Team Honda Thread

[scivicblu83]

how do i go about helping team honda's mileage scoring? I got 69.55 mpg on my last tank. also what category would i post pics of my car and it's mods?

[PaleMelanesian]

Go here (http://ecomodder.com/forum/team.php?id=1) and click on "join". Your numbers are certainly welcome in our team.

[California98Civic]

Originally Posted by scivicblu83

what category would i post pics of my car and it's mods?

Sounds like stuff for a thread on your build in the "Ecomodding Central" section of the forum. But anywhere you choose, we'd love to see your pics!

Originally Posted by pletby

Oooooh! How'd ya go about doing that? Where'd ya put them? Any pics for us to see? I'd be super interested to see your installation!

Have not decided what to do with the second, smaller, battery. But maybe run some accessories off of it (cabin fan, radiator fan, and maybe radio), recharging it with solar power, occasionally with plug in charger too. After I pass through CA smog testing, I'll post pics...

[sheepdog 44]

Just put on a choroplast grill block. At first i noticed it seemed like it was struggling to gain speed from a stand still. On the way to work i could notice the difference but couldn't tell if it was good or bad. On my way home i finally felt the difference. I was gaining about 2 mph extra on some downhills, and on the flats i could maintain 3-4mpg over before. I still need to make some more runs before i can quantify any gain that i'm getting.

My concern is that my car might be working harder for air on accelerating so i could be losing mpg. But i don't know too much about how cars work.

[brucepick]

Originally Posted by sheepdog 44

Just put on a choroplast grill block. At first i noticed it seemed like it was struggling to gain speed from a stand still. On the way to work i could notice the difference but couldn't tell if it was good or bad. On my way home i finally felt the difference. I was gaining about 2 mph extra on some downhills, and on the flats i could maintain 3-4mpg over before. I still need to make some more runs before i can quantify any gain that i'm getting.

My concern is that my car might be working harder for air on accelerating so i could be losing mpg. But i don't know too much about how cars work.

Welcome to Team Honda! We're glad to have you here.

Some thoughts on grill blocks...

Grill block is generally a nearly always a successful mod. First, it limits the amount of air banging around in the engine bay. It also reduces the excess cooling of the air washing over the engine. Not a consideration in summer but in winter I can see nearly a 10 degree increase in engine temp because without a grill block it wouldn't come up to its normal level of 182 deg.

There are two things to watch out for with a grill block, as I see it.

1. Use a digital temp gauge to ensure you're not letting the engine overheat. You don't want a check engine light or even the sound of the radiator fan running to be your indicator that it got too hot. I don't know if the Gen 1 Insight has a readout for that built in or not. I get it from my ScanGauge 2 ('97 Civic).
2. Make sure you haven't chocked off the engine's air supply. See if you can find where the air intake is, or ask one of our Insight drivers here. If it's in the engine bay somewhere, you want to be sure you haven't sealed it off so thoroughly that it can't get air.

On my Civic, I leave a few small slots open, up near the hood. In summer, I do have about an 8"x10" opening in the lower grill block. It seems to need it for engine cooling.

[Cobb]

Ultimately I tried a full vs partial in this hotter weather without ac. The full grill block helped mpg the most, even if the car did not pull as much ignition and valve timing as it does when the cooling fans arent used to keep the temp in check because of sufficient air flow. The engine doesnt alter timing because the cooling fans are on, it does it to avoid knocking that seems easer to do when the engine is hotter.

Now if you run ac, even on its lowest setting, the fans are run at a low speed and kept the car below 190.

I have the 3/4 the lower blocked and an 8th of the top uncovered so it keeps cool when ac isnt needed. If its going up to 200, I am likely going to roll up the windows and turn on the ac and boom, its back to the mid 180s.

[MetroMPG]

I noticed yesterday: I'm @ 997 miles on my current (10.6 US gal) tank. The last fuel gauge bar (out of 20) just went out and the low fuel light is on. Think I should get gas soon!

Dashboard display is saying 96 mpg (US). So it should be close to that in reality.

[PaleMelanesian]

Looks like a Kilo tank for you! Great work!

I'm sitting at 92.5 / 520 miles and 3/4 remaining on my tank. If I hold this I might get as far as 1250 miles.

[sheepdog 44]

Well (69.5mpg), i raged one day (67.6), and had some good long forced regens till it started acting normal, then drove lazily efficient (66.9mpg). So i might gain a +2mpg increase, but hey, who says you always get it right on the first try.

Can't do the fancy hypermile stuff with engine off neutral pulse glide etc.

My gains shall be from driving with load and aeromodding. As such grill block preliminary testing and info gathering has been a success. Next week shall be devoted to front wheel skirt design and fabrication R&D. Followed by Lexan Kammback/Choroplast boat tail.

Very few fans and much stares. Haters be hatin,' Skaters be skatin' on the free horsepower of the wind. Driving a low drag vehicle will be a dream. Not many people approach the feeling of driving a concept car.

[brucepick]

Sheepdog,
Those are really good numbers for an auto trams car! And you have great lans for it too; you'll do very well.

My Civic is back to normal again. Had an odd week with the ac compressor gradually seizing up. The belt eventually broke so its running nice and quiet again, and mpg is back up where I expect. Problem with ac clutch and bearings so now it won't turn at all.