2007 Civic Coupe Modifications - Page 5 - Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum

Bror Jace · 07-08-2008, 11:24 PM

Welcome spiderbite9001.

If you aren't into modding your car, pretty much all that's left is driving habit changes ... and there's a sticky thread in the 'general' subsection that's pretty comprehensive.

My last 3 tankfuls have averaged over 40mpg ... so you have plenty of room for improvement.

Colorado? How far above sea level? I'm not sure what effect high altitude has on fuel economy ... I know it hurts horsepower.

Keen · 07-08-2008, 11:30 PM

40 mpg was pretty easy in my 07 4dr lx. Just by following the tips on the main page. I do have a standard, so it is going to make it a bit harder for you. Now I'm doing a lot of EOC, and it is still tricky to get too much over 45 mpg. Although I blame that on my passengers requesting A/C, and adding mass to my vehicle.

spyderbite9001 · 07-08-2008, 11:35 PM

yeah, i'm about 6,500ft above sea level. not exactly dense air up here. what kind of driving habits do you guys use? i've stopped going 75 (now down to 65), and i've started the pulse and glide technique, but its difficult on an automatic (5 speeds like to shift ALOT!) following semi's is really difficult here (lots of hills) anything i'm missing?

Bror Jace · 07-08-2008, 11:42 PM

Read this first:

http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...ileage-44.html

spyderbite9001 · 07-09-2008, 12:39 PM

Thanks for the tips guys. Are there any mods out there that are easy, and won't void my warranty? I saw the plastic guards that'll go over the fog lamp wells (since i dont have fog lamps anyway), but i couldnt find the instructions for them.

superchow · 07-09-2008, 05:24 PM

Try filling up with premium instead of regular. That usually yields a 10% improvement for me. Plus, the car feels gutsier off the line.

Engine braking heading toward stoplights and on downgrades - is that possible for the automatic? Try that if you can. As long as the downshift doesn't send the engine beyond the 3500-4000 rpm range it should yield some quite amazing results. (Fuel injection shuts off.

) (FYI - I feel uncomfortable with engine braking above 4000. It just sounds too brutal.

)

spyderbite9001 · 07-09-2008, 06:02 PM

i can do the engine braking, but when the rpm's shoot up does the engine/throttle system send more fuel? i just dont know how much the automatic systems control that gas flow. oh, it is a throttle-by-wire, said so on hondas site, not sure what that means.

superchow · 07-10-2008, 01:47 AM

No, not exactly. When you are not depressing the gas pedal, and the engine is revving above a certain speed the momentum of the car is keeping the engine at that speed, and not the fuel injected into the cylinders. The computer then determines that the engine doesn't need fuel, and will stop injection. Exactly what speed that may be remains unknown to me, but my driving instructor back in Austria told me above 2500 rpm. I think this may be closer to 1500rpm for this engine - hard to tell. Here's a link to technical information on all the great little things Honda did to improve the engine's economy AND performance.

Honda Media Newsroom Release: 2006 Honda Civic Powertrains

Throttle-by-wire means that there is no mechanical linkage between the gas pedal and the throttle body anymore. Your gas pedal position is interpreted and a certain behavior is enacted on the engine. VTEC on or off, will some of the volume "inhaled" by the cylinder be ejected again before it is combusted, etc etc. The technical document was very insightful! (The "regular" 1.8 engine info is toward the bottom of the page.)

JamesLaugesen · 07-10-2008, 02:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by superchow

The computer then determines that the engine doesn't need fuel, and will stop injection.

Is this specifically for the honda vtecs?

I've never heard of any FI engine ever completing cutting fuel, a small amount is added to help lubricate the compression rings, determined by the "deccel" or "over-rev" areas of the fuel map(s).

spyderbite9001 · 07-10-2008, 11:49 AM

do you guys know where i can get a service manual for the civic. i've bought service manuals on all my other vehicles and do my own work on the cars. (everything from oil and brakes, to axle's, differentials...) i find they're the manuals to go with for any car. i've tried haynes and others but none compare to the ones made by the same guys who made the car.