EP3er Here

[EP3]

Hey all I have a 02 Honda Civic Si. I just found about this group of "Hyper Milers" I am 25 year old male. When I was 16 I would have laughed at this, but hey gas was like $1.50 or something then (maybe an exaggeration).
I am really interested in this. See my problem has been on the life on the road, the dreaded lead foot issue, and was big in racing and felt like it was a competiton, but when I was 18 a had a bad wreck while racing. I've learned from that wreck and will never race again. I watched some videos of hyper milers and found out there are some out there like me that see driving as an unspoken competition. I am taking my curse and trying to make it into a good thing. So if there are some here I feel your pain and let me know if it has worked for you.
I have just started my hyper miler experience. I know the performance end of my car but not too much on the economy. My car is pretty much stock with a K&N drop in air filter. I have removed all excess weight from my trunk and thinking of removing spare tire and just putting "fix a flat" and a tire pluger in the same spot to save some weight. I have 205 60 15 tires which are one size big I have ordered some 195 60 15 H rated tires. They are Falken Ziex Ze 912 195/60R15 20Lbs. 480 Treadwear ULTRA HIGH PERFORMANCE ALL-SEASON tires (direction tires). Just due to $53 dollars a tire to get me down to the right size let me know soon if this is a bad size. On my 205 60 15 I am at 46 psi all around (51 psi max) from the 33 front and 30 rear sticker on the car. I am in hot weather here in NC, it has been around 90 degrees lately. Another question; is that too high for my current weather?
I know I have a lot reading and research ahead of me to get good. I do mostly city driving. Next month I am buying a house and my commute will be about 30 miles. 95% highway. I am sorry but for now I have got to use my a/c or in the morning I maybe could crack my windows, but not sure if that is better than a/c . I work for 24 hrs so my cumnmute is always in early morning. Sorry a ton for a first post but you guys and girls sound like a good bunch.

p.s. I am a Firefighter so I will try to Hyper the fire truck , who will care about my response times.

Thanks again all.

[FX2.3]

Originally Posted by EP3

p.s. I am a Firefighter so I will try to Hyper the fire truck , who will care about my response times.

That's not necessary, lol.

Welcome!

[greenwar]

Hi there,

Welcome to the forum. I drive an EP3 as well. I try mild hypermiling techniques and get around 30-35 mpg in mixed city/hwy driving. I mostly do city driving though. My commute to work is very short so engine doesn't really get to operating temp until the end of the commute to work.

You mentioned you put in 46psi in your tires. Does that make the car bumpy? My ep3 is extremely bumpy even with 34psi in the tires. I wonder if the previous owner replaced the springs on my car. I replaced the front struts that make it livable.

The tires I have on my car are 205/55/16 Bridgestone potenzas that are grippy hence bad for achieving good gas mileage. A touring tire would have been a better investment for me. I am thinking about trying 15" tires on my car which should help with the ride. I wonder if they put larger brakes on the 04+ ep3s which seems to come with the 16" wheels.

Good luck achieving good FE. Consider getting a scangauge II if you can. Ecomodders get a discount when buying that gauge.

Regards,
Greenwar.

[EP3]

Not sure about how bumpy at 46 Psi. I just did this today. I will try to get on the highway soon and see how bad it is. I also have a short commute for now, something like 5 miles one way. It seemed noticably harder (the tires I know duh more psi but I can feel it in the ride) though in my short drive. Also my car does not ride nearly as smooth pre any hyper mile stuff as my wifes 2005 Honda Civic 4 door Lx. This is obvious due to it being a Si, with a different suspension. I noticed before when I go over speed bump it seems harsh. Maybe this is what you are you talking about. It may be the fact I have 205 60 15. It could make a difference with your size. I had 16 on another car and they did seem hard too. But I think they where 205 45 16 on after market rims. One thing maybe is that I thought the knewer Ep3s 2005yr have a five lug pattern maybe a slightly different setup? It is not what you want to hear but it could be many things. BTW my car has 79k miles on it right now. Also could be the tire brand. Just a guess. But I will get back with on a update on my experience. I wonder if anyone has used directional tires with better MPG, I know the handling is suspose to be better.

[Vince-HX]

Welcome

Your engine, k20a3, uses vtec-e and has a bunch of potential, it even spins the right way, lol.

I use the exact same tire but a little smaller, 205-50-15s, and keep my tire pressure @ 47 psi. I havent noticed any wearing issues or anything out of the ordinary and our temps here in Phoenix are 115 degrees Great tire though, its my favorite for the price and flexibility.

[greenwar]

Thanks, I would be interested to hear how bumpy your ep3 is with 46psi. My car with 34psi can be jarring over bad pavement. 04+ ep3s have the 5 lug. Mine has the 5lug wheels. I am suspecting springs on my car had been swapped for something stiffer.

[EP3]

Also Greenwar I would love to be able to get that high of MPG. I average 25-26 MPG the total opposite of any Hypermiler tips. First tank 7 miles so far will let you know how it goes.

[EP3]

Originally Posted by greenwar

Thanks, I would be interested to hear how bumpy your ep3 is with 46psi. My car with 34psi can be jarring over bad pavement. 04+ ep3s have the 5 lug. Mine has the 5lug wheels. I am suspecting springs on my car had been swapped for something stiffer.

Yeah that is very possible. That is one of the first things people tend to do. How many finger gap is there. I bet it was something very small like a progressive spring like a 1''-1.25 '' drop not very much but could change the ride for sure.


Also crying that you have a S2000. (jerk) jk ... sweet car

[greenwar]

Originally Posted by EP3

Also Greenwar I would love to be able to get that high of MPG. I average 25-26 MPG the total opposite of any Hypermiler tips. First tank 7 miles so far will let you know how it goes.

Thats exactly what i was getting 25-26. But I drove spiritedly. So that was ok. Getting good MPG out of this car is a bit of a challenge due to the gearing. Engine turns at 3k rpm at 70 mph.

[EP3]

Originally Posted by Vince-HX

Welcome

Your engine, k20a3, uses vtec-e and has a bunch of potential, it even spins the right way, lol.

I use the exact same tire but a little smaller, 205-50-15s, and keep my tire pressure @ 47 psi. I havent noticed any wearing issues or anything out of the ordinary and our temps here in Phoenix are 115 degrees Great tire though, its my favorite for the price and flexibility.

Yeah there is something to the smaller size. Proably less unspun weight or more weight closer the center of the hub. Ok that ends my pretend to be smart moment. (sweet emote)