2006+ Honda Civic Forum banner

1.8 VTEC Bad Economy?

MPG 
25K views 60 replies 25 participants last post by  xavier2007 
#1 ·
Hi all Civinfo members! Hope you can help me...

I'm a long time viewer of the forum but never posted before! Proud owner of a 61' reg 1.8 Type S GT on 56k miles. Had it for nearly two years and I love it! Handles very well, it's comfy for long business miles up and down the motorway and that n/a engine (whilst no Type R) is a peach!

However, I have a query regarding MPG... (and before you ask I have checked out the many threads on here!)

Typical driving is 10 mile commute each way from work. 50% motorway, 50% city/stop start.

Can't seem to get above 33mpg even driving like a saint, normally it is around the 31mpg mark (which probably works out about 28mpg real). On a long run, 60 mph returns an indicated 45mpg, 70 returns 40mpg, 80 returns 35mpg and a recent long motorway run at 85mph got 40mpg? Go figure...

Fellow 1.8 drivers - is this normal???

Got a couple of theories why it might be down - maybe you could shed some light onto these

- Runs on Honda 18" Rims. Bigger rims equals ***** mpg?

- Spark plugs never been replaced, on the assumption these are long life and don't need to be replaced until 75k.

Any help would be much appreciated!
 
See less See more
#3 ·
Hmmm, as @flashy states...the figures don't look too unusual. Have you seen a sudden drop in mpg?

Sticky caliper? - sticky slider pins are a pretty common issue on most cars these days.

After a steady drive, does one/more brake disk feel hotter than the others? - be careful not to burn yourself tho ;)
 
#4 ·
Have you reset the trip computer at all?

I would replace the sparks as they're only £40 for a set and stop start driving can foul them easily as well.

Was the air filter element changed recently? 0w30 A5 B5 oil?

18" wheels will affect MPG by a 1-3MPG as they're usually heavier but not loads. I can easily get mid 40's driving at 70mph on the motorway in mine. I can get high 50'5 cruising at 55mph.
 
#5 ·
Hi all Civinfo members! Hope you can help me...

I'm a long time viewer of the forum but never posted before! Proud owner of a 61' reg 1.8 Type S GT on 56k miles. Had it for nearly two years and I love it! Handles very well, it's comfy for long business miles up and down the motorway and that n/a engine (whilst no Type R) is a peach!

However, I have a query regarding MPG... (and before you ask I have checked out the many threads on here!)

Typical driving is 10 mile commute each way from work. 50% motorway, 50% city/stop start.

Can't seem to get above 33mpg even driving like a saint, normally it is around the 31mpg mark (which probably works out about 28mpg real). On a long run, 60 mph returns an indicated 45mpg, 70 returns 40mpg, 80 returns 35mpg and a recent long motorway run at 85mph got 40mpg? Go figure...

Fellow 1.8 drivers - is this normal???

Got a couple of theories why it might be down - maybe you could shed some light onto these

- Runs on Honda 18" Rims. Bigger rims equals ***** mpg?

- Spark plugs never been replaced, on the assumption these are long life and don't need to be replaced until 75k.

Any help would be much appreciated!
Slow down, any speed above 56mph uses more fuel. 33mpg when town driving is involved can be about right.
 
#6 ·
Agreed. I'm on my 4th 1.8 (now stop/start, previously with eco button) and I don't think your figures are that far out of kilter. Around town you can reach 35 mpg with gentle driving, a long stretch on the motorway easily well above 40, depending if you floor it to overtake etc. A lot depends on your right foot and getting into highest gear as soon as possible. As you've found out the display is slightly optimistic compared to pump calculations.

(now 5thcivic)
 
#7 ·
Yep, that's about right. I drive 10 miles from South Shields to Newcastle. 50% of it is traffic crawl and mostly getting 32ish mpg. Used to be 18 mpg in my last car, Mazda 6 MPS ?
I use shell v nitro btw, gives a tiny bit of performance boost. I love feeling the kick from low down rpm.

Sent from Tapatalk
 
#10 ·
On a motorway, at 60mph, I can get 55mpg+

Put me in local traffic and that can plummet to 26mpg

You can see why people choose the Diesels.Ive yet to drop below 40 mpg in any conditions and i rarely drive like miss daisy.On a motorway at 60mph via the computer im getting over 65mpg.
Dont you think that for a small family saloon 26 mpg is pretty dia? The thirstiest car ive ever owned,the RX8 wasnt much worse,but well worth the money in grin factor.Infact one of the best handling cars this side of 100k
You would think with all the technology advancements they could do better?
 
#11 ·
Over the last 210 miles, according to trip computer. I'm getting around 37.5 mpg. the cars been mixed driving. And when warm vtec'd a few times.

I serviced all parts bar plugs as the now due till next year or 20k.

I always put panel filters in every car I get. Seems to give me +1 more on juice.

Sent from my SM-G920F using Tapatalk
 
#15 ·
Thanks for all the responses! I will check the calipers and also look at spark plugs - Where do you find them for £40!? Cox do them for £67 assuming they are the right ones.

Air filter was changed last service. The garage used 5w30 oil (basic Triple QX stuff) so I don't know how much of an impact this would have? Was under the assumtion the 5w just referred to the operating temperate and since we live in the UK and it never gets too Baltic, this would be ok.

Perhaps I should be more clear on the figures though. since I have become of the understanding through these forums that the the 1.8 should be fairly easy to get into the 40's in general driving, I have started calculating the true mpg after each fill-up to the tune of 3-4 mpg the trip computer over reading!

I reset trip A every time I refuel the tank (normally get computer readings 31mpg around town and 40mpg on a long run and leave the trip B on for the last 20k or so (indicated 37.2 mpg). This therefore works out at roughly 27mpg town and 36mpg motorway in real terms, with overall mpg maybe 33 mpg....?? As long as this is normal it's fine...
 
#17 ·
Never done a proper calculation so only got the trip computer to compare.
Average with mixed driving 44mpg. Have got 50mpg on a long motorway run
sitting at 60-70mph. Never seen lower than 36mpg and that was after some serious "playtime" :wink3:
 
#19 ·
- Runs on Honda 18" Rims. Bigger rims equals ***** mpg?

Its the wheels and weight of these combined with the tyres, I upgraded the CRZ from the oem 16" to 17" and easily lost around 7mpg on the dash but with the speedo now being just about spot on 30-31mph on speedo reads on GPS while before it was around 27mph I figure I have actually lost around 4mpg real world. Difference when driving long runs etc was easy to get into the mids 50s but now to get 50mpg does need the right run and and me to be easy on the throttle.

Real world real driving average around town now around 38mpg while before it was around 45mpg. I assure you larger wheels have a big effect but this is mainly down to increased weight of the combined rim and tyre etc.
 
#25 ·
Has anyone tried or found any different plugs that work better in the Mk 9 1.8. I think they are iridium anyway but has anyone tried Denso or similar? not sure what make the standard ones are though. Anyone who has actually tried something rather than just personal opinions would be welcome. When I changed my Mk 7 plugs to Denso and the airbox to a CDA it made a noticeable difference to flexibility.

Thanks
 
#32 ·
The 10miles a day sat in traffic could be killing the mpg. What's the service life on the spark plugs? They could just need gapping. Check for binding brakes and correct tyre pressures. Heavier 18s will affect the mpg very slightly because it makes it harder for the car to accelerate.
 
#33 ·
I think your issue is your journey. A 10 mile journey with 5 miles of motorway and 5 miles of town is going to kill your mpg. Especially if you have any roundabouts on the motorway sections - that slowing down and then back to 70mpg will guzzle fuel. My wife does a similar journey between Lowestoft and Yarmouth. We've just changed from a 8th gen 2.2 to a 9th gen 1.8. My wife is getting the same mpg. But the insurance has halved and I'm expecting considerably cheaper running costs.

If you're only doing 20 miles a day fuel economy shouldn't be a serious consideration. Plus you are producing far less air pollution in the 1.8
 
#35 ·
Thank you for the update and yes they are good plugs, so I wont replace them, which will save me money. I just love the high gearing which lets you get 65 in second and 95 in third and 3000 rpm at 75mph. a nice easy car to drive in every day conditions. All very well having a fast car, but where and when and how often can you actually use it without getting caught or causing an accident. Very happy with mine so far.
 
#36 · (Edited)
Just to add my 2 cents worth...

In my 1.8i EX, I put in £30 minimum a week, and get around 200 miles for that outlay. I do a 11 mile each way commute into Manchester city centre, which dependant on time can either take 25 minutes, or if in traffic an hour!

However, I do 50-100 miles on the motorway too at the weekend. I usually come out with an MPG of 36-38. My daily commute is A roads, and the closer I get to Manchester to more traffic I encounter.

The EPG on my Civic is better than my previous car, Mazda 6 TS2 2.0i. But that's to be expected.

A 'Real' fuel calculator comes back with 35.75 mpg, based on a cost of 118p a litre, with a spend of £30 for 200 miles. So, my readout is not too far out.
 
#37 ·
MPG is always subjective as it is governed by so many factors. long or short journeys. how you drive. where you drive, is it flat or hilly etc. how many people are in the car. how you have the car serviced by experts on just a "mate down the road". Tyres and tyre pressures. Condition of the engine and the fuel you use too. Very difficult to compare in the real world. I have only had my 1.8 for 2 weeks but love it already.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top