Gas Saving Tips

[tda1337]

Originally Posted by leonphelpss11

I always thought it was 2500-3000 was the perfect rpm range for manual??? What do you mean about the ac hack? I'm not really understanding that part??

Also I thought Honda recommends 27-30 psi for the tires??

well maybe for the ones on the dx or the rims
but Honda has filled mine to 32 PSI (i bought those *** little thingys that go on and tell u when it goes below 32 lol dont worry, they are comming off soon... but im too lazy to swap em out now... bought em for a joke... neways)

As far as manual, it really depends on how u drive
i personally get WAY better MPG the lower my RPM is lol
and ive found that 55 MPG is only 1-2 MPG better than 45 (most cars 45 is the best MPG but our cars aerodynamics seem to help a bit lol)
Tho the car hits a brick wall at 125 people say, i personally havent made it over 115... and id LOVE to try.. but i dont need another speeding ticket


A/C hack:
Basically from the factory your car comes with a front window defogger that ALWAYS has the A/C on when you turn on the fan for it. Why dont you see the A/C button on? Not entirely sure as to the reason, but i have a feeling as most people on this planet have the IQ of a plant, people would prolly get confused when there window wouldnt defog with all the windows shut... (numnuts um sure lol)
Well
Someone at the factory programmed a NICE little hack for those of us that want to CONTROL the ability of the A/C compressor

Step 1: Quick Test (LEAVE WINDOW OPEN IF YOUR DEAF!)
Turn the vehicle on and play around with the controls. (when standing in Park/neutral) You should be able to hear the compressor kick on when the front window defogger is on (test with the lowest fan setting to hear it)
If you hear the compressor "click..." (followed by a quick drop and rebound of the RPM at idle) this hack is right for you (unless of course it only Happens when the A/C button is lite.)

Step 2:
Click the Head air only (the button to the top far left of the controls)
Turn the Fan OFF
Turn the Temp to the coldest setting (that means rotate the knob as far left as possible without breaking plastic lol)

Step 3:
SHUT OFF CAR ....

Step 4:
NOW tricky part...
Hold the Recirculating air button (the one with the car and the oval with arrow in it) AND the A/C button at the same time as STARTING the ignition

DO NOT LET GO OF THOSE BUTTONS
Wait for it
Wait for it
COME ON

ok
you will see one flash a few times, Wait for the flashing to stop and the other light to come on (generally its the recirc. flashing then the a/c comes on)

Step 5: Retest
Shouldnt take long to retest to see if what you have done has worked
just turn on the fan one notch, then click the window defogger
if the A/c Button comes on, you did it right
Make sure turnning the A/C on and off you hear the click in your engine (keep windows open if your on the deaf side)

if it didnt work, START OVER



YES it does work
i did it to my car!!!

[jwb6658]

on my daily trips to and from work, before i reach long hills i will actually turn my engine off and coast down the hill. no better way of saving gas then turning the engine off. i should make it clear to only do that with MANUAL. to get the engine back on is merely just having to kick start it. I save so much gas doing that. also, if i'm coasting with the engine off to a stop light i will just leave it off until it turns green and fire up the ignition.

hypermiling FTW

[jwb6658]

Also, fill those tires with nitrogen! compressed air is for the birds. +1-2 mpg

[HDNewSI]

08SI sedan .. 1tank city M/23.73. 2tank HWY M/30.94. Good or bad?....all gear pass are b/3000rpm...car have 659M on now ...

[OEM_SI]

Originally Posted by jwb6658

on my daily trips to and from work, before i reach long hills i will actually turn my engine off and coast down the hill. no better way of saving gas then turning the engine off. i should make it clear to only do that with MANUAL. to get the engine back on is merely just having to kick start it. I save so much gas doing that. also, if i'm coasting with the engine off to a stop light i will just leave it off until it turns green and fire up the ignition.

hypermiling FTW

How you kick start it,... thanks.

[jwb6658]

put it in gear and let the clutch out. Since the ignition is still on, it turns over the engine and starts car.

[akronmusician413]

i kicked started my car by accident once but it worked in my favor lol...also i heard that skipping gears is bad for snycros? many people say they do this is it true?

[tda1337]

well i can see starting ur car like that, but think of your starter and how many times u will start it a day? starter replacements on american cars are like 400+ so i can imagine what it would cost on a civic!!!
coasting with the car off is really dangerous due to the inability to stop as well
so thats a little stupid in case a DEER or cat runs in front of u

i just nailed a beutiful 44 mpg, but im not happy 23000+ on my car already only 1 year owned so far
i believe its time for a filter replacement lol but im not sure
i know im still taking it in for service when required by the car so im sure they will replace it since it will be my "25000 mile" service, even tho it will be in at about 26,000
and yes i beat on my car from time to time.. i cant help but listen to that beutiful sound as it whips up to 6000 rpm lol

tricks of the trade: {R18A1 friendly!!!}

a/c hack as described

neutral to stops and down hills (DO NOT ENGINE BREAK! it will damage your engine, ask ANY expert, u see those cars blowing smoke? they engine brake! ask my father hahah he has had a rebuild on his accord because he does to save brake pads which cost like 20 bux lol {92 honda accord dx, 303,000 miles (rebuild at 170,000) } <<< BUY HONDA!!!!})

shift before 2100 RPM if possible unless going up hill, then shift at about 2700 RPM

increase tire pressure to 38-40 PSI with Nitrogen

keep filter clean

do not run with A/C too often

keep car unloaded of unneccessary junk

DRIVE AT 55 MPH on flat areas
Increase speed down hill via neutral or light on gas
slow down up hills keeping steady gas
the car doesnt require a heavy pedal to go, just barely tapping the gas is all u need

Do not tail people, esp ones who drive automatics!!! they suck!!!



extras:
Lower 1-2 inches and use performance shocks truts springs
get rid of tail fins but add honda genuine body kits
get 17" Rims with low profile tires as LOW WEIGHT as possible
Gut areas of car that u dont use or are unneccesary (keep the spare tho, trust me on that)
use a scangauge II to figure out YOUR best driving habits!!!

I wish i could do a few of the above, but im poor, so for now ill settle for my 32-45 range lol
Im gonna check the air filter tonight to make sure thats why i lost 1 mpg on the trip haha

[minger]

Originally Posted by tda1337

coasting with the car off is really dangerous due to the inability to stop as well
so thats a little stupid in case a DEER or cat runs in front of u

With the engine off, you can still use the brake...once and its still fine, you've still got enough vacuum but the second/third times are progressively harder. But again, the brakes do work with the car off.

neutral to stops and down hills (DO NOT ENGINE BREAK! it will damage your engine, ask ANY expert, u see those cars blowing smoke? they engine brake! ask my father hahah he has had a rebuild on his accord because he does to save brake pads which cost like 20 bux lol {92 honda accord dx, 303,000 miles (rebuild at 170,000) } <<< BUY HONDA!!!!})

Engine braking is perfectly fine, unless its something completely excessive like dropping to 2nd gear while going 70 downhill. Your car will engine break when over 1500 rpm and you're not giving it any throttle.

increase tire pressure to 38-40 PSI with Nitrogen

Regular air works just as well, even though it'll fluctuate more with the temperatures. Its just cheaper when its free.

DRIVE AT 55 MPH on flat areas
Increase speed down hill via neutral or light on gas
slow down up hills keeping steady gas
the car doesnt require a heavy pedal to go, just barely tapping the gas is all u need

That...and try to get all the acceleration you need prior to the hill and keep speed or let it bleed a little...5mph under the speed limit will not kill you.

[akronmusician413]

engine braking occassionally will not kill your engine...imo moderation is best to keep in mind...does the ac hack help the car run notically better/better mpgs?

[jwb6658]

Originally Posted by tda1337

well i can see starting ur car like that, but think of your starter and how many times u will start it a day? starter replacements on american cars are like 400+ so i can imagine what it would cost on a civic!!!
coasting with the car off is really dangerous due to the inability to stop as well
so thats a little stupid in case a DEER or cat runs in front of u

neutral to stops and down hills (DO NOT ENGINE BREAK! it will damage your engine, ask ANY expert, u see those cars blowing smoke? they engine brake! ask my father hahah he has had a rebuild on his accord because he does to save brake pads which cost like 20 bux lol {92 honda accord dx, 303,000 miles (rebuild at 170,000) } <<< BUY HONDA!!!!})

#1 You don't need a starter to kick start a car. I drove without a starter in my old camaro for awhile because I didn't have money. Just made sure I parked on a hill. You should learn how to kick start a manual car, it could save u if your battery dies too low for the starter to engage or ur starter takes a shit. And btw, starters aren't that expensive..hell my racing starter was only like 200 bucks.

#2 Turning you car off will not lose breaks..these are not 80's cars we're talking about.

#3 "DO NOT ENGINE BREAK! it will damage your engine, ask ANY expert, u see those cars blowing smoke? they engine brake!"

This is how rumors start!

Whatever expert your listening to isn't much of an expert at all. Those cars blowing smoke are usually from blown head gaskets or oil slipping through the rings. That has nothing to do with engine braking, it is perfectly natural to engine brake..what do you think your doing when you wind out to 6 grand and let off the gas to 3 grand?

[tda1337]

sad to say man but engine breaking at any speed does reduce the life of the engine,
the harder the breaking done the shorter the engine will last
if you spend your time in ct where its ALL hills no flat land i garuntee that my car would outlast yours because im always in neutral
u are putting stresses on the engine holding back ur vehicle. while it may not be immediate i know from experience and from many full time drivers, that if you dont care about how long your car lasts, its great to just keep it in gear

just like the guys spreading rumors about spinning off the road when hitting a puddle of water and putting it in gear at the same time.... yea... right OK lol seriously done it a million times, and have NEVER hit even a curb doing that, theres no torque steer that bad on a 130 ft.lb torque vehicle.

people misread the response about the starter deal
i ment to write that shutting the car off and turning it on repeatedly at EVERY light will wear out the starter.... ask for clarifications before jumping on my case

id like u to bend a rod and see how much smoke ur engine pours out dude, thats what engine breaking does

u lose POWER brakes, u can still use your brakes, but your talking bout stopping a 3000 lb car at 45 mph in an emergency all i can say is your SCREWED!!!!
starters + install = 400 on american, read it again



as for regular air, it is true it does work fine, but nitrogen is lighter, and leaks less, and you can still get for free in some areas
within time expect it to become standard practice to use it

[treal512]

Originally Posted by tda1337

sad to say man but engine breaking at any speed does reduce the life of the engine,
the harder the breaking done the shorter the engine will last
if you spend your time in ct where its ALL hills no flat land i garuntee that my car would outlast yours because im always in neutral
u are putting stresses on the engine holding back ur vehicle. while it may not be immediate i know from experience and from many full time drivers, that if you dont care about how long your car lasts, its great to just keep it in gear

when you guys are saying "dont engine brake".. do you mean down shifting to slow down? or just letting off the gas and slowing down? i feel silly asking it, but im trying to improve my mpg thanks

[0720Steve]

both really.....that is something i am trying to stop doing....i like to listen to the deceleration of the engine.....but it burns gas.....but helps with braking....so go figure.

[treal512]

Originally Posted by 0720Steve

both really.....that is something i am trying to stop doing....i like to listen to the deceleration of the engine.....but it burns gas.....but helps with braking....so go figure.

so, dont let off the gas all the way when youre approaching a stop light/sign? drop it in neutral instead? i love the sound of it too! (not that i can hear it in my stock R18 tho lol)

[0720Steve]

if you leave it in gear and you are coming to a stop.....don't leave it in gear while slowing down. it keeps the rpms up a little and burns gas. you will however be using your brakes a little bit more instead. so....you either burn a little gas.....or wear a little more brakes. probably a little cheaper to replace the brakes that much more often, than spending the money to listen to your car decelerate up to stop signs.

[tda1337]

technically the R18 according to most does not burn gas when u let off the gas (if u have standard OR auto) but it only saves u about .1-.5mpg thru some peoples trial and errors, some people claim more but i have actually gotten worse, depends on your specific vehicle

either way it is damaging to the engine, more damaging shifting to slow down versus just letting off the gas
not sure how the civic auto works, but most automatic cars overcome this with the slippage of the transmission inherent in most automatic trannies

[akronmusician413]

wow u have convinced me to not engine brake as much as i normally do but i still think in some instances it is necessary

[tda1337]

it is NECESSARY in a rush
but not even 5000 rpm engine braking (which puts ALOT of strain on the engine)
regular engine braking on flat ground posses almost no damage (but still a little) down hill poses more
for the means of not always jamming on ur brakes while following old ladies it would make sense to just let off the gas in 5th gear, and the damage u can expect at lets say 40-60 mph is only gonna reduce your car life maybe 10-20,000 miles, but when u look at how long hondas last (even when beaten on, over 300,000) thats really not alot lol
so its up to u if u want to do
as for me i try to avoid, and i use green stuff brake pads cause they last longer and are cheaper anyways lol

[ro.sniper]

not sure if mentioned but fill the car with half the fuel of a full gas tank. I do this when I do mostly city driving, I only fill full tank when I take a road trip.

half the fuel = half weight of full gas tank = lighter car = better millage