"New" 2003 HCH!!

Congratulations Josh !!!!!!

And welcome to the ranks of those who seek less pollution, greater fuel economy, lower costs and greater independence from the middle east oil. Every bit counts and you just helped make it better.

Also, 50-60 MPG is possible to achieve in your car and if you're willing to continuously improve yourself and your driving techniques your target will be even better than that. Your journey begins now. :)

Cheers;

MSantos

Thanks you guys!

So far, the car has been working well! (I know it has only been hours, but still.. =D)

Just a question though. Should I not be getting better gas mileage while the EV ASSIST is helping the gasoline engine? Because during city driving, my mpg plumets drastically compared to 60-65mph on the freeway... any suggestions?

Thanks Guys;
Josh

Okay. Well, today is the end of day three with the HCH.

So far things have gone quite well. Learning to drive it better and more efficiently, having fun driving, and all that jazz.

While driving a little today (after school), I noticed a little sound. I would come to a red light, stop (the ICE would auto-stop) and I would wait. Then I would press on the gas *lightly*(enough to get moving without the road raging hoards behind me!), and I would hear this weird sound for a split second, then it would go away. I think it may have been something with the transmission? I was like a quick little "grind" or something. However, once I was on the 2 mile non-stop home stretch, I stopped (seeing if I can make that sound again), and started, but the sound went away! I haven't driven it since then, so I do not know if the sound still exists.

Also - I pumped my tires up. I think it is 42ish in the front, and 39-40 in the back. That okay?

Thanks in Advance;
Josh

Thanks for the speedy reply.

Yes, we did have the car checked out. My uncle has been a long time mechanic for a main owner of many dealerships down in California (over 188!). He is now the service manager at Lexus -- anyways, he called in a favor at our local Honda Dealer (which his wife, my aunt, used to be the controller for) and they brought in a hybrid techie and checked out the car. I asked the dealer if everything was is decent working order. He said (and I quote), "We would not even hesitate to purchase this vehicle."

As far as history of the vehicle, I purchased it from the original owner who kept it in immaculate condition. Of course there were a few scratches and dings here and there, but I have seen terrifyingly worse 2 year old vehicles than my new 5+ year old vehicle!! My uncle checked out the carfax on it, and he said it was extremely squeaky clean.

Naturally, I took those results as a green light and sped-off full speed ahead into the bank to close the deal.

-J

Getting 40-42 mpg while driving at 70-80 MPH sounds just about right for a CVT equipped Gen 1 HCH... and yes, it is pretty good already. :)

The next step for improvement would be to get those speeds down as they are way outside the efficiency band of any vehicle in production today - especially for a vehicle with the FE potential designed right in to it.

Here's the little theorem for aero-dynamic drag:
- Aerodynamic drag is proportional to the square of the object's speed. In basic terms, when speed doubles, wind resistance quadruples.

In summary: Anything above 55-60 MPH is going to kill our mileage badly. Not really what many folks want to hear but it is the truth.

Cheers;

MSantos

If the solar panel is exposed to enough sun and your drain is not too high... sure it can work well. However, I would avoid the use of an inverter or at least avoid having it plugged in unless it is needed. I would rather buy a charging cable that can charge your appliances (phones, PDA, cameras, etc) directly from the 12V power socket. These can be had very cheaply on eBay (for example).

An inverter can be a real power hog since it not only supplies the needed current to the device you want to use, but also, it consumes and dissipates (wastes) way more power than what a reasonable sized solar panel can provide. This is not to say you should not use one. I am just stating that it is not the best option for powering low power portable devices.

Cheers;

MSantos

Plugging the solar panel into the power socket will not work. This is because the circuit is controlled by a relay and that relay only allows power delivery to the socket when the key is in the ignition and the accessories system is ON.

You need to wire the solar panel directly into the live 12V system. You can do this by identifying the live rail on the fuse box and connect the +ve wire to it. The negative wire is connected to a neighboring ground point. Also, you have to make sure the solar panel is equipped with a diode and a fuse. if it is not then you MUST add these when connecting the panel. If the solar panel does not have a diode in the circuit then it will deplete the battery at night.

All the panel will do is keep the 12V battery topped. This way there's less charge from the IMA system being diverted from motive purposes. This leads to greater fuel efficiency and helps extend the life of the 12V battery.

Cheers;

MSantos

Yes, there are several means for determining if the solar power is actually adding current to the 12V system. You can place a digital current meter in series with the solar panel - for example. This can be a simple digital multi-meter or a digital gauge you can get on eBay for $20.

Alternatively, you can buy the excellent Scangauge and see the voltage levels for the 12V system among many other things far more important. Scangauge may also be able to display the traction battery SoC once Ron and his folks at LinerLogic finalize the updates supporting the HCH-1 and HCH-2. At the moment the ScanGauge can only display the SoC levels on the Prius and Ford Escape hybrid. Support for the HCH-2 is eminent.

A fuse is a good practice that will protect you when the time for warranty fulfillment arrives (if you ever need it).

Cheers;

MSantos

So, as I was getting out of my '03 CHC today, I plugged in the little solar panel into the 12V cig. lighter and turned off the car and took out the keys. However, I noticed that even after the keys were out and my door was open, the radio and CD player continued to play!! I am guessing that the solar panel has something to do with this, but is it possible that that little panel could support the speakers, CD player, etc., by itself? That seems a little much. And, as soon as I would unplug it, everything would turn off. Then I would plug it back in, and it would come back on... So I unplugged it during work so it would not drain my batter(?).

Trying to make sense of this, when I arrived back home, I plugged the panel in, turned on the CD player, and turned off the car, and it did NOT happen. So I am really confused. Any explanations?

Thanks;
J

Okay. MSantos.

Thanks for your patience!

I think I finally got it.

So I cut the solar panel cord that leads to the 12V cig adapter. Then I took that end, found the wire that carries the current, and stripped it and crimped it into a butt-splice connector (BSC). Attached to the other end of the BSC, I crimped the inline fuse. Then, I took the other end of the inline fuse into a "add-a-circuit" that I picked up from auto-zone. From here, I just pressed the new circuit into the Security fuse (2nd row, 5th space or something like that).

I don't have a voltimeter, but does this set up sound like it will work?

Thanks;
J

Hey KevinL;
I am just a HCH newbie, but I love it!! The main difference is learning how to drive this machines. I am still learning myself, but there are a plethora of posts "devoted" to getting better gas mileage.

A popular site that I have been told to go to, and have gone to a lot - is cleanmpg.com.

Go to the forumns and look up "Tarabell's Article"

VERY VERY informative!!

Good Luck;
J