41 replies to this topic

[timwil56]

Tim, Do you use Go times with an L2 charger?  I'm using the factory level 1 and it really doesn't do much to preheat the car, but I can't justify buying a L2 with gas at $2.39/gal right now (and the L1 charger is fine for the overnight charges given my driving pattern).

 

I have blocked my middle grill with foam pipe insulators to help keep the coolant warm.

No, I use the level 1 charger and park in a heated underground garage at night, so the car interior is warm (65〫  ) when I leave for work. I have the temp gauge and split power displayed on the My View screen, so I know when the coolant is warm and when I'm using battery or ICE. By the time I switch to EV, the heater has come on full and I turn it down to setting 2 or 3 depending on the temps. The ICE comes on when the defrost condenser is on, so like I said, I try to use defrost as little as possible. I like the idea of using the foam to block the grill, good idea. With slightly warmer temps this morning and following the same plan, I used 0.08 gallons of gas on my drive to work today.

[langle]

After driving my 2014 C-Max in the winter here, I am convinced that the car should be insulated.  I'm talking the cabin, windows and under the hood.  A lot of energy is being wasted when it's cold outside (12 deg on this morning's commute).  My energy usage this morning was 2.9 kWh compared to 1.5 kWh for the same commute last October.  The heater was consuming 3 to 4 kW during the 20 minute commute after I had preheated the car using a Go Time, which is over 1 kWh of the 1.4 kWh difference.  If the car was properly insulated,  it would have cut the heat load to about 0.25 kWh.  OK, if insulated windows are too expensive, if just the rest was done (the cheap part) it would still cut the waste substantially and increase the comfort of winter driving.

[drdiesel1]

After driving my 2014 C-Max in the winter here, I am convinced that the car should be insulated.  I'm talking the cabin, windows and under the hood.  A lot of energy is being wasted when it's cold outside (12 deg on this morning's commute).  My energy usage this morning was 2.9 kWh compared to 1.5 kWh for the same commute last October.  The heater was consuming 3 to 4 kW during the 20 minute commute after I had preheated the car using a Go Time, which is over 1 kWh of the 1.4 kWh difference.  If the car was properly insulated,  it would have cut the heat load to about 0.25 kWh.  OK, if insulated windows are too expensive, if just the rest was done (the cheap part) it would still cut the waste substantially and increase the comfort of winter driving.

I don't waste energy by preheating the car or using EV when, I need heat. The ICE is the most efficient way to heat the coolant

to make heat to keep the car warm inside the cabin. I needed heat this evening and switch to EV later and let the ICE get the

coolant warmed up. I kept the heater on over the mountain and switched to EV on the downhill side.

At the bottom of the mountain my battery had 32 miles when I turned off the HVAC system.

I don't need to charge the battery with the cord tonight

Edited by drdiesel1, 05 January 2015 - 07:13 PM.

[rbort]

I don't waste energy by preheating the car or using EV when, I need heat.

 

I don't waste electric on preheat either as I don't leave the heat on while I drive anyways unless the engine is running on a longer trip.

 

I just looked up the weather in Monterey, 54 degrees now at night, 72 tomorrow during the day.  I drove my Cmax today, pulled out of the garage temp said 36, by the time I was to the main road off my street it was 30, and 1/2 mile later it was 26.  Went to Walmart, Petsmart. and drove back home in 21 degree weather, no heat jacket on with gloves, I felt fine.  I can't imagine thinking of needing heat at 54, but its all what you're used to I suppose.  

 

Its going to get real cold here in the next couple of days, lows close to zero.  I've survived in 8 degree weather in the car last winter, but that was cold.  Anything after that like in the 20's or above is alot easier to take after a shot of real cold temps.

 

-=>Raja.

[drdiesel1]

I don't waste electric on preheat either as I don't leave the heat on while I drive anyways unless the engine is running on a longer trip.

 

I just looked up the weather in Monterey, 54 degrees now at night, 72 tomorrow during the day.  I drove my Cmax today, pulled out of the garage temp said 36, by the time I was to the main road off my street it was 30, and 1/2 mile later it was 26.  Went to Walmart, Petsmart. and drove back home in 21 degree weather, no heat jacket on with gloves, I felt fine.  I can't imagine thinking of needing heat at 54, but its all what you're used to I suppose.  

 

Its going to get real cold here in the next couple of days, lows close to zero.  I've survived in 8 degree weather in the car last winter, but that was cold.  Anything after that like in the 20's or above is alot easier to take after a shot of real cold temps.

 

-=>Raja.

Hahaha!  I don't need to worry about that crappy weather anymore and that's the biggest reason I moved here from Detroit, 35 years ago.

As soon as the sun drops out, the temperature follows. It was probably about 43°F when I drove over the mountain tonight.

Even though it's not really cold, I set the HVAC on at 75°F just to stay comfortable and not have my camera gear cold enough

to fog up when it came into the house with me. I don't let moister form inside my lenses or camera bodies on $10K gear.

Attached Files

•  010515_3361.jpg   41.04KB   0 downloads

[fotomoto]

The car comes with a wonderful heater ironically called the ICE.  Use it.

 

If you want to avoid using gasoline at all costs, use the pre-conditioning feature (on level II chargers), bundle up, and use the seat heaters.  This works for me in south Texas.

Edited by fotomoto, 05 January 2015 - 09:21 PM.

[rbort]

Right now I just checked its 13 degrees here.  In the middle of the winter and its cold like this when it reaches 43 degrees, literally 30 degrees from here, you could walk out with a t-shirt (not to stay out but to get the mail for example)  and it would feel balmy.  At 13 now, just a couple degrees lower from here (around 10F) you're going to start feeling the hairs freeze inside your nostrils when you breath!

 

-=>Raja.

[GaryG]

It's cold here also in the low 70's, I may not use the A/C tomorrow.

 

Gary

[rbort]

About the heater, and you guys might find this of interest.  When I was driving home from NY it was in the 20's, I'd say 25F or so if I remember right.  I was driving on country roads and using the ICE.   Due to the slower speeds the ICE and turning on and off all the time.  When there was a lack of uphills to force the ICE to run constantly, I could see the coolant temp dropping from the fan blowing the warm air inside the car.  The EV battery started getting used to help the ICE warm the coolant, I could see the draw on the climate from this.

 

Long story short, at country roads of speeds of 35 to 50mph where the ICE cycles on and off, its not possible to get all the heat from the ICE for the cabin if the temperature is in the 20's.

 

-=>Raja.

[rbort]

Gary you're in your best weather now, from now until the end of March or so, enjoy it!   By the way, have you tried L gear regen versus D regen at the end of a stop?  You can see the regen in D stop around 5mph but if you shift into L at 5mph you can see it resume for a second more down to around 2.5mph.

 

Also if you get a chance please test D creep speed versus L creep speed.  You may find that they are different.

 

-=>Raja.

Edited by rbort, 05 January 2015 - 09:28 PM.

[fotomoto]

About the heater, and you guys might find this of interest.  When I was driving home from NY it was in the 20's, 

 

Google grill blocking.

[rbort]

Yeah I thought about that, I read some people doing stuff like that here.  Do you have a link or pictures of that on the Cmax?

 

-=>Raja.

[fotomoto]

Yeah I thought about that, I read some people doing stuff like that here.  Do you have a link or pictures of that on the Cmax?

 

-=>Raja.

 

http://fordcmaxhybri...g-2-5-mpg-gain/

[rbort]

Thanks for the link Doug, reading through it now.  So, stupid question, but I thought the car had active grill shutters that open and close as necessary.  You would think Ford would have been smart enough to close them all if that helped but they didn't put shutters for all the slots or did they?  I haven't looked for them...

 

-=>Raja.

[fotomoto]

My winter tips were listed in post #34.  I don't use grill blockers so my "advice" ends here but AFAIK the active shutters are only on the bottom opening.

Edited by fotomoto, 05 January 2015 - 10:13 PM.

[drdiesel1]

Buy the block heater and pre-condtion with it.

[rbort]

Buy the block heater and pre-condtion with it.

 

Wouldn't be worth it.  The power you use to heat the block will offset any gain you get from warming the motor up to gain any mpg numbers.

 

The bottom line is that people are trying to improve their numbers, but sometimes it can work against you when you are preconditioning for this reason instead of paying for comfort.

 

-=>Raja.

[drdiesel1]

Wouldn't be worth it.  The power you use to heat the block will offset any gain you get from warming the motor up to gain any mpg numbers.

 

The bottom line is that people are trying to improve their numbers, but sometimes it can work against you when you are preconditioning for this reason instead of paying for comfort.

 

-=>Raja.

If you use the block heater, the engine won't use so much gas because it's already warm and the heater will have

heat too! That will save on wasted electricity to heat the closed circuit coolant element.

[Smiling Jack]

Wouldn't be worth it.  The power you use to heat the block will offset any gain you get from warming the motor up to gain any mpg numbers....

...

...

-=>Raja.

 

In my experience, and by my measurements, (per cold start averted) warming up with a block heater takes about 1 KWH or less (cost = about 10 cents)  and it saves about 0.1 to 0.2 gallon  (say 25 to 50 cents).  The cost savings are real; the benefits of comfort and reduced engine wear are bonuses.

Edited by Smiling Jack, 06 January 2015 - 07:43 PM.

[rbort]

Jack:

 

I assume you only use the block heater IF you plan to start the engine, otherwise its pointless right?  Electric here has gone up 37% though I don't pay for it due to solar panels if I use it then I don't get to sell it anyways so its the same thing.

 

-=>Raja.