off high idle and you drive softly till warm no real harm. That being said it was 19 here this morning I’ve on everything. Why do car if I lose a bit of mileage for convenience. You can save more money keeping your house just above freezing doesn’t mean you should.
Mpg in the winter will always fall a good margin. Every oil is thicker when cold and that drags it down. But mainly because the air is colder and more dense this needing more fuel added to not run lean.

 

[sprubs]

I can tell you for a fact oil dilution is not from idling. All my trucks are for work they idle hours a day everyday. And are ecoboost engines. The cold start is were some comes in but I would argue that warming it up would help. As it preheats the cat and also if you make shorter trips gives more time to evaporate. But honestly don’t worry about it to much use a good oil that is capable of protecting at high dilution rates. Many available and I’m not talking ford oil. I run amsoil as it’s been great getting all mine well over 300k of abused miles.

As for warming up it’s always a good idea. Different metals expand at different rates. Now depends on temp on how long. As good as things are now as long as it comes down off high idle and you drive softly till warm no real harm. That being said it was 19 here this morning I’ve on everything. Why do car if I lose a bit of mileage for convenience. You can save more money keeping your house just above freezing doesn’t mean you should.
Mpg in the winter will always fall a good margin. Every oil is thicker when cold and that drags it down. But mainly because the air is colder and more dense this needing more fuel added to not run lean.

Seems like a balancing act. Def don't want to push it too much when the engine is cold but driving gently will heat the engine up faster than idling which is good. My Subaru idles pretty high until it warms up although I think this is an emissions related thing.

 

[HughdMan]

I've been 46-47 mpg consistently until lately when the weather has been in the 20's. I start it up and let it warm up for 15 min. and this knocks the mpg down to 36 mpg. The Escape that I trade in gave me 32mpg in this weather. My opinion of the Atkinson engine is kaput, cold weather must knock down the compression ratio reducing power.

MPG in my hybrid has been all over the place also.

Originally, the "brain" told me I was getting 47mpg when it was warmer. After an update, the brain started reporting about 43mpg (which matches my calculations of miles per gallon at fill-up). I too notice a decrease in mpg since it got colder. I feel better now that the "brain" mpg matched reality. I used to feel cheated when reality was 44 and the brain said 48. Compared to my RAM (14mpg) and my Tacoma (17mpg), I think 44mpg is pretty decent. That is all highway/mountain driving. When I cruise around the north Georgia hills, I get better than 50mpg. I try to never accelerate at more than 20% power and start braking well before a stop.

I don't think it's the engine, I think it is the relatively small battery. Battery capacity drops a lot when it's cold (as any other EV driver can attest to). I never warm my Mav up, even when it's below freezing. I wear my parka and wait till the engine is warm before turning on the heat (set to 70), as I when it's hot and run the AC (set to 75).

Like I said- driving an EV for six years set me up for the Mav pretty well, I think.

 

[Timothyd]

Yes I am familiar with it's background and have lots of dyno experience myself., I would prefer the 2.0 turbo and give up a few mpg in warm weather myself. I would bet there is a drop in efficiency in cold weather.

If you let it warm up for a long time, yeah

 

[Snox801]

Seems like a balancing act. Def don't want to push it too much when the engine is cold but driving gently will heat the engine up faster than idling which is good. My Subaru idles pretty high until it warms up although I think this is an emissions related thing.

Yes it’s emissions. It’s a car heating high idle. Very rich fuel mixture ignited late to help heat the cats to get them to efficiency faster.

 

[FischAutoTechGarten]

I'm guilty as anyone for warming up a vehicle to long. With the stories on here about the eco boost and fuel dilution in the oil from excessive idling, I'm definately going to have to change my habits.

Hmmm, guess I have some reading to do... surprised the oil/fuel dilution would be more prononuced with idling when the engine isn't really under boost...

Anyway, I guess I've always wanted the engine to come up to temp a bit in the winter to warm up the oil and burn off any condensation before putting the engine under driving load. Not an issue in the desert in the spring/summer/fall as it comes up to temp in under 60 seconds and there's not much moisture to worry about. But there are a few months where the morning warm-up can be 2 minutes.

So, like the OP, is this behavior I should adjust, if not for fuel economy, but for fuel oil dilution? (note, I don't have my Maverick yet... another 3 weeks or so... but I follow this regimen with the CRV and Frontier that we have now).

 

[Jeff D.]

Hmmm, guess I have some reading to do... surprised the oil/fuel dilution would be more prononuced with idling when the engine isn't really under boost...

Anyway, I guess I've always wanted the engine to come up to temp a bit in the winter to warm up the oil and burn off any condensation before putting the engine under driving load. Not an issue in the desert in the spring/summer/fall as it comes up to temp in under 60 seconds and there's not much moisture to worry about. But there are a few months where the morning warm-up can be 2 minutes.

So, like the OP, is this behavior I should adjust, if not for fuel economy, but for fuel oil dilution? (note, I don't have my Maverick yet... another 3 weeks or so... but I follow this regimen with the CRV and Frontier that we have now).

FischAutoTechGarten, I'm not sure if you're askig me, but if so, I don't have an answer. From the experience shared by others on this site I was led to understand short trips without adaquate time to warm up caused the oil dilution issue. I did say excessive idling. That may not be accuarte, but rather an inference I took. Pehaps incorrectly?

In my particular case, I have a short commute to work and even on the warmest days my engine is never warmed up well during that commute.

 

[Guv]

How many on here remember or have experienced cold weather operation in a car/truck pre fuel injection and pre aluminum blocks and cylinder heads?
Automatic (or hand) chokes and gallons and gallons of coolant combined to make cold weather driving not for the novice. We have become sooo spoiled due to improvement of the ICE.
Heated seats and steering wheels only worked in the summer

 

[Guv]

FischAutoTechGarten, I'm not sure if you're askig me, but if so, I don't have an answer. From the experience shared by others on this site I was led to understand short trips without adaquate time to warm up caused the oil dilution issue. I did say excessive idling. That may not be accuarte, but rather an inference I took. Pehaps incorrectly?

In my particular case, I have a short commute to work and even on the warmest days my engine is never warmed up well during that commute.

The cold start followed by a short trip is the recipe for oil/fuel dilution. Poor mixing of the air/fuel mixture due to cold surfaces and oil not hot enough to allow the fuel to boil off.

 

[BEC]

All the discussion about various warming strategies notwithstanding, if you are running it for 15 minutes in your driveway you are getting zero miles per gallon for 15 minutes. Of course that’s going to lower your average mileage.

I very much remember jockeying a manual choke on Mazda rotaries on chilly mornings. That is one aspect of them I don’t miss.

 

[PapaRico]

Here on the coast it is the condensation on the inside of the windows that causes us to idle or vehicles for a while in the morning.


Way too much wet coming in on feet and open doors. Running defrost helps but only if you have a longer drive home. I don’t.

Put some kitty litter in a sock and throw on the dash at night.

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