Shift Indicator Light vs. none at all?
 

I notice that when the EPA compares two versions of FE cars e.g. the CRX HF, they give drastically different gas mileage for vehicles that have a SIL vs. the same car that doesn't.

Is it even worth buying an HF that doesn't have it for example? Is it best to wait for one that does?

If the car doesn't natively have the light, is it possible to add one cheaply? (Are the electronics already in place to do so?)

Thanks for your time!

The only reason the SIL gives better gas mileage is it tells drivers to shift earlier. The same results can be had by simply shifting earlier to stay in the low rpm powerband. If you really want one, they're quite simple to add, but personally, I think a tachometer would suffice just fine.

ok, but wouldn't you need to know exactly when to shift into the next gear without the light?

I used to have a car with the SIL and got awesome gas mileage. without the SIL and even with a tach, I am curious as to when EXACTLY I would shift into the next gear.

I know this is all hypothetical, but still very curious about this.

Thank you for your thoughts.

It might be more than just the shift indicator light. Look at the EPA mileage for my 93 Civic VX. There are two listings with about 5 mpg difference. The higher one does have the shift indicator light. But it also has the lean burn technology... which is the cause for the difference, much more than the light.

Maybe you are on to something?

Did "lean burn technology" exist on the HF or is that just a VX thing?

not sure, but if the EPA listings are largely different, my guess is it would be something, and bigger than the shift indicator light. Mine is a CA VX.... they couldn't sell the lean burn in CA due to projected emissions so they made a CA only VX with more changes than just the shift light.

every single civic vx and crx hf that I've looked at in person, or looked at photos of the dash of on Ebay, have a shift indicator light, as far as I can tell it was standard on those modles, if you find a crx that doesn't have the yellow or green arrow on the gauge cluster, then it's most likely not an HF or VX, but insted a base modle, DX or SI modle, the light doesn't give you better mileage, all the light is doing is acting as a load indicator to tell you that the engine is reving high without much of a load and that it could most likely handle being in a higher gear based off engine speed, and temp, and vaccum, it's just a indicator light to help train you to drive better.

CA VX's didn't have the shift indicator light.... that is specified in my the owner's manual. The lack of lean burn is not, however.

why don't they give you a shift light in CA??? that just doesn't make sense, it's like not give you a brake indicator light in Nebraska, they still give you a tac tho, right?

The CA VX's looked to be about halfway in between the non-VX's and the 49-state VX's. It has some of the 49 state VX things and not the others. No clue to me, but the owner's manual lists a few of these things. It's like it is a real VX without the stuff related to the engine and transmission maybe.