New battery but less MPG

[EnigmaDi]

I recently had a refurbished hybrid battery installed in my 2000 Insight. (Getting fully charged reading.) Prior to that I was getting 50+ MPG. After, I'm getting only 37 - 40 MPG. No other work was done on the car. Is this common? Or is it just coincidence?
Thanks!

[Eli]

Doesn't make any sense, something else changed. Weather? Low tire?

[timny1984]

Flat tires? Insight II? or heavy stopped traffic city driving? Those numbers are pretty hard to achieve unless you are driving extremely short distances and the weather is cold. lets get to the bottom of this. SOC constantly empty?

Tim

[EnigmaDi]

Although the weather has gotten colder, I noticed the poorer MPGs after the new battery in Sept. Last winter I was still getting 50+ MPG. There are new tires on the car, and my driving is primarily rural.

[AClewell]

Make sure those tires are aired up to 50psi.

Sent from my Android phone.

[pjaymac]

Originally Posted by AClewell

Make sure those tires are aired up to 50psi.

Sent from my Android phone.

Wow, 50 psi? Isn't the upper limit for most car tires 35 psi? (Going from memory, which may be faulty.)

[timny1984]

I run mine at 60psi. "Max" reading on the sidewall says 44psi. Atleast go to 44psi if you don't feel comfortable going higher. There are some members running at 70psi. but most are 50-60. I was watching a history channel show on disney world, and their "new" stunt show. They run 80psi in the tires, makes the cars easier to spin they say. i mostly drive in a straight line so i don't worry about spinning.

Tim

[pjaymac]

Originally Posted by timny1984

I run mine at 60psi. "Max" reading on the sidewall says 44psi. Atleast go to 44psi if you don't feel comfortable going higher. There are some members running at 70psi. but most are 50-60. I was watching a history channel show on disney world, and their "new" stunt show. They run 80psi in the tires, makes the cars easier to spin they say. i mostly drive in a straight line so i don't worry about spinning.

Tim

Thanks, Tim. Are the tires for hybrids made differently than the tires for other vehicles? I remember putting 75-80 psi in my 10-speed bike's tires as a kid, but they were maybe half an inch wide.

[aisbell]

Originally Posted by EnigmaDi

There are new tires on the car, and my driving is primarily rural.

If your new tires aren't 165/65R14 Bridgestone Potenza RE92's, the OEM tire, your gas mileage will be less than with any other tire, but not as low as you're reporting. Unlike many Insight owners, I don't inflate my tires about the 44 psi max pressure on the sidewall, but I maintain 44/41 F/R and can easily average over 60 mpg even in urban driving (no A/C, warm weather).

Many problems that would cause such poor fuel efficiency would result in a warning light illuminating and a diagnostic trouble code being set. I assume that nothing unusual like this is happening with your car. Problems that would not illuminate a warning light include a dragging brake, incorrect wheel alignment, a bad 12 v. battery (the IMA system would need to continually charge it increasing engine drag), an IMA battery charge level that is frequently below 50% which would cause a background charge that increases engine drag, etc.

[Eli]

Max sidewall on the RE92s is 44psi, as stated. I run mine at 50psi.

The car itself specs 35/38 IIRC. Most cars spec quite low pressures, in a tradeoff of ride comfort and handling. Higher is better for MPG, but causes a harsher ride.