Help! How to make a A20A3/A20A4 more economical?

[-Rotu-]

Okay, it's winter and it's about -25 degrees Centigrade outside and my car takes more than 10 or 12 litres per 100km (less than 20mpg). The car works fine and so, but I really don't need all that power during the winter and the high fuel consumption makes me sad every time I drive it.
So, can I somehow make the car more economical? The idle is already screwed closed, so it has about 300-400 rpm when it's warmed up nicely.
I'm sure some of you have touched that kind of problem and I hope to get some good advice!

Thanks in advance,
R

[carotman]

The idle should be around 750±50

In -25 C temperatures, it's normal to have the car consume more gasoline. It's the warm up sequence that burns all this extra fuel. Also, the gasoline companies change the mixture during winter to have more volatile fuel. They add ethanol to prevent fuel line freezing.

Ethanol will raise fuel consumpsion

[Edison Carasio]

Check things like your air filter and spark plugs too.

[lostforawhile]

um the engine is already pretty economical, when this car was new fuel mileage was a big deal, it's a bigger motor then a civic so you are simply not going to get the same fuel economy you will with something like that.

[2drSE-i]

20 mpg is still pretty low though. How recent was your last tune up? I'd definitely check ignition components, but they are right, fuel consumption is going to be higher in the cold.

[-Rotu-]

Thanks. The sparks and air filter are a few months old.
2drSE-i, what do you mean by tune up?

[2drSE-i]

Thanks. The sparks and air filter are a few months old.
2drSE-i, what do you mean by tune up?

Distributor cap/rotor, plug wires, etc.

[A18A]

what fuel consumption does your car get in normal weather?

[AccordB20A]

add a hot air intake so it sucks its air from the exhaust manifold. warmer the air the better on fuel but the less power it will make i believe.

[Demon1024]

make sure and add check the timing to tune up. that alone can cause you to have terrible mpg

[gp02a0083]

The idle should be around 750±50

In -25 C temperatures, it's normal to have the car consume more gasoline. It's the warm up sequence that burns all this extra fuel. Also, the gasoline companies change the mixture during winter to have more volatile fuel. They add ethanol to prevent fuel line freezing.

Ethanol will raise fuel consumpsion

gasoline ethanol mixtures above 10 % blend, you will start loosing economy with this , ive tested in my lab 10% 15% and 20% blends, less ethanol the better, but 10-12% seems to still be ok

[Tomisimo]

Gasoline these days are blend of 60-65% ethanol anyway.. its about a border line before it starts to corrode fuel system.

[Oldblueaccord]

Well at -25c I dont know how the car even runs at all. Very amazing.

I would concentrate on getting the motor temperature up to normal. The cars temperature gauge should read 1/4 up when warmed up or a little higher. This will help your carburetor run correctly. When a car runs cold it runs much richer.

You can also make sure the choke is set so it is 100% open when the car is fully warmed up.


wp

[2drSE-i]

-25C is -13F. Still cold but not as bad as you might think.

[Ichiban]

-25 C is routine here. When it goes much below that, I pull out the pan heater. Some simple ideas to help cold weather operation are:

Use a lower viscosity engine/transaxle oil. Thinner oil takes less energy to move around, and also gets to critical areas faster than thick oil.

Use a block heater. It saves wear, and you are starting an already warm engine, thus reducing the fuel consuming closed choke/open loop operation state.

Change your thermostat. One that sticks open will not allow the engine to warm up fully or properly, increasing the time the engine operates closed choke/open loop, and fuel consumption.

Check emissions components. I'm sure all 3g accords have some sort of temp sensors or other computer confusion that can fail over time and cause poor cold weather operation. Any failed vacuum lines, diaphragms or valves should be replaced. Same goes for temperature sensing vacuum switches, heat risers other cold weather specific emissions components.

[Oldblueaccord]

yeah I did the conversion wrong in my head it sounded colder then I thought it was. I was thinking -37 below.

Might have to add cardboard or something in front of the radiator,block air flow, to get it up to temperature quicker. I do it on my old Dodges to keep the temps up even when its like 20 degrees here I have to.

wp

[-Rotu-]

Thanks everyone! I'll check my engine in the weekend and see what needs replacing or adjusting more.

[accordion89]

The idle should be around 750±50

In -25 C temperatures, it's normal to have the car consume more gasoline. It's the warm up sequence that burns all this extra fuel. Also, the gasoline companies change the mixture during winter to have more volatile fuel. They add ethanol to prevent fuel line freezing.

Ethanol will raise fuel consumpsion

get a block heater

[-Rotu-]

Well, had a peek on the ECU and then under the hood. The ECU blinked 12 times, so the fault was the EGR. Took the EGR out and put it back in, then took the 11th fuse(ECU/clock) out and put it back in to erase the fault.
We'll see if it had something to do with the fuel consumption.

[Demon1024]

Lol i'll bet it does have a bit to do with it. In closed loop mode your not gonna get very good Mpg.
You had a check engine light?

[-Rotu-]

The check engine light started to light one day as I was driving, but I then pulled over, waited a minute or two and then started it up again - the light wasn't on anymore.

[russiankid]

My fuel consumption goes up a fair bit in the winter. Nothing you can really do.