No more Civic....time to (re)start on the Camry
 

So the Civic got great mileage ( 36 blazing down the highway ) but my shoulders were cramping after an hour and my legs not long after that. So Im back to the 93 Camry.

The Camry is getting 32mpg but if I could bump it up to 35 Id be happy.

Ill be doing the routine clean/replace for most parts including tires. So I have a quick question for the masters.

Im looking at getting the Bridgestone B381 tires but dont come in 195/70 that the Camry uses. They do come in 185/70. Will that have any adverse affect on my performance?

the holy cow has a tire size calculator that will tell you the size difference and how much of a difference it will make in your speed. you will be going slower than what your speedo says you are. have you considered a different tire brand? I stay to stick with the factory size if you can.

also put those tires to max pressure and do a grill block. that may get you to your goal along with driving style changes. maybe even a scangauge.

*edit* there is a link to his calculator in his signature. just search for him, he isn't that hard to find screen name = "theholycow"

Yup, there's links in my sig for the size calulator, info on tire pressure, and info on tire width vs. rolling resistance. The OEM-sized 195/70 tires will give you better fuel economy than the narrower, shorter tires of the same model for sure.

so if one should use the oem tires for better mpg correct? my car has 195/60-14's on them(the previous owner put those on). the oem are 175/65-14.

goofy1, your OEM tire size is narrower and shorter. Ideally, the height should match OEM size but width could be wider. Depending on the car, taller tires might be better. How does your gearing feel?

it's an automatic 3 speed without o/d. it shifts normaly i guess. not hard.

Without overdrive you need all the taller gearing you can get. Keep the tall tire size.

That was actually another question I forgot about asking.

Ive considered a grill block but I am concerned about the car overheating.
The summers in Northern Virginia lately have been a bit on the high side ( nothing like it was in Atlanta but still ). Im also looking to move out west. Arizona, New Mexico, somewhere like that.

Is it possible to do a grill block and not have your car die?

*add*
And since the object of getting better mpg is to go slower, I think it would be to my benefit for the gauge to be off 2.2% ( as per TheHolyCow's calculator ). Almost like setting your alarm clock 10 minutes fast so you are always up early.

what civic do you have? I had a 92 camry before (same generation) and I didnt drive that once i got too broke for gas(was in high school) so i went to my 90 civic sedan, now i drive a 94 civic coupe.

was the size that much different? im 5'7 160 and i didnt feel cramped on my civics that i drove, even on road trips. maybe your bigger

anyways i was getting about 23 mpg on the camry, and 30+ on the civic

As I understand, grille blocking works in two ways - it causes your engine to reach operating temperature faster so it spends less time running cold, and it affects aerodynamic drag. Considering your weather I wouldn't worry about getting hot enough fast enough...

As for the gauge error, that sounds like a good tool if it will work for you, but remember to calculate in the odometer error when you calculate your mileage.