I would like to get the most out of my Civic in a slightly different way than most of the members here. I would like to start a list of items that you can add to the civics that will increase how many Miles Per Gallon I can get with my Civic. I am not looking for items that will add HP, but if added HP is a byproduct to adding more MPG then all the better.

I know that the best tings to do are:
-Keep you tires properly inflated
-Keep your Air filter clean/new
-Change your oil and filter religiously

But what about items that you can add:
-to your Air intake that will cause the air to spin and cause better atomization of the fuel - thus increasing your MPG ?
-Spark Plugs that will give a larger spark thus burning the fuel better giving you more MPG ?
-Synthetic oils?

Any ideas or know of anything that actually does work and isnt just a rip off..

Thanks
Axian

 

In addition to the tires and air filter you mentioned...check your spark plug wires, distributor, and rotor. I installed a Short-Ram intake on my car...and notice a VERY slight improvement on MPG (when I don't have the pedal mashed to the floor to listen to the cool sound it makes). I have also switched to sythetic oil (0w30 Castrol Syntec to be precise) and the oil seems to have helped. I have NOT kept an actual log, but just re-set the trip-meter every time I fill up. Last summer I was getting approx 350-400KM/ tank. Since these changes I have noticed an improvment to 450-450KM/tank. Thats an additional 50KM/tank, or 31 miles per tank.

Like I said this is average, and I have only said "SEEMS TO IMPROVE". It seems to work for me so I'll keep doing it and we'll see if my numbers stay up

 

almost anything you do to gain power can be used to increase mpg as long as you drive accordingly, my EX used to be somebodys racer, i have short ram intake, a fal cooling fan, a fluidyne radiator, dc 4-1 header and a D15B (not that it has any more hp than the stock engine did) but the trans went out and it was swapped with that of an hf and i get 42mpg. i also get to enjoy a momo steering wheel and neuspeed strut bars.

 

You also get to the enjoy the thoughts of not having an airbag to deploy.

 

Spent yesterday cleaning my engine bay and block w/ some rags and soapy water plus a can of engine brite. A clean engine helps your engine run cooler and quite possibly improves efficiency. I guess thats something small you can do every so often to keep your engine in tip top shape.

 

Just don't drive like your headed somewhere where if you don't arrive in 5 minutes or less your life will be taken, that's of course unless you really are in that kind of situation, which I wish you good luck. Don't floor it when your at red lights and stop signs. Plan your daily trips efficiently so your not driving back and forth just because. Improving your daily driving habits will improve your cars mpg by alot.

 

see ive been in 8 car accidents in the last 3 years (only one at fault.....that was when i hit a deer, technically it hit me but no one belives me, lol) of those 8 i should have had the air bag deploy out of at least 3or 4 of them but it only deployed in my old Altima and even then it really didnt help me. it only grazed my arms as it was being deployed, it didnt reach my body. my girlfriend rear ended somebody in an Altima of the samebody style before we met and the airbag in gave her those horrible burns that i hear so much about. my feeling on safty systems is that they are nice but sometimes you are better off without them, but most of the times they save your life

 

You just contradicted yourself on that comments. And you are talking about a Nissan Altima which, in both cases, the airbag did not help. They put airbags in cars for good reasons. Just be careful out there man. Only looking out for safety reasons.

 

i didnt mean to contradict myself, the airbag did help my gf but it also burned her, what i meant to say is that safty systems (seatbelts, airbags and the such) are hit or miss. yes they do usualy save your life but i know 3 people who would be dead if they were wearing their seatbelt during an accident.

 

If they were wearing their seatbelt? In most cases wear your seatbelt. Did you see what happened to Governer of New Jersey Jon Corzine in which he did not wear his seatbelt in an 80+mph car accident? Check out what happened to him and check out what happened to the driver and the assistant in the back seat and both were wearing seatbelts. Needless to say there are some cases where a seatbelt may actually serve a wrong purpose but in most cases it's literally a lifesaver.

I'm not flaming you or anything, I'm just saying that Airbags and Seatbelts were made for a reason and its reason is to protect people in the car from injury and death. Yes, there are some cases where they may actually defeat the purpose: One of my friends never wears his seatbelts because he happened to see someone burn alive in a car because he could not get out of a seatbelt, it was at a race of course. But that does not mean it is in anyway a really justifiable way not to wear one. Take your chances wisely.