Does this sound right? (20 mpg from 1999 Honda Civic)

[pounsfos]

ive always wondered if their is a way to stop a fuel injected car from going out of closed loop, i dont see the point of running rich apart from quicker heatup times *which is ironic because in a carberatted engine extra fuel is used to cool the engine)

i reckon if someone designed something that stopped cars going out of closed loop, theyd make a fair buck,

oh and f.y.i. my car is up to temperature in about 1.5kms, and i idle at about 600rpm, (good old carbys)

[busypaws]

Same here, 5.5 miles 22 stop lights (It's California). MPG's really drop on cold wet mornings, going from 25% of your trip open loop in the cold to 10% in the summer makes a diffence. Current living arrangements don't allow me to have an external plug and timer. When I move to Detroit that is on my list of must haves. Covered parking with electrical outlet.

[pete c]

2.5 miles isn't even enough to build a decent sweat on a bike. I ride 12+ somewhat hilly miles...when I do ride my bike, which is not as often as I should. If I had your commute, I'd do it year around on a bike. I'd even ride that distance in snow.

if the thought of a 2.5 mile pedal is too exhausting, get an e-bike.

[Frank Lee]

I rode that distance through snow and still was within minutes of the same time it took to go by car.

[MetroMPG]

Frank Lee is a superman bike rider though. (Noobs need to be made aware of this to put his responses in perspective. )

GRU: the advice given here is good. (If you're not going to ride a bike... )You need to preheat the engine if you want to reduce fuel consumption.

FYI, my dad got 11 L/100 km / 22 mpg US from his 2006 Corolla automatic (rated 26 mpg US in the city) in similar driving to yours (in winter). See: http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...rolla-546.html

Also make sure the tires are pumped up, read the 100+ driving tips and save up for that ScanGauge for instant feedback. But you're pretty much driving a worst-case routine for getting good mileage.

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by pete c

if the thought of a 2.5 mile pedal is too exhausting, get an e-bike.

Good advice too!

[d0sitmatr]

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

Sounds like an easy bicycle ride.

yeup
I rode a bike for a long time (12+ yrs) and didnt even own a car at that time, even when my job required I rode 10miles to and then from work.
I was never in better shape in my life

[TXwaterdog]

Aside from all the "ride a bike" comments it looks like everyone is saying the same thing, your commute sucks. Can you chart out another route perhaps one that is longer but takes you down a less congested side street? How about getting to work earlier before traffic builds up? You could be the new, I made a fresh pot of coffee guy instead of the I only get 20mpgs guy. Do you feel comfertable riding a bike or a scooter? Perhaps join a gym that's closer to work or start eating breakfast at a restaurant within walking distance... Maybe there's a driving range on your way to work you can stop at to improve your swing... There has to be something...

[Sovereign]

And a "me too" post--I have the same problem with short trips in my Highlander Hybrid (24MPG instead of 30MPG). And now it's cold (stupid New England).

[puddleglum]

My car isn't a daily driver, but even so, almost all my city driving is 2-5km one way. I feel for you. You don't say if your car is standard or auto., it's even harder to hypermile an auto. in your situation I think. The cold eng. is hurting you for sure. besides the block heater, I have a grill block and a belly pan to help keep the heat in. You can pretty much close it right up in the winter, unless you're going out on the highway. The stops are killing you too. If there is anything you could do to minimize the stops, it would help.