Idle Learn Process

Angry with the bad fuel economy my family's new Honda Fit is getting I did what any self respecting member of the Y Generation would do ... I hit the internet.

On this particular forum

[url]http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/WebX/.f0c139c/[email protected]@[/url]

I heard about something called an idle learn process, alot of the people who were experiencing bad fuel economy and performed the process noted improved results. There are alot of people who havn't performed the process who achieved MPG figures close to or exceeding the EPA figures which is astounding as I never thought that individual vehicles could differ so much.

What I want to know is what the Idle Learn Process is before performing it to the car. Idling itself is not good for the engine and 40 minutes of it doesn't make it any better. However if the process does have merrit and the fuel economy improvements are permanent then I'd gladdly give it a shot. Does anyone here actually know what the Idle Learn Process is ??

It's the process the car goes through when the battery has been disconnected to re-learn closed throttle, part throttle, and WOT conditions. Usually it includes turning the key to KOEO (key on, engine off) for a set time, then KOER (key on, engine running) at idle, and a drive cycle that involves part throttle and wide open.

[QUOTE=KnifeEdge_2K1]Angry with the bad fuel economy my family's new Honda Fit is getting I did what any self respecting member of the Y Generation would do ... I hit the internet.[/QUOTE]

What kind of mileage are you getting?

We just got a '06 Civic which is rated between 32 - 40 mpg (the same as the Fit if I remember correctly). However, in town the mileage is typically around 25 - 28 mpg. Personally, I find that disappointing since I expected the low to be closer to 32 mpg, but I guess the EPA rating is under-conservative. On the other hand our other vehicle get about 12 mpg so I cannot be to upset.

This weekend we traveled cross-country; across a 100 miles stint cursing at 70 mph with the A/C on low we got 36.7 mpg. It wasn’t overly flat county so I think with no A/C across a state like North Dakota 40 mpg may be possible.

I will have to look in the Civic manual to see if there is a similar Idle Learning Process. If you do try it, you should post your results.

first 180 miles was around 28mpg, the next 60 miles was terrible 19mpg, we then made a 270 mile trip at around 35 mpg

since city is rated at 33 and highway at 39 i'm consistently falling short of the rated figure which is dissappointing

[QUOTE=KnifeEdge_2K1]first 180 miles was around 28mpg, the next 60 miles was terrible 19mpg, we then made a 270 mile trip at around 35 mpg

since city is rated at 33 and highway at 39 i'm consistently falling short of the rated figure which is dissappointing[/QUOTE]
switch at lower rpms, skip gears, start in 2nd if possible etc. Try those.
Sometimes I go from 1st to 3rd to 5th, etc.

it's an auto tho

[QUOTE=KnifeEdge_2K1]Idling itself is not good for the engine[/QUOTE]
:confused:

[QUOTE=2ndclasscitizen]:confused:[/QUOTE]
expecially when the engine is new, cuz the piston rings need to seat against the walls within a certain time or they will never seat properly, at idle the combustion chamber's pressure isnt high enough to properly force the rings against the wall

and even after the break in period idling doesnt warm up the engine fast enough or provide good oil circulation and thus increases wear and tear on the internals

Your motor was run at the factory for at least a half hour to test all the electronics. With how ring technology has improved over the last 30 years, you don't really need to break in a motor anymore.

Just re-adapt your idle. Don't worry about it.

still, just to give myself a lil peace of mind im gonna wait till it passes the 1000 km mark

atleast ill be able to see how much im getting outta this tank of gas b4 i do it, if i get above 32 mpg on just city driving im not touching a hting

[QUOTE=KnifeEdge_2K1]and even after the break in period idling doesnt warm up the engine fast enough or provide good oil circulation and thus increases wear and tear on the internals[/QUOTE]But driving a car that hasn't been warmed up is going to damage the engine as there is strain being applied to engine before oil has made it's way all the way through the engine and parts won't have reached their operating clearances. I always warm my car up before I drive it if the temp needle is near the bottom, it stops it wearing out. And if you read that Motoman article about wearing in, he says that the main reason for engine blowing is not being properly warmed up

[QUOTE=2ndclasscitizen]But driving a car that hasn't been warmed up is going to damage the engine as there is strain being applied to engine before oil has made it's way all the way through the engine and parts won't have reached their operating clearances. I always warm my car up before I drive it if the temp needle is near the bottom, it stops it wearing out. And if you read that Motoman article about wearing in, he says that the main reason for engine blowing is not being properly warmed up[/QUOTE]

that's quite true if you're gonna blast ur engine full throttle as soon as you start it, but if you ease it out and drive it easy the engine warms up in a few minutes even on the coldest days, as opposed to nearly half an hour idling in the driveway, there's no "perfect" method to properly getting the car up to operating temperature but its something of a mix between idling for a while and takin it easy on the road

From what I've heard, the best way to warm up a car is to put light stress on the engine, like some relatively conservative driving. And, I for one never hop on the Interstates unless the vehicle has fully warmed and the t-stat is open.

I've never let my car warm up. Ever. And it's got 153,000 miles on it. In the winter I start it, set my defroster/heater, and take off. Usually hit 5500rpm pulling out of the drive way. It's never had any major engine repairs, doesn't burn oil and gets me a combined 28-30 miles a gallon.

All of this stuff is just old wives tales anymore. It's a car. Drive it.

[QUOTE=KnifeEdge_2K1]that's quite true if you're gonna blast ur engine full throttle as soon as you start it, but if you ease it out and drive it easy the engine warms up in a few minutes even on the coldest days, as opposed to nearly half an hour idling in the driveway[/QUOTE]
My car takes ~5 min of idling to get to normal operating temp