New guy from FL
 

I've been browsing the site for a while and figured it was time to finally take the plunge and introduce myself. I'm Scott, from Fort Myers, FL. I've always been into cars, but focused primarily on speed rather than efficiency.

I recently picked up an abused and unloved (but cheap!) 2001 Civic EX with 168k miles on it. I've been cleaning it up a bit, reading up on MPG tips, and most of all trying to retrain my heavy right foot.

So far I love the site and it's no-nonsense, analytical nature; the Honda forums I've visited have been absolutely dreadful. Hope to find a nice home here, continue to learn, and hopefully contribute to the wealth of knowledge.

Miata = fun car, Civic = the new commuter/MPG car, I assume? Glad to see you got a manual. Way more engaging & offers more flexibility to squeeze out great MPG.

Highly recommend that you pick up a ScanGauge, Ultragauge or equivalent to speed up the rewiring of your brain. Instant & resettable average MPG feedback is critical for adjusting the nut behind the wheel and developing new techniques/strategies. A gauge will pay for itself pretty quickly, plus they're useful for other things.

Lots of the skills involved in going fast (track / autocross driving) -- not to mention the general mindset of honing a set of techniques to achieve a goal -- apply to driving for fuel economy. It can be just as challenging/entertaining.

Welcome to the forum!

Thanks for the tips.

I actually bought a PLX Kiwi MPG, although I'm not sure how confident I am in it so far. It seems to jump around a good bit, even at constant speed/throttle. I guess that's what I get for being cheap.

The miata is the fun car, I'm building a motor for a turbo now. It's definitely nice to have a quiet, gas sipping car though, especially when you can still enjoy the drive.

The kiwi is an alright device. MPG really does jump around that much. A darn small change in throttle position can really effect mileage a lot.

Good luck and welcome to the site.

As a long time SGII user, the MPG is bouncing around a LOT. that is where your foot comes into play. get use to holding that number above XX value and make a game out of trying for a trip average of at least tank +5 MPG :D

I guess that's good news on the Kiwi, I thought for sure it was acting up. I'm anxious to see how my mileage changes with driving habit adjustments and a few small modifications.

Welcome aboard!
A heavy right foot on the accelerator is not that detrimental to fuel economy unless it causes you to use the brakes. Brakes convert fuel to heat and brake dust. My primary hypermiling technique is Driving Without Brakes. I rarely make it through a tank in my Mustang without accidentally squealing the tires at least once.:D

No wonder highway mileage is usually higher, in spite of the also higher speed...