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Fuel Efficiency Compilation [long read]

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    Fuel Efficiency Compilation [long read]

    Every rise in gasoline prices immediately prompts a series of Beginner-section threads asking how to increase fuel efficiency. As a committed fuel miser, I want to create this thread to spread my knowledge on fuel efficiency. If this takes off, I hope experienced members such as TheNextEpisode and Owequitit will contribute further with their knowledge.

    I’m a genuine nerd; be prepared for a lot of reading. I’ll try and organize this as well as possible.
    --

    Maintenance
    Our cars are now 19 to 22 years old – maintenance is key in keeping a smooth-running, fuel-efficient engine. This list of basic engine maintenance procedures should be able to somewhat maximize the potential of our F-series engines.
    1. Basics
    aaaaaa. IAC Valve – Idle Air Control Valve (cleaning)
    aaaaaaaaaai. http://www.cb7tuner.com/vbb/showthre...hlight=diy+egr
    aaaaab. PCV – Positive Crankcase Ventilation (cleaning/replacing)
    aaaaaaaaaai. The PCV is located on the valve cover between cylinders #2 and #3. Remove the valve from the valve cover while the car is idling, and place your finger on the hose outlet. If the PCV is functioning properly, you should feel your finger being sucked in with suction. This is the easiest way to test if the PCV is functioning in the F22, but there are other methods you can find online. This is a $3 part that is easily accessed.
    aaaaac. Throttle Body (cleaning)
    aaaaaaaaaai. Cleaning the throttle body with some carburetor cleaner should free up the gunk left in by two decades of use. With the engine off, remove the intake tube and spray the throttle body while varying the throttle opening by hand. After you finish, be sure to run the engine for a few minutes.
    aaaaad. Tune-Up (services)
    aaaaaaaaaai. Valve Adjustment
    aaaaaaaaaaii. Timing Belt/Water Pump
    aaaaaaaaaaiii. Oil Change
    aaaaae. Tune-Up Components (replacement)
    aaaaaaaaaai. Distributor Cap, Rotor, Spark Plugs, Plug Wires
    aaaaaaaaaaii. Fuel Filter
    aaaaaaaaaaiii. Air Filter
    aaaaaf. Seafoam
    aaaaaaaaaai. Here is the Seafoam procedure that I believe to be correct:
    aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa1. Drive to a well-ventilated area. Make sure engine is warm, but leave it on.
    aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa2. Find the brake booster vacuum hose. Unplug the hose, and you’ll notice that the idle should now be fluctuating up and down from 1000 to 1800 RPM. You will need a pair of pliers to loosen the hose clamps.
    aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa3. Put a funnel into the brake booster hose, and pour the seafoam in SLOWLY so as to NOT let the engine shut off. Pour in only 1/3 of the can. (I will add the exact measurement later). You’ll notice that the engine will try to stay on as you’re pouring it in.
    aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa4. Turn the engine off and plug the booster hose back in. Wait 10 to 15 minutes.
    aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa5. Restart the engine. The engine will fuss and curse to life – you’ll likely have to floor the throttle to start the car. Blip the throttle in short bursts, revving between 2000-4500RPM. Smoke WILL engulf the general area. I advise wearing a handkerchief over your nose.
    aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa6. Eventually, the smoke will subside and return to normal. Drive to ensure everything runs properly.
    aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa7. You can additionally add 1/3 of the can to a nearly-full fuel tank, and another 1/3 to your crankcase. If you do the latter, however, PLEASE change your oil within the next tank.
    aaaaag. Tire Pressures (contributed by mtnbikaah)
    aaaaaaaaaai. The higher the pressure, the lower the rolling resistance of the tires. DO NOT exceed the maximum pressure of the tires; this information will be on the tire sidewall. Realize that you will see more tire wear in the center of the tread, not to mention a stiffer ride.
    aaaaah. Low-Rolling Resistance "LRR" Tires
    aaaaaaaaaai. Selecting low-rolling-resistance tires can provide up to 5% increased fuel efficiency over sticky summer tires. They tend to have very high treadwear ratings, so they'll last comparatively longer as well. The main downside here, of course, is reduced grip.
    aaaaaJ. Check Brakes for Rubbing (contributed by marcusV8thunder)
    aaaaaaaaaai. This is something I am not too knowledgeable on. When not maintained for a period of time, the brake pads may end up rubbing against the rotors slightly when the brakes are not applied. This will naturally decrease efficiency. Check your brakes for signs of rubbing.

    2. Extensive
    aaaaaa. EGR – Exhaust Gas Recirculation
    aaaaaaaaaai. http://home.comcast.net/~em-engineering/T2T013.pdf
    aaaaaaaaaaii. Cleaning the EGR ports requires destroying the EGR caps currently installed on the engine, so be sure to buy new ones before going into this project. Wed3K did a DIY on installing removable caps so that one can do this procedure easily a second time: http://www.cb7tuner.com/vbb/showthre...ght=ENG%3A+eGR
    aaaaab. Transmission Fluid
    aaaaaaaaaai. Make sure you have proper Honda MTF or ATF (depending on transmission).
    aaaaac. Lightweight Wheels
    aaaaaaaaaai. I have in my possession an Excel file with several thousand brands and models of aftermarket/oem wheels with their associated weights. Although the standard OEM EX alloy wheels are fairly aerodynamic and lightweight (15.5lbs), there are other, lighter options out there. I’ll find a way to make this downloadable.
    aaaaaaaaaaii. Lightweight wheels will reduce unsprung weight and will reduce rolling resistance a decent amount. The 50-mpg 1992 Honda Civic VX had wheels that weighed less than 10lbs apiece.
    aaaaad. Fuel Injector Cleaning
    aaaaaaaaaai. Lordoja's step-by-step fuel injector cleaning process thread
    aaaaae. Wheel Alignment
    aaaaaaaaaai. Improper toe angles can drastically reduce fuel efficiency, not to mention add stress to a car’s structure.
    aaaaaf. Weight Reduction
    aaaaaaaaaai. This, in my opinion, is something I prefer not to do due to my extensive highway driving. I like the comfort of having sound deadening, a sound system, and seats. If you don’t, remove these items.
    aaaaaaaaaaii. Clean your junk out of the trunk! Unnecessary weight can be reduced by simply freeing the car of extraneous items.
    aaaaaaaaaaiii. If you must, remove your air conditioner, power steering, cruise control, etc, though this can make driving much more of a chore. You bought an Accord for the space and comfort; I highly doubt you would enjoy removing the sound insulation to save 50 lbs.
    __________________________________________________ ________________________________________
    Driving Style

    It is little-known to non-enthusiasts that one’s driving style is one of the largest factors in fuel efficiency. I will list the techniques I use here, and I hope that other members (notably TheNextEpisode) will contribute here.

    1. Avoid jack-rabbit starts.
    aaaaaa. Starting off like a sane person will decrease the amount of power the engine has to deliver to get this 3000lb hulk moving. Starting off from a stop is among the harder tasks for an engine, so you’ll want to minimize this as much as possible.
    2. Keep your windows and sunroof closed above 45mph.
    aaaaaa. You are better off running the air conditioner above 45mph; the air resistance you add by opening the windows/sunroof negates any fuel savings made by keeping the A/C off.
    3. Acceleration/Braking
    aaaaaa. The killer to fuel efficiency is any form of acceleration and deceleration. Keep a light foot on the throttle and brake, and try to coast as much as traffic permits. On a 45-mph road, accelerate to 45mph and keep it there. Unnecessary slowdowns to 40 will prompt you to reaccelerate to 45 – fuel wasted. Unnecessarily rocketing up to 50 – fuel wasted.
    aaaaab. Coast. When you let your foot of the throttle when the car is in gear, ZERO FUEL is used. Upon approaching a red light, I put it in 5th gear* and get off the throttle. The car will slow down early, and in most cases, the light will turn green by the time I get near the stoplight. You won’t need to reaccelerate from 0mph – fuel saved.
    aaaaaaaaaai. *If traffic permits, you can downshift to a lower gear when coasting to a stop in order to spend more time coasting and less time waiting at a red light.
    4. Highway
    aaaaaa. Use cruise control if you’re a beginner. It will teach you how to maintain a constant speed. When cruising at 65mph, you will suddenly notice other cars alternately going faster and slower than you. People normally don’t realize they do this accelerate/decelerate alternating until they use cruise control.
    aaaaab. If you are more experienced, accurately apply the throttle to maintain good cruising speeds. 55mph is the best-compromise fuel-efficient speed used in highways all over the world. Drag increases with the square of speed; there is a large amount of drag to overcome from 55 to 65mph, and an even larger one to 75mph.
    aaaaac. When approaching uphill overpasses, try to keep the throttle in the same position if traffic permits. The car will slow about 5mph, but once you get to the downhill part, the car should come back up to speed by itself – fuel saved.
    aaaaad. Accelerate primarily on downhill stretches. Use gravity to your advantage.
    aaaaae. Do not draft (or slipstream) semi trucks. This is extremely dangerous and can piss off other drivers.
    5. Bumper-to-Bumper Traffic
    aaaaaa. If you’re stuck in stop-and-go traffic, try this: leave a 3-5 car gap between you and the car in front of you. Cruise at a slower speed than the guy in front of you. You’ll notice that when the cars in front come to a stop, you won’t have to! Continue to cruise, even if its 10mph, until you get near the car in front again. You’ll notice that, more than half the time, the car in front will have moved off again. You just saved all the people behind you from that annoying stop-and-go routine. Check this out on youtube; this is a lifesaver especially for manual-transmission drivers.
    6. Short-Shifting and Upshifting Early
    aaaaaa. Generally, upshifting early in light-to-moderate-acceleration situations will be beneficial to fuel efficiency. This is managed by easing the engine's load when it is highest: accelerating on a highway on-ramp, for example. Upshift so that the revs never get below 1500RPM (to avoid lugging with our old engines). For example, I typically shift at 2200RPM from 4th to 5th gear; the revs drop to around 1600RPM, at which the engine has enough torque to get up to my desired speed without too much effort.
    aaaaab. Skip gears under light loads. If there are no cars behind me, I accelerate from a stop in first gear and shift directly into 3rd gear at 2700RPM. Upon hitting 2700RPM in 3rd gear, I shift to 5th gear. The general rule of thumb is to upshift at any time the higher gear will yield you an engine speed of 1500RPM or higher.
    __________________________________________________ _________________________________
    Feel free to PM me or comment on this thread if you would like your tips added to this list. I WILL give credit to those who contribute. When I feel that the information is thorough enough, I will try to make this a “sticky”.
    I spent a lot of time writing this, so I hope it helps.

    Last edited by Nurega; 04-25-2012, 02:27 AM.
    Original-Owner 1991 Honda Accord
    2005 Acura TSX 6MT
    2010 Mazda Miata Grand Touring

    #2
    Damn, thanks for this man it really helps! Great write up man!
    1993 10th Anniversary MRT

    Originally posted by The G-Man
    For that money, yes. But my dick isn't big enough for that shit.

    List of all my cars to date

    Comment


      #3
      Good info, well laid out. And that is the proper procedure, almost identical to Seafoam directions. Rep points awarded!
      Originally posted by Mishakol129
      Do not disrespect my intelligence. I am the smartest person I know : )

      Comment


        #4
        Tire pressure is also very important. The higher the pressure the lower the rolling resistance... Don't go above the max pressure.... Keep an eye out for excess tire wear in the center of the tread. Ride comfort alo suffers. I run 39psi. (max 44psi).



        An advanced technique is driving using the pulse and glide method as seen here: http://www.metrompg.com/posts/pulse-and-glide.htm
        Last edited by mtnbikaah; 02-01-2012, 07:38 PM.
        Originally posted by deevergote
        These cars will never be the best at anything, but they're pretty damn good at everything.

        92ex CB7<-SOLD 93ex CB9shiftingshift73C10

        Comment


          #5
          Yep, i like this very well done , i also have noted a increase in mpg related threads, this hopefully can make people read first.

          Something to add maybe, check that the brakes are free, and not rubbing in anyway? Thats a form of resistance, you could add that.


          UKDM 93 CB3 Page (1) H22A U2Q7 LSD
          UKDM 91 4ws Page (3) OEM Minter
          NOW H22A U2Q7 SWAPPED

          Comment


            #6
            very good usefull info

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by mtnbikaah View Post
              Tire pressure is also very important. The higher the pressure the lower the rolling resistance... Don't go above the max pressure.... Keep an eye out for excess tire wear in the center of the tread. Ride comfort alo suffers. I run 39psi. (max 44psi).

              An advanced technique is driving using the pulse and glide method as seen here: http://www.metrompg.com/posts/pulse-and-glide.htm
              You're absolutely correct. It completely slipped my mind! I'll add this along with information about low-rolling-resistance (LRR) tires. If I remember correctly, there is a new tire designation specifically for them.

              As for the pulse and glide method - this is the first I've heard of it. It sounds very interesting; I'll read up on it.

              Originally posted by marcusv8thunder View Post
              Yep, i like this very well done , i also have noted a increase in mpg related threads, this hopefully can make people read first.
              Something to add maybe, check that the brakes are free, and not rubbing in anyway? Thats a form of resistance, you could add that.
              You're also correct. This is something I hadn't thought of at all, thank you!

              I'll be sure to credit both of you on your contributions.

              Originally posted by Wickit View Post
              Damn, thanks for this man it really helps! Great write up man!
              Thank you. I'll eventually try to make this a sticky.

              Originally posted by dj_ender View Post
              Good info, well laid out. And that is the proper procedure, almost identical to Seafoam directions. Rep points awarded!
              I actually don't like the way it looks right now; its annoying to read, likely because of my small computer screen. I typed it all up on a word processor, and had to edit it quite a bit to look decent on HTML. I'll probably mess with it some more to make it look right for all screen sizes.
              I'm glad I got the Seafoam procedure right; I wrote it all from memory! Thank you for checking that for me.
              Last edited by Nurega; 02-02-2012, 03:16 AM.
              Original-Owner 1991 Honda Accord
              2005 Acura TSX 6MT
              2010 Mazda Miata Grand Touring

              Comment


                #8
                I'll be adding information on shift points tomorrow. I neglected to add the concepts of upshifting early and skipping gears.
                Original-Owner 1991 Honda Accord
                2005 Acura TSX 6MT
                2010 Mazda Miata Grand Touring

                Comment


                  #9
                  clean write up man, should of done it on the DIY section.
                  AT WEST COAST MEET

                  cb7rush: who has the tongs?
                  JDMxDB8: i got a thong on...



                  to get to see more of my cb click the link below.
                  http://www.cb7tuner.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=130922

                  Comment


                    #10
                    I added a quick paragraph about upshifting early. Will be adding other info soon.
                    Original-Owner 1991 Honda Accord
                    2005 Acura TSX 6MT
                    2010 Mazda Miata Grand Touring

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Clean Fuel Injectors

                      http://www.cb7tuner.com/vbb/showthre...60#post2934760

                      Fuel Injector cleaning DIY (I just did it lol)
                      Originally posted by scudweiser
                      it will go vrooooooom bauggggghhhh mmmmmmaauuugggg. Still no mmmmmbAAAAAAAUUUHHHHHHH though.
                      Originally posted by deevergote
                      Do you have anything intelligent to offer, or are you just trying to whore up your post count?

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Originally posted by lordoja View Post
                        http://www.cb7tuner.com/vbb/showthre...60#post2934760

                        Fuel Injector cleaning DIY (I just did it lol)
                        Nice work! I like the detailed step-by-step procedure. I'll add this to the thread right away.
                        Original-Owner 1991 Honda Accord
                        2005 Acura TSX 6MT
                        2010 Mazda Miata Grand Touring

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Originally posted by Nurega View Post
                          Nice work! I like the detailed step-by-step procedure. I'll add this to the thread right away.

                          just trying to help out
                          Originally posted by scudweiser
                          it will go vrooooooom bauggggghhhh mmmmmmaauuugggg. Still no mmmmmbAAAAAAAUUUHHHHHHH though.
                          Originally posted by deevergote
                          Do you have anything intelligent to offer, or are you just trying to whore up your post count?

                          Comment


                            #14
                            For extra reference, I've uploaded the Accord maintenance schedule from the owner's manual.

                            Original-Owner 1991 Honda Accord
                            2005 Acura TSX 6MT
                            2010 Mazda Miata Grand Touring

                            Comment


                              #15
                              nice write up, i'll have to go through this, i have already done a few of these things (but a couple of them not very thoroughly) very good info here.
                              1997 Ford Explorer V-6 AT (what a piece of junk)
                              1993 Nissan Sentra M/T (front end damage, off road for now)
                              1999 Mercury Mountaineer V-8 A/T - RIP (rolled: totaled)
                              1992 Honda Accord A/T EX - RIP (transmission shot: sold to junkyard)

                              Comment

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