How-To: Better MPG
- Thread starter HeX
- Start date
Yeah, fuel sippers like me have different engine goals than the average honda owner on this site.I really love there's threads on this site with topics other than boosting and swapping.
Consider reading my "How To: Better MPG" thread hyperlinked in my signature (not viewable on mobiles).I'm going to challenge myself to squeeze out at least 10% more.
Oh, crap! Im bouncing between too many threads on my phone. Ditditty!Planning a valve adjustment when I do the timing belt in a few weeks. Also a new PCV valve.
A valve adjustment can make quite a difference. Make sure you have the right tools and its an easy job.Planning a valve adjustment when I do the timing belt in a few weeks. Also a new PCV valve.
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I average 30-32mpg no more no less, my car is turbo making 222whp 179tq. A stock civic should handle 36+ with heavy driving and acJust filled up. I averaged 29.38 mpg this last tank. That's with heavy AC usage, almost all city driving, and a few trips with max occupants. I couldn't be happier! 1999 LX 5 speed with unknown high mileage.
There's a number of things I still need to do with this vehicle to get in better condition. It's come a long way in the short time I've had it. As time and money permit I'll be replacing a lot more worn parts. I'm happy with 29 mpg for now.I average 30-32mpg no more no less, my car is turbo making 222whp 179tq. A stock civic should handle 36+ with heavy driving and ac
You definitely cant complain with 30+mpg at 220whp.I average 30-32mpg no more no less, my car is turbo making 222whp 179tq.
From ~29 to 31.78 to 34.6, you're making great progress. Proper alignment definitely plays a significant part in the equation. Moving forward fluidly means less strain for the engine to burn fuel to push through.
Not sure what this is with fuel economy going down when its hotter. Used to be a trick with the OBD1 cars to replace your intake air temperature sensor with a resistor so it would always think the air was +60c or something. That would lean things way out and you would get better gas milage. Probably doesn't work with fancier or dual O2 sensors and knock sensors and stuff now, but it used to work. My car always gets better gas milage the hotter it gets, but the hottest i have driven in is maybe +35c.
People do forget the point of civics, but the ones who dont aren't usually on forums like this and when they look at this all they see is the performance guys so they go to forums dedicated to economy or gas milage.
You could post some links to some other gas milage websites! Lol, last time i looked at one they were talking about things like taking your wipers off when its not raining, taking a mirror off, buying narrower tires, buying grocerys at higher elevations than where you live and driving downhill home with those extra 10 pounds, alternator deletes (i haven't figured that one out), shutting the car off and coasting...
Buncha nerds, lol. But they do have a lot of other good points. Driving habits is the biggest one.
Ill give some numbers as an example of what driving style does (i know its a 6th gen thread).
In my 7th gen i average 47mpg (canadian gallons) yet my wife only gets 43 usually. Thats a mix of city and highway with the highway averaging 65mph, but on a real long highway only drive at 75-85mph with me driving it drops to 41/42. 6mpg for 10-20mph faster!
And load the car right up heavy on a real long drive with big roof rack, 2 kids, camping gear, bike rack and it drops to 38mpg with me driving. So down 9mpg! Thats average over 30hrs of driving like that- worst was 34.6mpg, lol.
When heavily loaded it makes a HUGE difference to fill your tires up to the max pressure listed on the tire. VASTLY superior handling and fuel economy. In the summer having your tires filled to the max helps gas milage too, but what that does to your traction depends on the tire, its not universal, some get worse, some better, some same and it all depends on temperature, so unless you know what your doing and experiment...
Also your vehicle being mechanically sound is huge of course. Especially the transmission. Make sure to change that oil! On my ford festiva i used to get average 55/56mpg, then i ran the transmission right out of oil and it seized up on the highway and ground me to a stop. Poured oil back in and kept driving. That was 4ish years ago and i seized it once since that too and it still runs! But it cost me 5mpg... Sucks. When i turned corners hard you could hear metal tinkling around in the trans for a while after that until i drained the fluid twice.
But with the thermostat thats a replace as needed part, not kilometre wise. You have a temperature gauge and that will tell you right away if it ever gets stuck open or closed. Costs more changing it for no reason than you would save by driving a few days after you see it gets stuck open.
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People do forget the point of civics, but the ones who dont aren't usually on forums like this and when they look at this all they see is the performance guys so they go to forums dedicated to economy or gas milage.
You could post some links to some other gas milage websites! Lol, last time i looked at one they were talking about things like taking your wipers off when its not raining, taking a mirror off, buying narrower tires, buying grocerys at higher elevations than where you live and driving downhill home with those extra 10 pounds, alternator deletes (i haven't figured that one out), shutting the car off and coasting...
Buncha nerds, lol. But they do have a lot of other good points. Driving habits is the biggest one.
Ill give some numbers as an example of what driving style does (i know its a 6th gen thread).
In my 7th gen i average 47mpg (canadian gallons) yet my wife only gets 43 usually. Thats a mix of city and highway with the highway averaging 65mph, but on a real long highway only drive at 75-85mph with me driving it drops to 41/42. 6mpg for 10-20mph faster!
And load the car right up heavy on a real long drive with big roof rack, 2 kids, camping gear, bike rack and it drops to 38mpg with me driving. So down 9mpg! Thats average over 30hrs of driving like that- worst was 34.6mpg, lol.
When heavily loaded it makes a HUGE difference to fill your tires up to the max pressure listed on the tire. VASTLY superior handling and fuel economy. In the summer having your tires filled to the max helps gas milage too, but what that does to your traction depends on the tire, its not universal, some get worse, some better, some same and it all depends on temperature, so unless you know what your doing and experiment...
Also your vehicle being mechanically sound is huge of course. Especially the transmission. Make sure to change that oil! On my ford festiva i used to get average 55/56mpg, then i ran the transmission right out of oil and it seized up on the highway and ground me to a stop. Poured oil back in and kept driving. That was 4ish years ago and i seized it once since that too and it still runs! But it cost me 5mpg... Sucks. When i turned corners hard you could hear metal tinkling around in the trans for a while after that until i drained the fluid twice.
But with the thermostat thats a replace as needed part, not kilometre wise. You have a temperature gauge and that will tell you right away if it ever gets stuck open or closed. Costs more changing it for no reason than you would save by driving a few days after you see it gets stuck open.
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Sone of your points were part of the reason I chose to create this thread. civics are economy cars yet this website didnt cover efficiency enough. EcoModder.com is my preferred site thst focuses on anything that inproves or affects fuel efficiency. If nothing else, you learn alot and expand how you view other information. They do go over-the-top with it though but I enjoy seeing them go to the othercside of the engine spectrum.People do forget the point of civics, but the ones who dont aren't usually on forums like this and when they look at this all they see is the performance guys so they go to forums dedicated to economy or gas milage.
You could post some links to some other gas milage websites! Lol, last time i looked at one they were talking about things like taking your wipers off when its not raining, taking a mirror off, buying narrower tires, buying grocerys at higher elevations than where you live and driving downhill home with those extra 10 pounds, alternator deletes (i haven't figured that one out), shutting the car off and coasting... Buncha nerds, lol.
Driving habits and tire type & pressure usage definitely play alot into overall performance. I actually purchased narrower tires in large part due to MPG efficiency. Hypermiling (extreme fuel-conscious driving) can be very tedious if not difficult depending on where you live and how far you drive, but its great to know when youre tight on money and/or nearly empty on fuel.But they do have a lot of other good points. Driving habits is the biggest one...
When heavily loaded it makes a HUGE difference to fill your tires up to the max pressure listed on the tire. VASTLY superior handling and fuel economy. In the summer having your tires filled to the max helps gas milage too, but what that does to your traction depends on the tire, its not universal, some get worse, some better, some same and it all depends on temperature, so unless you know what your doing and experiment.
Oh yeah. Im about to flush out my tranny as its due and I just drove 900 miles to move. It seems to me that tranny flushes are the most common service most people forget to do, which is bad enough on manual trannys but a death sentence on auto trannys.Also your vehicle being mechanically sound is huge of course. Especially the transmission. Make sure to change that oil!