A few small problems and bad mpg.

DC4Dan

New Member
Alright guys what's going on? I'm having a few small problems and need some suggestions.
1999 Integra GS
Automatic
Headers
Straight pipe
2.25 mid pipe to a stock axel back
OEM Rims with good tires and pressures


Firstly I'm getting between 17-20 mpg or about 200 miles to a tank. I baby the car 70% of the time. I do mostly city driving. It has newer Ngk iridium plugs and wires new accell cap and rotor good oil the Pcv valve moves freely the air filter is clean. The fuel filter doesn't look to old either.
Next is a hesitation problem with the a.c. On whenever the ac is on the car feels so sluggish and it hesitates when accelerating almost like a misfire. If I'm accelerating and turn the ac off you can feel it break free like I have vtec or something lol.

Next it idles pretty low sometimes. Like 200-500 low. Especially with the ac on but it does it when it's off as well. I believe this to be all the same problem whatever it may be. I've also checked the timing and it's dead on.


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Murphy

Meat Master
I have an automatic as well and the mpg is pretty poor when I drive around campus, I get from low to mid 20s, but I just got back 31mpg from 90% highway driving. I also have a low idle issue, around 500rpm, but it's a steady low idle and doesn't stray up or down from 500rpm. My ac has a similar effect on my engine, it drains power noticeably, but that's normal.

So here's one suggestion, see if your mpg is similarly poor from highway driving.

As for things you can try doing to your car, replace your auto transmission fluid, change that fuel filter just in case, make sure your tire pressure is optimum (I keep mine at about 42psi), and clean your throttle body, intake manifold, blow torch your O2 sensor, and after all that reset your ecu.

Also, one thing I've been doing recently which has helped my city mpg is using the automatic shifter to manually shift and stay in gears. What kills mpg on automatics in the city is that damn transmission constantly shifting and shifting haphazardly. So try staying in second gear when you're driving slow and expecting to stop soon, stay in D3 rather than letting it automatically shifting to 4th if your coming to a stop soon, and generally try and stay in a gear if you're nearing a stop.
 

DonJulio

Reppin' tha NW
Please proceed with removing intake manifold.

Clean injectors
Clean throttlebody
Clean iacv

then proceed to

Reinstall, and set baseline idle.

Refer to your helms/haynes manual for b18b idle specifications.


A/C will typical cause power loss at low speeds.

Setting proper base idle will ensure your idle isnt too low, and even when A/C is on the strain is less noticable.

A/C is a parasitic creature comfort. If you wish to maximize your mpg, do not use A/C unless your going 45mph+
 


DC4Dan

New Member
I'll change my fuel filter and report back, I'll also clean my sensors and all. Should I seafoam the manifold, gas tank, and oil as well? And I know ac robs power but myne starts hesitating it's not smooth anymore with ac on. And my transmission fluid is a nice red , although I was thinking of adding some Lucas because it slips every once in a while. Oh and as far as the o2 I'm not sure, I know my rear o2 is zip tied to the chassis because of the straight pipe. No cels either.


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Murphy

Meat Master
DC4Dan said:
I'll change my fuel filter and report back, I'll also clean my sensors and all. Should I seafoam the manifold, gas tank, and oil as well? And I know ac robs power but myne starts hesitating it's not smooth anymore with ac on. And my transmission fluid is a nice red , although I was thinking of adding some Lucas because it slips every once in a while. Oh and as far as the o2 I'm not sure, I know my rear o2 is zip tied to the chassis because of the straight pipe. No cels either.


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You can use Seafoam sure, but that won't clean out the throttle body and intake manifold. It would be more effective to use throttle body cleaner and clean it by hand. Take a blow torch to the O2 sensor as well, it's important that it's working properly after you reset the ecu after you replace the fuel filter. If you don't know the last time your transmission fluid was replace I'd replace it and start keeping a log.

As for the ac, I'm familiar with the power loss and harsher idle at low rpms and speeds, but I wouldn't say my car hesitates with the ac on.
 

DC4Dan

New Member
Yeah my car clearly studders upon acceleration almost like a misfire. I've never hear of taking a blow torch to the o2 like a propane torch? I have oxygen and acetylene torches as well


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Murphy

Meat Master
Yeah a propane torch to the tip of the sensor cleans off the carbon deposits. It works, it got rid of my O2 sensor code after I reset my ecu.
 

Murphy

Meat Master
DC4Dan said:
Could the o2 be causing all this even with no code


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It's possible, especially with a universal O2 sensor if the wires weren't spliced together correctly. Either way it only takes a few minutes to pull it out and clean it, it's worth doing to if only to rule it out.
 

Nick_C78

New Member
The second o2 sensor does nothing. It just tells you if your cat is bad.

A lot of things could cause your issue, including many sensors. First things first though, does your check engine light work? Put the key to on position, does the cel light up? If so I will give other ideas later. Valve adjustment is high on my list though.

The integra my girlfriend drives had that ac issue. I unplugged the ac, cleaned the plug and the problem went away. Still not sure why this worked, but it did.
 

DC4Dan

New Member
Yeah the cel lights up. It has almost no valve noise doesn't burn a stitch of oil either. I'll try unplugging it.


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Nick_C78

New Member
Leave it unplugged for a full tank and see if all your problems go away and mpg goes back up. I dont think the ac is killing your mpg that much though.
 
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