I agree with the suggestions for doing a valve adjustment but I hardly think it will improve your mileage. As one member stated, the procedure must be followed exactly or you'll screw things up. There's a write up on this in the do it your self section.

 

Can anyone recommend me good long lasting MTF and Coolant brand? I'm going to be redoing those. As for oil I just use plain old Mobil 1 Fully syn 5w-20

 

Valve Clearance Adjustment: (L15A)

Note:enginge should be less than 100 degrees F

1.) remove cylinder head cover
2.) set#1 pistion at top dead center(TDC). The "UP"mark on the camshaft sprocket should be at the top, and the TDC grooves on the camshaft sprocket should line up with the top edge of the head.
3.) Select the correct thickness feeler gauge for your valves you're going to be checking.

INTAKE: 0.15-0.19mm (0.006-0.007 inches)
EXHAUST: 0.26-0.30 mm (0.0010-0.0012 inches)

Adjusting screw locations:
with the intake side in front of you and the exhaust away from you.
the no.1 cylinder is going to be on you LHS no. 2 cylinder is next to that and so on to no.4 cylinder.
the adjustment screws are as follows looking at no.1 cylinder on the intake side you will see 2 adjusting screw close together. On the exhaust side they are to the outsides of the intake adjustment screws. And so on through no.4 cylinder.
4.) insert the feeler gauge betweeen the adjusting screw and the end of the valve stem and slide it back and forth; you should feel a slight amount of drag.
5.) if you feel too much drag or too little drag loosen the locknut, and turn the adjusting screw unitl the drag on the feeler gauge is correct.

*locknut torq 14N-m (1.4 kgfm, 10lbf-ft)

6.) tighten the locknut and recheck the clearance. repeat the adjustment if necessary.
7.) rotate the crankshaft clockwise. align the #3 pistion to TDC groove on the camshaft sprocket with the top edge of the head. you will see the (3) on the sprocket.
8.) rotate the crank c.w. and aline #4 pistion to TDC grooves on the camshaft sprocket with the top edge of the head. check and adjust the valve clearances on #4 cylinder.
9.) rotate c.w. and align #2 vales as discribed in 1,3,4.
From what I see here you will adjust all 4 valves ( 2 intake and 2 exhaust) at the same time.

*You may want to get another valve cover gasket before starting just in case!!

*It maybe easier to remove the P.S. tire and the inter fender to get better acess to the crankshaft to rotate.


From a scale from 1 to 10 this is a 4.

Take your time and know that better gas milage and performance is back and you did it....Hoo Raa!

If some one does have this done at the dealership please let use know how much it was.

 

i've just purchased a 2012 Fit base with 90k miles. I'm not at all happy with the fuel consumption. it's worse than my 96 Civic CX. you'd think in 16 years they could improve engine efficiency. i've not made many measurements so far, but the best i got on a recent long freeway trip was 35, and i just got a shocking 23 on my newspaper route this morning. i was expecting at least the high 30s, if not 40. it's not even close.

i'm going to do something pretty radical. i don't think increasing tire pressures, cleaning injectors and so on will make much difference, although i will do that.

i'm going to install a plasma ignition system from Aquapulser
Performance Ignition - Ignition Modules and Ignition Systems

this will improve combustion efficiency and allow the ignition to be retarded to TDC so the ascending piston is not fighting the expanding flame front.

i'm also planning to install either an HHO system
https://gfbooster.wordpress.com/

or a fuel vaporizer
Eagle-Research:

this will need an EFIE to fool the ECU so it doesn't richen the mixture with the additional O2.
Eagle-Research:

i'm also planning to install magnets on the fuel line to organize the fuel molecules
Magnetizer | Products

we'll see what happens.

 

The 1.5's combustion efficiency, as designed, is fine. If there's a problem with your car then add-ons aren't going to help you until you get the problem fixed. You're just going to be spending time and money in the wrong direction.

The real problem is probably conditions: a paper route is nothing but stop and go, pretty bad for gas mileage. What was your 96 Civic getting for mileage on that paper route?

 

know that gas gauges on all cars are notoriously inaccurate. next time you get down to half tank see how many gallons it takes to fill. do it a couple more times and see how it varies.
on my car its a bit over 3 gallons for 110miles. my car not yours.. honda, like most manufacturers, want the accuracy to improve as you get close to empty, though when it says empty it has about 30 miles before reall y empty to protect the ignorant and incompetent. as a result of typcal swing arm level measuring floats accuracy improves at the bottom of te swing.

 

i don't think there's anything wrong with the car...i did get 35 on the freeway, which seems in line with Fuelly (34.1). it's just not good enough for me. the civic got 26-28 on the paper route. it's a manual, and the fit is automatic, so that will make some difference.

i'll do routine stuff..tire pressures, air filter, amsoil, techron, and so on, but i wouldn't expect to see any measurable changes.

the add-ons will undoubtedly work when all set up. the car companies have patents on plasma ignition systems so they know they work. who knows why they don't use them. there does seem to be some sort of conspiracy not to get maximum engine efficiency. high fuel-efficient cars are not imported to US.

what's the purpose of the catalytic converter? to burn the fuel that didn't burn in your engine, that you paid for. ridiculous. the plasma ignition will fix that. it will give clean emissions so the cat's not even needed.

vaporizing the fuel makes perfect sense. injectors inject atomized droplets of liquid fuel. liquids don't burn...only vapor burns. most of these devices have been used on engines in the past...high mileage vaporizing carburetors, eg.

the magnets are a quick fix and are used in industrial applications.

i recognize it's going to be costly but i'm doing it to prove a point. plus, if it can be demonstrated that these devices have real value, there's a market to install them on other people's cars.

 

lets look at your situation. on a paper route with lots of stop and go nothing but an electric Leaf will get even 30 mpg.. and the stuff you mention are gobbygook. be sure you have 20 weight synthetic oil, clean injectors (wallyworld injector non alcohol cleaner once a month), correct valve gaps, and clean air filter to maximize your mpg. we've tested the items you mention and they are all fictitious. no super air intake, specialty spark plugs, or fuel additive will yield better mpg. good smooth driving, no jackrabbit start/stop and no long idling periods. yes, 40 psig tire pressures too.
my neighbor uses a fit for hs mail delivery route gets 30 mpg and he's careful so if you get 30 mph you are good. he,s on a rural route with some 150 stops.

as for emissions controls yes the catalytic converter does burn un burned hydrocarbons buts most difficult job is converting nitrogen oxides into unharmful exhaust, plasma ignition has nothing for that, in fact it may make it worse. the coil paks are the problem. they cost so much and do nothing but help computer control of the ignition parade; plasma ignition will simply add cost with little benefit. anyone can advertise. when SAE gives it a thumbs up then consider.
at low spped stop and go the CVT is not at its best but it should make you safer.
again check the check list and go on.
cherrs and good luck.

 

i certainly appreciate your interest and i can understand your skepticism. we've been brainwashed into believing there is nothing you can do to improve the mileage of your car except keep the tires up to pressure, drive slowly etc.

but, things have changed. the CAFE standards have been raised to 50 mpg by 2025. an industry veteran told me the car companies are in "a panic" over this. you will start to see plasma and laser ignition systems pretty soon, and maybe fuel vaporizers. all these things are under development and have been patented. in the meantime, you can install your own.

 

The most fuel efficient vehicle out there isn't going to turn in good numbers if you use it inefficiently. On a paper route you're constantly bringing the whole heap up from zero then hitting the brakes to bring it back down to zero and idling it for a few seconds before doing it again.

Maybe if I phrased it this way:



Fancy ignition systems and the like, however efficient they are, can't overcome inefficient usage.

I can get really good numbers when I have time to drive slowly. I can't do it all that much, though; I'm just happy when conditions let me keep it down to the speed limit. That really helps. You don't have to drive slowly, but not having a paper route is important for getting good mileage.

You need to look for good paper route mpg, not good non-paper route mpg.

 

Indeed. you're quite right. But the paper route is not really the issue. That's like city driving. I'm more concerned with freeway driving. I just made a 300 mile roundtrip all on freeway with 2 adults and 2 children holding an indicated 80 mph most of the way using a/c all day. I put the tire pressures up to 40. Average mpg for trip was 30.9.

I've no doubt most people would be quite happy with that. But i expected better. This is a subcompact car with a 1500 cc engine with all kinds of advanced gizmos like double plugs ("to improve combustion"), coil-on-plug ignition, variable valve timing and so on. I bought it specifically for good mileage which for me is high 30s to 40. Now flogging it down the freeway at 80 with a full load and a/c may not be fair but it does have overdrive.

my 96 Civic was getting better mileage (5-sp manual)...like 33-34 freeway, but it is 16 years older. you would think the technology would have improved in that time.

and this is on wikipedia :

On July 28, 2008, Honda UK announced that the second generation Jazz would be on sale from October 17, 2008. The new model will be sold with two new engine variants; a 90 PS 1.2-litre i-VTEC petrol capable of 55.4 miles per imperial gallon (5.10 L/100 km; 46.1 mpg-US) (combined) and with low CO2 emissions of 120 g/km; and a 100 PS 1.4-litre i-VTEC petrol engine capable of 53.3 miles per imperial gallon (5.30 L/100 km; 44.4 mpg-US)

I'm quite convinced we have the technology to do better but it is not being deployed. they're going to have to do better with the new CAFE standards. Other cars seem to do better on Fuelly like vw golf and it has a bigger engine. Maybe that's the problem. the engine's too small and has to work too hard.

 

Did you check out the EPA ratings? Your 96 was rated 33/38. Your 12 is rated 27/33. You didn't get EPA highway in the 96, you did beat it in the 12 (35mpg) when you weren't being overly hard on it and you're complaining? Even loaded and on the gas you beat EPA city.

The EPA numbers are just a benchmark- what happens when the car is run a certain way. You can get above or below them as you care to, but it's you that gets the numbers. If you're going to blame the car for only getting in the range of its EPA test numbers, maybe you should buy a car that got higher numbers on the test.

 

i didn't check the EPA numbers since i don't have much faith in them. i bought a subcompact car weighing 2600 lbs with a 1500 cc engine. why would i expect cars with larger engines to get better mileage?

i think the actual real world numbers on Fuelly.com are a more reliable guide. now i'm using it i'm paying more attention and looking to see what other people and other cars are getting.

judging by the numbers from UK, the Fit can get better mileage. they sell cars in USA with higher fuel consumption because people here don't care and want more power. it's probably something to do with the way the engine computer is mapped.

i was going to swap out the ECU on the Civic with a rechipped ECU that i could access with my laptop and reset the maps. i don't think i can do this with the Fit (Hondata doesn't seem to offer anything), but i can certainly install the devices i mentioned, although installing a new ignition system is not going to be easy since the plugs are inaccessible on the back of the engine.

it's all an experiment. i'm not too bothered if i succeed or fail. it's really just to try to prove a point. otherwise the car is pretty good.

 

Grow up kids.

Get the valves adjusted, run the proper weight and rated oil, manufacturer don't mean squat, there is no magic in oil, none boys.

Put regular plugs in it, no magic triple spark titanium dioxide flux compactor electrode crap either, it's all smoke and mirrors. Real world.

Most importantly.... Drive like you want fuel mileage.

Or just do like the rest of us, drive it like you stole it, have fun knowing you are doing better than the fool with the loud pipe Chevy truck next to you.

 

I agree with everything but oil where there is magic. My dyno says different. more horsrpower and lmore mpg. with proven brand synthetics.

 

there are plenty of things that can be done to improve mileage. why, for instance, does this engine have variable valves, two plugs per cylinder, coil-on-plug ignition, fuel injection, a lot of fancy sensors, engine management computer, etc, etc.. what's the point of all this stuff? one reason of course is to reduce emissions, and the easiest way to do this is to use less fuel.

so ostensibly all this stuff is to improve engine efficiency. however, there is more to it than that. these cars are set up differently for different markets. Americans, by and large, don't care much about fuel consumption. they want more power. so they set the computer that way. this same car in UK gets 45 miles per US gallon, according to wikipedia.

i just got 24 mpg on my paper route this morning, and a recent freeway trip of 300 miles returned a paltry 30.9 mpg.

the car manufacturers are going to have to do something since the CAFE standards have been raised to 50 mpg. you will see plasma and laser ignition and other devices.

in the meantime, i've ordered a fuel vapor generator. i'll keep you posted on the results, if any.