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Old 03-14-2012, 10:28 AM   #1 (permalink)
mikehallbackhoe
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: weaverville, california
Posts: 126

honda crx - '84 honda crx 1300
90 day: 55.83 mpg (US)
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new (to me) crx owner

Hi, I am new to this forum, but have been in other fuel saving forums over the past few years. I ride a valkyrie motorcycle that gets me between 45 and 50 mpg. my latest purchase is a 1984 crx, with ethe 1300 cc engine, and high gear ratio. I am hoping for 50 + mpg. I live in the mountains and practice eoc, whenever I can. The crx , with a standard transmission, manuel steering and manuel brakes, should be much easier to coast with than my 95 nissan 4x4 pickup, with power steering and power brakes. I have gotten 26mpq with my nissan, but I really had to work for it. Hoping to implement some of the ideas on this forum.

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Old 03-14-2012, 11:15 AM   #2 (permalink)
Batman Junior
 
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Blackfly - '98 Geo Metro
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Last 3: 70.09 mpg (US)

MPGiata - '90 Mazda Miata
90 day: 52.71 mpg (US)

Even Fancier Metro - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage top spec
90 day: 70.75 mpg (US)

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Congrats on the CRX find! Lucky you.

I had an '85 breadbox Civic hatchback for a while with the same engine (don't remember which transmission - though it was manual). This was before fuel economy became a big interest for me, but I do remember being genuinely shocked at how good the mileage was just by keeping it to 90 km/h (55 mph) on trips on rural roads.

Are you sure it has manual brakes? I don't remember that.

Anyway, welcome to the site.
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Project MPGiata! Mods for getting 50+ MPG from a 1990 Miata
Honda mods: Ecomodding my $800 Honda Fit 5-speed beater
Mitsu mods: 70 MPG in my ecomodded, dirt cheap, 3-cylinder Mirage.
Ecodriving test: Manual vs. automatic transmission MPG showdown



EcoModder
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www.MetroMPG.com - fuel efficiency info for Geo Metro owners
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Old 03-14-2012, 11:16 AM   #3 (permalink)
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Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: 1000 Islands, Ontario, Canada
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Blackfly - '98 Geo Metro
Team Metro
Last 3: 70.09 mpg (US)

MPGiata - '90 Mazda Miata
90 day: 52.71 mpg (US)

Even Fancier Metro - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage top spec
90 day: 70.75 mpg (US)

Appliance car - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage ES (base)
90 day: 60.16 mpg (US)
Thanks: 4,058
Thanked 6,957 Times in 3,602 Posts
PS - post a pic of the car!
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Project MPGiata! Mods for getting 50+ MPG from a 1990 Miata
Honda mods: Ecomodding my $800 Honda Fit 5-speed beater
Mitsu mods: 70 MPG in my ecomodded, dirt cheap, 3-cylinder Mirage.
Ecodriving test: Manual vs. automatic transmission MPG showdown



EcoModder
has launched a forum for the efficient new Mitsubishi Mirage
www.MetroMPG.com - fuel efficiency info for Geo Metro owners
www.ForkenSwift.com - electric car conversion on a beer budget
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Old 03-14-2012, 10:51 PM   #4 (permalink)
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You have me drooling! I love my '87. My best is 62.9mpg. Do you know if yours is stock,
or maybe someone inserted the 1.3 later?
If stock, you are supposed to have an energy efficient special alternator which is quite rare now.

I have traveled through your area on vacations twice. Once on a motorcycling camping
trip, and last fall in the CRX. Beautiful area! Love the twisty road to the coast!

If I had an original 1.3, I'd be planning on how to get mid 70's mpg., but where I live
is much flatter!

Hope to read more posts of your ventures!
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PUMP THOSE TIRES UP!
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Old 03-15-2012, 08:42 PM   #5 (permalink)
mikehallbackhoe
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: weaverville, california
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honda crx - '84 honda crx 1300
90 day: 55.83 mpg (US)
Thanks: 0
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pictures are beyond my ability, I don't own a camera, or even a cell phone. this is definitely the original,unmodified 84 with 1.3 and high gears. when I say I am hoping for 50 + mpg, I am really hoping for the +. with the hills, comes lots of opportunities to coast. just turn the key off. and you can't even tell you are coasting, except that it speeds up . the guy who owned it before me didn't have it very long, but he had the carb rebuilt, major tune up, new exhaust system, new cv joint covers. IT is fairly clean, except the left front fender, which is mostly duct tape painted white. it has 130 thousand miles and runs like a champ. the guy I bought it from complained that after he did all those repairs, it started leaking oil really bad, and his mechanic told him it was either the oil pan gasket or the rear main seal, so he sold it to me for 1700 . I checked the leak, and found the oil filter had been put on too tight. new oil filter, and no more leak.
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Old 03-15-2012, 08:58 PM   #6 (permalink)
EcoModding Lurker
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: New Hampshire, USA
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Sporty2k - '00 Kia Sportage 4x4 EX
90 day: 25.04 mpg (US)
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Congrats on the purchase - owned a '89 CRX si what seems like forever ago, have lots of fond memories of that car.. Wish I still owned it today.

In high school, my friend owned the '85 carb'ed version, it got crazy gas mileage (for mid eighties), over 40mpg consistently, not that he used any hypermile techniques while driving..

Looking forward to hear of your experience w/ the CRX.
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Old 03-15-2012, 09:41 PM   #7 (permalink)
mikehallbackhoe
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: weaverville, california
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honda crx - '84 honda crx 1300
90 day: 55.83 mpg (US)
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I too have heard something about a special alternator on some of the crx's .anybody know what years had the special alternator?
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Old 03-15-2012, 10:12 PM   #8 (permalink)
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Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: 1000 Islands, Ontario, Canada
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Blackfly - '98 Geo Metro
Team Metro
Last 3: 70.09 mpg (US)

MPGiata - '90 Mazda Miata
90 day: 52.71 mpg (US)

Even Fancier Metro - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage top spec
90 day: 70.75 mpg (US)

Appliance car - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage ES (base)
90 day: 60.16 mpg (US)
Thanks: 4,058
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My understanding is that the HF model (and Civic VX) had the special alternator.

Quote:
- The high efficiency Honda Civic VX and CRX HF models reduce alternator charging under certain cirucumstances. The VX computer instructs the alternator to drop from 14.5 volts to 12.5 (ie. not charging the battery) when all of the following are true:
- Load below 10A
- Speed below 40 MPH
- Engine speed below 3600 RPM
- Coolant temp above 140 F
- A/C off
- Intake air temp above 65 F
- Brake switch off
- Fuel cut-off not active
In other words, the alternator is essentially "idling" when the load on it is low, the car is warmed up and being driven gently. Note that the alternator reverts to normal charging when braking or decelerating (fuel cut-off mode), which is like a simple form of regenerative braking found in modern hybrids and electric vehicles.
Plug-in Blackfly: going alternator optional nets +10% mpg - MetroMPG.com

Info came from EcoModder member Randy. I forget which one
__________________
Project MPGiata! Mods for getting 50+ MPG from a 1990 Miata
Honda mods: Ecomodding my $800 Honda Fit 5-speed beater
Mitsu mods: 70 MPG in my ecomodded, dirt cheap, 3-cylinder Mirage.
Ecodriving test: Manual vs. automatic transmission MPG showdown



EcoModder
has launched a forum for the efficient new Mitsubishi Mirage
www.MetroMPG.com - fuel efficiency info for Geo Metro owners
www.ForkenSwift.com - electric car conversion on a beer budget
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Old 03-15-2012, 11:08 PM   #9 (permalink)
mikehallbackhoe
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: weaverville, california
Posts: 126

honda crx - '84 honda crx 1300
90 day: 55.83 mpg (US)
Thanks: 0
Thanked 4 Times in 4 Posts
I was conidering doing the alternator delete, but now I don't think so. what gets me. is that the new honda hybrid has a 1.3 liter engine, plus an electric motor and a bunch of batteries, and gets 48 mpg. why don't they drop that electric motor and heavy batteries, and just run the 1.3 like they did in 84? if honda could build a 1.3 in 84 that could get over 50 mpg, surely they could improve on that concept 28 years later.
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Old 03-15-2012, 11:21 PM   #10 (permalink)
Batman Junior
 
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Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: 1000 Islands, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 22,513

Blackfly - '98 Geo Metro
Team Metro
Last 3: 70.09 mpg (US)

MPGiata - '90 Mazda Miata
90 day: 52.71 mpg (US)

Even Fancier Metro - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage top spec
90 day: 70.75 mpg (US)

Appliance car - '14 Mitsubishi Mirage ES (base)
90 day: 60.16 mpg (US)
Thanks: 4,058
Thanked 6,957 Times in 3,602 Posts
Mostly because the motoring press and the automakers have trained the public to think that a 0-60 acceleration time in excess of 10 seconds is ludicrously slow, bordering on dangerous.

Well, that's one reason, anyway.

__________________
Project MPGiata! Mods for getting 50+ MPG from a 1990 Miata
Honda mods: Ecomodding my $800 Honda Fit 5-speed beater
Mitsu mods: 70 MPG in my ecomodded, dirt cheap, 3-cylinder Mirage.
Ecodriving test: Manual vs. automatic transmission MPG showdown



EcoModder
has launched a forum for the efficient new Mitsubishi Mirage
www.MetroMPG.com - fuel efficiency info for Geo Metro owners
www.ForkenSwift.com - electric car conversion on a beer budget
  Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to MetroMPG For This Useful Post:
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