Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum - EcoModder.com - View Single Post - Thinking of Civic DX to HX Conversion (lean burn engine)

brucepick · 02-27-2011, 07:40 AM

The EPA for the '97 HX is 31 city, 39 highway. Would probably be the same for all the '96-2000 generation HXs but I'm only guessing. You can look up the EPA for your DX and compare. I like cars.com for that but check the EPA site too: EPA

Not sure how the Ultragauge calculates fuel use. If it runs off the OBDII connector and so reads air flow, then yes - lean burn would make it a poor tool for reading mpg. An MPGuino works well though. See the "Instrumentation" forum, and within that, the "OpenGauge / MPGuino FE computer" sub-forum.

With everything you'd need to do to convert the DX to an HX, I don't know if it would be worth the cost and effort. You might need a full HX wiring harness, I don't know. Besides, if there's one oddball sensor that's different, or a change in vacuum hose routing or whatever, you may never find out about it and never get it running right.

Unless your current DX head is already shot. If you need to pull the head anyway, that changes the math. Might be worthwhile if you don't mind sinking in the time + money.

I started with a ScanGauge which tries to read fuel usage from air flow data. I STILL use it intensively to get the car into lean burn and keep it there. I have the procedure to set up an optional custom gauge the SG-II to indicate lean burn but I don't know if the Ultragauge will do that. The throttle position display on SG-II is helpful in getting into lean burn, on the HX. I also usually have the coolant temp and voltage guages showing.

02-27-2011, 07:40 AM	#2 (permalink)
brucepick OCD Master EcoModder Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Eastern CT, USA Posts: 1,936 Outasight - '00 Honda Insight Team Honda Gen-1 Insights 90 day: 54.18 mpg (US) Thanks: 431 Thanked 396 Times in 264 Posts	The EPA for the '97 HX is 31 city, 39 highway. Would probably be the same for all the '96-2000 generation HXs but I'm only guessing. You can look up the EPA for your DX and compare. I like cars.com for that but check the EPA site too: EPA Not sure how the Ultragauge calculates fuel use. If it runs off the OBDII connector and so reads air flow, then yes - lean burn would make it a poor tool for reading mpg. An MPGuino works well though. See the "Instrumentation" forum, and within that, the "OpenGauge / MPGuino FE computer" sub-forum. With everything you'd need to do to convert the DX to an HX, I don't know if it would be worth the cost and effort. You might need a full HX wiring harness, I don't know. Besides, if there's one oddball sensor that's different, or a change in vacuum hose routing or whatever, you may never find out about it and never get it running right. Unless your current DX head is already shot. If you need to pull the head anyway, that changes the math. Might be worthwhile if you don't mind sinking in the time + money. I started with a ScanGauge which tries to read fuel usage from air flow data. I STILL use it intensively to get the car into lean burn and keep it there. I have the procedure to set up an optional custom gauge the SG-II to indicate lean burn but I don't know if the Ultragauge will do that. The throttle position display on SG-II is helpful in getting into lean burn, on the HX. I also usually have the coolant temp and voltage guages showing. __________________ Coast long and prosper. Driving '00 Honda Insight, acquired Feb 2016. Last edited by brucepick; 02-27-2011 at 07:58 AM..