[IamIan]

From what I have been reading most people get better MPG with less gas in the Insight... would seem to make since with the less weight in the car....

I have noticed in my 2000 Insight that I get substantially more power in the first 20% of a full tank of gass.... with a diminishing amount of power the closer the tank gets to empty... Feels like about a total of about 20 to 30% increase in power when I go from a nearly empty tank of gasoline to a full tank of gasoline using the same driving style.

This increase in power relates for me to better MPG from having a full tank of gas than a nearly empty tank of gas... as I need to use less gas to get more power to go up hills and such.

Needless to say I usually fill up around 1/2 a tank...

Just wondering if any one else experiences this??? or is my insight developing Character ? :wink:

 

[Insightful Trekker]

SCAA racers typically do their runs with a minimum amount of fuel in the tank. The difference does show up on their timed runs. But 20-30% :!: :?: :!: :!:

I doubt it. Guess we'll have to wait for one of their replies.

 

[IamIan]

gas

from the increase in pickup and greater acceleration with greater weight from a full tank compaired to a tank with 1~2 Gallons left in it.... The increase I am getting has to be at least a Minimum of 20% more power .... 30% at most.
:?:

I don't understand why myself... and I haven't seen this kind of thing posted yet... in fact most posts are walking about the opposite... that they do better with less gasoline = less weight in the car.... I don't understand what is causing the increase in power when the gasoline tank is full compaired to nearly empty.... I am not complaining for the extra boost in power and thus better MPG ... I just am a bit confused by it.
:?:

 

[Insightful Trekker]

Hi Ian,

In regard to a "full" tank and a major (but temporairy and false) boost in MPG see:

http://www.insightcentral.net/forum/vie ... php?t=2280

But power :?: How are you "measuring" it :?:

HTH!

 

[IamIan]

full tank

The thread you listed seems to be talking about something similar but mainly MPG increase and it seems like the idea there is that it is the cold gass warming up in the summer that gives better MPG in Summer but you then have losses in the winter from Warm Gas getting colder.... as such that thread seems to indicate that the net effect is no change...

What I was talking about / noticing was similar but a bit different... For me it doesn't matter if it is summer or winter ... warm or cold gas.... the effect still happens... the degree may change... I don't have a equipment to get an exact messurement.... and it doesn't seem to matter if it is old or new gasoline.

I seem to be getting an increase in power when the gas tank is full or in the first 20% of the tank of gass than I do at under 1/2 a tank fo gas... this increase in power normally provides me with better MPG.

How do i determine more power??
1> first is a perticular hill I go home from work on is just steep enough when the tank of gas is full and I am in 5th gear going at 50 MPG just before assist kicks in with a warm engine I can very slowly gain speed going up it.... the same warm engine even if having done 3 or 4 hours of driving and trying to go up the same hill with less than 1/2 a tank of gas in it at the 50 MPG point in 5th gear just before assist kicks in will slow down slowly and lose speed.... My first thought was that maybe different winds that day or something ... but it happens every time I have a full or nearly full tank of gass and a warm engine but never when below 1/2 a tank...
2> The amount of kick / Acceleration I have pulling out of the gass station with a full tank of gas always seems to be more than when 1/4 of tank or less in tank and pulling out into traffic even when accelerator is floored and at full assist... I admit this one is less scientific but the effect is still there none the less.
3> There is another hill I don't always go on but when I do going down hill when the egine is warm and doing a forced regeneration I can put just enough gas on the engine to keep it from causing drag and stay up at 150MPG... while slowly gaining speed.... every time I try this combionation of 150MG forced regeneration when going down that hill with less that 1/4 of a tank of gas I always slow down slowly....

The above are things that are happening ... wind may be a factor a few times but not every time.

The net effect is I am more power with a full tank of gas than a tank of gas in the last 1/4 .... even with the weight difference for the more fuel... the increase in power is allowing me to use less gas to do the same thing and thus get better MPG????

I don't know why... And it seems counter to what most get .... the only thing I have been able to possibly think of is something off in the fuel system with the difference in presure used between full and empty gas tank.???

at some point ... I thi i need to test drive some other insights to see if it difference in power and such...

Ian.!