Poor gas mileage (2005 Honda Civic LX AT) ~25 MPG

According to spec the gas consumption is 29 in the city and 38 on the
highway. However, I can drive about 300 MI before the "low fuel" light
comes up (which according to the manual would allow me to drive
additional 25/30 miles). Most of the time (90%) I drive on a highway.
According to the spec the tank size is 13.2 gallons, which gives me
about 25 MPG: 300 + (30 reserve) / 13.2 = 25. This average is even
worst than officially published 29 MPG in the city. What gives? Can the
fuel efficiency drop drastically to this level because of my speed? If
there is no traffic I tend to drive at 80-90 mph (the average is
probably around 75 mph). How good are these advertised 29/38 numbers?
Are they accurate when driving 55/65? Can't test that myself since I
don't have a patience to drive that slow. This is a new car - I've just
bought it (I put almost 3k MI already). Thanks.

 

Instead of assuming how much fuel is in the fuel tank when the light
turns on, go to the fuel station and refuel until the fuel tank is
full. Note the amount of fuel used in refueling and divide that number
into the number of miles since you last filled the fuel tank to full.
That will give you a more accurate estimate.

On the highway, aerodynamic drag increases greatly as you increase speed.
That can greatly worsen fuel economy.

 

That will give you a more accurate estimate.

OK. Sounds like a good idea. Thanks.

 

keep an excel spreadsheet with date, mileage, fuel, price, mileage (per
tank), average mileage (last 5 tanks or so, up to you) and also
MAINTENANCE recoards: new tires, new plugs, new brake pads, whatever,
so that you know is something goes wrong. also note driving conditions:
summer, highway, empty car, or winter, hilly, 4 people in the car and
the trunck loaded with sports equipment. That also affects the mileage
a lot!

 

which means basically... nothing. it might, might not. its basically a
"second warning"

set trip odo to 0
fill tank
drive until you feel the tank should be refilled
refill tank until pump clicks
divide number on trip odometer by number of gallons used to refill
*thats* your true MPG

IOW... dont go by the tank specs and what youre guessing the reserve
should be... use REAL FIGURES.

they pretty much dont apply for 90mph driving. in fact, they only apply
if you do the same test cycle the EPA uses. you should get around 29 in
mixed driving. if youre doing 90mph, then 25 is a reasonable number.

it should loosen up more in another 5k miles.

 

The EPA test for highway mileage is to run the car on friction rollers
at a constant 48 mph.

Running down the road at 80-90 mph should give you about 30 mpg,
more or less, depending on the direction and speed of the wind and
the severity of the hills. (No road is absolutely flat.)

One time I was driving my '98 Civic EX coupe from Flagstaff, AZ to
Amarillo, TX on I-40 at a constant 85 mph indicated. I got 42 mpg
over 411 miles. I also had a constant 40 mph tail wind. It makes a
huge difference.

Andy

 

I get 34 mpg @ 80+ on my 96 Civic Coupe. ;-)

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Why Bill Gates is a crimimal.

Microsoft helps China to censor bloggers
Jonathan Watts in Beijing
Wednesday June 15, 2005 The Guardian

Civil liberties groups have condemned an arrangement between Microsoft
and
Chinese authorities to censor the internet.

The American company is helping censors remove "freedom" and "democracy"
from the net in China with a software package that prevents bloggers
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using these and other politically sensitive words on their websites.

The restrictions, which also include an automated denial of "human
rights",
are built into MSN Spaces, a blog service launched in China last month
by
Shanghai MSN Network Communications Technology, a venture in which
Microsoft
holds a 50% stake.

 

Something is wrong. I have a T&C minivan and in highway only driving I
get just over 24mpg. I average about somewhere between 70 & 75 mph, so I am
not driving really slow.

 

Just a point of reference: I have a 2003 Honda Civic EX,and I routinely
do 80mph on the interstate.I get 29mpg when going that fast.I tend to
get better mileage when approaching lower speeds (like 55-60mph) when
going on state roads with lower speed limits.I think this is a general
observation in any engine no matter what year or engine in the
vehicle.The faster you go,the more the fuel efficiency decreases.

 

My son's '05 Civic Coupe (A/T) consistently gets 25 MPG, strictly in town
(greater Los Angeles area) driving. When the car does see the freeway
(such as it is around here) the F.E. can get close to 30 MPG

You can read about EPA ESTIMATES on their web site, but here is Honda's
version:

Tech Line fields many questions on fuel economy, including why some
vehicles don't get the fuel mileage estimates shown on the fuel economy
label (part of the Monroney label that's on every new car and truck).
Before you read this Q & A, here's a sample label with an explanation of
its contents.

Question: Why can't I get the City and Highway mpg estimates shown on the
label?

Answer: The mileage estimates on the label reflect the average mpg attained
by similar vehicles in a model line under controlled laboratory conditions
and are not the result of an actual road test. And remember, as stated on
the fuel economy label: "Actual mileage will vary with options, driving
conditions, driving habits, and vehicle's condition."

Question: Just how are the EPA mileage estimates made anyway?

Answer: Test vehicles are run by professional drivers on a treadmill-like
device that easures exhaust emissions and fuel usage. During the test, the
vehicle's headlights, A/C, heater, audio unit, and all accessories are
turned off. Upshifts on M/T vehicles are typically made at 15 mph (1st to
2nd gear), 28 mph
(2nd to 3rd gear), 41 mph (3rd to 4th gear), and 52 mph (4th to 5th gear).
The City portion of the test simulates a 7.5 mile stop-and-go trip with an
average speed of 20 mph. The trip takes 23 minutes, has 18 stops, and keeps
the engine idling about 18 percent of the time to simulate rush hour
traffic delays.
The Highway portion of the test simulates a 10-mile drive with speeds
averaging 48 mph. It's
run from a hot start in a mix of rural and interstate driving conditions.
There are no stops, and there's not much idling time. When both test
results are known, the City mpg is lowered by 10 percent, and the
Highway mpg is lowered by 22 percent; this makes the results closer to
real worldls fuel consumption.

Question: How do I calculate mpg?

Answer: You divide the miles driven by the number of gallons of fuel that
you
used.

Question: How can I increase my vehicle's mpg?

Answer: To increase your vehicle's mpg, do this:
.. As often as possible, accelerate slowly and smoothly, keep your engine
speed below 3,000
rpm, and lower your road speed.
.. Keep your tires inflated to the specs listed on the doorjamb sticker.
.. Keep your vehicle in top condition by following the maintainance schedule

listed in your owner's manual and by using the recommended engine oil.

Question: Where can I get more info on fuel economy?

Answer: You can get a free copy of the Model Year 2001 Fuel Economy Guide
by any of these
means:
Mail: National Alternative Fuels Hotline
9300 Lee Highway
Fairfax, VA 22031-1207
Phone: 800-423-1363
Internet: www.fueleconomy.gov









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34 MPG @ 80+MPH 1996 Civic DX Coupe w/ auto!


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On May 01, 2003, President Bush declared that,
"Major combat operations in Iraq have ended."

--------

"I'm the commander -- see, I don't need to explain --
I do not need to explain why I say things. That's the
interesting thing about being the president.
Maybe somebody needs to explain to me why they
say something, but I don't feel like I owe anybody
an explanation. "
- George "Dubya" Bush

 

Thanks. From what I read the EPA mileage is completely irrelevant. They
should provide real numbers based on real driving. Otherwise it
misleads customers.

 

I use the resettable trip/mpg monitor in my Civic Hybrid to watch mileage
over 10-15 mile stretches as conditions change.

I find that a higher cruising speed doesn't affect mileage as much as
"keeping up with traffic". Left alone one a flat road and no wind, I get
52mpg at 75mph. But add a little traffic, and that will drop to 47. It's
hard to maintain 75 on the freeways in the SF Bay Area, although
sigalert.com shows the average speed on 680 at 78mph in some stretches. In
those stretches, there are still slower drivers, so attempting to maintain
75mph means slowing down and accelerating.

With my 1300cc engine, wind is a bad thing. Direct headwind doesn't seem
to be as bad as an angled wind to the front corner.

 

You missed the whole point of the word "ESTIMATED".

es·ti·mate To calculate approximately
(the amount, extent, magnitude, position, or value of something).

It's a way for the consumer to relatively compare one car to the next,
regardless of the car's class. Now whether there should be a stronger
disclaimer, pointing out that EPA Estimate is just that, an ESTIMATE, is
debatable.

I have never seen any manufacturer claim that their car WILL get the MPG as
indicated by EPA Estimates.

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He also missed the points of excessive speed and the break-in period.

 

What's your definition of "excessive speed"?

 

I did some calculations using this method they came out to 30 mpg on
average.

 

And BTW. there is no break-in period for 2005 Civic according to a
mechanic from a Honda dealership where I bought the car.

 

The speed at which you claimed to drive, 80-90mph I believe it was? That is
excessive even for expressway driving. And yes, it does increase your fuel
consumption.

If it hasn't been mentioned, also check your tire pressures. And don't
resort to jackrabbit take-offs from a stop, if you tend to do that too.

 

ALL cars have a break-in period. That mechanic is full of shit.