Welcome?
 

Hi all.
I'm not sure if I'm on the right forum because I drive a typical European vehicle: Honda Civic Sport 1.4 i-DSi (modelcode FK1). Only sold in Europe. Completely different of the Civics in the rest of the world. We have them with 3 petrol engines: 1.4 ; 1.8 and 2.0 typeR and one turbodiesel: 2.2
So I can not really compare fuel economy with other members. I did not found any other European Civic like mine in the garage.
But anyhow, my intention is to learn from other members and to share my own experiences. I plan to do some 'light' ecomodding (engine block heater and partial grille block coming months, 0W20 oil and low friction tyres when time to replace oil/tyres).
i-DSi

Welcome. We have many European and Australian members. While I admit, the garage is setup for US vehicles, you can still participate in our community.

-jay

1st mod
 

Two days ago I installed my first eco mod: grill block.
I drove to work with it (20 miles one way) but saw no difference...not in MPG and not in engine temp.
Of course: one drive doesn't says everything and as temps drop it's normal my MPG can't 'just like that' go up.
I drove with a 60% block. I changed it today to a 90% but will only be able to evaluate Monday.

You'll need several tanks before & after to establish whether or not its working.

Hi Jay,
Are you saying it's also possible a grill block does not work?
There should be 2 reasons why it should always work:
- thermodynamics (engine coolant and oil heat up quicker)
- aerodynamics (air passes now under/over the car)
Of course I realize I need more than 40 miles to conclude something. And to be honest: keeping my MPG's as it is now would be great, as we have the last week very stormy and rainy wheater in Belgium. And the coming days temps will drop to just above freezing point. All things that do not have very FE impact.
You seem to be the boss over here? Maybe you're the man to ask: how can I put a picture in a post? The 'system' seems to ask for an internet link. Do you know where I can upload my pictures to in an easy way?
I didn't find it FAQ's how to do this.
Thanks !
iDSI

That's just a general rule that should be followed when trying any mod, and yes, it is possible that it may not work with your particular vehicle and driving conditions.

Grille blocking fails to produce results for many people. I haven't measured any result in my vehicles so I only do it in winter to help warm up faster. I'm sure it works for a lot of vehicles, but not for mine.

You can upload your pictures to any of a million free picture hosting services. Some are designed specifically to make it easy to post on forums. tinypic.com and photobucket.com are two that are designed that way.

I have written an extremely in-depth detailed howto for posting pictures, I'll dig it up if you want it.

You are certainly in the right place. This is about saving gas - and you're trying modifications, checking results, and don't forget about making friends!

Keep us posted. Some modifications that SHOULD work don't always, due to things manufacturers do with the car's computer to keep it working a specific way within a specific band of conditions, see above posts.

Your engine sounds similar to a lot of Volkswagens, btw.

Hi 101. Thanks for welcoming me.
But euh, how do yo mean my engine sounds similar to a lot of Volkswagens?
You mean 'sound' like the noise it makes or because of the name (1.4 i-DSI) or because of the typical 1400cc in Europe ?

Size wise, performance, etc.