Honda Civic / Del Sol (1992 - 2000) EG/EH/EJ/EK/EM1 Discussion

Aerodynamic Question???

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Old Apr 30, 2011 | 06:52 PM
  #1  
tengty's Avatar
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Default Aerodynamic Question???

Hey guy, I'm a newbie here......
I've got some question to ask....

If i go under 20MPH with my civic window opened.....does this cause air drag?

I really concerned about increase my MPG.....So, I've never turn on my air-con...and I always drive with lower speed....and open my window...

Thx in advance....

PS: My English not so good...Sorry...
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Old Apr 30, 2011 | 09:34 PM
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Default Re: Aerodynamic Question???

it will cause some drag - yes. but if you were to use the AC at that low of a speed it would use more fuel.

Mythbusters (show on discovery channel) did a test and determined, if i recall correctly, anything below 50mph, its better to have the windows down. anything above, windows up, AC on.
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Old Apr 30, 2011 | 10:02 PM
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Default Re: Aerodynamic Question???

Open the windows up to 40mph, once you hit 40mph switch over to A/C and close the windows. This has been proven many times by various research teams, seems to yield the best results on average, you may find a better formula for your specific vehicle. If gas milage is a major concern remove everything from the vehicle you don't need with reguards to trash and junk, however you don't need to make the car impractical to drive either.
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Old Apr 30, 2011 | 11:39 PM
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Default Re: Aerodynamic Question???

Aight...I understand it now.....
I'll remove some unused stuff and keep my window open when Driving below 40MPH.....BTW..Any recommendation bout which kind of Oil I could used with my Civic to improve my MPG?
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Old Apr 30, 2011 | 11:46 PM
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Default Re: Aerodynamic Question???

a full synthetic like Mobile 1, i run 0W 20 which is specificly made for honda motors
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Old Apr 30, 2011 | 11:49 PM
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Default Re: Aerodynamic Question???

but oil alone will not make ur car more fuel efficent. whens the last time a tune up was done? U can get MPG from getting new spark plugs, wires, distributer cap, rotor, air filter, and oil.
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Old May 1, 2011 | 12:54 AM
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Default Re: Aerodynamic Question???

aerodynamics affecting mpg in a civic? cmon man, theyre economy cars. you could slap a sail on the damn thing and not notice much of a difference. i refuse to ride with no ac (doesnt affect a thing anyways) to save mpg. weight reduction wont do much either.. it is a light economy car. if youre that into mpg, find yourself a y5/z1 swap, cx or vx trans.
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Old May 1, 2011 | 12:58 AM
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Default Re: Aerodynamic Question???

ok, to not be a total dick... your rear bumper causes a great deal of drag. vx hatchbacks come with a weird air diffuser thing stock. you could go ghetto cheap and fab up some kind of flat sheet of metal under it
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Old May 1, 2011 | 01:51 PM
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Default Re: Aerodynamic Question???

make sure your air pressure in the tires are at good levels too. you could even go as far as getting low resistance fuel economy tires
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Old May 1, 2011 | 03:09 PM
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Default Re: Aerodynamic Question???

Originally Posted by eghatch9295
ok, to not be a total dick... your rear bumper causes a great deal of drag. vx hatchbacks come with a weird air diffuser thing stock. you could go ghetto cheap and fab up some kind of flat sheet of metal under it
The OEM diffuser was pretty cheap when a guy I know looked at them.
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Old May 1, 2011 | 03:22 PM
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Default Re: Aerodynamic Question???

your not going to see any benefit worthwhile just for sacrificing your comfort.

syntheric oil? your likely going to spend more on the oil than anything you would possibly save on fuel. if any.
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Old May 1, 2011 | 08:24 PM
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Default Re: Aerodynamic Question???

Aright..aright.....I though I know more bout this stuff now....
and i'm gonna check out more....Thx all you guy!!!
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Old May 1, 2011 | 08:27 PM
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Default Re: Aerodynamic Question???

Originally Posted by eghatch9295
aerodynamics affecting mpg in a civic? cmon man, theyre economy cars. you could slap a sail on the damn thing and not notice much of a difference. i refuse to ride with no ac (doesnt affect a thing anyways) to save mpg. weight reduction wont do much either.. it is a light economy car. if youre that into mpg, find yourself a y5/z1 swap, cx or vx trans.
Really??...ok, but what's the standard number of MPG for 6Gen civic?
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Old May 1, 2011 | 10:19 PM
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Default Re: Aerodynamic Question???

Slap a wing on it. Cut holes in the bumper to let air flow instead of getting trapped.
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Old May 1, 2011 | 10:27 PM
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Default Re: Aerodynamic Question???

Slap a wing on it...why? They're usually designed to increase drag. Cutting holes in the bumper, however, will reduce drag. But also looks ridiculous.

OP: IIRC, the EPA rated the 6th gen civic in the 30's for MPG. My stock 98 EX gets like 30-35 with mixed driving. I'm sure if I went on just a long *** highway trip, it would be something like 35-38MPG.

Things that help MPG on the highway are:
-driving with the windows up. Use the A/C. It's better than the drag of having the windows down. MUCH better.
-Drive a sensible speed. I usually set cruise at like 70-75MPH.
-Use cruise control.


There's other small things you can do to improve MPG, like using a higher tire pressure (but to actually see any benefits, you'll need a MUCH higher PSI and this puts extra wear on the tires and tires are more expensive than the gas savings at this point....so this method has a bad return). Avoid short trips. Use headlights/accesories only when nessecary. Don't use the A/C at lower speeds where drag isn't as much of a factor. For city driving...at like 30-35MPH, the windows being down saves gas over the A/C being on. Anything faster than that...and the aero drag from having the windows down is worse than having the A/C on.

There's a ton of other gas saving things you can do if you're really concerned about it. I drive normally and get like 30-35MPG. So...no complaints. I'm not some hyper miling freak.
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Old May 1, 2011 | 11:54 PM
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Default Re: Aerodynamic Question???

Any recommendation bout the product which can improve MPG?
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Old May 1, 2011 | 11:56 PM
  #17  
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Default Re: Aerodynamic Question???

Hey one more question please....
why did i see a Trail User word under my name????
How can i become a full function user???
Thx....
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Old May 2, 2011 | 02:51 PM
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Default Re: Aerodynamic Question???

you become a full functional user after a certain number of posts and a certain amount of time. I forget what the numbers of days/time are.
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Old May 3, 2011 | 06:37 PM
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tengty's Avatar
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Default Re: Aerodynamic Question???

Originally Posted by B serious
you become a full functional user after a certain number of posts and a certain amount of time. I forget what the numbers of days/time are.
Ok...
I'll observe it....!!!
Thx bro!
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