Ready to start on a new road... (WRX STI to Civic HX)
 

Hello folks!

I recently sold my 2011 WRX STI to get out from under a horrific monthly payment. That, combined with the less than stellar mileage from the factory, and the fact that it was really a blast to put your foot down in it had me throwing money down the tube on my commute.

Tonight I bought a 2003 Civic HX with the lean burn motor (I think... But I've read that may not be the case for California cars?) and I'm ready to get the most out of it. I'll be driving it stock for some time and logging for at least a few tanks after I get my Scangauge in order to get some nice accurate baseline data before I begin to modify anything.

I'll make the attempt to be as scientific as possible and post as much data as I can for each mod, before and after. I was seriously inspired by AndrewJ and his posts about his 5th gen Civic hatchback. I'm impressed by the ingenuity on these forums and look forward to contributing!

Sounds like a fun purchase. i think by the seventh gen civics (2001-2005) even the cali models had lean burn functionality... improvements in the technology...

Welcome aboard. The basic standard here is ABA testing, the more data and evidence you collect, the more popular it will be :)

sad to see the STI go. I have spent some time racing my friends 2005 STI and its a blast.

grats on the HX. fuel economy is its own "performance" driving

Welcome to the site. I'd have to agree, "performance" isnt always measured in horsepower. :)

I can't even imagine I would ever drive another car that got 10 MPG and burn 100 gallons of gas a week. Welcome to the forum, you have officially been absorbed into the realm of efficionadoes.

regards
Mech

Thanks for the welcome!

I spent the weekend getting the basics in line; New spark plugs, oil change to synthetic, tire pressure set to max +2, and plenty of reading on how to engage lean burn mode and keep it there as long as possible. Fresh tank this morning, so we'll see what the next few weeks bring as a baseline for my 70 mile commute.

I've been looking into the MPGuino pre-assembled kits, and will likely do that soon. looks like most of the sources are a bit outdated now though. In the meantime, I ordered a bluetooth OBD2 connector to pair with my Nexus running the Torque Pro app. Should arrive Tuesday thanks to Amazon Prime. I'm excited to see how that works as an inexpensive alternative to a Scanguage or Ultraguage.

I'd like to know too. I have an android tablet and the Ultra Gauge I have puts a parasitic draw on the battery even when the car is off. I'm told new UG edition does not have that problem, but you can't get the free update for mine. If Torque is good, I might switch. Please report back what you get for sensor readings and how well the app can be calibrated to real world conditions.

:thumbup:

FWIW: When I had my Android I used Torque with a BT OBD2 unit. It rocked! I wasn't using it for MPG's then, but all the functionality was awesome. Wish he made one for iPhone :(