Getting the best gas milage!!!

[hondabomdc5]

Okay, so i have a 1993 honda accord with 314,000 miles on her. The car is in AMAZING condition, and it runs AMAZING. THe guy who gave it to me was one of my dads best friends when my dad was in the fire department. He just didnt want the car anymore so he gave it to me. He has a written log of EVERYTHING he has had done to it and everythig he has done. Within the past 45K the plugs, wires, air filter, timing belt and a whole bunch of other stuff has been replaced. I have had to replace a few things on it myself such as cruise control module, brake light switch and a new fan motor..... just minor stuff. Well i drive it as my DD and i drive AlOT. I am looking to try and get the best gas milage out of it as i can.

I change the oil every 3K. im keeping a good check on the air filter condition, i use cruise control, im going to put some seafoam in the gas tank here pretty soon. I am just trying to get some feedback as to some other things that i can do to get my mpg up a little bit. I usually get about 330 to a tank and im trying to improve that. I dont drive stupid or fast or anything. So anything that yall know of that i can do? I would appreciate some input. Thanks guys.

[GeoffM]

From everything I've read so far? Your best bet is to do a 5 speed swap and never go above 60. You'll get 500 miles to the tank

Failing that, normal maintenance. Run fuel system cleaner(seafoam?) every 3k or so. It gives me a temporary boost, especially in the summer. I breifley got 26 city!

One more thing: don't drive when it's cold out. For our cars it's the equivalent of a super CAI. Lot's o Power, but I'm down to about 20 mpg.

[hondabomdc5]

From everything I've read so far? Your best bet is to do a 5 speed swap and never go above 60. You'll get 500 miles to the tank

Failing that, normal maintenance. Run fuel system cleaner(seafoam?) every 3k or so. It gives me a temporary boost, especially in the summer. I breifley got 26 city!

One more thing: don't drive when it's cold out. For our cars it's the equivalent of a super CAI. Lot's o Power, but I'm down to about 20 mpg.

Yeah im taking care of this car. Trying to get as much out of it as i possibly can. I really dont have the funds to do a tranny swap but thanks for the idea. lol. I have put sea foam in it twice before. Maybe i will start doing it with every oil change. Would it be beneficial for me to get an aftermarket air filter to put on or not? My thinking with that is it will just suck in more air .... i dont think that will increase my mpg. I have a 05 rsx type s that has full bolt ons and the mpg on that sucks with bolt on. lol. But yeah. anything else i could do for mpg?

[PUMASTi]

One thing I miss about the cb7, great gas mileage, I see 17-18 mpgs now

[mtnbikaah]

Proper tire pressure is also key. (my all-seasons i run at 39psi, winter tires 32psi)

Running a fuel system cleaner every 3k is excessive. Maybe every 9k would be better.

Keeping the speeds down on the highway also helps. (i tend to set the cruise at 60mph on the highway even when the speed limit is 65, I never have to pass anybody, hardly anyone slows down below 60 so i never have to get up to speed again! I even can do this during rush hour.)

I have a K&N drop in filter in the stock air box, and i keep it clean. (a clogged air filter will decrease your fuel economy)

Engines are air pumps. I feel that easing the flow of air makes it so the air pump (engine) doesn't have to work as hard, therefore INCREASING fuel economy. This idea isn't entirely true. More air also equals more fuel. soooo? Also, with a performance boost one is apt to utilize the power more, thus decreasing fuel economy.

Fuel economy/mileage has been covered numerous times! just do a quick search for those terms and you should find some good answers

also check out this:

http://ecomodder.com/forum/fuel-econ...ifications.php

and this:

http://ecomodder.com/forum/EM-hyperm...ecodriving.php

hope that helps!

[deevergote]

Exactly.When the ECU sees an increase in oxygen content via the o2 sensor, it will increase the amount of fuel sent to compensate. A clean air filter is all you need.
Make sure your catalytic converter is healthy. Make sure your emissions controls are functioning properly. Make sure your base idle and base ignition timing are set properly (the "read this first" thread at the top of this section will help with that.) Make sure your valves are properly adjusted. Make sure your oil is changed regularly. Some say that quality synthetics will increase fuel economy, but the extra cost of the oil may not justify the money saved in the process... unless it's added range you want, and not cheaper operation.

Keep your RPMs between 2k and 3k (not hard to do with an auto). Change your transmission fluid using Honda ATF ONLY. Don't use any other fluid, and don't add anything to it. Additives are crap.

Seafoam should be used sparingly, as it can do damage to rubber seals. If you've used it twice already, you've gotten all the benefits you're going to get for quite a while.

Make sure your tire pressure is correct.
Thinner, lighter wheels and tires are also good for better fuel economy. The less unsprung weight and rolling resistance, the better. Additionally, a harder tire compound will increase fuel economy. Sticky performance tires cause a noticeable drop in mpg, as they increase rolling resistance.
Make sure your wheels are aligned. Make sure your brakes are properly adjusted (our old calipers can drag, causing uneven pad wear and extra strain on the engine...)

Shed any excess weight in the car. If you have a full spare, ditch it for a donut... or ditch it altogether and keep your fingers crossed! I've actually taken out my passenger seat and rear seats to save weight in the past.
If you're a chunky monkey, go on a diet. The less you weigh, the less the car has to work to drag your fat ass around! Dropping 100lbs of carried weight can make a noticeable difference. Back when I was carting around my band equipment (really just my huge bass amp), I could see a drop in my MPG.

[hondabomdc5]

thanks for all the input so far.... im def not going to lose any weight. im 6 foot tall and weigh 175..... but on the other hand, i did wash and wax it today.... maybe it will be more aerodynamic and get better mpg.... lol. But i do need to get some new tires on it pretty soon, so when i get new tires im sure it will affect my mpg a tiny bit

[deevergote]

Hey, I'm 6'0 and 175, and I could stand to lose a few pounds!

[mtnbikaah]

when you do get tires get the stock size. (at least width) running a wider tire than stock will also decrease your mileage.

-2 cents

(i am also 6' though 180.. hahah)

Edit: In the sedan (5spd) I am getting over 30mpg even in the winter, summertime is about 33mpg. (without the roof rack, running with no added weight or reduction)

[zmanwit90accord]

Keep your RPMs between 2k and 3k (not hard to do with an auto). C
adjusted

I quoted this for emphasis because it's very important for trying to get good gas mileage. I just figured out mine and I'm only getting about 20mpg in my auto DX. Since I have no job and therefore no income, I try to keep the revs wayyyy low. Since the shift point is about 3k RPM (for me anyway), try to get up to that speed and let your foot off the gas as soon as it shifts up to maintain the speed, but keep the revs low.

Hard to explain but I thought it was important.

[deevergote]

You don't want the RPM to be too low, though. Again, with an auto, that's not a huge concern... but with a manual, if I were to attempt to accelerate from 20mph in 5th gear, my engine would not be happy... and I'm quite sure it wouldn't be good on gas! However, 5th gear cruising easily at a low speed would be useful.

[mtnbikaah]

just for reference (in case anyone searches for this thread the in future) My shift points are as follows with a manual under "normal" acceleration:

1st-2nd (never notice, just feel)
2nd-3rd (20mph)
3rd-4th (30mph)
4th-5th (~43-45)

some argue it's too low, that i am lugging the engine, but i disagree

obviously if i need to accelerate quickly i shift much much higher.

[deevergote]

I usually just shift at 3k in every gear. It ends up being about what you just listed.)

[hondabomdc5]

when you do get tires get the stock size. (at least width) running a wider tire than stock will also decrease your mileage.

-2 cents

(i am also 6' though 180.. hahah)

Edit: In the sedan (5spd) I am getting over 30mpg even in the winter, summertime is about 33mpg. (without the roof rack, running with no added weight or reduction)

thanks for all the replies..... i am def gonna get the stock tire size..... so im thinking new tires, some new oil, a new air filter, some seafoam, and i cleaned and waxed my car..... ima shoot for 32 mpg baby

[phantomcow2]

The single most important factor affecting fuel economy isn't related to the car, it's you.

Do you drive like a raped ape? You will get poor fuel economy if so. My '93 almost never goes above 3000rpm, staying in the highest possible gear but not letting the engine struggle either.

Newton's law is F=ma, so it follows that as acceleration increases, so too does the fuel required to supply the greater force propelling you forward. Accelerating more slowly is probably the best you can do for fuel economy. People in town will often sprint after a light turns green only to have to waste that kinetic energy by braking for the next red light. What is it they say in the military? Hurry up and wait. I try to be gentle on the gas pedal and this allows me to shift at 2000rpm with positively no lugging. You should be able to cruise in 5th gear on flat terrain all the way down to about 38mph.

Accelerating as slowly as safely possible, especially in town, coupled with a well maintained engine (as described above) easily gets me 30mpg in the winter.

It's also usually pointless to pass people in towns or any road with a stoplight. People will pass me, requiring them to burn enough gas to quickly increase their speed by 10mph or more, only to have me sitting at the next stoplight right behind them. Think about everything you do when you drive and it's consequence on fuel consumption. It takes practice but pays off.

Also aerodynamic drag increases at the square of your velocity.