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On a recent road trip to Cali, I wanted to get the best gas mileage possible, due to rising fuel prices. I have always been around the 32mpg mark, but I was determined to get that 40mpg that the car was advertised with. Here is how I did it. I am not sure what steps made the biggest difference but I will be as detailed as possible, so you can try them too. I just had the oil changed, and had the air in the tires set to 40psi, I know the car recommends 32, but I figured the more air in the tires the less resistance so I added a little more and 40psi was still in spec with the tires. I also have stock rims and tires as I am sure tire size makes a difference. I started the trip in AZ and on the first fill up I was avg about 36-37mpg, pretty good but not the 40 I was looking for. When I got 36-37mpg I had cruise set to 75 and the a/c was on, I think its safe to assume that having the a/c on a cruise at 75 played a roll in my falling short of my 40mpg mark, but it was close to 100 degrees outside and I would have been run off the road if I were to go any slower. As it got later in the day and I made my way into Cali, the outside temp fell enough to turn the ac off, at my next fill up I was avg 38mpg still cruising at about 75mph. I would assume that being able to turn the a/c off allowed that extra mpg but still not the 40mpg that I was looking for. I didn't need to fill up again until my trip back to AZ. I filled up once I left Cali as I was not about to pay those prices and didn't bother doing a calculation as I had done a lot of city driving and knew I wouldn't be close to my 40mpg goal. I was determined to get that 40mpg so it was time to drive like a granny. I knew I would need to stop for gas one more time before reaching my final destination, so I did everything I could think of to remain economical while still being safe. It was night time so no a/c needed and I set the cruise to 65 as opposed to 75, it was late and no traffic except for trucks doing like 50, so no worries about being run off the road. I kept an eye on the gas gauge and it seemed to be falling really slow, I had a good feeling about this one. I had about a half a tank left and I needed to use the rest room asap so I found a gas station that had pretty good prices and a toilet so I stopped and filled up. I had driven 240 some odd miles and needed a little more than 6 gallons obtaining my goal of 40mpg. I could have prob gotten more, but I had 2 other adults in the car plus luggage for three people. So, yes it is possible to get 40mpg in a civic as long as you remain real economical with the gas pedal. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask, I will answer them to the best of my ability.
Car Specs:
2001 Civic LX
Auto Tranny
Final Driving Conditions:
65mph with cruise on
No a/c
tires at 40 psi
New Oil
~240 miles on ~6 gallons of gas
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yeah it makes a BIG difference going 55mph instead of 65mph. some people believe they raised the speed limit to 65 to help the gas companies make more money.
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I dont think you got that many miles on 6 gallons. The 01 and early 7thgen series vic's are notorious for having the gas tank gauge lie. I can drive my first 150 miles and still be on F. Those gauges are a buncha bullshit.
You should also include your driving temperature- which plays a part in your MPG. Driving at in 30 degrees will give you better mileage then 100 degrees.
i disagree... i went to texas and back and when i was up north and it was around freezing and below, my mpg sucked like 32mpg. in summer around 70+ when its warm i get at least 38 if not higher and the car tends to run better.
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Well, now your getting into the ethanol blend- they add more in the winter time. Did you have your defroster on? I dunno.. theres lots of contributing factors. I'm no expert or I'd be getting crazy mpg's. My best ever was 40.1 on all highway on a 120 mile drive going 65-72 with cruise control, MT 01.
Regardless, you should state your driving temperature ... AND your fuel blend.
ya it depends on too many things to really be accurate. i use fp and lc additives too. going 55mph and having a bit extra tire pressure all help, so does a good alignment and suspension components like shocks, bushings, etc, anything that keeps the car from moving where it shoudnt. dont use extra stuff like ac or defrost if you can help it, and sometimes using cruise is bad cause going up over small hills the car pushes that pedal way too far. in town cruising it makes a big difference if you stay 2800rpm or below when shifting and driving. above that it wastes alot more gas. as for ethanol, our stations here have 10% year around so idk if that matters. colder air is much more dense per unit area, so you are getting more air in the engine (and more fuel) than on a hot day when the air is really thin. also altitude i bet plays a role too where sea level air is rich in oxygen and higher up is much less.
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Are you using the new soy based fp-plus?
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Jobs wanted in boulder or louisville colorado.
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I got the 6 gallons from the pump, not my gauge, and the mileage off my odometer which I assume is pretty accurate. So unless the pump was off I went 240 some odd miles on about six gallons of gas. Which gave me my 40mpg estimation. As for outside air temp, I'd say it was between 60-70. Fuel blend was 87 octane.
I remember getting over 200 miles for a little over 5 gallons. I was driving towards houston, windows down, sun roof open going 65 but i was drafting my parents in their expedition I'm pretty sure that played a big role
I've gotten 48 mpg before on a trip to Sun River, Oregon. I was traveling around 55 mph the whole time, a lot of the time at altitude. Ambient temps were mild, warm but not warm enough that we even put the AC on. I have an LX MT.
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Whaaat. Okay, I'm suprised on two levels- one being that you got 48 mpg, and the second being that I'm west of Bend/ "Sun River" in Eugene, 100miles south of Portland.
Yeah I vacationed there with my girlfriend's parents last Summer and I think we will be making a road trip there again this Summer. It's a helluva drive from Seattle though lol, thank god for the Civic.
__________________ "A man's ethical behavior should be based effectually on sympathy, education, and social ties; no religious basis is necessary. Man would indeed be in a poor way if he had to be restrained by fear of punishment and hope of reward after death." -Albert Einstein
"If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it?"- Albert Einstein
"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." -Albert Einstein
anyone passing through the Monterey, CA region, let me know! (WINE COUNTRY)
i just got back from a road trip too...i may havepassed some of you guy too!, who knows...
well, i'm just happy that car made it from Barstow, CA to Monterey, CA on a tank...I still had some gas left in the tank, but need to run numbers to find MPGs...
I dont think you got that many miles on 6 gallons. The 01 and early 7thgen series vic's are notorious for having the gas tank gauge lie. I can drive my first 150 miles and still be on F. Those gauges are a buncha bullshit...
Does anyone know how to fix/replace the fuel guage? Mine is always doing that to me where it says I've got like a fully tank or three quarters and then next time I turn the car on it drops ridiculously.
It really upsets me because I never know where I'm really at.
Sometimes it will say I'm at Full for an entire day after driving all over the city.
i do a lot of driving on the highway. And in Wyoming all the interstate speed limits are 75. So i do about 80 mph when i drive anywhere and one time, with 115000 miles on my car i got 43 mpg. My mom claimed she got 50 mpg once when the car was a lot newer.
Does anyone know how to fix/replace the fuel guage? Mine is always doing that to me where it says I've got like a fully tank or three quarters and then next time I turn the car on it drops ridiculously.
It really upsets me because I never know where I'm really at.
Sometimes it will say I'm at Full for an entire day after driving all over the city.
you need to replace the fuel SENDER not the gauge
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Are you using the new soy based fp-plus?
________________________________________
Go Here For Real Medicine http://www.youngliving.com/
Member 1025782
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Jobs wanted in boulder or louisville colorado.
PM me if you know companies that are hiring.
I'm pretty sure that played a big role 
