vx owner wants more mpg!

[silversol]

Originally Posted by 1993CivicVX

What is it with 44mpg being the magic number for this car? So many VX owners are getting 44mpg. I hate to rub it in (okay, I don't) but for me I have to drive pretty carelessly to get 44mpg. Your description sounds like you should be getting 56-62mpg. But there is no reason to go above 2000RPM let alone 2500rpm. My car is bone stock minus a front spoiler/lip and I have no problem getting 50+mpg. The single biggest thing I think you can do to gain 10mpg would be the following: On flat ground in 1st gear shift at 1800RPMs, in 2nd gear shift at 1700rpm, in 3rd gear shift at 1350rpm, in 4th shift at 1250rpm and accelerate like there's an egg under your foot. Simple as that. Adjust slightly when going up hill or going down. If you have people behind you--give it a little more throttle and shift 200 rpm later--but never put the throttle all the way to the floor. You can also learn to shift quickly. The quicker you shift the less forward momentum you lose while accelerating.

The other thing you can do is become hypersensitive to when you are braking. Every time you touch the brake pedal your MPG goes down. Coast instead of brake where you can. Learn the traffic lights. Learn to anticipate what's happening in front of you. Don't drive directly behind people--go to one side of the lane so you can see what's going on 5-10 cars ahead. The single most effective mod you can do is simply adjust the nut behind the wheel.

I've gotten 70mpg in city driving.. but it is taxing to do so much EOC and not so great for the car, but it's kinda fun for the first half hour or so... then it becomes very tedious. But you really shouldn't need to turn the car off if you are aiming for just 50mpg. I thought people down south drove nice and slow and laid back?

you must have never been to atlanta. most of the drivers are idiots some dont have green cards and the fastest thing they drove before comeing to atlanta had hoves

[silversol]

Originally Posted by nowhhs

I don't think you're doing anything wrong, I think there is probably a problem with your car. When I first got mine running after the swap, it wouldn't pass emissions because of a clogged cat and I drove it for a while just hammering it, shifting over 5k often, and the worst I could get was 37mpg. I'm not necessarily suggesting a clogged cat, I have no intention of trying to diagnose a problem via a forum, I'm just saying IMHO something is mechanically wrong. As most have said, you should be able to get mid 40s without trying.

i know for 100% my cat is perfect. i had the same cat on my cx motor when i did emmisions 2 weeks ago. the inspecter told me he had never seen i civic of my year 92-95 pass with such low numbers! last night i did a compression test and all 4 were between 195-200. i also installed new oem ngk plugs. i also took out my 02 sensor and it had a little bit of black carbon and removed it with compressed air. the o2 sensor does not look to be old. but i am starting to think the o2 sensor might be the problem. but i really dont want to throw out the big money for the 02 and that not be the problem. do you guy know where i can get a new o2 sensor for a cheap price?

[thedaemon]

I get 44mpg all day and I shift at 2-3k. Yeah, Atlanta drivers are crazy. You will get run over if you are not at least driving 80mph. I made the mistake of doing the speed limit when I first drove through and people were honking, and yelling at me, trying to run me off the road. Very crazy.

[suspendedhatch]

Higher elevation in a town with low traffic, no hills, and few intersections would probably boost your mpg by 10mpg.

If you live at sea level with lots of traffic, ie southern California, that could explain why no matter what you can't achieve the same mpg that others brag about.

[palemelanesian]

Originally Posted by 1993CivicVX

What is it with 44mpg being the magic number for this car? So many VX owners are getting 44mpg. I hate to rub it in (okay, I don't) but for me I have to drive pretty carelessly to get 44mpg. Your description sounds like you should be getting 56-62mpg. But there is no reason to go above 2000RPM let alone 2500rpm. My car is bone stock minus a front spoiler/lip and I have no problem getting 50+mpg. The single biggest thing I think you can do to gain 10mpg would be the following: On flat ground in 1st gear shift at 1800RPMs, in 2nd gear shift at 1700rpm, in 3rd gear shift at 1350rpm, in 4th shift at 1250rpm and accelerate like there's an egg under your foot. Simple as that. Adjust slightly when going up hill or going down. If you have people behind you--give it a little more throttle and shift 200 rpm later--but never put the throttle all the way to the floor. You can also learn to shift quickly. The quicker you shift the less forward momentum you lose while accelerating.

The other thing you can do is become hypersensitive to when you are braking. Every time you touch the brake pedal your MPG goes down. Coast instead of brake where you can. Learn the traffic lights. Learn to anticipate what's happening in front of you. Don't drive directly behind people--go to one side of the lane so you can see what's going on 5-10 cars ahead. The single most effective mod you can do is simply adjust the nut behind the wheel.

I've gotten 70mpg in city driving.. but it is taxing to do so much EOC and not so great for the car, but it's kinda fun for the first half hour or so... then it becomes very tedious. But you really shouldn't need to turn the car off if you are aiming for just 50mpg. I thought people down south drove nice and slow and laid back?

Quoted again for emphasis. He's dead on.

And I disagree about the gearing / powerband thing. I rarely have my DX above 2000 rpm. It works just fine, and gives great mileage that way. Highway trips suck, running 2500+ rpm. I'm considering a CX/VX transmission swap.

[silversol]

i am thinking the hf trans might be a good idea. but does any one know if i can use the hf internals in a newer hydro transmission case?