2001 Civic HX - 48.5mpg

[mcamphr]

Bought this car a few weeks ago. 1st tankful was 37.5 - then 38.00 jump to 39. then I took a long trip and kept the cruise to 62-64 and got 43.4mpg. The last tankful - mostly highway cruise set at 60mph and removed the rear wing, added racing disks hubcaps and replaced the plugs with laser platinum NGKs at the halfway mark. Just filled up again and this tankful came back at 48.5mpg! Been using the Fuelly Andriod app to keep track of my fill-ups. A few more cost savings like this and I will be able to afford a Scangauge. I would like to break 50mpg.

[brent777]

Originally Posted by mcamphr

Bought this car a few weeks ago. 1st tankful was 37.5 - then 38.00 jump to 39. then I took a long trip and kept the cruise to 62-64 and got 43.4mpg. The last tankful - mostly highway cruise set at 60mph and removed the rear wing, added racing disks hubcaps and replaced the plugs with laser platinum NGKs at the halfway mark. Just filled up again and this tankful came back at 48.5mpg! Been using the Fuelly Andriod app to keep track of my fill-ups. A few more cost savings like this and I will be able to afford a Scangauge. I would like to break 50mpg.

cool glad ur happy good job look at my mod list and see if u get any ideas for your car for even better mpg!




free mods Ive done

mug flap delete

turned in my side mirrors

had a rubber matt in the back and i took it out it was huge every bit of 50 lbs it was 1/2 thick

-----------pay mods------------------------

ran the engine turn on wire to a switch and then to the radio so i can keep the radio off and i can only turn it on when the truck is on
(10 bucks)

taped up some vents for the ac system there on the top of the hood (64 cents)

tail gate delete
(to bucks for zip ties i didnt have to pay for net
if have to pay for that it would be 20 25 bucks)

l.e.d cab,floor and marker lights
(cab 10 floor 7 makers lights was 6 bucks)

oil pan heater
(30 bucks)

went from 225/75/14 tires to 205/75/14 tires
(80 a piece) but needed tires any way

have a k&n air filter
(50 bucks)
shorted the intake on my truck and used 2inch pvc pipe and i drilled 4 holes in the air box for better air flow (it was free had stuff laying a round but would be about 10 bucks)

cut off my razander can!!!
(10 bucks for turn down 4 bucks for cutt off wheel)

8 MPG FOR 115.64!!!(not in clueing tires & pvc)

with tires and pvc 415.64
Planned Mods: l.e.d tag light

amsoil oil (+6.54 percent mpg) (1.7 mpg for me)

20inch electric fan

1/3 grill block

heater core bypass

aero wheel finder mod

marine battery (because car battery loses alot of its power to start a car a marine battery will not on a marine battery it wont go down alot so the alt does not have to recharge the battery as much)


(my goal is 30 mpg in town!)

[cfg83]

mcamphr -

Great job!

...
A few more cost savings like this and I will be able to afford a Scangauge. I would like to break 50mpg.

That's what I like about the fuel log. You can quantify the savings and *justify* other MPG improvement goodies over time.

CarloSW2

[brucepick]

Nice work!
I had to baby my HX for about 2.5 years and get the head rebuilt before it got up into the upper 40's mpgs.

[mcamphr]

Thanks for the ideas and encouragement. I have a 98 Volvo S70 that wasn't quite the mpg champ I was looking for although it was very comfy. I previous commute was only 15 miles round trip. My commute now at least 3x a week (sometimes 4) is 140 miles rnd trip. Looked for awhile at different commuter cars including the insight but then decided on trying to find a decent HX. I think I lucked out on this find. Aside from the minor changes mentioned already was switching from 205 55 R16 tires and alloy rims to 14" steel wheels with 175 70 R14s. I think I'll try the extra air in the tires after this tankful.

No mudflaps and I'd like to try a grill block - maybe in the future some wheel well covers and remove the passenger mirror.

Only work I need to do on it now are strut replacements.

[California98Civic]

Originally Posted by mcamphr

Thanks for the ideas and encouragement. I have a 98 Volvo S70 that wasn't quite the mpg champ I was looking for although it was very comfy. I previous commute was only 15 miles round trip. My commute now at least 3x a week (sometimes 4) is 140 miles rnd trip. Looked for awhile at different commuter cars including the insight but then decided on trying to find a decent HX. I think I lucked out on this find. Aside from the minor changes mentioned already was switching from 205 55 R16 tires and alloy rims to 14" steel wheels with 175 70 R14s. I think I'll try the extra air in the tires after this tankful.

No mudflaps and I'd like to try a grill block - maybe in the future some wheel well covers and remove the passenger mirror.

Only work I need to do on it now are strut replacements.

Try one of these lawn edging airdams... they're probably much more effective than wheel covers. Nice car!

[brent777]

Originally Posted by mcamphr

Thanks for the ideas and encouragement. I have a 98 Volvo S70 that wasn't quite the mpg champ I was looking for although it was very comfy. I previous commute was only 15 miles round trip. My commute now at least 3x a week (sometimes 4) is 140 miles rnd trip. Looked for awhile at different commuter cars including the insight but then decided on trying to find a decent HX. I think I lucked out on this find. Aside from the minor changes mentioned already was switching from 205 55 R16 tires and alloy rims to 14" steel wheels with 175 70 R14s. I think I'll try the extra air in the tires after this tankful.

No mudflaps and I'd like to try a grill block - maybe in the future some wheel well covers and remove the passenger mirror.

Only work I need to do on it now are strut replacements.

np cool well tire size is a good place to start and minors. you should look in to a in take or at the very least mod you old one

[mcamphr]

Thanks - the last tank came in at 46.5 trying to average about 61mph on my commute. I looked on ebay and there is an ELM 327 for about 20.00 and on Google Play an app to connect via bluetooth that will track mpg thru the OBD II - I will probably go that route next although I might experiment with the lawn edging air dam as well.

[California98Civic]

Originally Posted by mcamphr

Thanks - the last tank came in at 46.5 trying to average about 61mph on my commute. I looked on ebay and there is an ELM 327 for about 20.00 and on Google Play an app to connect via bluetooth that will track mpg thru the OBD II - I will probably go that route next although I might experiment with the lawn edging air dam as well.

Those are nice numbers, but it seems to me you should be able to do better than that at 61mph in an HX. Some guys say aeromods help them keep teir lean burn civics in lean burn mode. So do the grill block, tire spats, undertray. Do the lawn edging thing, trim the 4" to 3" or so and you'll touch few road surfaces and parking blocks, if your area is like mine. cheers! Also, for about $70 you can get an Ultra Gauge and get the data from the OBD2 computer this app will give you plus about 30 or 40 other readouts. Buy the Ultra Gauge (it's almost as good as a diagnostic scanner).

Good luck, post your results.

[mcamphr]

Thanks I'll look into the Ultragauge - I wondered when I bought the car whether this was the original tranny. I asked about the engine and the previous owner replied that it was original - my rpms seem to settle around 2500rpm at 65mph and at 61 mph around 2300rpm. Not sure if this is normal. Most of my driving is a commute to work at 70 miles one way - I generally avoid the stop and go of traffic by leaving early in the AM and leaving earlier in the afternoon. But, it does feel like I should be posting higher numbers. Thanks - I may not know for sure until I get a MPG gauge inplace. Now, I'm second guessing my decision to remove the rear spoiler again that can be one I test with a mpg gauge.