rawrjaay

I have a 5 speed, 1997 honda civic coupe HX. (D16y5)

I have stock everything when it comes to engine and transmission work.
(except my greddy axleback)


what are the best ways to improve your miles to the gallon?
please correct me if im wrong, but
i have heard:

Turbo charge D-Series
4 2 1 Headers
Catback (bigger piping = more airflow)
aftermarket intake (cold air vs short ram?)
anything else?

i just want to no if these things will help or not

P.S. I NO MY CAR GETS GOOD GAS MILEAGE, THIS IS JUST FOR AN EXAMPLE CAR TO USE!

MoreCowbell

Alignment, full tire pressure.. Spark plugs, air filter and 5 30 oil

BryanM.

iTrader: (1)

No, forget about all that stuff. The HX is tough to improve as far as
fuel economy goes.

Alignment, tire pressure and tune-up like the other guy said.
Driving habits (how you drive the car) impact fuel economy greatly.
Go to ecomodder.com or gassavers.org to learn fuel-saving driving techniques.

grumblemarc

iTrader: (4)

Nothing in your list. Get a tune up.

Former User

Tune up and clean the EGR valve and chamber.

Beatrwitaheatr

more airflow means more gas flow...

Beatrwitaheatr

There are tires designed with less rolling resistance, but i don't know how the traction is on em.

motegicivic

Do new oxygen sensors help?

96hb

Tune up, increase tire pressures, and driving technique. I can add 10 mpg just from driving technique alone in my hatch. Some of the methods are a little extreme, but not too bad. Check out gassavers.org and google hypermiling for more tips/info.

Former User

That's a very expensive experiment for an HX.

motegicivic

Always curious about it, not suggesting it

grumblemarc

iTrader: (4)

Driving habits make a hell of a difference.

virgineg6

Make sure the car has a full tune up done, full tire pressure driving habbits have the biggest impact though coast as much as possible when accelerating do not rev past 2500 rpm, use the engine brake as much as possible just drive all around slower really will get the job done

Former User

The primary O2 sensor is certainly crucial for fuel economy. However, if there are concerns about it, there are ways to test it. My only point was that it's too expensive (~$400) to just replace on a lark.

motegicivic

Ron is that one on the headers?

What about an aftermarket brand?

Former User

Yes.

I'm sure there are after market wide band sensors, but none that I'd recommend for an HX.

rawrjaay

ok how would i do that? and would that really increase the MPG?

i have read all the tips and tricks everyone has posted on the thread, and most likely it would be

1. Tune Up
2. Tire Pressure Increase
3. Driving Habits


so my next question is, since i have 14" hx wheels,
the tire is 185/65/14

so what exactly would my tire pressure be set to for all four tires?
because i have heard WAY to many different numbers....
/=

Former User

Do what? A tune up? Clean the EGR system?

Why would I post suggestions unrelated to your tech question?

rawrjaay

i was talking about cleaning the egr valve like u said sorry,

but thats ok,
since i have 14" hx wheels,
the tire is 185/65/14

so what exactly would my tire pressure be set to for all four tires?

Former User

An EGR system (valve and chamber) clogged with carbon can wreak havoc on the performance and fuel efficiency of the D16Y5 engine. Remove the valve and chamber and clean out any carbon deposits. This will involve a combination of carburetor/brake cleaner and scraping.

rawrjaay

SWEET! that helped out SO MUCH!!!

but another question,
i have searched everywhere even went to tire shops and talked to friends

they all give me different numbers to keep my tire pressure at, so what exactly is the best number to keep them at?

Former User

Depends on the tire, but generally 30-35 PSI. Of course, in this range, 35 PSI would be better for gas mileage.

96hb

A few psi below the max sidewall pressure will yield good mileage, but the ride will be more harsh. Just experiment and find the pressure you like. I run 44 psi in my tires (max sidewall is 51). 30 is WAY to low if you are concerned with mileage.

Former User

First off, I am by no means a tire expert. However, I think I remember a member saying that you should keep your tire pressure below 40 PSI because the tire valves are the "weakest link" and should not be subjected to higher pressures, despite the sidewall recommendations.

96hb

Hmm, never heard that. I'm no expert either, but I've never had a problem running mine at 40-44 psi. Not to say that nothing could happen, but the car sure does coast a lot further than it does at 32-35 psi, and the ride is not too bad. I have gone as high as 50 psi...would not recommend. lol!

Also, my tires are 205-50-15's, not the same as the OP's. Just stating my experiences with higher than normal pressures.