5th generation civic hatchback - improving aerodynamics

[NoCO2]

Wow AndrewJ, I haven't been keeping with your progress in the last few weeks but man, I'm impressed with the work you have completed thus far! I really can't wait until I can afford to get a scangauge so I can actually start doing more then just playing the driving style game with myself to get my gas millage measurements. I am trying to hold off any kind of aero mods until I can get some instrumentation to justify any gains to myself instead of just copying what everyone else has done and hoping for the best.

[AndrewJ]

You'll all have PLENTY of data to sift through once I can wrangle some time off to get my Opengauge built. I'm chipping away at it, but I don't have much spare time right now....

Anyway, I'm planning on doing 50mph highway tests of pretty much every mod I've got one at a time.

[Cd]

Andrew, I was wondering if you have checked the condition of the Coroplast that you have under the engine.
Everything that you have done so far has amazed me, for the fact that I thought something would either overheat, catch on fire , or just melt.
Do you actually have that stuff touching the exaust ??

[2003protege]

subbin'

[chrislk1986]

I need to get a 5th gen sedan with major rear end damage. It'd be interesting to try out kammaback or boat tail on a sedan.

Good work, you are an inspiration.

[JohnnyV]

How difficult was it to wire the LED into your relay?

[AndrewJ]

Get into the under-hood fuse box (near the battery) and find the radiator-fan relay.

Pull it.

There should be 4 contacts, two are the for the coil (one is +12v, one is ground)
Two are for the fan (again one +12v, one ground)

Use a DMM to find out which wires are +12 and which are ground.

You can connect jumpers to the battery to find out which ones run the fan (I think it's the top pair, but memory was never my strong suit)

Oh, if your relay has a diagram on the side, you can just save yourself a lot of time and read which prong is which. Mine were diagram-less.

Slip the +12v wire for the LED under the +12v (fan) prong on the relay and plug the relay back in.

BTW, I'm using a LED that already has a resistor in-line with it, I got it at the 'shack so it's already set-up for +12v power. Don't do this to a regular LED without a resistor and expect the LED to live.

[2003protege]

Originally Posted by AndrewJ

Don't do this to a regular LED without a resistor and expect the LED to live.

or remain intact for that matter

[AndrewJ]

So, I gots my MPGuino all hooked up and working. It's not quite calibrated yet, but that's all part of the testing I guess.








Anyhow, some random observations since having some instant feedback.

Average (uncalibrated) highway MPG: 64-68mpg
Average (uncalibrated) city MPG: 74-106mpg

I was completely unaware that my city MPG was that much better than highway....

Oh, and my initial fooling around indicates that in certian situations with average speeds above 50mph, Pulse & Glide seems to be effective. At least it was on my trip TO work when there wasn't much wind.


Edit:

For record-keeping sake, I just updated my 'guino's software to:
VSS pulse per mile - 8048
MicroSeconds per Gallon - 402374609

VSS was underreporting by 20% or so, I scaled fuel back the same amount.

[Arminius]

Percentage wise, my city is that much better than my highway. Seems strange.

[MetroMPG]

My city driving is also higher.

Makes sense to me - drive it like a hybrid (plenty of EOC, no idling, super-efficient low speed P&G where appropriate), and it'll return higher city numbers, like a hybrid.

[3wheeled]

Hi...we have been following this thread. We appreciate that you have been documenting all of your upgrades. Keep up the good work!!

[AndrewJ]

So after an involuntary hiatus (my wife took the computer on a business trip)
I'm back and I had my best tank ever whilst I was "gone"

72.8mpg!!

That was on my second full tank of 100% beltless alternator, about a 75% highway / 25% city tank.
Kinda surprising, especially figuring that my city mileage is much better than highway...

Anyways, during this tank the bellypan was removed, residual effects of my waterpump replacement.

So, I've now doubled my EPA mileage

[Blue07CivicEX]

Nice!! Congrats, you are an inspiration to me and my civic to do great things as well :-). It's not nearly as hard to double my EPA though :-) 29->58.

[Vince-HX]

72.8 is so amazing

good job man, thats where I wanna be someday

[MetroMPG]

Wow! I was wondering where you were lately. Now I know: you were slaying the EPA.

[ebacherville]

HOLLY CRAP!! 72.8 thats awsome!!!!.. now see if you can pull it off 3 in a row

I feel so outperformed at 51.9 (better than a prius mpg) for my last tank.. lol

You realize your getting better milage than a prius and a average small american sedan combined.. thats awsome !

[crexcrex]

There are some great ideas out there and it seems like Andrew is kicking into the kitty, congrats..................i know that there are a few people out there who think that ecomodders and hypermilers are out of thier tree, laugh as they may..........Andrew proves that if there is a will there is a way.

[gascort]

Andrew, I just wondered how your car is doing with cooling and having your relatively small hole for airflow now during the summer months. I'm having trouble with my grill block; our cars are about the same and the hole I have for mine is double the size of yours, but my car overheats on the highway.

Perhaps I need to finish my undertray?
Matt

[crexcrex]

Originally Posted by gascort

Andrew, I just wondered how your car is doing with cooling and having your relatively small hole for airflow now during the summer months. I'm having trouble with my grill block; our cars are about the same and the hole I have for mine is double the size of yours, but my car overheats on the highway.

Perhaps I need to finish my undertray?

Matt

Re grill blocking not sure if you misdirected your question re grill blocking i however have been eco modding long before the term ever arose. My grill dosen't exist as i have no grill to block. My rad is cooled by two small elcectric fans that draw air from two 12 inch oval holes with a duct running to the rad. Underhood engine heat is vented re the front fenders as i have drilled eight two inch holes on each side to vent the heat rather than bieng drawn underneath the car body..............In terms of overheating i have had no problems whatsoever. Will eventually put a few pix up to give you a better idea unfortunately at the moment i am designing side mirors unlike anything that is on the market. The beauty is that they are aerodynamic and does not detract from the appearance of the car.
best of luck......................