First 60+ MPG tank

[California98Civic]

Improved "driving with load" technique (thanks PaleMelanesian) and my modest ignition timing were the only new mods. This was the first full tank under this new regimen.

[SentraSE-R]

Congratulations! That's excellent fuel economy by any standard.

[piers.singer]

Very well done, sir! Keep up the good work.

[Daox]

Very nice. Think you'll hit 70?

[99metro]

60 mpg+ is VERY nice for those big honkin' motors you guys run in those Civics!

[euromodder]

Welcome to Diesel Territory

[California98Civic]

Originally Posted by Daox

Very nice. Think you'll hit 70?

I'll have to wait and see. I drive a lot of hills, so 60mpg was tough. I'm thinking I might be able to get even more out of DWL technique. I wonder if I can go to 85% load without going into open loop if I keep the timing advance reading at 8 or higher. Does that make any sense technically? Can I use the timing advance, load, and RPM gauges to more precisely identify where open loop kicks in? I think maybe increasing timing advance complements the DWL strategy because the extra advance keeps the timing further into positive territory at low-speed 1300-1500 rpm acceleration. But I'm not much of a mechanic. What do you guys think?

I'm also ready and supplied to do a few more mods and grab a few ounces back from the goblins: reduce the idle speed 8-10%, advance the ignition timing 2 more degrees (total 16 BTDC instead of stock 12), and an airdam. Then there are some maintenance ideas: high flow air filter (old is getting dirty), clean wiring connections to battery and ground a la MetroMPG. Lots to do!

[Daox]

I wouldn't worry about open loop as much as your timing backing off on you. Before you see open loop, the engine will start retarding the timing to avoid knocking.