better gas mileage out of an eg
 

ok so heres the deal i want better gas mileage since its hitting $3 per gallon here in the bay area. i have a del sol and it has a d15b7 now im tryin to get the best mileage out of this car and i have stripped a lot of weight out of it now im seeing what else i could do. i am planning on doing the next oil change with full synthetic but i am wondering if changing spark plugs would help too.


one small question totally off topic will the window motors for the del sol work on an ef?

Re: better gas mileage out of an eg
 

alignment, proper tire pressure, do a tune up, make sure fuel injectors are good, fuel filter shouldnt be clogged, and mainly your driving habits should be adjusted if you tend to have a heavy foot. someone add to this because there are a lot of variables to good gas mileage.

Re: better gas mileage out of an eg
 

Cut holes in the floor boards and Flintstone it! :P I'm going to 2nd what TOO MUCH TORQUE said...especially your driving habits, your foot determines most how much fuel is going to be used.

Re: better gas mileage out of an eg
 

Check tire pressures, and shift lower in the rpm range.

Re: better gas mileage out of an eg
 

man... why are you complaining. you have a 1.5 L motor. Other people got it worst. A buddy of mine has a 2003 Jeep Cherokee. And he gets 12 mpg. Be happy what you got. haha. And you can only do so much to improve gas mileage.

Re: better gas mileage out of an eg
 

Is the CEL ON?

Tuning up the ignition system is the place to start. Replace the plugs, wires, cap, and rotor and then adjust the ignition timing to spec.

Re: better gas mileage out of an eg
 

Re: better gas mileage out of an eg
 

keep rpms below 3000rpm and 65mph

Re: better gas mileage out of an eg
 

Swap the D15B8 head on? Make sure your valve lash is set right. New air filter. Check your fuel pressure, I picked up about 4 or 5 mpg by adjusting mine back down to where it should be since the adjustable regulator was set wrong (prior owner did it).

Re: better gas mileage out of an eg
 

Trying to keep the RPM's too low will put unnecessary strain on your drivetrain and won't necessarily help MPG's (especially at higher speed where aerodynamics come into play). Just keep your foot out of it and keep up on maintenance. Please don't do any extreme hypermiling stuff that's dangerous, especially for everyone else around. Even the basic pulse and glide just pisses others off and causes OTHERS to either slam on the brakes or use up more gas. Just drive normally and you'll be a lot better off.

To add to TMT's list, make sure to keep the air filter clean, check exhaust/piping, and keep a record of your MPG. I just write down what the mileage travelled was on all of my gas receipts and enter that into a spreadsheet. If there is any deviation, then you know something's up. Just my 2 cents.

Re: better gas mileage out of an eg
 

your gonna have to spend $100 in parts to save a couple miles to the gallon AT MOST. and for the $100 you spend, u cud just be putting that in your gas tank. Also, the LARGEST factor for fuel mileage is not the mechanics, but your driving habits. Use your cruise control, accelerate slower, and brake easier. Those 3 things are the key to higher mileage. But if you feel like throwing money away, O2 sensor is a great place to start.

Re: better gas mileage out of an eg
 

O2 sensors are not a waste. If you are running closed loop then fine, but that can make a difference and it is important for the engine. That's just maintainance

Re: better gas mileage out of an eg
 

Buying new parts when they are not required, thats a waste. Its minimal mpg gains replacing parts. If you want better mileage, buy a moped.

Re: better gas mileage out of an eg
 

uhhh.... this is coming from a thief.

Re: better gas mileage out of an eg
 

lol

Re: better gas mileage out of an eg
 

well im already working on my driving habits

i am thinking about putting in ngk iridium plugs but i didn't know if changing plugs would do anything

Re: better gas mileage out of an eg
 

things that will get you better mileage include less weight(get rid of that jack etc)

less drag=get rid of that super sized wing,get smaller(thinner actually) tires.

try avoiding to keep the engine in both high rpms and under load meaning not to under nor over rev it.basically the gear is not what matters here its the throttle position you want to use the least amount of throttle to keep the car running atb that certain speed. i.e my b20 used less throttle at 2nd at 20mph than 3rd get it?

you may upgrade your drivetrain a little i.e swap for a vx,hx,+96 jdm sohc zc(3 stage vtec),you can swap your 5th gear for a longer 5th even though some swear this doesnt help I dissagree as it clearly works for the vx,hx! you can get a tune for part throttle to run a little leaner(i.e an afr of 16.5 instead of 14.7,actually honda runs evan a little rich at like 13.5 usually).

my advice if your going to keep this car for very long(atleast 2 years) and its already at its best condition meaning its already maintained I would stay away from modifiying your car to run cheaper and start looking for a cheaper alternative in fuel as in lpg,ng(natural gas,propane) kits.

my colleague used to have an vx eg that had a natural gas kit(1800 bucks all set and done) an it ran just as fast,quite,smooth,healthy it consumed rather similiar mpg (40 vs 43) and used a gas that was less than half the price per gallon which saved him enough to profit alot after only 3 years,but also note that he did about 25k miles per year.

Re: better gas mileage out of an eg
 

Don't underestimate the potentially large impact a basic ignition system tune up can have on improving gas mileage.

Re: better gas mileage out of an eg
 

X2.

Re: better gas mileage out of an eg
 

one of the biggest impacts on peoples mpg is speed

The faster you go the worse mpg's you will get, the amount of power that is needed to overcome drag is exponentially increased!

As some have said about hypermiling..well most likely they are to lazy or ignorant to slow down and save the gas, wear and tear on their car, and prevent more accidents. So slow down shift lower, about 2k rpms and you will be fine, take out any unnecessary weight out of your car. Keep your tires inflated over what the door placard says, that is there for comfort and noise level and nothing else.

If you don't believe me go to www.cleanmpg.com, ecomodder.com and so forth to see the real answers

Re: better gas mileage out of an eg
 

I can't speak for others, but what was or should've been implied in my post is that IF the parts are older and would need changing in the near future anyway. I wouldn't change out spark plugs I just replaced 2 months ago. Same with a 10k mile old fuel filter. I think anyone with a half a brain would realize this.

But I know that there are lots of people that would do exactly that, so the previous posts should have clarified this.

Re: better gas mileage out of an eg
 

+1 ... I believe :thumbup:

Using dfco is a great tool also . From the garage to the store...technique really works. 9.6 miles total trip. I think I'm getting it down ;) http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c54/R6j6B/96miles.jpg

Re: better gas mileage out of an eg
 

/\ /\ /\
I am with you on that brother, the scangauge is one of the best things you can possibly do, dfco is a very helpful idea to easily slow down and use no fuel!

According to my tank and scangauge in at 66 mpg so hopefully it will keep going up as the summer progresses, i think i still have some ethanol fuel in my tank.

Re: better gas mileage out of an eg
 

The SG II X-gauge has paid for itself already. The absolute best "mod" in the hypermiler arsenal right after TNBTW adjustment.

This was "one trip" ... a personal record =) . Due to all the maintainence I've been doing ...the tank is not setting so well at 46.2 mpg combined - which isn't all that shabby!
Now that I don't have to lift the hood 7 times a day the tank is picking up at a fairly rapid rate. My guess gauge is showing half tank with the odo reading 320+ miles - it should be in the mid 50's at fill up. We both know it can and will get better as the heat of summer rolls in. I'm thinking I can keep this FE number through a good portion of the winter.

Re: better gas mileage out of an eg
 

with driving techniques being the biggest factor wouldnt getting up to speed at a decent rate be smarter than going slowly?

Re: better gas mileage out of an eg
 

no, the faster you accelerate, the more fuel gets dumped into the engine, but all that fuel cant be burned, so it goes out your exhaust. ever notice someone in a pile of shit mash on the gas and a big cloud of black smoke comes out? thats excess fuel. Accelerating slowly allows the correct amount of fuel to be injected with minimal waste.

Re: better gas mileage out of an eg
 

Define "decent rate" ?
IF you can accelerate intelligently - 40-60 % of engine power is plenty...up to 2000-2200 rpm. Use the gearing of your transaxle to your advantage and even low rpm becomes "decent rate"

Re: better gas mileage out of an eg
 

well i dont mean puttin the foot to the floor but definately not crawl like a tortise but more along the lines of 2200-3000rpm

Re: better gas mileage out of an eg
 

for those of us that have a scangauge the best place is about 80% lod, which where there engine is at its most effcient.

So the best way to do it is accelerate briskly, don't hammer it but do not go as slow as you can.

shift at about 2k and keep your speed low, that is one of the best things you can do to improve mileage!

Re: better gas mileage out of an eg
 

Accelerate within reason. You need to decide *how much* improvement is acceptable and prudent for your drive. Hypermiling a congested freeway like very metro areas require different technique(modified for driver safety) I have hypermiled the Twin Cities...but I'm positive LA Chicago Boston NYC would be quite different. I stay below 2500 rpm (2k ideally) and 55 mph max. As always ymmv

Re: better gas mileage out of an eg
 

ya... i dont think that be a smart idea when i live around sf lol

Re: better gas mileage out of an eg
 

It can be done! I just can't give you the correct advice to hypermile in a metro area. CleanMPG.com and GasSavers.org have members that can give you the right line of advice though. The techniques are the same - just modified for the commute involved.
Seek out alternative routes off the freeways as they can yield a good bump in fuel economy due to lower speeds and less congestion; but they may be a bit longer drive distance.

Re: better gas mileage out of an eg
 

#1 gas saving is take out your AC... your 1.5 gas mileage is going to eat you up on AC

Re: better gas mileage out of an eg
 

other thought was shutting the engine off if your idling for more than a minute which in most cases is at a stop light is that even worth it?

Re: better gas mileage out of an eg
 

Can you give more information. What is your current highway/city mileage? What steps have you already taken to improve mileage (e.g., tune up , driving habits, etc.)?

Re: better gas mileage out of an eg
 

I know in the Insight, if I let it idle at lights, I'll drop several mpg for the trip. Definitely worth shutting it down if you are going to be at the light for more than 5 seconds or so. You'd need to keep the electrical load pretty low if you plan on doing this regularly.

Max speed of 55 is pretty crucial, wind resistance goes up fast in a hurry past that. I've found acceleration technique to be less important than cruising technique, *provided* that you aren't taking the rpms too high or using too much throttle. It's what you do at speed that matters, and what speed you choose.

Here's an inspiration tank from last summer... yes, one tankful!

http://home.comcast.net/%7Eshifty35/...nsight1000.jpg

Re: better gas mileage out of an eg
 

cut some holes on ur rear bumper so the air escapes and the bumper doesnt trap air .lol

Re: better gas mileage out of an eg
 

:) ... very Inspiring! That's HighWater mpg!

Oct'06 Highwater tank 2254.4 miles on 13.7 gallons...164+ mpg in an Insight!

Re: better gas mileage out of an eg
 

gettin around 33-35mpg ive literally yanked everything possible out and yes this includes part of the door panels only thing i havent changed are the seats for some lighter seats but thats being worked on. i am now using 5w30 full synthetic oil, k&n air filter. i dont go past 75mph on freeway ever most of the time im sitting pretty around 65-70. i tend to coast a lot between lights so i get enough speed to be movin then i just let go of the gas and coast to a stop at the next light.

ultimate goal is to get better gas mileage than my friend who owns a prius and i wanna throw it in his face lol

Re: better gas mileage out of an eg
 

Good goal. The mileage is okay but I agree that you can probably do a little better. How many miles on the engine? When were the plugs, wires, cap, and rotor last replaced? Have you checked the ignition timing with a timing gun?