Helping new Insight owner with MPG

gilbertguy · 02-18-2013, 11:27 PM

So my buddy liked my car and two months ago bought one in Illinois and drove it back to Phoenix, he has been struggling to get 50-55 MPG on it and was starting to think that there was something wrong with his car.

So this weekend I got a new 8 amp hour battery from Matt over in Suprise on the West side of Phoenix, so my buddy helped me pull my pack and we threw it in his car and took it over to swap it with Matt. He drove there and got 55 MPG with almost all freeway, I told him to let me drive it back and see how I did. It was right at 50 miles each way, reset Trip B and headed home. Running on the freeway at around 65 MPH I got 77 MPG. He just shook his head and said... "it is the driver". I loved his car, mine has almost 300K hard miles, his has 100K and it is easy to maintain lean burn and rides so much better then mine.

So two morals out of this story:
1) the driver behind the wheel makes a huge MPG difference
2) I love this better battery and expect many trouble free years ahead

Willie Williford · 02-19-2013, 12:17 AM

Getting close to another AZ meet?

Willie

gilbertguy · 02-19-2013, 08:42 AM

Hey Willie,

You know I've thought about getting another one together but have just been busy. Rush and I sent a couple of emails back and forth on the subject, talked about wanting to have some classes or seminars to talk about batteries and such. You've got about 2 more months of good weather here before it gets to hot if we wanted to set something up.

Willie Williford · 02-19-2013, 12:20 PM

Sounds good to me. I'll bring down my old time charger and a spare turbo.
Some time in April would probably be a good time.
Winds will be gone and temperatures stabilized.

Maybe ELI will have his "OPEN HOUSE" during the summer. That would be a "GREAT CARAVAN".

Any way I can help, E mail me.

Willie

**Rush** · 02-20-2013, 12:16 AM

Hi Guys

Meet sounds good. At my place is fine with me, it's about 28 miles from Tucson, nothing around, but I have space for parking etc. I also have a seat we could recover.

I guess we should start a thread.

gilbertguy · 02-20-2013, 08:56 AM

Hey Rush, is there a date that works well with you? I'll fire up the email machine with all of the AZ owners that I have email addresses for. I actually have a seat cover that I need to recover, already have the new seat back cover that I got from Jeff.

inblackwell · 02-20-2013, 01:58 PM

I would certainly be interested.

Also, if Eli is planning an open house may I humbly suggest the weekend of May 18th (I'm already going to be in Portland that weekend)

-Mitch

Willie Williford · 02-20-2013, 04:20 PM

He can't, I might be in MD at that time.

Willie

SerraA · 02-21-2013, 12:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gilbertguy

So two morals out of this story:
1) the driver behind the wheel makes a huge MPG difference

How much can I attribute to hills and elevation changes - i.e. the educational chauffeur's daily route is about 3 miles each way of at least five 100-300' ups and downs.

gilbertguy · 02-21-2013, 08:54 AM

Hills are tough, if they are small you can let your speed drop to keep your MPG up. You might drop of lean burn but if you won't be pissing off other traffic try maintaining 50 MPG while letting your speed slowly drop, then once over the top you can pick the speed back up slowly as you start back downhil.

If you have traffic then you don't really have a choice but to take the MPG hit going up and try and make it back on the downhill side. We are relatively flat here in Phoenix so it is very easy to maintain Lean Burn and stay in the 70+ MPG.