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Hello all,

I just joined the CleanMPG forums and wanted to introduce myself. For the last 6 years I have worked in the medical industry, manufacturing devices for performing arthroscopic surgery mostly. My current responsibility is running production parts on our laser welder, as well as doing the development work and weld programming for it. Previous to that I spent 16 years in the semiconductor industry building and testing processing equipment. I built high-vacuum sputtering and electron beam evaporator systems, most were used for applying thin-film coatings for making flat-panel displays, on silicon wafers (microchips) and optical coatings.

I recently bought my first new car, a 2006 Honda Civic LX 5MT sedan. I bought it mainly because I needed something reliable, practical and civilized to drive as gasoline prices head towards $4 a gallon. I paid $3.19 a gallon for 87 octane a few days ago here in So Cal. Driving a new Honda makes saving gas a real pleasure.

The new 2006 1.8 i-VTEC engine really impressed me, probably the finest conventional 4-cylinder gas engine with the best balance of power and fuel economy on the planet. With less than 2900 miles on it I have been getting between 30 and 33 MPG in the city (lightly congested), the engine is still breaking in. Still getting used to the car, no real highway mileage has been put on it yet.

I knew the '06 Civic was a sure-bet, having driven a first-gen '74 1237cc (pre-CVCC) 4-speed Civic owned by my Dad back in the late '70s. A wild teenager couldn't hurt it. It got 28 MPG even driving it foot-to-the-floor around town, sometimes traveling as fast as it would go on the freeway in the fast lane (90+). As soon as I saw the '06 Civics in person I knew I had to have one, they are styled nicely both for looks and low aero drag.

I also own a 2002 WS6 Trans Am 4AT convertible, it is used mostly for weekend driving and rewards me with great performance (though seldom can I really use it) and respectable fuel economy. I returns 18 MPG in rarely-congested city driving, I drive it pretty conservatively 99% of the time. Another incredible all-aluminum engine, plenty of power and very easy on fuel as well as being LEV rated.

Before buying the Honda I was doing my 24-mile round-trip daily commute in a 1964 Pontiac Tempest equipped with a 455-cube V8. It's a fast car but with the ancient iron V8 it really doesn't run any quicker than the 346-cube LS1 V8 in my '02 WS6 and gets about half the fuel economy. I decided to retire it from daily duty and currently it is undergoing a transplant to a slightly smaller and more efficient 400-cube V8. It originally came with a 140 HP 215-cube straight-6 (Chevy-derived) that got 20 MPG. Installing the 455 cut the mileage in half. The old six was worn-out and I wanted horsepower.;)

I have been building up and driving older cars as a hobby and using them for daily transportation for over 30 years now. I have always liked owning something that's easy to work on, without car payments, high registration costs or insurance rates. However they do have their shortcomings with less comfort, conveniences and features.

I started out driving air-cooled VWs back in the mid-'70s, building up both factory stock fuel-sipping engines as well as hotter ones putting out over twice the factory HP ratings. My lightweight hopped-up 4-cylinder cars had the performance of the '60s V8 musclecars, running mid 13-second 1/4 mile times, while using half the fuel. I used to laugh at my friends getting 5 to 8 MPG with their V8s while I was getting close to 20 MPG.

I drove the VW air-cooled cars pretty much exclusively until I was 30 years old, until the late '80s. No car payments, decent fuel economy (drove a stock 36 HP 1200cc 1956 Bug for a while, 28 MPG) and ease of maintenance was a true blessing, saving me a lot of cash. I never had to pay anyone to work on my cars. I was very thrifty and lucky enough to be able to afford to buy my modest house in So Cal back in '85 at the age of 25. At the time I was commuting 80 miles round-trip so driving a fuel-efficient car was a necessity for me.

Now that I'm older (age 46) I drive a lot more calmly and conservatively, that wasn't exactly so when I was younger. :D

I enjoy a little performance-oriented driving from time to time and usually visit my local dragstrip when it's time to let off some steam. I own a dedicated race car, a '64 GTO that's also powered by a 455-cube engine and runs on 91 octane unleaded. The '64 Tempest and '02 WS6 have seen the strip as well, a little variety is fun. The Civic will also visit the strip, probably only once, after the engine sees some more miles.

For a while I might not have a lot to contribute, but instead will spend some time reading and brushing-up on fuel mileage enhancing techniques that have been so thoughtfully and generously shared by all of the CleanMPG members.

Gearhead, converting to Fuel Miser (I've been one on and off though) and eventually Hypermiler. :)

The Honda will stay factory stock except for some slightly lighter than stock 18X8" aftermarket alloy wheels and 225/40-18 tires. I commute through a couple of hilly, twisty canyon roads so the wider wheels and tires will be of some benefit for me. The stock 16X6.5" steel wheels and 205/55-16 tires will be used for extended cross-country highway trips.

The 18" tires have already been pumped up to 44 psi from 36 psi since reading this forum, may go all the way to the 51 psi sidewall pressure soon. I know it was good step in the right direction.

Looking foreward to some interesting reading and learning. It'll be fun trying to squeeze as many miles out of a gallon as possible, saving both money and natural resources.

Thanks, Bart

Hi Bart,

Okey it's nice to read about another "Wild Man" with His Toys. :p Hey like you say one has to have a little variety in their life. Better on the Drag Strip than on the street. ;)

So with that being said, I will take this time to;

WELCOME YOU (BART) TO CleanMPG :D

Happy reading and enjoy that New Honda Civic. :D

Terry (Tiger)

Welcome to CleanMPG!

The nearly six years of my 2000 Insight has been a progression of less agressive driving and more hypermiling. Even though my driving has improved, I'm looking forward to learning even more at HybridFest. This site is an oasis free from members that advocate some form of gas-guzzleing as acceptable driving.

With a name like Bart, you seem more yellow (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bart_Simpson) than green. :D (Just Kidding!)

Bart, welcome to cleanmpg.

If anyone looks at you funny for running high tire pressures tell them that you do it to protect the wheels. Tell them you'd rather blow a tire then crack a rim when you hit pot holes.

WaHoo a r18 driver!

Welcome. Ive been waiting for months for a r18 owner to stumble in.

Once broken in your car should do epa rating with noramal driving and even some A/C use. I belive Honda has worked hard with the r18 to make it a FE machine for dummys. With your tire psi raised and a bit more conserv. driving another 2 to 3 mpg across the board will happen. If you get in a extreme hypermiling groove 10 mpg around the board will happen. My best hwy tanks have been at the 50 mpg mark. 50 mpg is a chore IMO in this car.

As for the strip. LMAO! It will hold its own. I would suggest you not take it to the strip. If you do it will go back many times. :) The r18's vtec is a diff beast in this car. One its a SOHC. Not the most sporting. It has its eco. profile and the normal/high output grinds. The engine will pull to redline effortlessly and stay there with no problems. After all it is a Honda. But it wont produce the vtec howl or pull like crazy in the higher reachs of the tach, say like Si's or others K series motors in current production. So having fun with the car it still remains sort of thrifty with the gas. Worst tank Ive gotten was 29 mpg. That was doing hard launchs, 0-60 runs, A/C on and off, windows down and just rat racing the grud out of it.

My problem driving the car for FE is my foot for the most part. BUT not enough is known about how the ecu reacts to load, rpm, throttle position and forward speed. The semi atkins head design / backwards acting vtec is a tricky combo to drive IMO. Also our r18's are high compression engines. They have like a 10:25:1 compression ratio. One of the tricks Honda use's to help controll knock is they spray oil up into the pistion to help cool it. Starting my next tank Im going to start running 91 octain gas in mine and see how it reacts to it.

When I started my journey into buying a Civic I wanted the 06 Hybrid. When it was annonced that it would have only a CVT, that killed the dream. Then throw in rear drum brakes and auto climate control,,, it just killed the deal. So frustrated with the HCHII's config. I called my dealer and deceided to get a Si. OOOO yeah a supercharged, lowered, stealthed out Si. Would have been called PAPA's Evil Dream. Was a verble agrement at some where around $1000 to $750 off MSRP. I trusted them. Every car they sell is basicly discounted. Well the car came in and they had to have MSRP for it. Said they where only getting 6ea for 2006,, so MSRP it would be. I had to pass on my pretty black Si. I wont pay MSRP for a car period. Dont care if the goose that lays gold eggs is in the glove box. At this point I had told my dealer to find me a Accord EX Coupe I4, 5MT. Already owning a 05 Accord EX Sedan I4, 5AT I knew it would be a fun car to drive and still give good FE, Have some size and there are some good mods for it out there. As fate would have it, my dealer called back and offered me a Silver Civic EX Sedan, 5MT with Navi that was on the truck with the Si for $416 above invoice. I took it in a heart beat. I have looked back at my disire to own a Hybrid. I had some cash free up. So I ordered a Insight. I had no more than got that done then problems concerning one of my daughters came up that where not her fault and out of her control. I canceled the order and then Honda canceled the Insight. With the death of the Insight came IMO the death of me ever owning a new Hybrid with a MT tranny. :(

I look forward to reading about your adventures with the r18 powered Civic. Maybe we can crack this nut! I wish Hondata would do a lean burn ecu for us. IMO everything is in place engine wise for this kinda mod. I feel a lean burn r18 would approach a HCHII's mpg. Maybe why Honda didnt do a r18 lean burn. :rolleyes:

Enjoy your Civic! Welcome to Cleanmpg!

psy

Terry (Tiger),

Thanks for the welcome. This 'Wild Man' has calmed down quite a bit over the years, enough to 'light-pedal' it around town like never before.

But I still like an injection of raw horsepower every now and then.:eek:


Delta Flyer,

Thanks.:)

I'm not too yellow these days. Shamelessly revealing my love for big-cube V8s on a board dedicated to saving fuel, I'm getting braver by the minute. I drive my old V8s only on rare occasions these days, like most old car enthusiasts.

I'll just keep "doin' the Bart-man".;)


tbaleno,

Thanks for the welcome. I really don't mind it when people look at me funny.:cool:

In the last two days I have already convinced at least two people at my work to jack up their tire pressure. My Honda tires are now up to 51 psi.

I'm a true LEADER of the cause.:D


psy,

Wow, quite the Honda enthusiast! I've had a soft spot for them for a loooong time myself, and right now the Civic is just such a killer combination. Perfect car for super fuel economy and very reasonable performance, hard to believe that 1.8 liters can move a car as heavy (2685#) as the new Civic with such authority.

I wanted an inexpensive car that would last long, gas mileage was my number one concern. I wanted a car with a conventional drivetrain for simplicity and hopefully lower repair cost if need be. I didn't want a moon roof and I didn't need the added extras on the EX models. I guess I would have liked the rear discs though, but then again drum brakes don't drag like most discs, another benefit for better FE. The LX is a little lighter weight (55#) than the EX, so that should also help with FE a bit and afford me a little better acceleration when I need to use it.

I bought mine over the internet, never even spoke with a salesperson until it was time to pay the money. I paid 16K even, plus taxes (8.25%:eek: ) and fees. I think I did okay, about $350 over invoice.

I considered the Si, but came to my senses quickly (my wife helped me out on this one). I had to keep reminding myself that fuel economy was priority #1. Plus the utility of the 4-door sedan is great, and I already own too many 2-door performance cars.:o

I am using a fuel system cleaner/lubricator (FP 60) in the Civic and the T/A to try to maintain the efficiency of the fuel injectors and such, 1 oz. for every 5 gallons, every tank, adds about $.06 to the cost of a gallon. Worth it to me to keep things working right. After the engine has about 10K mi. on or so it I'll switch over to Mobil 1 0W-20, right now waiting to change out the factory fill.

The little r18 is such a smooth runner. It's hard to believe 10.5:1 can run on 87 as well as it does, those piston oil squirters work wonders. But you have to keep in mind that any engine with an aluminum head can tolerate higher compression ratios on a certain fuel octane than the same configuration in iron can due to the better heat rejection of the aluminum. Of course having the lastest in combustion chamber design can't hurt.

I'll be sure to post my fuel mileage gains as well as my 1/4 mile times, hoping she at least runs in the 16s.

Thanks again.:)