First Week with Mirage- Pluses and Minuses

[MetroMPG]

Calling B.S. on that one. No matter what the testing nerds proved / disproved on TV or the internet. I worked as a design engineer in automotive. I did A/C audits, testing, etc as part of my tenure at Hyundai-Kia. I also did direct physical, dynamic in car testing too on controlled test tracks.

I'd like to hear more about this, if you feel like making a new thread in the fuel economy section.

I've always thought it was an "it depends" situation: Lots of variables, one of which you already mentioned (eg. which windows down, how far, and in what combination). Also the car's design (aero or not) is going to be a factor. As is the AC system.

[MetroMPG]

Danny: wanted to say I just finished reading your week of reports from your new Mirage, and really enjoyed it. Lots of good observations. And I'm glad you're having fun with it.

So it looks like you're gonna save something like $2500 a year in fuel compared to the Fusion?

It's rare in North America for a professional driver to choose a manual transmission who does as many stops as you do.

[7milesout]

I'd like to hear more about this...

Question: Can any of the Scangauges be connected to? I was thinking that if one could usb connect to a scangauge, connect to a laptop and plot data, one could plot engine load data. Drive a 5 mile, 10 mile corridor (whatever), at the same set speed and just vary windows down, windows up (no A/C), windows up (with A/C).

Plotting that data should be interesting. I'm doubting that is possible though (with a scangauge).

[Fummins]

Day 2- Get the bad (which isn't even that bad cuz it's better than yesterday) For the seat belt I just buckled it up and was on top of it for some of the runs. It still chimes when ya take it off even a few seconds before I get to my stop. Ah well. I bought some clips for it. They'll be here Sunday.
.

I'm pretty sure you can turn off that seatbelt chime. At least on the 2017's you should be able to. I had my scan tool hooked up to one just now and looked through the menu's and found the seatbelt reminder settings in the "meter"(speedo cluster) section. I think the beeper is inside the cluster so that makes sense. There are 2 different settings for the seatbelt reminder and one that just shows --- which I assume means off. If that's the case anyone with a relatively up to date autel scan tool can do this for you same with a dealer if they have someone competent enough that doesn't need to call Japan.

[MetroMPG]

Plotting that data should be interesting. I'm doubting that is possible though (with a scangauge).

Correct: SG doesn't have any output. The best you could do with the SG is reset the MPG and do repeated runs at the same speed in the same conditions. You could do the same with the factory gauge, but it updates only 1/15th as often as the SG.

But there are probably some bluetooth OBD-II dongle apps that do permit capture.

That said, the usual warning about plugging random dongles into the Mirage OBD port applies.

[Eggman]

Hey Danny, congratulations on your new Mirage.

The Mirage really shines as economical transportation - cheap to buy, cheap to operate, easy on the wallet. That's what its design does best. In this sense, I'd like to share some simple tips for getting the most out of your Mirage:

1. Slow down. Speed kills fuel economy.
2. Air up (your tires.) Different drivers have different comfort levels with air pressure - you'll find yours. The improved rolling resistance is worth the expense.
3. Monitor instantaneous fuel economy. The feedback makes a great fuel economy coach. I used a OBDLink LX. Now that I have things figured out I no longer use it daily and set it in the glovebox . With apologies to the Scangauge crowd, they are limited in what they can display and the OBDLink LX can record data. OBDLink has different adapters that work with different smartphones & tablets - choose what's right for you.
4. Turn off automatic air conditioning. This will not only save fuel but save unnecessary wear & tear on the compressor.

The automatic climate controls will try to maintain a temperature. The greater the deviation from your setpoint, the greater the fan speed. If you set your controls to either end of range, the fan really ramps up. With automatic air conditioning still on (factory setting) the compressor runs all the time. If the temperature is set to the coolest setting, the compressor will run a lot trying to cool the cabin at max. More details can be found at the post linked above, or can be found in the owner's manual.

I think the automatic climate control works great. It directs air where it needs to be without fiddling and adjusting. It has three PTC heaters that help clear the windshield in cold humid conditions until the engine warms up (because of this I keep mine off until the cold coolant indicator goes off on my dash as the heaters draw a lot of amps and puts a load on the alternator that shows on my fuel economy especially with my short commutes.) It works best as set-it-and-forget-it.


Looking forward to your forum Garage entry:
Garage empty: add car

[Mark]

I hesitated to put this in here. I DON'T want any advice just yet. I want to figure it out. The fan is odd. If I put the temp down, the fan speeds up. I'm not running AC, just the fan. When I have the temp at 62 or so, the fan blows as if it's on high. When I have it at 72, it slows down some. I'd rather set the temp and fan speeds independently. I tried the auto button on/off and a couple of other things. It's not bothersome or anything. I'm not going to focus on that while driving. It's hardly a priority. I just want to figure it out. In time I'll either figure it out or realize that's how they designed it.

I hope you have lifted the "don't want any advice yet" restriction. Otherwise, don't read Eggman's last post!

Probably too late to say that now! Oh well ....

Everyone means well! Never lose sight of that!

[Danny]

I'm open to any comments now. I feel like a dolt in the sense that I know something is different, but haven't given it much thought since the first day or 2. As of now, I get the temp and fan speed I want. I generally start it at 66, then as the evening comes I bump it to 68, then 70. If it gets real chilly I'll put it on 72. To my knowledge the AC isn't kicking in.

I generally drive pretty slow. On a 400 mile trip- 200 up and 200 back, I passed 1 four wheeler (no trucks or vehicles w/ trailers) each way. I've kind of figured 68MPH is my optimal highway speed that balances MPG and time. Yesterday I tried 60MPH for 50 miles. My gauge showed 42.4 I think it was. Today I went 68 on that same stretch, and I'm at 41.7. So for 1/2 MPG I'll take the time savings.

Add on- After this above paragraph, I went up and read the link about the AC. I think I may have turned it off. I recall messing around with the buttons after the first day. There's the Mode and Auto buttons down there. I'm not sure what sequence I pushed them in, but somewhere back after struggling with the fan blasting at lower temps and slowing down at higher temps, it works like my other cars. I set the temp to where I want it, then the fan speed to what I want. I haven't given it much thought since then.

[Eggman]

I'm open to any comments now.

Figured as much.

To my knowledge the AC isn't kicking in.

...

Add on- After this above paragraph, I went up and read the link about the AC. I think I may have turned it off. I recall messing around with the buttons after the first day. There's the Mode and Auto buttons down there. I'm not sure what sequence I pushed them in, but somewhere back after struggling with the fan blasting at lower temps and slowing down at higher temps, it works like my other cars. I set the temp to where I want it, then the fan speed to what I want. I haven't given it much thought since then.

If the “❄” symbol shows in your automatic climate control display, your AC compressor is running. If the “❄” symbol isn't displayed, it's not running.

The compressor will run automatically when windshield defogging is selected, regardless of whether automatic AC control is on or off.

A few forum members have reported their AC compressor failed and needed replacement. One more reason to moderate its use rather than run it all the time.

Again, congratulations on your new Mirage. Looking forward to more insights as you use it. Let us know if you have any questions and we'll do our best to help.

[Danny]

Figured as much.


If the “❄” symbol shows in your automatic climate control display, your AC compressor is running. If the “❄” symbol isn't displayed, it's not running.

The compressor will run automatically when windshield defogging is selected, regardless of whether automatic AC control is on or off.

A few forum members have reported their AC compressor failed and needed replacement. One more reason to moderate its use rather than run it all the time.

Again, congratulations on your new Mirage. Looking forward to more insights as you use it. Let us know if you have any questions and we'll do our best to help.

Ok, and thanks. Mine isn't running, as there's no symbols/lights on down there. From memory (it's been a week, I don't totally recall) the AC thing was on and I shut it off. I didn't want it, as I'm generally not an AC guy anyway. In the house I might use it 3 times a year. Also, it's been chili up here recently. I work at 6PM, and it gets nice and cool at night. I didn't really know the vehicle yet, but I recall tinkering with the Mode and Auto buttons until I got what I wanted. Since then I haven't really given it much thought. I just bump the temp up as it cools down. The fan no longer speeds up/slows down as I change the temp. So that part is good.

This board has been helpful. I've also gotten some answers on things I've read in other posts/threads. Like for instance I was going to get an OBD II reader for my vehicle. Then I realized it can mess things up. In one car (not a Mirage, but this site took me to that site to research reviews) the OBD actually was the cause of the check engine light coming on. So while I think it's a neat idea to have one, I'm going to hold off.

I'm also finding out it shouldn't be that difficult to do the basics on maintaining my own car(s). Ironically I was already watching Farpoint Farms You Tube channel before coming to this site. I'm going to let the dealership do the first 3 free oil changes/tire rotations, but after that I'll do it. I'm getting a tire changer and balancing tool. The cost of those tools pays for itself in one job. I wish I'd done this years ago.

I really like the section where it's posted what tools are needed, and the steps to do something. I'm not quite ready just yet, but will be shortly. The two things holding me up are 1) I want to make sure anything I do doesn't void the warranty and 2) I have some, but not all of the tools needed. Like I'm going to get an air gun (I already have the compressor) to take off the lug nuts. I can use what I have, but it would take a lot longer. My socket sets are incomplete, and some are missing. That sort of thing.

I guess a 3rd thing would be I'd like to get used to the car some. If I make any changes right now, I won't have anything to compare it to.

I can't give 100% specifics on what this site has helped me with, since I'm also watching other basic repair videos- but I can say an overall going through this site has given me confidence that I can do at least some of this stuff on my own. I'll still be a bit nervous when it comes time for my first brake job, but I think I can learn to do it.

Thanks for all the info you folks have put on here over the years. It's been a big help.