Good Engine Start-up Tip

[Ryland]

So this is another reason for turning the car to "run" before putting your seat belt on, then start the coasting down the driveway, popping the clutch to start the engine.
I like this.

[cfg83]

thatguitarguy -

Originally Posted by thatguitarguy

I haven't been able to find a 2nd sensor on my Civic. There aren't any wires at the cat or anywhere on the exhaust except for the O2 sensor sticking out of the front of the exhaust manifold. Pricey, but easy to get to.

Yeah, I went looking at partstrain.com for your 1995 Civic, and it wasn't clear that there was more than one 02 sensor. It did look like *most* of the sensors were 4-wire, but there were unheated sensors too. Maybe your Colorado(?) Civic has a different exhaust configuration.

Also, a 1995 car is pre-OBDII.

CarloSW2

[thatguitarguy]

Originally Posted by cfg83

thatguitarguy -



Yeah, I went looking at partstrain.com for your 1995 Civic, and it wasn't clear that there was more than one 02 sensor. It did look like *most* of the sensors were 4-wire, but there were unheated sensors too. Maybe your Colorado(?) Civic has a different exhaust configuration.

Also, a 1995 car is pre-OBDII.

CarloSW2

I think the car was built in Canada and the original owner bought it in MI and brought it with her to CO. I think what counts is that it's not a CA car. I guess those are all different because of CARB.

It is OBDI and it was throwing a code at me for the heater circuit on the O2 sensor. I changed the sensor, and it is a 4 wire, and when I did, I looked all over the exhaust system and found no other wires. I always thought the important one was in the cat, but this one doesn't even have one in the cat.

Some people think that the older cars are more polluting because of fewer sensors and a less complex system, but when cars like Civics and Metros use that much less fuel in the first place, they are less polluting by nature.

[Christ]

Most cars only have two of them after 1996. Pre-1996 are OBD-I compliant, and don't need Cat checks, but they were optional to manufacturers.

[discovery]

Newer Porsches have this option of pre heating the sensors. You trun the key and watch the display on the dash.

[thatguitarguy]

Originally Posted by discovery

Newer Porsches have this option of pre heating the sensors. You trun the key and watch the display on the dash.

Well that justifies a $2900 battery!!

[TomO]

I can test this but I don't have my MPGuino assembled yet I am running my block heater daily at this point on my VX. I always set the key to on and let the CEL and upshift light go out before cranking the motor over (this allows the fuel pump to prime and the car to start quickly). I have a yellowtop Optima deepcycle battery in my car (41Ahr) and can easily let the key sit in the "ON" position while I get my kids in the car and get them buckled and set to allow my Wideband to heat up.

[bgd73]

Originally Posted by ProtractedSilence

I don't know if anyone else has catloged this before, but it should be helpful.

One of my friends is an engineer at Honda and he told me that at least on Honda vehicles you should be able to get better mileage by turning the key to "ACC" prior to engine start-up for 1-2 minutes. The reason being that in this state, there are element heaters on some of the wide and narrow band fuel mixture sensors that are activated. Then, when you do do turn on the engine and start driving these sensors should be able to effectively adjust the fuel/air ratio.

I don't know how far back this tip works for Hondas, or if it will work for other vehicles.

Who will commit to try it and see if it makes a difference?

that is funny.
to call it technological evolution, ya know, like everything before vtec...

they are mimicking an electric choke.

alot of japanese (the first I knew of, aside from diesels) have a bell even for carb cars (35+ years), wait for the bells to stop and then start, it avoids rich conditions, sometimes the little fuel pumps know to give it a squirt, if given a few seconds before hand..pumping once or twice of course before hand. that is a big big confusion for our retarded planet.

[Christ]

Oddly, I don't remember any kind of "bell" on any of my old japanese carb'd engines, including my Honda CRX and my older Subaru Justy field car.