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Old 05-08-2011, 01:23 AM   #31 (permalink)
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Actually, the ultragauge only turns off if the switch is in the kill position for a few seconds, and it'll come back on when the switch is flipped back to run. I wasn't really paying attention to it while I was doing my driving test of it. If I only have it on kill for 2 seconds until the engine is completely dead, the ultragauge should stay on.

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Old 05-15-2011, 12:33 AM   #32 (permalink)
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Little update. My ultragauge actually turns off instantly when I hit the kill switch with a running engine (it'll stay on a couple seconds if the engine isn't running before hitting the swtich). Doesn't really matter to me because I mainly use it for info like tps, intake and engine temp, instant MPG is only used for relative numbers because I can't seem to get it calibrated right with all the engine braking I have to do down hills.

I'm out of ideas for mods. I can't do a belly pan because I don't have a way to lift the car. I might throw some quick rear skirts on tomorrow just for kicks. I want to do something to help with reconnecting the airflow, but there isn't much conclusive info out there for sedans as to what works best. Any ideas?
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Old 05-15-2011, 01:12 AM   #33 (permalink)
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You would benefit from a Kammback, given what I have seen about sedans on this site. The sedan 6th gen Civic rear window has a more steep angle that my coupe. So you should benefit more from building a full kammback, changing the angle to a near perfect 15% slope. Search it on this site and see. I also would look into an airdam, maybe not quite as large as some others on this site. Tire spats? Personally, I might avoid the front end belly pan because of possible engine temp issues. But I have noticed that the area behind my gas tank, back to the rear bumper cover, is wide open. The rear bumper cover must be like a parachute. I plan to close that in with a partial rear bellypan and maybe add a defuser sometime.
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Old 05-15-2011, 04:34 AM   #34 (permalink)
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In post 24, I talk about covering the area before the rear bumper (not sure if you saw that). I'm thinking of getting a cheap webcam that I can ziptie under the car to see how much that piece moves and if I need to add more zipties. Doing the same on the passenger's side is a no go, the muffler gets way too hot for coroplast to touch. Aluminum would probably work great, if you can get some for cheap.

A full kammback would be nice, but right now I'm going for the easy stuff, especially mods that will use the coroplast that has been sitting in my back seat for a month. Maybe I could throw an easily removable and collapsible one together with coroplast that I can put in the trunk for city driving so I can still see out the back window.

I'm not sure about an airdam, it seems pretty smooth underneath, it might do more harm than good. I've been thinking of tire spats since I saw a first-gen Insight the other day, I'll see what my mounting options are like. I started to remove the stock belly pan, only to find out that it wraps up to the sides and acts as a splash guard. It would be cool to make an aluminum one that does the same and extends back a bit farther.
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Old 05-15-2011, 06:25 AM   #35 (permalink)
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More easy ideas:

side skirts
rear wheel skirts
did you ever try side mirror delete yet?
windshield wiper cover
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Old 05-15-2011, 01:51 PM   #36 (permalink)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vskid3 View Post
In post 24, I talk about covering the area before the rear bumper (not sure if you saw that).
I saw it, but I forgot. Sorry. I would wonder with jedi-sol about whether you have tried the mirror delete. If the 3-6% Cd benefit is real, then you could realize really significant gains. I feel like I did. Out on the highway, in throttle position 16.1 on the UG, I get 52 mpg, sometimes more, sometimes less, sometimes over 60mph, sometimes under. I have made only two really significant aero mods: grille blocks and mirror deletes. You could try the mirrors. It is easily done and easily reversed. But be careful getting behind the door panels, their are lots of old plastic fasteners that I found brittle, and I had to permanently break a couple to get enough clearance for the hardware removal. Still, you can't tell looking at the car now.
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See my car's mod & maintenance thread and my electric bicycle's thread for ongoing projects. I will rebuild Black and Green over decades as parts die, until it becomes a different car of roughly the same shape and color. My minimum fuel economy goal is 55 mpg while averaging posted speed limits. I generally top 60 mpg. See also my Honda manual transmission specs thread.



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Old 05-15-2011, 03:04 PM   #37 (permalink)
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Do you have a picture of your mirrors, and where you got them? I'll see about a wiper cover, I really just want to have a back seat again.
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Old 05-15-2011, 11:41 PM   #38 (permalink)
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I didn't get as much done today as I would have hoped, but I did get the passenger side mirror removed and a replacement kinda rigged into place.


I removed the rubber gasket sort of piece from the mirror and bolted it back on to hopefully maintain waterproofness. The coroplast was used to spread the pressure.


Here is the blindspot mirror I got, temporarily rigged up (mainly for the drive to Home Depot for the bolts). Still thinking of how to best mount it.
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Old 05-15-2011, 11:45 PM   #39 (permalink)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vskid3 View Post
Here is the blindspot mirror I got, temporarily rigged up (mainly for the drive to Home Depot for the bolts). Still thinking of how to best mount it.
Nice start. My convex passenger side mirror is mounted on the passenger's sun visor, on the vanity mirror lid. Gives me max adjustability and can be "hidden" ... does not hinder the use of the vanity, either. I can see the right side and back of the car, increasing visibility over the previous arrangement.
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See my car's mod & maintenance thread and my electric bicycle's thread for ongoing projects. I will rebuild Black and Green over decades as parts die, until it becomes a different car of roughly the same shape and color. My minimum fuel economy goal is 55 mpg while averaging posted speed limits. I generally top 60 mpg. See also my Honda manual transmission specs thread.



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Old 05-16-2011, 08:56 PM   #40 (permalink)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by California98Civic View Post
Ten years of experience behind the wheel of this car (my only car) and tracking its millage tank-to-tank has taught me to appreciate 55mph and down as pretty optimal in terms of FE. But above 60mph, it has seemed the FE goes down rather quickly. AS you know, I have no gauges other than my brain, the odometer, and the fuel gauge. This tank I have returned to 60mph, but I am compensating with bump-starting (which I had not been doing). I also added grille blocks and a passenger-side mirror delete. My mods are craft more than science. But I love this site, and I am extremely grateful for its existence. Its great to learn.
If you can hold the speed to around 65 mph there should be a worthwhile difference in FE (compared to 70 mph) without getting run over on the highway.

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