Civix vx bad mileage.. NEED HELP

[hondaman315]

Hi everyone im new to this site but i got alot of good information off of it. I have a 95 civic vx with original d15z1 motor (completely stock) and original vx rims.

i put 40 dollars in and i went 189 miles though?! what could be the problem. shifting when shift arrow said to. good driving habits. alot of smoke when driving though and not alot of power going up hills. from 60 mph to 35 on a slight income. i bought to car for 500 dollars for a private auction because of the gas mileage but obviously its not get EPA estimated 39/50.. what could be wrong?

Thank you for your help, also its my first car so i dont really know much.

[hondaman315]

also to include its a 5 wire 02 sensor.

[suspendedhatch]

If it's black smoke it could indicate you're running rich. On this old of a car I would suggest having the injectors balanced/blueprinted. If it's blue smoke, you're burning oil which often means the piston rings are bad = engine rebuild.

The car shouldn't be emitting any visible smoke. In many places, that's an automatic ticket and an early trip to the smog station.

Does the check engine light work? It should come on briefly when you first start the car. Jumper the diagnostic connector (a two-pin blue plug under your glovebox near the speaker), put the key on, and see if the Check engine light flashes.

$500 is a great deal. Upon buying any car, you should do the extended maintenance. Especially oil, trans fluid, distributor cap, rotor, plugs, check ignition timing, valve lash adjustment, fuel filter, fuel pump sock, test O2 sensor for laziness, lubricate the brake caliper pins, adjust the drum brakes, have the alignment checked, tire pressure and condition, upper and lower bushings and tie rod ends (jack up the car and try rocking each wheel up and down, then side to side).

Make sure the muffler isn't full of crap and the exhaust pipe and tip aren't pinched. Make sure the cat converter isn't bricked. If you have this checked at an exhaust shop, have them blow the torch inside (unfocused, not cutting obviously) because it will burn off a lot of crap and restore it. I've seen cars that failed smog pass after doing this. Check the exhaust manifold for cracks.

There's a few other things but those items are most likely to affect your mileage.

Post up some pics. I want to see a $500 VX. I would have bought that in a heart beat. I miss mine...