Just bought a 2001 CVT with around 79k on it. It has an LMPG of around 49 but it seems to stay there (i have only had the car a week). Questions:
1. Could there be something wrong with the LMPG readout? Maybe i am not paying attention, but it doesn't seem to change. I can keep an eye on that (wrote down the number and look at it every week to see if it has changed)
2. Since I am the new owner, should I reset the LMPG so that I can see how I do or just use the trip odometers?
NOTE: the care was in Minnesota the first two years, then 5 years in SC, where I am now.
You'll get two heartfelt recommendations from the good people herein, as discussed before in thougtful debate:
1.- Leave the LMPG alone, it's part of the history of the car, and as such it should be inviolate; and
2.- Reset it now so you can gauge your mileage henceforth.
It's not moving from 49 mpg because it has spent 79K getting to that average (assuming the previous owner didn't futz with it, and since the mileage is "only" 49 mpg, I'm also assuming he/she didn't, as anyone driving an Insight and "only" getting 49mpg is not really into the subtleties and tricks of our vehicle, and probably didn't even realize such a thing could be done). That's a lot of miles to set an average. If it had only been a few hundred miles, even a few thousand, you'd see quite a bit of changes as you drive, hopefully upwards.
My suggestion is, it's your car now, reset it if you'd like and don't look back, that way your mileage is your mileage, not someone else's, and it would be more helpful to you to discover the Insights capabilities in the happy driving future ahead of you.
Alternate ending [only available in the Director's Cut of the DVD]: Dedicate odometer B to your mileage henceforth (which resets every 2000 miles to 0, but the mpg display remains accurate)... that way you have the original LMPG and your mileage for comparison...
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Driving on down the road in my 2001 CVT, going "Boogety Boogety" ...and until avatars are provided, my car looks just like the original silver Insight on the header, above... =)
I leave my odometer selected to the segment display almost all of the time. I use the B trip meter to measure between tanks, and the A to measure the total mileage of various trips. Then I reset the segment display almost daily to see how I'm doing as the weather, etc., conditions change.
I bought a 2000 5 speed 3 yrs ago with 33,000 miles, 54.7 lmpg and I didn't reset the lmpg. It is now at 74.9, and I wish I had.
My goal was to see 75, and it is going to take months more for it to go up that last tenth.
I calculated my mileage based on raising it from 54.7 to 74.7, and the second owner must have reset it when he got it as I have not averaged 88mpg since owning the car.
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Robert Frost is "The original Bad Bob, not Dirty Bad Bob from New Mexico."
From the "Life and Times of the Judge Roy Bean"
2000 Citrus #2757 206,000mi.
I was in the same situation as you a few months ago. I bought an 01 with 78k miles on it. The previous owner's LMPG was about 50. I figured it is my car now and wanted to see how I did driving it, so I reset it.
Took my wife and I a little while to learn how to drive the car properly but now our average is climbing slowly but surely.
You'll get two heartfelt recommendations from the good people herein, as discussed before in thougtful debate:
1.- Leave the LMPG alone,
it's part of the history of the car, ...
Reset it now so you can gauge your mileage henceforth.
It's not moving from 49 mpg because it has spent 79K getting to that average ... even a few thousand, you'd see quite a bit of changes as you drive, hopefully upwards.
I for one would leave the Lifetime Miles "guage" alone. It is eveidence of the car's history and I believe "D" hit the proverbial nail on the head when he suggested that if you do it "right", in a few thousand miles (which isn't at all hard to do these days) you'll see an upward change in the low lifetime average MPG - and keep in mind, it wasn't you who did that to the little car.
With that said and if I may suggest, if the opportunities present themselves, try ending each day with at least 60 MPG or better for your daily average. I use the "A: guage for this. As for the "B" guage, I use it to track MPGs per fill-up - well, it works for me anyway. :-)
If you try and end each day with at least 60 MPG (if yours is a CVT that is a reasonable goal. If it's a manual transmission such a goal should be quite easy to do) and once you get into the habit of doing that, it won't be too long before you start to see that Lifetime MPG move upward. I've been using this method for a few months now and have gone from a lifetime average of 53.9 to 56.6 so far. So yes, what I've suggested here does work
As for keeping logs, try keeping a daily log, using the "A" meter for daily results and clear the indicator at the end of each driving day. As for, the "B" meter, use it for MPG averages per tankful or per fillup and clear it right after you fill up or add gas - but leave the "L" or the Lifetime meter alone. I do that here, printing out a blank copy of the spreadsheet each month and I keep the log sheet it in the car, taking it out only to rransscribe the data at the end of each month - for me at least this works well enough..
Hope this helps ... and oh, by the way ... best of luck with the little beastie.
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Should I reset my LMPG
