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Comments
The tires are actually 205/60-16 89H Hankook Optomo tires - which actually have good reviews over @ Tire Rack.
They are 5mm larger in height (no clearance issues, btw), so I've calculated a 3% difference in actual speed vs. speed shown on speedo (i.e., speed shown on speedo is now 3% LOWER than actual speed).
I've kept the tire pressure @ 36psi all around and the ride is a vast improvement over the stock tires - torque steer has been greatly diminished.
I have no idea what the guy with the EX did for tires - the car wasn't there when I bought them
As for mine? I figure I can eBay the wheel covers and then give away the tires/steel rims to a recycling center -- I don't think they have much value.
Thoughts? Anyone attempt something like this (i.e. not a surface mount solution)?
to 2007 tank capacity -- on my 2006, i regularly get 250-260mi on a fast-fill tank. and this is in the bay area, which i would suggest means part city/ part highway due to the traffic. even after 254mi, i can only jam in 6.593GGE ... suggesting i might have eaked out a little more (though i was NOT going to try!!) i don't have personal experience with a slow fill, but as others have suggested, you can likely get even more miles.
epi
At a true speed of 70 mph your speedo will read 68 mph and your engine rpms will be 3 % lower than with the OE tires at the same true speed. This should lower true fuel consumption per unit distance (i.e. increase true mpg) cruising on level ground at legal speeds. You have in effect raised the gearing by 3%.
Unloaded diameter* of 205/60-16 is 25.69 inches. If the the OE tire was 195/65-15 (dia 24.98 in), then to get the correct values you would multiply the speedo and odo readings by 25.69/24.98 = 1.03 (1.028).
*(205mm)(1in/25.4mm)(0.60)(2) + 16in = 25.685 inch
If the OE tire was 195/65-15, then the dia of the new tire is larger by 0.71 inch (or 18 mm) and the radius would be larger by 9 mm. So with the new tires you get 9mm more ground clearance and the top of the vehicle is 9 mm higher above the road. This will increase your aerodynamic drag by a probably negligible amount. But if you use the same hwy cruise setting in mph reading on the speedo as you did with the OE tires, you will actually be driving 2.8% faster and so you would increase the aerodynamic part of the fuel consumption per mile by a factor of 1.028^2 = 1.057. That is, the fuel use per mile could increase by close to 5.7% because you are actually driving faster and the aerodynamic effect on fuel consumed per unit distance travelled is proportional to the speed squared.
Garry
That last couple times I went there I got a lousy fillup.
Anyone know if the Garden Grove CE station (ARCO) is open?
Price?
Notes, If you have to pay the Alternative Minimum tax, you will not get the $4000 credit... The dealers that know the most about the benefits are a good place to start...
If you are married, buy 2 used cars instead of 1 new one. The phill (or Fuel Maker 4) and everything else makes more sense if you go that way. CNGmotors.com usually has a good supply in stock. you can probably get 2 2003 or 2004 for the same price as 1 2007...
You do not have to pay $3.00+ for a fill up.
The car is cleaner (the famous quote is that one pint of spilled gasoline makes as much air pollution as 100,000 miles driven in the CNG civic).
You can get the HOV diamond lane stickers for the CNG, you can't for the Hybrid. The HOV sticker for the GX is good for another 7 years or so, the sticker for the Hybrid is only good for another 16 months (as I understand it).
You can park for free at metered spaces in some cities with the HOV stickers.
The "Cool Quotent" is going down with the Hybrids, the Cool Quotent Is going up with the CNG (I am asked about it at least once a week by people who are looking at the car in wonder as I come out of the store).
If Hydrogen ever becomes available, these cars will be able to use it without any modifications (I hear).
Since these cars do not use Gasoline, the fuel has fewer impurities and build-up is not a problem inside the engine. If you take care of it, an Engine will last 500,000 miles or more because the engine wears a lot less than engines that use Gasoline (Hybrids only use gasoline now. They have no other form of fuel... They convert some of that Gasoline energy into Electricity stored in batteries. In the near future, there may be Hybrids with Power Cords, but not now).
You are using an energy source that is mostly domestic and could become renewable.
The Bad?
Those darn filters.
Fewer filling stations.
Almost no options for maintainance outside of going to the dealer (and paying the dealers price).
somewhat poorer mileage.
the GX is a small car, I would like to have an option for a slightly bigger cheap car.
Poorer acceleration.
Do you have a Phill unit? I am still deciding if I need one. There are several stations in San Francisco near my office. But I hear the incentives and rebates are worth it.
On the other side of the equation, your local AQMD or Honda dealer may offer purchase incentives for the Phill, and the federal government offers a tax credit on both purchasing the unit and on installation costs. (though if you pay the Alternative Minimum Tax, or come anywhere *near* paying the AMT, you won't be able to collect on those credits.) Also, you may be eligible for a reduction in the cost of your household natural gas, both for the car *and* for household use.
Bottom line when we worked the numbers was that home fuelling was going to be cheaper for us, especially with the steep price for CNG at the stations near us and two teen girls who use entirely too much hot water. But you'll need to figure out if it works for you. There's a yahoo cng group that can help you crunch the numbers.
For us, the most important thing was the convenience factor. We do not have a CNG station nearby either work or home, and in the weeks before we got our Phill installed, having to spend an extra half hour every 2 or 3 days getting the car fuelled up got old really fast. Why not see how easy it is for you to fuel up from local stations? You might find that's just fine for you.
Murphy
The Fuel Filter should be less (I hope it is at least), and is supposed to be replaced every 30,000 miles.
There was a guy here who said he went 100,000 miles one one filter and it wasn't a big deal. That you could replace it when performance is affected by the water in the filter or something like that... I don't know.
Giorgi
Thanks,
When I finally do get my Civic GX (assuming that time ever comes), can I use synthetic motor oil in it?
i of course haven't looked in a while, but i bet that you would be able to get whatever you want if you are willing to look at the LA area and SF area. my guess is that your local place just isn't willing to do to much work for you (big surprise!) another benefit potentially being a better $ deal if you are willing to do a little driving.
the other thing i'm wondering ... my understanding was that only certain 'authorized' dealerships were able to sell the GX (aka - someone trained on CNG). perhaps your dealership isn't authorized, so other dealers are less willing to work with them to get you what you are looking for. i could be totally wrong, but possibly??
hopefully things work out for you soon ... we look forward to inviting you to the community.
epi
ok, i'm a smart guy ... but i'm not sure i understand "$2 per 34-mile gallon" portion?? care to define for me?? do you mean ~ 'cheaper fuel and good mileage' ?
gracias,
epi
Re: Civic GX Availability, Motor Oil Type [sierrapaul] by rogerbohl
Dec 22, 2007 (6:37 pm)
Total Posts: 41
Member Since:
Jun 26, 2006
Replying to: sierrapaul (Dec 22, 2007 3:34 pm)
I've never seen a GX that wasn't white.
PS: I'm promoting the GX's with a bumper sticker, "$2 per 34-mile gallon; Eat Your Heart Out." Custom made bumper sticker obtained over the Internet for $5.
The manual calls for any oil having a grade of [SJ, as I recall]. Presumably, any synthetic oil meeting that spec would be satisfactory. However, some aircraft owners have had bad experience with one brand of synthetic, so why pay the premium, when an ordinary oil meets the spec. Honda's have great longevity with ordinary care. One of mine lasted 248,000 miles without significant oil consumption.
In short, "Yes! inexpensive fuel; with quite respectable mileage!" The bottom line is about 17 miles per dollar of fuel. At $3.60 per gal for regular gasoline (CA price), a conventionally fueled car would have to ger over 60 mpg to be more economical!
thanks for the explanation
One important question I have is this: If I do get my car at a distant dealership, can I still get all of the service done, without any penalty, at a local dealership? Will the local dealership fully honor the car's warranty? I certainly do NOT want to have to drive 200 miles every time I need service!!
epi
1. I am trying to figure out how many Cubic Feet of gas make up a GGE. This will be the biggest factor in determining if a CGN vehicle is economically fesable for me.
2. I don't have any CNG stations near me, so I would need to get a Fuelmaker product installed at my house. It sounds like the FMQ-2 is a better choice then the Phill due to the ability to overhaul it at a reasonable cost in place. The Phill has a limited life and has to be sent to the factory to be re-built. Does the FMQ-2 have to be re-built by a certified CNG tech or is this something I could do.
3. Low and high pressure filters seem to be an issue on this forum. Is it possible for a person with reasonable mechanical skills to replace these filters on their own, or do they need to be replaced by a certified CGN mechanic (closest is next state over in Maryland)
Fuelmaker will not sell directly to you , so you need a fuelmaker dealer to do the rebuild. This also applies to the 'Phill" unit , Fuelmaker will not ship one to you without a Fuelmaker dealer to install it.
The filters are easy to change, but costly. 98-00 only has an "A" filter, list price $32. 01-05 has the same "A" filter, but also has a "B" filter , list $130. 06-08 "B" filter is $360 ! , but honda is reducing it to well under $ 100 next mo.
Fuel injectors on pre 06 models are about $600 each. $150 each on 06-08.
If your goal is lower overall operating cost , it is unlikely to pencil out.
That would put my fuel cost at about $1.65 per GGE.
I'm fine with the overall maintenance costs being the same or a little bit higher as a gas vehicle, but my main concern is having to drive 150 miles to have routine maintenance performed on the vehicle.
The Fuelmaker is the biggest hurdle. I may see if I can find a used one on e-bay to make up for the installation cost. Lot more homework to do but I appreciate the insight.
thanks,
brian
b
R. Bohl