mpg Performance Upgrades
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 1,283
Likes: 8
From: Easton, PA
go up a few psi in the tires
keep the car well tuned
Driving style for sure:
-accelerate gradually
-coast in gear rather than neutral
-draft (safely) on the highway...
-...but don't tailgate, braking is not efficient
-minimize the amount of time idling, racing to the next red light is silly.
Then when your girlfriend is not in the car, drive it like you stole it
keep the car well tuned
Driving style for sure:
-accelerate gradually
-coast in gear rather than neutral
-draft (safely) on the highway...
-...but don't tailgate, braking is not efficient
-minimize the amount of time idling, racing to the next red light is silly.
Then when your girlfriend is not in the car, drive it like you stole it
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Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 2,818
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From: Chicago / ATL / Tallassee, TN
Originally Posted by aCab' timestamp='1308595499' post='20701323
a non-performance alignment and the least sticky and skinniest tires you can get on there. that will make the biggest difference in fuel mileage in all honesty.
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Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 2,733
Likes: 2
From: Clatskanie, OR
You're right, the mods will lean you out. But the ECU, when in closed loop, will just dump more fuel in to reach stoich. This is why I said run lean with an EMS. Running 16:1 A/F on my H22(cruising loads only), yielded a 2mpg increase in mixed driving. I never got it on the freeway to see what it'd really get.
Thread Starter
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Joined: Jun 2011
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You're not likely to do anything that will increase mpg significantly. The most significant modification mentioned in this thread would be the 3.9 final drive gear. That would definitely net some improvement in all driving situations, however it would also significantly hurt acceleration. Remember what kind of car we have and what the purpose of this car is. This mod doesn't make sense unless you are running a 500+whp car and then you obviously don't care anything about gas mileage.
As far as intake/exhaust/HFC/TP - all of those things are going to help breathing efficiency. Will they improve gas mileage? Marginally. Getting your car electronically tuned with these mods is going to net the most benefit. However you are looking at $600 for a flash pro, $200+ for a tune, and at least $1000 for intake/exhaust/HFC combined. That will give you a nice little boost in performance and might get you 1-2mpg if you can resist the urge to drive it like a madman (good luck).
The problem with that is that after $1800 in mods, it's going to take you nearly 150,000 miles to recover the cost of the modifications in fuel savings (at 1.5mpg improvement with $4/gallon gas).
Bottom line, just forget about fuel economy with this car and just enjoy it. Hopefully you have another car that functions as a boring run around car that you can drive when you need good mileage.
As far as intake/exhaust/HFC/TP - all of those things are going to help breathing efficiency. Will they improve gas mileage? Marginally. Getting your car electronically tuned with these mods is going to net the most benefit. However you are looking at $600 for a flash pro, $200+ for a tune, and at least $1000 for intake/exhaust/HFC combined. That will give you a nice little boost in performance and might get you 1-2mpg if you can resist the urge to drive it like a madman (good luck).
The problem with that is that after $1800 in mods, it's going to take you nearly 150,000 miles to recover the cost of the modifications in fuel savings (at 1.5mpg improvement with $4/gallon gas).
Bottom line, just forget about fuel economy with this car and just enjoy it. Hopefully you have another car that functions as a boring run around car that you can drive when you need good mileage.
I think I get poor mpg just because I have a really hard time trying to not drive it like a race car, I took note today of what my casual driving style is "REALLY" like, and well, I just like to punch it around corners with vtech engaged, living in a curvy area, it happens alot, so maybe I'll just try to curb that...likely it won't happen, so...oh well. I love the thing.
Reduced weight is happening though, I took the spare out and well that was noticeable in alot of ways. Ill probably give a single exhaust a shot, but the dual exhaust just looks cool, so yeah, unless I see a cool single ill just stick with double. the final drive sounds like a neat idea too, never changed gear ratios on a car before.
What is the final drive? I was thinking that it was the length of the 6th gear.
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 1,955
Likes: 14
From: New Orleans
Originally Posted by JDMpearlwhyteZ' timestamp='1308589015' post='20700858
With those tall gears I'm more than positive the engine will fall out of vtec between shifts at redline.. Which is totally opposite of the reason why the s2000 came with a 4.10 final drive..
You do realize that changing the final drive impacts all the gears directly right?? Making them taller will effect the performance in the car and make it fall out of vtec.. The transmission ratios won't change.. But the overall gear length will change..
Why do you think higher final drives than stock (ie: 4.77) don't top out as high and accelerate harder?? Its the exact opposite effect when putting in taller gears..
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 1,955
Likes: 14
From: New Orleans
Originally Posted by deepbluejh' timestamp='1308595217' post='20701301
You're not likely to do anything that will increase mpg significantly. The most significant modification mentioned in this thread would be the 3.9 final drive gear. That would definitely net some improvement in all driving situations, however it would also significantly hurt acceleration. Remember what kind of car we have and what the purpose of this car is. This mod doesn't make sense unless you are running a 500+whp car and then you obviously don't care anything about gas mileage.
As far as intake/exhaust/HFC/TP - all of those things are going to help breathing efficiency. Will they improve gas mileage? Marginally. Getting your car electronically tuned with these mods is going to net the most benefit. However you are looking at $600 for a flash pro, $200+ for a tune, and at least $1000 for intake/exhaust/HFC combined. That will give you a nice little boost in performance and might get you 1-2mpg if you can resist the urge to drive it like a madman (good luck).
The problem with that is that after $1800 in mods, it's going to take you nearly 150,000 miles to recover the cost of the modifications in fuel savings (at 1.5mpg improvement with $4/gallon gas).
Bottom line, just forget about fuel economy with this car and just enjoy it. Hopefully you have another car that functions as a boring run around car that you can drive when you need good mileage.
As far as intake/exhaust/HFC/TP - all of those things are going to help breathing efficiency. Will they improve gas mileage? Marginally. Getting your car electronically tuned with these mods is going to net the most benefit. However you are looking at $600 for a flash pro, $200+ for a tune, and at least $1000 for intake/exhaust/HFC combined. That will give you a nice little boost in performance and might get you 1-2mpg if you can resist the urge to drive it like a madman (good luck).
The problem with that is that after $1800 in mods, it's going to take you nearly 150,000 miles to recover the cost of the modifications in fuel savings (at 1.5mpg improvement with $4/gallon gas).
Bottom line, just forget about fuel economy with this car and just enjoy it. Hopefully you have another car that functions as a boring run around car that you can drive when you need good mileage.
I think I get poor mpg just because I have a really hard time trying to not drive it like a race car, I took note today of what my casual driving style is "REALLY" like, and well, I just like to punch it around corners with vtech engaged, living in a curvy area, it happens alot, so maybe I'll just try to curb that...likely it won't happen, so...oh well. I love the thing.
Reduced weight is happening though, I took the spare out and well that was noticeable in alot of ways. Ill probably give a single exhaust a shot, but the dual exhaust just looks cool, so yeah, unless I see a cool single ill just stick with double. the final drive sounds like a neat idea too, never changed gear ratios on a car before.
What is the final drive? I was thinking that it was the length of the 6th gear.
The final drive ratio on the s2000 is 4.10
You can wiki the s2000 and see the ap1/2 differences in tranny gear ratio and secondary gear reduction.. Etc etc
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Joined: May 2008
Posts: 5,177
Likes: 1
i am surprised no one else has mentioned about decreasing drag. get of make a full diffuser. gp fabrication makes a rear diffuser for 350 ish or get on the next group buy for 245. he is also making a full diffuser. you could get a hardtop and remove the soft top. get smaller side view mirrors. smaller ap1 wheels with skinny tires. the only logic there is to have two sets of rims. one for the track and one for the street. i picked up a set for 100 dollars.
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 15,526
Likes: 19
Does that logic even make sense?!
You do realize that changing the final drive impacts all the gears directly right?? Making them taller will effect the performance in the car and make it fall out of vtec.. The transmission ratios won't change.. But the overall gear length will change..
Why do you think higher final drives than stock (ie: 4.77) don't top out as high and accelerate harder?? Its the exact opposite effect when putting in taller gears..
You do realize that changing the final drive impacts all the gears directly right?? Making them taller will effect the performance in the car and make it fall out of vtec.. The transmission ratios won't change.. But the overall gear length will change..
Why do you think higher final drives than stock (ie: 4.77) don't top out as high and accelerate harder?? Its the exact opposite effect when putting in taller gears..