My daily driver: suggestions?

[adc0642]

Well our P5 has rolled past 55k and is going pretty strong. We plan on keeping the car a while, so based on you people with high mileage, what's some good preventative things to do? this is a daily driver, mostly by my wife, every now and then we get a little agressive with it. very fun car. so far we have:

Redline in the tranny
poly shifter bushings
"Evolution" 2" lowering springs with stock shocks (still rides pretty decent)
new set of Kuhmo 711's (under $300 all together, not bad!)
fresh alignment with conservative specs (max caster, min camber, 0 toe in front, about .25" toe in rear, may go to 0 toe in rear)
awr front motor mount
poly roll bar bushings
Stock brake rotors were warped by 30k so I got a new set from O'reilly's for about $20 each, already a tad warped. stock pads, still 50%+ left.
few minor mods like always-on power windows

haven't changed the plugs yet, which i know i should do.

and i'm one of those old-schoolers who changes the oil every 3k, straight 30wt in summer and maybe 10w30 or 5w30 in winter, dino oil!
how bout removing the VTCS? it wouldn't be about performance, but more about mileage/prevent losing a screw into the motor. worth a few hours on a daily driver? this is an '02, unsure of manf. location....

a concern of mine is that our mileage seems a bit lower than many folks here, we get 27-29mpg since we've owned it, even on long flat road trips, keeping the foot out of it. I've been seeing people with 75K+ getting 35mpg or better, and I'm green with envy. I'd be willing to go with a $50 sri or cai if it actually helps *mileage* and take the sport sound and 2 hp as a bonus. Same with a header, tho it'd take a looong time to get back $200 worth of gas with a 1-2 mpg increase...

Hit me with some suggestions! what has made your hi-mile daily driven p5 a better ride?

eventually we will spring for a set of Illumina's - but oddly enough, the p5 in it's current shape rides VERY much like my friend's NEW bmw 330xi. doesn't have the 50/50 handling balance but didn't cost 40G either!

[bradicus18]

Well our P5 has rolled past 55k and is going pretty strong. We plan on keeping the car a while, so based on you people with high mileage, what's some good preventative things to do? this is a daily driver, mostly by my wife, every now and then we get a little agressive with it. very fun car. so far we have:

Redline in the tranny
poly shifter bushings
"Evolution" 2" lowering springs with stock shocks (still rides pretty decent)
new set of Kuhmo 711's (under $300 all together, not bad!)
fresh alignment with conservative specs (max caster, min camber, 0 toe in front, about .25" toe in rear, may go to 0 toe in rear)
awr front motor mount
poly roll bar bushings
Stock brake rotors were warped by 30k so I got a new set from O'reilly's for about $20 each, already a tad warped. stock pads, still 50%+ left.
few minor mods like always-on power windows

haven't changed the plugs yet, which i know i should do.

and i'm one of those old-schoolers who changes the oil every 3k, straight 30wt in summer and maybe 10w30 or 5w30 in winter, dino oil!
how bout removing the VTCS? it wouldn't be about performance, but more about mileage/prevent losing a screw into the motor. worth a few hours on a daily driver? this is an '02, unsure of manf. location....

a concern of mine is that our mileage seems a bit lower than many folks here, we get 27-29mpg since we've owned it, even on long flat road trips, keeping the foot out of it. I've been seeing people with 75K+ getting 35mpg or better, and I'm green with envy. I'd be willing to go with a $50 sri or cai if it actually helps *mileage* and take the sport sound and 2 hp as a bonus. Same with a header, tho it'd take a looong time to get back $200 worth of gas with a 1-2 mpg increase...

Hit me with some suggestions! what has made your hi-mile daily driven p5 a better ride?

eventually we will spring for a set of Illumina's - but oddly enough, the p5 in it's current shape rides VERY much like my friend's NEW bmw 330xi. doesn't have the 50/50 handling balance but didn't cost 40G either!

Just keep takin' care of her. I have over 60k on mine now. Keep the oil changed, use fuel injector cleaner, check tire pressure, yada yada yada. Some people overstate their mileage claims and may not really be accurate. On really slow (50mph-55mph) highway drives, I can see around 32-34mpg. Otherwise, on interstate I get around 30ish. In city, I'm too busy hammering it all the time so I know it has to be 23-25mpg. :) Sounds like you're doing good to me. I hope the Kumho's don't fail you as bad as mine did.

As for VTCS and all, I'm sure someone can answer that.

[adc0642]

Just keep takin' care of her. I have over 60k on mine now. Keep the oil changed, use fuel injector cleaner, check tire pressure, yada yada yada. I hope the Kumho's don't fail you as bad as mine did.

As for VTCS and all, I'm sure someone can answer that.

wow just re-read my post, that was a monster.
sorry to hear the Kuhmo's didn't do it for you, I decided to chance it cause of the lo price and decent reviews at Tirerack. Discount tires mounted and lifetime balanced for $36 for all 4, couldn't belive it.

i tend to run 38-40 psi in front and about 35psi rear. Any lower and it feels squirlly/gooey to me

ran some injector cleaner thru at 50k, and some auto-rx in the engine also... couldn't tell a dime's worth of difference

[bradicus18]

wow just re-read my post, that was a monster.
sorry to hear the Kuhmo's didn't do it for you, I decided to chance it cause of the lo price and decent reviews at Tirerack. Discount tires mounted and lifetime balanced for $36 for all 4, couldn't belive it.

i tend to run 38-40 psi in front and about 35psi rear. Any lower and it feels squirlly/gooey to me

ran some injector cleaner thru at 50k, and some auto-rx in the engine also... couldn't tell a dime's worth of difference

Yeah, glad to hear that you run the tp higher. I run mine about the same. My sidewalls failed me in a pothole. Got me a nice gash in my rim. They are awesomely priced and provide a good amount of grip.

[mogi]

I'm only at like 43k, getting there though!

I'm happy with the Kumho Ecsta ASX I tossed on my car this summer, only a few $ more than the 711s

Definitely change your sparks, I'd recommend the oem NGK or Denso, regular owners manual has replacement numbers. Don't waste your money on platinum, iridium, v-power, extended reach, or any of the other marketing hyped 'technologies'.

You might want to consider doing a coolant flush as well. Get your hinges and joints lubed maybe too (shrug)

As for the mileage thing, I see about the same as you in mine (auto). Hoping the OBX header I have on order helps a bit too.

Aside from that, like the others said, stay on top of regular maintence!

Edit: check your accessory belts

[adc0642]

yep did a coolant flush and lubed everything with lithium grease. belt check is a good idea, thanks.

[trbomp5]

Hit me with some suggestions! what has made your hi-mile daily driven p5 a better ride?


Turbo.

Definatly a turbo.

Has made my car a whole new car.

[Lord_Zath]

I'm only at like 43k, getting there though!

I'm happy with the Kumho Ecsta ASX I tossed on my car this summer, only a few $ more than the 711s

Definitely change your sparks, I'd recommend the oem NGK or Denso, regular owners manual has replacement numbers. Don't waste your money on platinum, iridium, v-power, extended reach, or any of the other marketing hyped 'technologies'.

You might want to consider doing a coolant flush as well. Get your hinges and joints lubed maybe too (shrug)

As for the mileage thing, I see about the same as you in mine (auto). Hoping the OBX header I have on order helps a bit too.

Aside from that, like the others said, stay on top of regular maintence!

Edit: check your accessory belts

Intake, header, exhaust, underdrive pulley, midpipe are best bang for your buck mods n/a style.

[mokeOne]

some really easy & cheap stuff to do... use a good synthetic motor oil i guess. i switched to mobil1 (that 10,000 mile stuff) and it's pretty good. i mean, i don't wait 10,000 miles to change it, but it makes it easy to just change the filter every 3k. get some good spark plug wires... magnecore has some nice 8.5mm ones. also, a nice grounding system and (ifyou want) a voltage stabilizer system like this (http://www.sigmaautomotive.com/EGS/egs.php) . i actually have the buddy club system on my car (not as many grounding wires as sun) but it did up my mileage by 3mpg.

[adc0642]

some really easy & cheap stuff to do... use a good synthetic motor oil i guess. i switched to mobil1 (that 10,000 mile stuff) and it's pretty good. i mean, i don't wait 10,000 miles to change it, but it makes it easy to just change the filter every 3k. get some good spark plug wires... magnecore has some nice 8.5mm ones. also, a nice grounding system and (ifyou want) a voltage stabilizer system like this (http://www.sigmaautomotive.com/EGS/egs.php) . i actually have the buddy club system on my car (not as many grounding wires as sun) but it did up my mileage by 3mpg.

i did put on a diy grounding kit with 2 guage batt cables from Pep Boys, helped some weird stereo issues, no benefit in mileage tho.

i don't have anything against synthetic oil except the 3k oil change helps me remember to check all the other fluids and generally inspect the car. plus i always look pretty close at the oil and tear apart the filter to see it there's any crud, and get an early indication of trouble should something come up.

How bout getting the valves adjusted? anyone do this?(uhm)

[brittania81k]

wow just re-read my post, that was a monster.
sorry to hear the Kuhmo's didn't do it for you, I decided to chance it cause of the lo price and decent reviews at Tirerack. Discount tires mounted and lifetime balanced for $36 for all 4, couldn't belive it.

i tend to run 38-40 psi in front and about 35psi rear. Any lower and it feels squirlly/gooey to me

ran some injector cleaner thru at 50k, and some auto-rx in the engine also... couldn't tell a dime's worth of difference

Just keep an eye on those Kuhmo's. I've heard mixed reviews on the 711's. I would reccomend the ASX's next time, if you want to stick with Kuhmo's. They've been great!

[adc0642]

Just keep an eye on those Kuhmo's. I've heard mixed reviews on the 711's. I would reccomend the ASX's next time, if you want to stick with Kuhmo's. They've been great!

i actually really like the Yoko avs es100's i had before, but (embarassed to admit it) wore them out in 22k due to poor alignment. the 711's were like $53 each (instead of 85ish), $35 shipping, $35 install, and had decent reviews, so i figured they'd be good cheap tires to experiment with alignment and otherwise mess around with, see how the car and tires react (poke)

so far the 711's ride smooth, good sharp impact absorption, and slide very very predicably. the limits aren't as high as the Yoko's, tho, and they seem a tad noisier. Squealy, too. in the exact same size (205/50) they were 3/4 inch wider. i may go back to the es100's, they were really really nice.

[Replica]

There isn't much you can do to a P5 to make it better than stock. The shifter bushings are nice. and lower it a little to get rid of the wagon look. All of the bolt ons are pretty much a waste of money, I had a Cold-air-intake on my P5 for a bit...felt like it was stock. Then I got bored and cut it into a short ram....still felt like stock. The Obx header seems to make the car rev a bit quicker...but not any noticeable power over stock. The Mazdaspeed axleback is probably the worst thing I've put on the car...loud and didn't really add any power. The turbo kits (getting ready for huge debate) are way more trouble than they're worth.

Best thing to do is leave it alone. Enjoy it for what it is and change the oil. :)

[adc0642]

There isn't much you can do to a P5 to make it better than stock. The shifter bushings are nice. and lower it a little to get rid of the wagon look. Best thing to do is leave it alone. Enjoy it for what it is and change the oil. :)

i hear ya, lowered it already, tried a header (didn't fit), and not about to waste money on intake/exhaust to go from 105whp to 107.

[Replica]

i hear ya, lowered it already, tried a header (didn't fit), and not about to waste money on intake/exhaust to go from 105whp to 107.
Bolt ons would be ok if they added a reasonable amount of power. But it just isn't worth the jerky power delivery and loss of OEM refinement for 1-2hp and lots of damn noise.

[SilverBulletES]

Bolt ons would be ok if they added a reasonable amount of power. But it just isn't worth the jerky power delivery and loss of OEM refinement for 1-2hp and lots of damn noise.

Jerky power delivery? You're kidding me if you think a header only adds 1-2 hp.

Everything I've done to my car from intake to header to exhaust was a fairly easy install and only made the powerband better (and probably better gas mileage but my foot and brain don't get along well over that subject). Just got a highflow midpipe put in this morning for $55 (Magnaflow on eBay) + $70 install. Sure it added 1-2? horses but every little bit counts.

[adc0642]

Jerky power delivery? You're kidding me if you think a header only adds 1-2 hp.

Everything I've done to my car from intake to header to exhaust was a fairly easy install and only made the powerband better (and probably better gas mileage but my foot and brain don't get along well over that subject). Just got a highflow midpipe put in this morning for $55 (Magnaflow on eBay) + $70 install. Sure it added 1-2? horses but every little bit counts.

counts for what?

[SilverBulletES]

counts for what?

Counts for my enjoyment.

Homer Simpson: I don't care about B.C. I care about M. E.....
My enjoyment.

[Lord_Zath]

I've noticed decent differences with all my mods. But then again it's completely possible that Replica has the "factory freak" in the wrong way :(

[SilverBulletES]

Replica always seems as angry as his avatar looks. Why doesn't he just get rid of it? :rolleyes:

[Lord_Zath]

if your car had 70k miles with no dings or scratches, would you want to get rid of it?

[SilverBulletES]

if your car had 70k miles with no dings or scratches, would you want to get rid of it?

How did he manage that? I have 10-12 dings and scratches I have no idea where they came from. Rocks and idiots in parking lots I guess. And the top of one door frame is dented. I think a moron doing construction dropped a pole or ladder on it then kept on walking. (bicker)

I guess I'd sell it if I wanted a Honda that badly.

[adc0642]

Counts for my enjoyment.

Homer Simpson: I don't care about B.C. I care about M. E.....
My enjoyment.

good point, but $125 buys a lot of ice cream... or bubble gum or whatever's your bag, baby.

If it's worth it to you, it's worth it to you

[Lord_Zath]

How did he manage that? I have 10-12 dings and scratches I have no idea where they came from. Rocks and idiots in parking lots I guess. And the top of one door frame is dented. I think a moron doing construction dropped a pole or ladder on it then kept on walking. (bicker)

I guess I'd sell it if I wanted a Honda that badly.

exactly. a car in such good condition is a real gem. Though trying to sell it for a price it deserves is another story in itself.

[SilverBulletES]

Back on subject-- if you want a good cheap power mod (that might increase gas mileage) for a commuter then get an eBay CAI for $50 shipped.

[Protege52003]

Back on subject-- if you want a good cheap power mod (that might increase gas mileage) for a commuter then get an eBay CAI for $50 shipped.

ebay intakes are great for their price.....

change your oil and make sure it is full, keep your eyes on your plugs and keep a clean filter. running the FI cleaner is good once in a while.....giving the FI's a cleaning would be great......

enjoy.....i am almost at 50K and i guess i will be holding onto the car for a while......

-R

[adc0642]

i have a ebay sri sitting in the garage, the cheapo filter was worthless (just nasty), haven't bothered buying a k&n for it.
Are the $2 foam filters any good?