i've got a 97 honda civic lx (manual transmission)
according to the dealer i'm suppose to get 32/38 miles to the gallon (city/hwy),
but i'm getting somewhere around 25 or less.

any suggestions on improving my gas mileage?

i've recently had a tune up.

thanks.

 

driving characteristics come into play. if you drive like a bastard then your driving mileage will never come close to the dealer numbers..

 

i do have to drive on the interstate on a daily basis.
but i tend not to go over 75 because the cops out here suck

 

You might want to try a new oxygen sensor if you have high mileage.

 

drive easy, shift low... that will make the biggest difference. That being said, change the PCV valve (3 dollar part) Change 02 if its high mileage, anything else would probably be covered in the tune up you got.

 

do you have bigger rims?
that is always a factor
And I can tell your first hand, that factory ratings are bullshit.
They almost always are never true of real life condition

 

25 is waaay low, you definitely need to change something.
The lowest I've ever gottten was 26 mpg, vacuum leak causing costant rev from like 5-2k with the it in neutral.

 

Keep the car tuned up properly. Check/set your timing. Check and gap your plugs. Clean the throttle body. Keep a good following distance when driving. If you are slightly further back you do not have to slow down and speed up as much, wasting less gas. Don't make abrupt changes in direction or speed. Smooth is good. Keep the revs down nothing over 4K unless necessary to get into traffic safely. Drive lake a grampa and you will get better MPG. Smooth = Good MPG

 

that sucks i get between 30-33 mpg and i am turbo'd a common thing people forget to check is the tire pressure

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by SoSlo &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">that sucks i get between 30-33 mpg and i am turbo'd a common thing people forget to check is the tire pressure</TD></TR></TABLE>

What he said!

 

nice Gir

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by eurotrash &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">You might want to try a new oxygen sensor if you have high mileage. </TD></TR></TABLE>Where can i buy that

 

i heard that when the car company tests to see how much mpg a car gets, they test it on the freeway going 40 miles per hour.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Tdawg1030 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i heard that when the car company tests to see how much mpg a car gets, they test it on the freeway going 40 miles per hour.</TD></TR></TABLE>

No that is not true. They use a variety of conditions including start/stops, hills, curves (left and right). They do usually use a closed track due to the fact that if the car is damaged (they have a wreck) the test must be started from scratch.