Honda Car Forum

"John Horner" <jthorner@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:wETje.3104$6d.1549@trnddc02...
>L Alpert wrote:
>> muzz wrote:
>>
>>>It might help you to be aware that even tho the Honda people advertise
>>>48 mpg on the civic hybrid, mine gets 33 in the summer and 34 in the
>>>winter after 18 months of conservative driving.
>
> Count me as a hybrid skeptic right now. Most people seem to be reporting
> real world fuel economy much lower than the EPA published numbers.
>

Here in Tucson, we've had good mileage with our Civic Hybrid. In cool-season
city driving, we really do get 45-48 miles per gallon (those are our
calculations--the car's computer display inflates mileage by about 3 mpg),
with the CVT. In summer, we probably lose about 3 miles per gallon, thanks
to the A/C, and whether we have to force the engine to run to keep the cool
air blowing at traffic lights (when it's 110 degrees outside).

Freeway driving gives around 36-42--speed limit is 75; real-world practice
is closer to 80. Mileage is somewhat better on two-lane roads where the
limit is 65. I've noticed a bigger hit on this car from using A/C than on
other cars we've had. I'm not complaining; the vast majority of our driving
is city driving, and that is this car's strength. It's very enjoyable to get
close to 600 miles on a tank of gas.

David

On 23 May 2005 13:59:51 GMT, Jim Yanik <jyanik@abuse.gov.> wrote:

>Matt Ion <soundy@moltenimage.com> wrote in
>news:Oe8ke.1449067$8l.39712@pd7tw1no:
>
>> K`Tetch wrote:
>>
>>> 99 is only 5 years.Still well within life. I've got a niMH battery in
>>> my MD recorder thats from 97, and thats still going strong, despite
>>> having a hell of a lot more c/d cycles than that prius. 5 years
>>> isNOTHING to a battery. 8-10 is the end of the life, even for the very
>>> best batteries 9which include hawker sbs series, which is around $250
>>> for a 30Ah 12V battery (also the ONLY lead acid batteries, that i'm
>>> aware of, that can be checked into aircraft luggage)
>>
>> Rechargeable batteries are an odd creature. I have a little Milwaukee
>> power screwdriver (like the ol' Black & Decker "PowerDriver", but an
>> actual pro-duty tool) that came with two 2.4V NiCads, which have long
>> been notorious for short life, voltage fall-off and "memory effect".
>> The first battery I had to replace after *EIGHT YEARS* of regular use,
>> when it wouldn't take a charge anymore. The second finally gave out
>> three years later... or at least came close to giving out, before I
>> replaced it anyway. 15 years after I bought it, that driver is the best
>> $200 I ever spent.
>>
>
>
>
>NiCds are "use it or lose it" type of batteries.If you use
>infrequently,they do not hold up as well as if you use and recharge them
>often.
>Also,using a "fast" smart charger (1 hour or less charge time)goves a
>longer battery life.

ACtually, that depends very much on the model of the cell, and its
condition. There are ways to condition cells, but i don't reccomend
them to those unskilled, but it basically involves zapping the cells,
to break down the crystal biuldup 9conductive crystals form, which
produce a 'shotened' battery, hence the memory effect.

Condition them right, charge them, look after them, and they'll always
do you good, right to the end of their design life, and often beyond.