Ok, I think a lot of people on here have questions about gas mileage and what affects it, what can be done to improve it, etc. So I figured I'd write up a thread on it, just because. I work in an automotive and have been to classes on fuels and gas mileage, so I understand this stuff pretty well.
First, there are many factors that affect fuel mileage, some are obvious. The setup your running (more HP probably mean more fuel burned, you can't get more power from nowhere), the weight, your style of driving (lead or feather foot), the gas you use.
Actually, the fuel you use is one very easy to change variable that will almost without fail have a dramatic affect on your mileage. First thing, premium fuel burns more effeciently. I've posted around here several times telling people that I have personal gotten improvements of 4-7 mpg using premium fuel. It will depend how you drive and the brand you use, but premium fuel burns cleaner and more effeciently, leaving you with more power, and therefore the need to use less actual fuel. Pretty cool huh?
The brand of fuel is important. I know gas prices are a bitch these days, but using the better brands will help you. Not only does it help fuel mileage but it will save you from costly repairs to your fuel system or worse, my current CB came to me with two burned valves because the previous owner used cheap fuel, deposits built up, and burnt the valves. Of course, that won't happen to everyone, but it much more like to happen using cheap fuels (grocery store brands, arco, 7-11 etc (I dunno what ya'll have around the country but those are the cheap brands around here)). Want to know how they get cheap fuel, they buy from refineries what no one else wants, the crap essentially, and mix it together and sell it for cheap. NOT ALL FUELS ARE CREATED EQUAL! I personally use Chevron (with Techron
) and again, I don't know what ya'll have, I would recommend Chevron, Shell or Texaco, none of those are bad.
Of course, there are other things than just the gas that can affect mileage, but they can be harder to nail down. First, your driving style. We all love to accelerate and that is huge. But I can't and won't try and change that, if you race your car AND bitch about your fuel mileage, stop racing your car or stop bitching. And next time, get a five speed, coasting is the second best thing to ever happen to fuel mileage. In my weekly routine there is about a 2.5 mile stretch of freeway that I can coast down, thats 2.5 miles where I'm idling, great for mileage!
Now, your car. There are some things you can do to affect mileage, but honestly the ECU does a lot of it. Many things can affect it, heres the abbreviated list: spark plugs, distributor, fuel injector cleanliness (I would recommend cleaning them if you never have), EGR cleanliness, oxygen sensor quality/cleanliness, MAP sensor (not much you can do about that), air filter, the oil you use (yes, synthetic can cause I slight bump up in mileage, less friction I guess, don't honestly know why), weight of the car (for God's sake, keep the car clean!
)
So there it is, the gas mileage thread. My fingers are now tired, and I have to go to work, PM me with questions or post around here. I'd be happy to answer them if I can, I work in a Honda shop and know a fair bit about Honda's, especially for people new to CB's...
First, there are many factors that affect fuel mileage, some are obvious. The setup your running (more HP probably mean more fuel burned, you can't get more power from nowhere), the weight, your style of driving (lead or feather foot), the gas you use.
Actually, the fuel you use is one very easy to change variable that will almost without fail have a dramatic affect on your mileage. First thing, premium fuel burns more effeciently. I've posted around here several times telling people that I have personal gotten improvements of 4-7 mpg using premium fuel. It will depend how you drive and the brand you use, but premium fuel burns cleaner and more effeciently, leaving you with more power, and therefore the need to use less actual fuel. Pretty cool huh?
The brand of fuel is important. I know gas prices are a bitch these days, but using the better brands will help you. Not only does it help fuel mileage but it will save you from costly repairs to your fuel system or worse, my current CB came to me with two burned valves because the previous owner used cheap fuel, deposits built up, and burnt the valves. Of course, that won't happen to everyone, but it much more like to happen using cheap fuels (grocery store brands, arco, 7-11 etc (I dunno what ya'll have around the country but those are the cheap brands around here)). Want to know how they get cheap fuel, they buy from refineries what no one else wants, the crap essentially, and mix it together and sell it for cheap. NOT ALL FUELS ARE CREATED EQUAL! I personally use Chevron (with Techron
) and again, I don't know what ya'll have, I would recommend Chevron, Shell or Texaco, none of those are bad. Of course, there are other things than just the gas that can affect mileage, but they can be harder to nail down. First, your driving style. We all love to accelerate and that is huge. But I can't and won't try and change that, if you race your car AND bitch about your fuel mileage, stop racing your car or stop bitching. And next time, get a five speed, coasting is the second best thing to ever happen to fuel mileage. In my weekly routine there is about a 2.5 mile stretch of freeway that I can coast down, thats 2.5 miles where I'm idling, great for mileage!
Now, your car. There are some things you can do to affect mileage, but honestly the ECU does a lot of it. Many things can affect it, heres the abbreviated list: spark plugs, distributor, fuel injector cleanliness (I would recommend cleaning them if you never have), EGR cleanliness, oxygen sensor quality/cleanliness, MAP sensor (not much you can do about that), air filter, the oil you use (yes, synthetic can cause I slight bump up in mileage, less friction I guess, don't honestly know why), weight of the car (for God's sake, keep the car clean!
) So there it is, the gas mileage thread. My fingers are now tired, and I have to go to work, PM me with questions or post around here. I'd be happy to answer them if I can, I work in a Honda shop and know a fair bit about Honda's, especially for people new to CB's...
it'll be nifty though. All the noise and none of the VTEC.
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