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2007 Honda Civic Si

Question: Front Strut Replacement Resulting in Poor Fuel Efficiency

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llAPll, New York, NY, February 10, 2010, 22:48

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Hello,

I recently had my front struts replaced under warranty by Honda. Right after the replacement, I lost 4-5 MPG or 1.5L/100km per tank. I have been driving the car for 3 years and have always had consistent fuel efficiency in which I keep track. So the difference is directly related to the replacement. However, I cannot figure out why and brought it back to Honda and they deny that it has anything to do with fuel efficiency. This is driving me crazy as I bought the car originally to have good fuel efficiency.

Any ideas??? Thanks in advance!

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Valleyautotech February 11, 2010, 09:40

Master

Possibly the front tires need alignment now that the front struts were replaced you could have too much toe in or toe out which would cause the tires to have resistance and cause drag, they should have realigned your car after the new struts were installed.

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llAPll, February 11, 2010, 22:20

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In response to Valleyautotech...

They did do an alignment and the rear alignment actually had toe that was off (and beyond the acceptable range). I advised them of the problem and they said it looks ok, just a tad off and it will not affect the MPG that much. Could it have to do with the uneven ride height (with the front being higher due to new struts?)? Could the toe alignment in the rear being off affect MPG that much???

Thanks for your answer!

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Valleyautotech, February 12, 2010, 11:48

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Sometimes you need to go to a old fashioned tire and alignment shop and get a different prospective as I have had tires balanced at one place and had a problem and brought it to another and the tire was 5 oz out of balance, so just because they said it was ok, maybe a different shop can find something that these guys missed Hope this helps

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Answer #2

nsxdream July 08, 2010, 15:05

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Have your alignment checked your caster/camber may be slightly off causing your front wheels to drag instead of tracking true. this will cause a slight drop in your MPG. I hope
I helped you.

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Answer #3

Visitor, August 30, 2010, 15:13

check to make sure you have the correct air pressure in your tires while they are still cold not after driving for twenty minutes, tire pressure could also be the culprit of lost fuel mileage.(usally tires should have a cold reading of tire pressure at 35 to 37 (psi)pounds per square inch.

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Visitor, September 20, 2010, 02:08

Check your owners manual. Most vehicles do not run that high. My vehicle manual states 32 PSI Front and 26 PSI Rear. You can also find values online. Values vary due to vehicle loads as well. Again, check your manual.

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Answer #4

Visitor, October 22, 2010, 02:06

i have a full size 1991 chevy blazer. the front end was so out of alighnment that when i had it alighned the comfort cruise speed of the truck went from 60mph to 70mph and the fuel economy went up 3miles per gallon. and it didnt drive that bad nor did it wear tires uneven. so yes front end alighnment is important. It did need new tires and shocks . the line up shop told me to replace them both then come back. wow what a difference

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Answer #5

Visitor, November 18, 2010, 18:28

the shock is still knew and the car is a little higher it will be ok once the car sits

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