Hummers have the potential to make big gains in MPG
in [Toyota Prius]
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From: Chas Gill on 16 Aug 2008 04:41 "David Kelly" <n4hhe(a)yahoo.com> wrote in message news:bd8bf$48a62a70$d8ba94f9$16094(a)KNOLOGY.NET... > Chas Gill wrote: >> >> The North American Prius (I understand) has, effectively, a block warmer, >> in that it stores hot engine coolant in a thermally insulated vessel and >> pumps it back on restart. > > Newer NHW20's have the thermos bottle. None have a "block heater" as > Original Equipment (OE) from Toyota. Not sure that I said it did. What I said was that it had an "effective" block heater, ie hot water pumped through a cold block = "warmer" block. > >> I am also given to understand that this might be to comply with certain >> anti-pollution legislation in some States, > > No, has nothing to do with pollution control. I stand corrected. Wouldn't make a lot of difference even if it did, given the US attitude to gas consumption in general. > >> but it still seems like a very good idea in terms of fuel efficiency. > > "It doesn't hurt anything, much." It is added complexity. It is added > weight. It didn't improve things enough to show on the EPA fuel economy > ratings. But does it reduce pollutants? > >> Why the hell it isn't included in the European version beats me (along >> with the lack of heaters on the door mirrors). The Japanese seem to have >> some strange ideas about the European climate......... > > Europeans have some strange ideas about the North American climate. Not really, we get hot - you get very hot (In some places), we get cold, you get very cold (in some places). We both get hot enough for AC and cold enough for a bit of help on a cold morning. The Prius AC is OK but not as good as some European cars I've driven. > German engineers at VW had a fit when Americans were allowed to select the > A/C gear for the then-new 1985 VW Golf. The car was to be produced in > North America so it stood to reason to use domestic A/C hardware. What > shocked the Germans was the North American unit had about twice the > capacity as fitted in Europe. Americans loved it. I loved the A/C in my > 1986 VW Golf. Otherwise the car assembled in Westmoreland, PA, fit > together worse than any junkyard repair I have ever seen.
From: "Michelle Vadeboncoeur mrv on 16 Aug 2008 13:36 On Aug 15, 9:16 pm, David Kelly <n4...(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > Chas Gill wrote: > > > The North American Prius (I understand) has, effectively, a block > > warmer, in that it stores hot engine coolant in a thermally insulated > > vessel and pumps it back on restart. > > Newer NHW20's have the thermos bottle. None have a "block heater" as > Original Equipment (OE) from Toyota. AFAIK, all North American NHW20 Prius (the hatchback version, model years 2004-current) have the CHSS (coolant heat storage system) as standard. This is not fitted on the European NHW20 Prius. Can you tell me which older NHW20s did NOT have the CHSS? Only a small amount of hot engine coolant is pumped from the coolant resivoir at shutdown, and stored in the Coolant Heat Storage System (similar to a Thermos(r) vacuum flask). The CHSS stores the already-warm coolant, to be pumped back into the rest of the coolant at startup later, to begin warming up the existing coolant faster. The CHSS reduces HC emissions, since HC emissions are higher at a cold startup. (The older NHW11 Prius had a HC absorbing catalytic converter that would capture these extra HC emissions at cold startup, but the NHW20 has a more traditional catalytic converter with the CHSS...) http://sciencelinks.jp/j-east/article/200413/000020041304A0427985.php http://www.toyota.com/html/hybridsynergyview/archive/pdfs/priusview4fall2003.pdf The engine block heater is a separate, external, added accessory. Most US dealers do not stock this item, but some dealers in US/Canada border states do carry this item, and it is a standardly offered accessory in Canada. It is a little electrical heater which has a probe that will warm up engine oil and the engine block, which you can plug into a household electrical wall outlet. Different fluid.
From: Pete Granzeau on 16 Aug 2008 15:59
On Fri, 15 Aug 2008 20:02:49 -0500, David Kelly <n4hhe(a)yahoo.com> wrote: >Michelle Steiner wrote: >> In article <abeb9$48a4f014$d8ba94f9$6613(a)KNOLOGY.NET>, >> David Kelly <n4hhe(a)yahoo.com> wrote: >> >>> A 10% improvement is trivial, there are many inexpensive proven ways >>> to get a measly 10%. Narrower tires. Higher tire pressure (the Obama >>> solution). >> >> Well, first of all, it is not the Obama solution; it is a solution >> recommended by US Government agencies and various automotive groups. >> Secondly, it's not "higher tire pressure"; it is "proper tire pressure". > >Oh, so if I lower my Prius tire pressures from 42/40 to the "proper" >pressure Toyota specifies then according to Obama I would improve MPG? > >Lowering tire pressure never improves MPG. Once again I was being >generous with giving credit. I'm not intimately acquainted to whatever the hell Senator Obama said about tire pressure, but inasmuch as something well over half of the cars on the road (including, often, mine) have less than the recommended tire pressure, I am sure that the statement was intended for them, not for you. > >Rice For President in '08! Who? Elmer Rice? I thought he was dead. |