75-80mph FE endurance test :D

[1993CivicVX]

Pumped up the tires to 50 in the front and 53 in the rears. The whole tank of 444 miles averaged just a smidge under 44mpg but I'm calling it 44 because I think the actual mileage may have been more than 444 as we didn't know how many miles we drove around Dartmouth and surrounding areas (I guestimated 20). 44mpg isn't too bad. At Dartmouth it was pretty gas wasting the way we were once again testing the brakes. Accell, brake accell brake accell brake all over campus. Also, did some idle revving and idling and what not when trying to solve the problem of the sticking and roaming idle and trying to find the vacuum leak.

But I think the mileage may actually have been better because I don't trust that gas station where I filled up!! I have a 10.0 gallon tank, right? Is there a reserve? Is it possible to put more than 10 gallons in my tank without topping off? The attendant put in 10.1 gallons without topping off and 10.3 with topping off. I'm like.. uhh... ?? but I didn't say anything. I did NOT feel like I was about to run out of gas. The needle wasn't buried below E or anything like that. It had just started to bobble below E. About 50 miles prior it was a little less than 1/4 of a tank. And if you remember, the last tank I filled up at the exact same pump let alone same station, it was 9.662 gallons when my needle had only just arrived at E about 30 miles ago. Granted it was below E most of the the last 25 miles. Still I smell a rat. Anyway, what do you VX owners think!?!? The needle had only gotten to the E about the last 40 miles of this tank. And the last 20 miles were driving at more reasonable speeds. Still, 44mpg at 75-80mph on the freeway isn't too bad. There was some high speed P&G in there to take advantage of the extensive hills, some pack driving/mild drafting. But much of it was bombing away solo on the highway. There was a moderate headwind on the way there of about 7mph. Roughly 120 of the miles were not driven on the
highway.

I think I am going to bring a 5 gallon can and fill it up all the way with the gas from the station across the street. Then put that gas in my car. Then walk across the street and fill up the gas can from the same pump I filled my car's last two tanks. Compare how much gas the two stations filled the can with. Will it be the same? It's really had to believe a gas station would have their pumps miscalibrated, especially by as much as 5 or 10%!! 0.5% I suppose I could understand, but this is looking like much more than that.

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switching gears but still related to the FE of my car...

SVOboy, Wombosi and I all agree my car seems to be rolling less freely than other cars. We think it is the wheel bearings. They just don't spin well at all when the drum of the brakes are off. So this could also be effecting my FE. Pumping the tires up to 50psi had no ill effects that I could notice. Didn't even notice a rougher ride. I did seem to notice the car rolls a bit better at the higher PSI tho. Some of the hills I maintained 75-80mph down in neutral.

[lovemysan]

Originally Posted by 1993CivicVX

So Wombosi and I drove out to Dartmouth college where SVOboy did some werk on meh car. Cleaned the IACV and replaced the PCV and diagnosed a vacuum leak. And cleaned the EGR a little, although we weren't able to get it off the hegemony because the bolts were too tight. Needed to have soaked the bolts in PB blaster for 24 hours or so. Thanks again Benjo!

Pumped up the tires to 50 in the front and 53 in the rears. The whole tank of 444 miles averaged just a smidge under 44mpg but I'm calling it 44 because I think the actual mileage may have been more than 444 as we didn't know how many miles we drove around Dartmouth and surrounding areas (I guestimated 20). 44mpg isn't too bad. At Dartmouth it was pretty gas wasting the way we were once again testing the brakes. Accell, brake accell brake accell brake all over campus. Also, did some idle revving and idling and what not when trying to solve the problem of the sticking and roaming idle and trying to find the vacuum leak.

But I think the mileage may actually have been better because I don't trust that gas station where I filled up!! I have a 10.0 gallon tank, right? Is there a reserve? Is it possible to put more than 10 gallons in my tank without topping off? The attendant put in 10.1 gallons without topping off and 10.3 with topping off. I'm like.. uhh... ?? but I didn't say anything. I did NOT feel like I was about to run out of gas. The needle wasn't buried below E or anything like that. It had just started to bobble below E. About 50 miles prior it was a little less than 1/4 of a tank. And if you remember, the last tank I filled up at the exact same pump let alone same station, it was 9.662 gallons when my needle had only just arrived at E about 30 miles ago. Granted it was below E most of the the last 25 miles. Still I smell a rat. Anyway, what do you VX owners think!?!? The needle had only gotten to the E about the last 40 miles of this tank. And the last 20 miles were driving at more reasonable speeds. Still, 44mpg at 75-80mph on the freeway isn't too bad. There was some high speed P&G in there to take advantage of the extensive hills, some pack driving/mild drafting. But much of it was bombing away solo on the highway. There was a moderate headwind on the way there of about 7mph. Roughly 120 of the miles were not driven on the
highway.

I think I am going to bring a 5 gallon can and fill it up all the way with the gas from the station across the street. Then put that gas in my car. Then walk across the street and fill up the gas can from the same pump I filled my car's last two tanks. Compare how much gas the two stations filled the can with. Will it be the same? It's really had to believe a gas station would have their pumps miscalibrated, especially by as much as 5 or 10%!! 0.5% I suppose I could understand, but this is looking like much more than that.

------------
switching gears but still related to the FE of my car...

SVOboy, Wombosi and I all agree my car seems to be rolling less freely than other cars. We think it is the wheel bearings. They just don't spin well at all when the drum of the brakes are off. So this could also be effecting my FE. Pumping the tires up to 50psi had no ill effects that I could notice. Didn't even notice a rougher ride. I did seem to notice the car rolls a bit better at the higher PSI tho. Some of the hills I maintained 75-80mph down in neutral.

It could be cheap bearings. I suggest oem's. And some "nasa super slick grease".