Not so new to site but new to Honda
10-Dec-2009, 12:01 AM
#1
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Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Sudbury
Posts: 15
Not so new to site but new to Honda
Hey, iv been a member of the site for a couple of months now but iv never posted anything yet. I just bought a 2003 Civic 30th anniversary edition automatic with 71000km on it.
Im concerned about the fuel mileage im getting. i havent checked yet but i burned about 3/4 of a tank of gas and i only got 230km on it so far. does this sound right to you? Thanks
Im concerned about the fuel mileage im getting. i havent checked yet but i burned about 3/4 of a tank of gas and i only got 230km on it so far. does this sound right to you? Thanks
10-Dec-2009, 02:00 AM
#4
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: N/A
Posts: 4,641
Welcome.
That does not sound right at all! Check if you exhaust system is clogged. May need a good tune-up overall. I remember when my cat was clogged I would burn half a tank for 70-90km lol.
How does the car feel under heavy acceleration? Do you do a lot of city driving? Do you drive agresively?
That does not sound right at all! Check if you exhaust system is clogged. May need a good tune-up overall. I remember when my cat was clogged I would burn half a tank for 70-90km lol.
How does the car feel under heavy acceleration? Do you do a lot of city driving? Do you drive agresively?
10-Dec-2009, 02:16 AM
#5
Also... due to the time of year are you driving with a lot of heat pumping, are you starting the car and letting it warm up for a bit? Regardless I think your MPG is out of wack but those are contributing factors.
10-Dec-2009, 08:47 AM
#7
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Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Where my car is.
Posts: 5,460
Welcome to the club!
Don't forget, when the weather gets cold, you'll get worse fuel mileage. In the winter I usually get 50-100km less per tank then in the summer. However, it sounds like yours is even worse then that. Might what to have someone look at it.
There are a few things you can check your self before taking it in that may fix the issue. Is there a CEL (check engine light) on?
Don't forget, when the weather gets cold, you'll get worse fuel mileage. In the winter I usually get 50-100km less per tank then in the summer. However, it sounds like yours is even worse then that. Might what to have someone look at it.
There are a few things you can check your self before taking it in that may fix the issue. Is there a CEL (check engine light) on?
10-Dec-2009, 09:10 AM
#8
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Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Sudbury
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I do let it warm up for a short time not all that long, i drive economic most of the time but sometimes i give er a bit a juice. Heat is on, no lights on the dash and feels fine under acceleration, one thing i did notice was wierd is when i take my foot off the gas the car will start slowing down more than any other vehicle that iv driven. I do have a set of winter tires in the trunk without rims as soon as i take those out i expect to see more mpg but i still think its a bit harsh. oh yea its city driving. thanks for the help guys
10-Dec-2009, 09:23 AM
#10
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Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Hamilton
Posts: 6,647
The temperature outside is very cold, the car is auto and there is extra weight in the trunk. I would say the fuel consumption is about right. Was the car maintained by the previous owner? Check tire pressure, alignment, air filter to start with.
My old manual 03 Civic got about 550-600 to a tank mixed city/highway during the winter.
My old manual 03 Civic got about 550-600 to a tank mixed city/highway during the winter.
10-Dec-2009, 01:51 PM
#12
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Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Where my car is.
Posts: 5,460
I do let it warm up for a short time not all that long, i drive economic most of the time but sometimes i give er a bit a juice. Heat is on, no lights on the dash and feels fine under acceleration, one thing i did notice was wierd is when i take my foot off the gas the car will start slowing down more than any other vehicle that iv driven. I do have a set of winter tires in the trunk without rims as soon as i take those out i expect to see more mpg but i still think its a bit harsh. oh yea its city driving. thanks for the help guys
11-Dec-2009, 10:39 PM
#14
i think he meant check to see if the rear brakes are seized up. regardless of the position of the ebrake handle, the brakes could remain applied if they haven't been serviced in a while.
11-Dec-2009, 10:59 PM
#15
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Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Sudbury
Posts: 15
No they are not seized. i just put my winter tires on today and i checked the rear drums and i can rotate them by hand. I just filled up and i averaged out 19mpg city...ouch I do live in Sudbury so the weather is a bit more harsh then in Toronto at times. Im gonna try a tank of gas without any hard driving and without weight in the trunk...i took the tires out.. im hoping to see a jump in mpg. If not im gonna look into a new fuel filter perhaps.. any other suggestions.
12-Dec-2009, 01:31 AM
#16
fuel filter won't help gas mileage. 19 mpg kinda blows... almost like driving a minivan but w/o the extra space. check front brakes to make sure they're free also. brakes are most likely to drop mileage that much. then, go with some new copper NGK spark plugs. everything else i can think of would throw a CEL code... or doesn't relate to a car with only 71K kms. cuz the other thing I was thinking would be timing belt off by a tooth... but not likely the timing has been done on this car yet.
BTW, how did it do on the emissions test? what are the numbers?
BTW, how did it do on the emissions test? what are the numbers?
12-Dec-2009, 04:49 AM
#17
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Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Sudbury
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I have a hard time believing its the brakes because i just got it safetied last week and it needed absolutely nothing. And its been dealer maintained from the previous owner... I got some spare time today im gonna check a few things like air filter. Maybe even stop by the dealership and see if the service guys got any suggestions. Thanks for the help
12-Dec-2009, 11:31 AM
#18
well i bought a car 'saftied' and it needed new rear brakes, lower balljoints, and the one of the headlights was burned out. don't assume anything when you buy a used car. you're losing some 10 mpg somewhere.... (should get 29 mpg mixed, 32ish highway) if it was in the engine, the emissions test would have shown something. so dig up the emissions report from when you bought the car.
14-Dec-2009, 04:18 PM
#20
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Join Date: May 2009
Location: Markham/Waterloo
Posts: 95
Isn't the e-test a mandatory provincial requirement to get your car licensed? Unless there was an e-test on record that was still valid when you bought it you should have needed one. or documentation for one. cause a safety and e-test only last for i forget how many days when you purchase used.
