Cruising Range Depletes quickly??
#1
Driver School Candidate
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Cruising Range Depletes quickly??
I just recently bought a 2016 ct 29k miles and it seems like the cruising range goes down VERY quickly. On a flat road going the speed limit (65 mph) it went from 490 to 479 in 3 miles! What’s up with this?? I’ve also been driving it for a week so the average mpg is at 40 like it advertises so the battery is charged and assisting correctly. Any ideas?? All answers are appreciated.
#2
Lexus Test Driver
I wouldn't worry about it. nothing mechanically is changing about your car. your gas isn't spraying out onto the road. the only thing that is changing is the way your car is computing the gas mileage/range based on your actual driving and conditions. It adjusts on the fly to be as accurate as possible. The only thing that is important is your displayed MPG per tank, or more accurately, your calculated average. The cruising range is simply there more so for entertainment purposes. doesn't mean much.
In other words don't worry and enjoy the ride.
In other words don't worry and enjoy the ride.
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RitcheyRch (05-05-19)
#3
Driver School Candidate
I just purchased a 2015 and noticed this on the highway as well. I had 12 miles left on the screen and 7 miles to go until a gas station. I ended up running on 0 miles for about 3 miles. Luckily I made it! Still averaging about 41.5mpg. Great little car!
#4
Driver School Candidate
I just purchased a 2013 Lexus ct 200h and noticed this as well. I think what is happening is simply an engineering phenomenon that can be explained with mathematics. Have you ever heard of a proportional-integral-derivative controller? It's a control loop feedback system. You can read more about it in the context of cruise control systems here [ [url]https://www.controleng.com/articles/tuning-fundamentals-basics-of-proportional-integral-derivative-control/ ], and the same logic almost certainly applies to the design of hybrid battery control module. You can search for the terms actuator saturation and unwind protection in that article to jump to the meat and potatoes.
That said, I was wondering if anyone knew how to get the current MPG? My Lexus video console only displays my best MPG of 52.3, which was before I bought the car. The current trip is displayed a bit more vaguely, and seems to be about 45 mpg. - I wish there was a digital number for this, and I can't seem to find it anywhere in the dashboard or video console. Separately, I wonder if my specific VIN number was made on a line similar to the 2013 Prius, as that would explain the slightly higher than advertisied MPG (I think).
That said, I was wondering if anyone knew how to get the current MPG? My Lexus video console only displays my best MPG of 52.3, which was before I bought the car. The current trip is displayed a bit more vaguely, and seems to be about 45 mpg. - I wish there was a digital number for this, and I can't seem to find it anywhere in the dashboard or video console. Separately, I wonder if my specific VIN number was made on a line similar to the 2013 Prius, as that would explain the slightly higher than advertisied MPG (I think).
#5
My 2 cents:
1. The cruise calculation disregards a few gallons of your fuel so that it ensures you reach 0 range while still having 2 or 3 gallons left, just in case you like to push your luck. I've also never seen a car that reduces cruise range 1:1 mile driven.
2. The only "current" MPG you'll see is in the form of the bar graph in the center screen or the tiny screen in the gauge cluster. There is never a current MPG number, only a bar graph sadly.
1. The cruise calculation disregards a few gallons of your fuel so that it ensures you reach 0 range while still having 2 or 3 gallons left, just in case you like to push your luck. I've also never seen a car that reduces cruise range 1:1 mile driven.
2. The only "current" MPG you'll see is in the form of the bar graph in the center screen or the tiny screen in the gauge cluster. There is never a current MPG number, only a bar graph sadly.
#6
Driver School Candidate
1. Yes, it occurred to me this morning that the 3 gallon reserve was not being taken into account. What really matters is that your 12 gallon tank uses the 9 "cruising range" gallons efficiently. So at 40 miles / gallon, you should get 360 mile range unless something is very wrong: Either you are rubbernecking / doing a lot of tailgating the car in front of you and hitting the breaks a lot, or there may be a problem with your battery (unlikely, as Prius/Ct200h in my research prior to purchasing seem to have very reliable batteries that can last 250,000 miles. - My last hybrid was a 2008 Honda Civic Hybrid with known IMA battery failure issues, and mine failed literally with 10 miles left on the warranty and CNA National Warranty Corp warrantied it - and the bill was $5k!)
(Regardless, you can see my intuition is not far off that some cars may be designed this way, cf : https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/7/11/7017/pdf - A Model Predictive Control Approach for Fuel Economy Improvement of a Series Hydraulic Hybrid Vehicle)
2. What if I get a ODB2 reader like BlueDriver, Carista or FIXD? Your Fuelly app looks kind of neat. Do you have to manually enter all that information? It blows my mind that there are 441,000 drivers using this app to log their fuel.
(Regardless, you can see my intuition is not far off that some cars may be designed this way, cf : https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/7/11/7017/pdf - A Model Predictive Control Approach for Fuel Economy Improvement of a Series Hydraulic Hybrid Vehicle)
2. What if I get a ODB2 reader like BlueDriver, Carista or FIXD? Your Fuelly app looks kind of neat. Do you have to manually enter all that information? It blows my mind that there are 441,000 drivers using this app to log their fuel.
#7
I have a bluetooth OBD2 connector and the Carista app, but that's for trouble codes and dealer-level settings.
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#9
Driver School Candidate
I do not use the Fuelly app, I've found it to be very buggy. I just use their web form, but yes, I do enter everything manually. Even if there were a way to do it automatically, all you could really enter automatically would be the odometer or trip mileage. You'd still need to put total gallons and price.
I have a bluetooth OBD2 connector and the Carista app, but that's for trouble codes and dealer-level settings.
I have a bluetooth OBD2 connector and the Carista app, but that's for trouble codes and dealer-level settings.
31 mph average
27 minutes commute door to door
127 miles cruising range left
48.9 avg mpg
40.1 mpg current trip. Note this display on the guages shows the max mpg at the instantaneous moment is actually 90mpg, despite the video console displaying a max of 60 mpg.
The video console here matches the odometer screen shots within a minute
Cool. I've found the DISP button on the steering wheel changes the LED display on the guages.
#11
Driver School Candidate
My 2013 ct200h is 3103 curb weight, so I am adding 8.2% weight to the vehicle. Now suppose a tiny 4'8" 100 pound grandma drove the car before me. That's only 3.2% additional weight.
When I owned a Honda Civic Hybrid, the recommendations were:
- Consider tweaking the ECM settings - I never did this
- Use low rolling resistance tires - I never did this. I swear by Michelin Premier A/S tires aka LIFESAVER tires.
- Don't rubberneck - I claim to follow this advice, but my wife says otherwise.
#12
Lexus Test Driver
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