Chevy Tahoe Hybrid Forum

[FastMover]

Originally Posted by Pravus Prime

.... Though we really need a better abbreviation, CTH seems like a typo of TCH, Toyota Camry Hybrid. TaHy? (Much like the Highlander Hybrids HiHy)...!

How about "C2TH"? Its a little shorter, four letters cannot be confused with "TCH" for the Camry, and it could set a standard for all of the two stage hybrids. i.e., a Sliverado Hybrid would be C2SH. A Yukon would be C2YH. If they ever decide to use it in the GMC line, the first "C" becomes a "G", etc.

[martinjlm]

Originally Posted by FastMover

How about "C2TH"? Its a little shorter, four letters cannot be confused with "TCH" for the Camry, and it could set a standard for all of the two stage hybrids. i.e., a Sliverado Hybrid would be C2SH. A Yukon would be C2YH. If they ever decide to use it in the GMC line, the first "C" becomes a "G", etc.

Yukon is GMC. I would suggest

• T2M: Tahoe 2-Mode
• Y2M: Yukon 2-Mode
• S2M: Silverado (or Sierra) 2-Mode
• E2M: Escalade 2-Mode
• V2M: VUE 2-Mode

Peace,

Martin

[tijbbari]

Originally Posted by martinjlm

Yukon is GMC. I would suggest

• T2M: Tahoe 2-Mode
• Y2M: Yukon 2-Mode
• S2M: Silverado (or Sierra) 2-Mode
• E2M: Escalade 2-Mode
• V2M: VUE 2-Mode

Short and consistent. I like it.

Tom H in Dallas.

[Pravus Prime]

Originally Posted by martinjlm

Yukon is GMC. I would suggest

• T2M: Tahoe 2-Mode
• Y2M: Yukon 2-Mode
• S2M: Silverado (or Sierra) 2-Mode
• E2M: Escalade 2-Mode
• V2M: VUE 2-Mode

Peace,

Martin

Not bad, I can live with those.

I still like TaHy though.

I guess to do a little bragging, I won the MPG Challenge last weekend at Hybridfest 2008, including the large SUV and truck division in a TaHy (As well as my own division of the smaller SUV's in my FEH). The course was quite aggressive and had a very tight time limit, with a 2% MPG penalty for each minute after your target time until 10 minutes, which resulted in disqualification. Much of the ~27 mile course was speed limit 50, and if you obeyed all the speed limit signs, and caught all the lights, you would be 5 minutes under your target time, so there's no lollygagging there. These are real world numbers.

I took out the TaHy the night before for a quick reacclimation drive, and again with a newscrew that morning, but I still didn't develop the best techniques until about mile 16 during the actual challenge. It seems the TaHy doesn't like to be babied too much, and without a technique like the FEH's double tap to get the ICE off, I found that a version of high speed pulse and glide really works well for the vehicle. Accelerating 5 miles per hour over the speed limit, then coasting back down to 5 MPH under the speed limit and repeating resulted in some nice fuel economy numbers. I wouldn't advocate it in heavy traffic, or with people with little patience, but on a nice quiet open course, it worked very well, I saw a lot of 99 MPG on the instant FE Gauge.

I finished the course with a reading of 29 MPG, winning the division.

[Big-Foot]

Watching with keen interest....

Along with my TCH - I have a FUEL guzzling Avalanche 2500 with 8.1l engine that I use to tow my 7k trailer.. I'm hoping that the new Tahoe Hybrid will prove itself well for the next couple of years when I can afford to trade in the GASAlanche...

For monikers -

GM2M - General Motors 2 Mode
G2M - Same as above
G2MT - General Motors 2 Mode Truck

[philmcneal]

any updates to the huge hulker? no problems so far for the chevy tahoe/yukon holders? Any secrets that you guys found out to increase mileage towards the 30 mpg? I somewhat believe the 2mode is better equip to outdo the Toyota HSD system when driven competitively for mileage.

anyone mess around with the Neutral gear on the tahoe/yukon hybrids? I'm curious to see if the engine restarts/kill is defated in N like the toyota HSD hybrids? Also is it possible to accept regen (whine from the electric motor while slowing down) while in N as well? If that's the case that's awesome!!!

[tijbbari]

Originally Posted by philmcneal

any updates to the huge hulker? no problems so far for the chevy tahoe/yukon holders? Any secrets that you guys found out to increase mileage towards the 30 mpg?

I have had no problems in 6 months and 9000 miles. There was a 'recall' on the hybrid system - they reflashed something on the computer. It may have improved economy by 1mpg, but I've only had a couple of normal tanks since then. (It has also been above 100 every day, so the AC is on constantly.)

I have not played around with N while driving. On a side note, the ICE always turns on when you go in reverse. I think this has to do with the gearing, so that you can back a trailer.

One big drawback compared to Prius is that there is no SOC display - so it is hard to tell a quantitative effect of regen or to take advantage of when you know you will have to run the ICE.

I just increased the tires to 40psi cold this week. The ride is rougher, but handling is still good. The ride was so smooth before, it actually feels like a truck now.

T

[philmcneal]

dang so even at 40 psi you can't maintain the cushy ride eh? hm some users report if the engine is idling and you don't want it to idle (because your coasting or traffic ahead of you is slowing down) N would kill it instantly. What intrigues me is that if N is a autostop kill switch then its the equivalent to the EV Button on the prius!!!


thanks for the reply! i heard of that software update for tahoe/yukons and apparently the update is suppose to carry towards the 09 models as well.

For hybrids never neglect the A/C that battery wants to stay cool too!

Dang too bad the engine idles when you go in R, even when not carrying a trailer! BOO!

[johnmaz]

I have a 2008 Tahoe Hybrid that I purchased back in February and it currently has 1600 miles on it. Most of my driving is local city driving where the speed limit is 35.

My problem is that since I got the Hybrid I only get between 15mpg up to 17mpg. The dealer said I have to wait until the engine is broken in before I see the mileage go up. Now since the re-call which reset the fuel sensors I'm seeing my mileage at 13.9 now. I did ask the deal to test drive a like Tahoe Hybrid (this one only had about 400 miles on it) and drove the same route and that Tahoe gave me better gas mileage like around 20 mpg.

I called Chevy on this and got the rudest customer care rep that doesn't call me back and same for her team lead.

Also another issue I brought up was that the Tahoe Hybrid manual and web site shows the hybrid with curb tilt mirrors when the vehicle is in reverse. I checked on my vehicle and it doesn't. The deal said I would need the memory seat package in order to get this feature, well the vehicle does not come with seat package. GM web site still continues to say the vehicle has this feature.

Any suggestions?

Thanks

[martinjlm]

Send me a pm with all the details wrt your fuel economy issues, including who you talked to (dealership & customer assistance) if you have recorded that info.

As for the mirror tilt, have you gone through the configuration menu in the vehicle? Last time I had a Tahoe, the process for configuring the mirrors to tilt on reverse is to go to the button that looks like a pair of check-boxes



and cycle through the menu choices. Every Tahoe I've driven in the past several years has had the ability to set the mirrors for curb-tilt. I can't imagine that we'd do it differently for the hybrid unless it really is tied to the seats. The hybrids do have unique front seats.

Peace,

Martin