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CleanMPG Forums
| brick's 2002 Honda Accord Coupe |
The Car
2002 Honda Accord EX Coupe
4-cylinder ULEV powerplant (F23A4)
5-speed manual transmission
Purchased used at ~25,000mi
EPA rating(mpg): 25 city / 32 highway / 28 combined
Observed FE prior to implementing HM techniques(~11,000mi of driving):
Best: 36.8mpg (7/2005)
Worst: 25.7mpg (10/2005)
Avg: 30.0mpg
Completely stock mechanically. Running 44psi with the Bridgestone Turanza tires on stock alloy rims.
Upgrades in progress: The driver 
The Technique
Highway:
Accelerate gently to a cruising speed of roughly 60mph. When the road is flat or the terrain otherwise constant, the cruise is set. This eliminates variations in speed, allowing the engine to run comfortably at steady-state. When descending a hill I keep an eye on the ScanGauge's Load readout, waiting to see a number in the range of 25% or lower. This indicates that the engine is not doing any work, and neutral coasting is warranted. For a short hill (1/4 mile or less) I'll just take the car out of gear with the engine on (NICE-on). The engine is usually cut for longer hills, and restarted via clutch or gear reduction starter. Care is taken not to lose momentum at the bottom of the hill, as that would mean wasteful acceleration to re-gain the speed that was lost. This technique is good for upwards of 44mpg.
City:
City driving is a little more complicated. 5th gear is used as much as possible, at speeds as low as 30mph when terrain permits. Acceleration is as gentle as possible, and shift points are generally 2,000RPM or lower. DWL (Driving with the Load) is used for undulating terrain. FAS (engine-off coasting) is used on any long descent that permits it, and the engine is also killed when the car is going to be stoopped for ~20s or more. Driving without brakes (DWB) is used, which basically means managing acceleration and speed so that brake use is minimized. This involves paying careful attention to traffic, signals, etc. Speeds are kept at the posted limit or lower. On some familiar routes, round-trip numbers above 45mpg are possible. |
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