Ecomodding an automatic '04 Civic Sedan

[mpg_numbers_guy]

Butt-dyno reports a slight improvement in coasting ability, but I'm not trusting anything from Torque until I can get the PRO version and get it calibrated, once I get the O2 sensor replaced. Got it ordered today so hopefully I can get that changed out and get my MPGs back. Taking a 19% deduction from Torque numbers my tank is sitting at ~43 MPG (~53 MPG indicated on Torque) and that's with half of my driving so far with not really caring about FE lol. But the other half I've been hypermiling and P&G-ing like crazy.

Doesn't P&G-ing negate some of the losses from the O2 sensor since it's just accelerating and coasting, not actual cruising? wistful look

My battery is also going so I'm keeping my car plugged in. I'm NOT going to spend $100 on a new battery lol. Battery works if I don't go more than 2 days without driving (when I bought it I could go almost a week). Geez with all of this I might've just bought a $1000 toyota echo beater and ecomodded that thing up....but then again it's my first car so maybe I'm just complaining about the normal stuff lol.

I'm probably going to start filling up at the halfway mark so I don't risk going a whole tank with bad FE lol (who would've thought 40+ MPG was a bad tank lol but I'm spoiled). Tanks are lasting me forever since I don't drive THAT much.

[Ecky]

Something to be aware of, a weak battery will eventually kill your alternator.

[mpg_numbers_guy]

Originally Posted by Ecky

Something to be aware of, a weak battery will eventually kill your alternator.

Eventually? Like as in how long usually? Will keeping my car plugged in help avert this?

Maybe it'll be time to go alternatorless....but I wasn't planning on that for quite a while yet.

[Ecky]

Well you need a battery that will hold a charge to go without an alternator.

I can't say how long. It puts a lot of stress on the alternator, because the battery's voltage will plummet much more quickly than a good battery, and the alt will wear itself out trying to keep it charged. This also costs fuel economy.

[mpg_numbers_guy]

Well true, but if I have to replace the battery, I might as well replace it with one I can charge and use without an alternator, right?

I honestly was surprised when I had to jumpstart it after only 2 days of not driving; normally I can go a week without having to have it plugged in for a couple of hours.

[Ecky]

You can definitely get a deep cycle battery. Be aware you have to upsize it because they have less CCA, so it takes a larger, heavier (and more expensive) battery to provide the same starting power. I've never run the numbers vs a normal flooded cell battery because... well, my car has NiMH, the battery under the hood does virtually nothing.

[19bonestock88]

Originally Posted by mpg_numbers_guy

Butt-dyno reports a slight improvement in coasting ability, but I'm not trusting anything from Torque until I can get the PRO version and get it calibrated, once I get the O2 sensor replaced. Got it ordered today so hopefully I can get that changed out and get my MPGs back. Taking a 19% deduction from Torque numbers my tank is sitting at ~43 MPG (~53 MPG indicated on Torque) and that's with half of my driving so far with not really caring about FE lol. But the other half I've been hypermiling and P&G-ing like crazy.

Doesn't P&G-ing negate some of the losses from the O2 sensor since it's just accelerating and coasting, not actual cruising? wistful look

My battery is also going so I'm keeping my car plugged in. I'm NOT going to spend $100 on a new battery lol. Battery works if I don't go more than 2 days without driving (when I bought it I could go almost a week). Geez with all of this I might've just bought a $1000 toyota echo beater and ecomodded that thing up....but then again it's my first car so maybe I'm just complaining about the normal stuff lol.

I'm probably going to start filling up at the halfway mark so I don't risk going a whole tank with bad FE lol (who would've thought 40+ MPG was a bad tank lol but I'm spoiled). Tanks are lasting me forever since I don't drive THAT much.

Don’t get discouraged, you’re still doing great... having to replace stuff like batteries and O2 sensors is just par for the course of owning an older car, I just had to buy almost $1000 in suspension to make my car roadworthy again(still need LCAs installed lol)...

I hadn’t yet considered a deep cycle battery but I likely should since I sometimes EOC after dark and would like to eventually disconnect my alt too... last battery I bought was from Wal-Mart at like $70

[mpg_numbers_guy]

Originally Posted by Ecky

You can definitely get a deep cycle battery. Be aware you have to upsize it because they have less CCA, so it takes a larger, heavier (and more expensive) battery to provide the same starting power. I've never run the numbers vs a normal flooded cell battery because... well, my car has NiMH, the battery under the hood does virtually nothing.

Where would you recommend looking for them? And how long do they generally last?

Originally Posted by 19bonestock88

Don’t get discouraged, you’re still doing great... having to replace stuff like batteries and O2 sensors is just par for the course of owning an older car, I just had to buy almost $1000 in suspension to make my car roadworthy again(still need LCAs installed lol)...

I hadn’t yet considered a deep cycle battery but I likely should since I sometimes EOC after dark and would like to eventually disconnect my alt too... last battery I bought was from Wal-Mart at like $70

Eh, I guess. I just want to get that O2 sensor fixed so I can go back to getting 50+ mpg lol. I mean geez, I'm getting 30-32mpg city / 33-34 mpg highway whenever I drive my parents' unecomodded minivan. 50 should be nothing for a Civic.

$1000 in suspension? Was that from your deer accident?

I wish I could EOC. I wonder if there's a way to wire up a kill switch that puts your car in DFCO mode instead of killing the engine.

I wonder if I could use something like this solar powered AC, and then go in and delete my AC, radio, and speakers. So far I haven't had to use AC yet, but it's also only gotten above 90 degrees Fahrenheit once outside when I've driven.

[19bonestock88]

Originally Posted by mpg_numbers_guy

Eh, I guess. I just want to get that O2 sensor fixed so I can go back to getting 50+ mpg lol. I mean geez, I'm getting 30-32mpg city / 33-34 mpg highway whenever I drive my parents' unecomodded minivan. 50 should be nothing for a Civic.

$1000 in suspension? Was that from your deer accident?

I wish I could EOC. I wonder if there's a way to wire up a kill switch that puts your car in DFCO mode instead of killing the engine.

I wonder if I could use something like this solar powered AC, and then go in and delete my AC, radio, and speakers. So far I haven't had to use AC yet, but it's also only gotten above 90 degrees Fahrenheit once outside when I've driven.

The suspension was just because it was worn out. I got the money from fixing the deer damage really cheaply(myself instead of a body shop)...

I don’t know if you could do an injector kill while in drive or not... it could completely stall/kill the engine and then you’d end up accidentally EOCing with a transmission not designed for it...

You could delete your air conditioning and stereo for weight savings but personally I like my stereo(though not my particular head unit)... window tint is far lighter than the solar fan and probably about as effective

[mpg_numbers_guy]

Originally Posted by 19bonestock88

I don’t know if you could do an injector kill while in drive or not... it could completely stall/kill the engine and then you’d end up accidentally EOCing with a transmission not designed for it...

How does the engine go into DFCO mode then? Surely if the engine can do it without stalling a switch can be wired to do the same thing.

Originally Posted by 19bonestock88

You could delete your air conditioning and stereo for weight savings but personally I like my stereo(though not my particular head unit)... window tint is far lighter than the solar fan and probably about as effective

Who needs a car radio if you can use Google Play Music and a bluetooth speaker?

I love...but window tints are expensive though.