| [GMCnet] They all do [message #91219] |
Tue, 06 July 2010 07:15  |
Gerald Work
Messages: 102
Registered: June 2010
Karma: 0
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Hi Richard,
I am glad you find the posts of interest.
To your question.....Alcohol has far less heat content than gasoline so drops the mileage for all cars that try to burn it. Modern computer controlled engines go to great lengths to try to offset this problem, some with greater success than others. My wife's 2010 Prius, for example, uses an Atcheson (sp?) cycle rather than Otto cycle design and pushes compression up over two digits with lots of fancy valve and timing management to get a true 50 mpg even burning this junk. Our old design engines just can't manage all those parameters well enough to do well trying to burn something for which they were not designed. The front mounted mechanical fuel pump sure doesn't help any either as the many different things mixed into the fuel can all contribute to the volatility on hot days.
On the subject of the Prius, it would be instructive for those who still promulgate the rumors about short battery life to do some research. In typical Toyota fashion they manage the battery pack very conservatively from about 85 to 45 percent. The result is that battery replacement has been a virtually non existent issue even for the first generation cars that have been on the road for over a dozen years and battery performance simply does not change with age unless there is something wrong mechanically. Each of the three design generations of Prius have used different battery designs, but all to date have used NIMH technology, not Li technology. Only in the 3rd generation plug hybrid is Toyota experimenting with Li technology, and then only carefully.
On the third gen designs there is a button on the dash labeled EV which throws the car into electric only mode but that function is heavily software controlled so as not to over tax the traction battery. That battery is actually quite small and occupies only some of the available space over the spare tire. Room for lots more battery if they ever decide they need it.
I know, I know, those who want to bash this technology will no matter what the facts are, but if you have not actually driven one of these 3 rd gen units you might be in for a shock. They would be best of breed cars even without all the hybrid stuff and from our experience of more than a year they are well worth the price. We would buy another in a heart beat. There is a reason they are the number one selling car in Japan and several other markets at the moment.
Jerry
Message: 19
Date: Tue, 06 Jul 2010 06:06:26 -0500
From: Richard MacDonald <rm1936@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [GMCnet] Cross country adventure - part 11
To: gmclist@temp.gmcnet.org
Message-ID: <16448.4c330e31@gmc.mybirdfeeder.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-15"
Have followed you across the Country, really enjoy your Posts, thanks.
Is it just our Coaches that are so adversely affected by the quality of fuel or do all vehicles see the decrease in mileage with Ethenol?
--
Richard MacDonald
Punta Gorda, Florida
76 Edgemonte TZE 266V102313
94 K2500 6.5 Turbo Diesel Silverado
Sent from my iPad
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| Re: [GMCnet] They all do [message #91229 is a reply to message #91219] |
Tue, 06 July 2010 07:47  |
Oldngray
Messages: 544
Registered: August 2009
Location: Punta Gorda Florida
Karma: 0
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Jerry, I notice you use a CRV for your Toad, is the Prius also towable?
Richard MacDonald
Punta Gorda, Florida
Sold our TZE April 2015
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| Re: [GMCnet] They all do [message #91251 is a reply to message #91219] |
Tue, 06 July 2010 11:05 |
idrob
Messages: 645
Registered: January 2005
Location: Central Idaho
Karma: 0
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| Gerald Work wrote on Tue, 06 July 2010 05:15 |
Hi Richard,
I am glad you find the posts of interest.
To your question.....Alcohol has far less heat content than gasoline so drops the mileage for all cars that try to burn it. Modern computer controlled engines go to great lengths to try to offset this problem, some with greater success than others. My wife's 2010 Prius, for example, uses an Atcheson (sp?) cycle rather than Otto cycle design and pushes compression up over two digits with lots of fancy valve and timing management to get a true 50 mpg even burning this junk.
<snip>
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I have had 5 Camry Hybrids now (new one every year, I drive a lot and pamper myself in my old age). Each one of them has had an overall, actual measured and recorded in my books, 40 mpg. And it is a fairly large, and powerful car with a 0 - 60 time of 7.5 seconds and I have driven it to the computer cutoff speed of 120 mph. Total milage on all 5 is about 105,000 miles, with the newest one only 4000.
I do notice better milage when I get a non alcohol blended fuel, which is quite rare these days here in the NW. Seems to be in the range of 2 to 3 mpg higher, but I just don't get enough non blended fuel to be sure of that. I see differences with amount of AC used (all electric AC on them), and the outside temps, cold changes the mpg slightly, I expect due to higher viscosity fluids taking more power.
I have no experience with the battery life of course, but neighbors with a first generation Prius and 104,000 miles has the original battery and is still going strong.
BTW, from what I understand the current Ford Fusion Hybrid uses the same technology and system that the Camry has, licensed from Toyota. The Fusion and the Camry have similar mpg ratings too.
This gets off the GMC subject, but it is interesting how technology has moved on a lot since the 70's, and it makes sense to be aware of how it changes life for the "hot rod with plumbing".
Rob Allen
former owner of '76 x-PB
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| Re: [GMCnet] They all do [message #91278 is a reply to message #91275] |
Tue, 06 July 2010 14:12 |
tphipps
Messages: 3005
Registered: August 2004
Location: Spanish Fort, AL
Karma: 9
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Reply on Prius topic. Bob Bruninga, WB4APR, a Professor of note at USNA, has added a second battery pack to his Prius (bought as insurance totaled car), and added a high power D.C. charging station at his home. Talking to him, he is getting a 100 mile range with the dual battery set-up. Also, has one or two solar cells on the roof. For the Hams in the group, he developed APRS. One smart guy.
Tom Phipps, KA4CSG
2012 Phoenix Cruiser model 2552
KA4CSG
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