Hybrid News

Hi there.

I just finished up a 1800 mile trip to Reno. (43 MPG on the flats but 35 -36 MPG on I80 from Reno to Winamucca ;-( ) Actually very please with the whole trip and the vehicle.

Now my question. I had the 5000 mile new car check up and Oil (synthetic) and Filter change. So now with just under 8K miles on the 2008 TCH my maintenance warning system comes on for OIL stating "call the dealer".

I figured the oil might be low from the trip but when checking it looks almost new (in smell and clarity) and is full on the dip stick.

Anyone have any idea why I’m getting this notice? I’ve still got about 2K miles before the recommended 10 K check up.

I do have the option to delete the message. Hmmmm…..

Don

I am going to be installing satellite radio this weekend and am wondering if anyone has the Toyota Sirius installation instructions. The cables that some with the 3rd party components aren’t that long don’t come with detailed under dash instructions. I am wondering if there are any mout points in dash once the radio is removed? Specific parts are the Directed Electronics Toy-SC1 and Sirius SCC1

If you happen to have Toyota instructions/Tech manual I would be truly greatful.

Thanks in advance.

In the right rear cargo compartment there is what looks like a stereo speaker. It is about the size and shape of a 10 inch stereo speaker.

There is no corresponding "speaker" on the left side, which leads me to believe it is not for the stereo at all.

Any ideas on what this might be?

Aloha Ladies and Gents…. and anyone else i missed….

I just wanted to introduce my self. My name is Jon I live in Hawai’i, gas is $4.05 a gal. (as of today. May 30, 2008) and I am trying to do my part to help the eco system get back some. This is my first Hybrid, and I am now starting to love it. Like everyone else I hate the stock wheels, but not sure if I want to up grade. I get about 38 mpg and love that.

I just wanted to say hi and remember what is said here is all in fun. Theres a reason I am the Riddler.;)

Hello Hybridfest Fans,
Well, we’re gearing up for another weekend of fun in Madison, Wisconsin. Last year was a blast and we are looking forward to Hybridfest 2008!

So what’s in store for you this year?

As always we have the public portion of Hybridfest on July 19th and 20th at the Alliant Energy Center as part of the Dane County Fair. There will be plenty of displays including those from our Diamond sponsor, Toyota, and other manufacturers. You’ll also see electric vehicles, plug in hybrids and other experimental vehicles.

There will be test drives and the public will be able to talk to hybrid and alternative fuel vehicle owners and vote for their favorites in the Hybrid Owners Showcase.

Don’t forget about the various speakers talking on a range of environmental and fuel saving topics. Especially noteworthy will be Felix Kramer from CalCars talking about plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.

Admission to the Hybridfest exhibits are included as part of the regular admission to the Dane County Fair.

There will be plenty to do all weekend that’s for sure! Check out www.hybridfest.com for details

****************************************************************************************
**But what if you want even more from your Hybridfest experience?**
****************************************************************************************

Then you’ll want to become a Hybridfest Madison Member. The registration page is at http://hybridfest.com/Registration2008.htm

Although the public portion of Hybridfest spans two days (Saturday, July 19, and Sunday, July 20), as a Hybridfest member you′ll have access to even more fun:

* An extra half day of activities on Friday, July 18
* Post-show activities Saturday evening, July 19
* Pre-show activities Sunday morning, July 20

Plus, Members who attend Hybridfest in Madison will receive:
* Hybridfest 2008 T-Shirt
* Hybridfest 2008 Goodie Bag
* Reserved space to show your car in the Hybrid Owners Car Showcase
* Eligibility to win awards in the Hybrid Owners Car Showcase
* Eligibility for special members-only door prizes
* You and your children (under age 16) receive free admission to the Dane County Fair Friday, Saturday and Sunday (July 18-19-20)
* Full access to the Hybridfest members-only hospitality area
* Invitation to compete in the Hybridfest MPG Challenge (limited number of entrants) on Friday, July 18
* Hybridfest Member-only &quotHow-To&quot sessions on Sunday morning July 20, 9 a.m. - noon.
* Invitations to the Hybridfest members-only gatherings during Hybridfest (see below)
* And, of course, you’ll also receive the satisfaction of knowing you’re helping make the Hybridfest event possible!

Hybridfest Members-Only Gatherings:

* July 18 Friday afternoon reception (free for members)
* July 18 Friday evening catered cookout ($5 per member)
* July 19 Saturday afternoon boxed lunch ($5 per member)
* July 20 Saturday evening awards banquet ($10 per member)

Hybridfest members must be at least 16 years old. Hybridfest members are invited to bring their children (15 and younger) to the member-only areas &amp gatherings at no extra charge other than meal fees.

Membership is $60 and valid for one calendar year for Hybridfest events in Madison, WI

*****

Hotel
You asked for a less expensive hotel, and we’ve listened. This year the hotel will be the Days Inn of Madison. It is offsite about 4 miles from the Alliant Energy Center. See the Hybridfest hotel page for more info http://www.hybridfest.com/Hotel.htm

Special rates are available for Hybridfest members who reserve rooms by calling the Days Inn of Madison directly at 608-223-1800. You must mention the Hybridfest hotel code CGH᭠ when making your reservation. These rates are not available via the Days Inn web site.

A variety of rooms available including some suites.
Prices are $72 or $77 depending on your room choice.

I cannot stress enough the urgency of reserving your hotel room early. There are competing events in the area and rooms may become hard to obtain. The hotel is certain to fill up with Hybridfest members quickly. Reserve early for the best selection. Reservations must be made by June 30th to guarantee the rate.

Feel free to forward this email on to your friends, especially hybrid car owners, ecomodding enthusiasts, and hypermilers!

We look forward to seeing you all at Hybridfest Madison 2008!

Sincerely,
The Hybridfest Madison 2008 Planning Team

Hybridfest – A Hybrid Electric Car Show and More!
July 19 & 20, 2008
Madison, WI
www.hybridfest.com

I’m trying to get an idea of why I’m getting worsening mileage and what to do about it. First off, I’ve had my ‘03 HCH since March ‘03 and I had been averaging 42-45 per tank. Last Nov I had air induction service done and new tires installed at the dealer; then I noticed I couldn’t get it above 39. I found the following thread:

http://www.greenhybrid.com/discuss/f…g-36mpg-13356/

I seriously doubt it was my driving habits since I haven′t changed the way I drive. I do wonder if using E10 has a really noticeable effect. And do tires make that much difference (assuming they’re always properly inflated and regularly rotated)?

On my morning commute there is a long stoplight that I always hit. I end up sitting for over a minute. Since it is fairly close to home I’m invariably still using the ICE to warm the engine. So I stop the engine with the key, then restart it just before the traffic moves on the green light.

No problem, except I have found that the FEH has to be in "P" in order to start the engine. If I shut down the engine in "N" it will not start unless I move it to "P".

Anybody have a logical reason why Ford doesn’t allow the key to start the engine in neutral? I mean, I could understand if they didn’t want the engine stopped in neutral (people would try and shut it down to coast), but why prevent engine start?

Hey guys,
I just purchased a beautiful 2001 Insight. The current odometer reading is 148,400, so I want to diagnose any problems soon!

I drove the car 500 miles home, all freeway, with a couple mountain crossings. The average MPG for the trip was around 58-59. My friend has a 2000 that I’ve driven quite a bit, and I’ve noticed that my car has a hard time keeping the battery pack over half full and takes more effort to maintain highway speeds, but it stays charged pretty easily if I’m careful with the throttle, as long as I’m not climbing anything steep. It just seems to drain it out easily, and requires a lot of assist/throttle to keep the speeds over 60 miles per hour.

The easy things I can think of that might cause these problems are batteries or the tires. The tires are 195/55/14 Dunlop Sport 8000s, which I know are quite a bit chunkier than the stock ones (and they are not low rolling resistance as far as I know). Also they were only inflated to 24-28 PSI, so I pumped them up to 44 PSI this morning. This could definitely explain the MPG - but I’m wondering if it would be related to the charging problems and inability to maintain highway speeds without excessive throttle. Before I consider taking the car into a dealership to have them check out the batteries, I thought I should know if this could be my problem. I’d just buy some Potenzas if I knew it’d help, but these tires are very new (<5000 miles) so I don’t want to replace them without asking around first.

Thanks!

The new 2009 Ford Escape Hybrid is reported to have the same MPG as
previous years, despite having a slightly larger engine and a few more
horsepower. The 2008 FEH 4×4 nets 29 MPG city, and 27 MPG Hwy. So
does the 2009.

&quot;At the Los Angeles County Lifeguard Headquarters in Venice, Ford
presented 10 four-wheel-drive Beach Patrol Escape Hybrids, establishing
a fleet that will grow to 45 vehicles. Beyond the graphics, a light
bar, and an assortment of rescue gear, the Baywatch Edition is pretty
much standard-issue Escape Hybrid, with a new-for-2009 2.5-liter
Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine and a 70-kilowatt permanent magnet
AC synchronous motor. With four-wheel drive, it’ll return 29 mpg in
town (or on the beach), and 27 mpg on the highway."
http://blog.wired.com/cars/2008/05/ford-escape-hyb.html

I know some of us would have liked to see the same or smaller engine
size with MORE MPG, but is this still an improvement? Is Ford moving
forward, backward, or sideways?

a somewhat related post to the cabin filter posts of a couple weeks ago:

its been 13 months and i’m at 29,000 miles… the B123 service code lit up a few days ago. the dealer tells me that B123 indicates that its time for the 30,000 mile service @ $440. however, changing the cabin and air filters myself knocked $145 off the total cost.

get the filters at fleetfilter.com

cabin filter #24815 - $12.39 each
air filter #49157 - $11.44 each

i bought 5x of each in order to get an additional 5% discount and after shipping the entire lot cost around $150.

total savings after all filters have been used = ~$600