I have a 92 accord dx with only AC. It was practically given to me and hasjust 80k miles on it. I put some new tires on it, and it rides really nice and quiet. I've purchased the parts for the timing belt procedure because I don't know if its ever been done, and I found the post for that job.But due to a recent job change, Iam driving 130 miles every day, and the most pressing question i have at this juncture is regarding my options for adding cruise control. CC would really help make the drive a bit more comfortable.

First, is it a realistic DIY project ? Second, does Honda actually sell a kit for it, or do I have to go with one of those aftermarket kits that has the cheezy looking steering column control ?

Finally, are there any other mods (chip, air cleaner, etc) that will pay for themselves in terms of fuel savings on this model car? I've figured I'm getting about 25mpg now. Even with such a decent MPG, I'm going to be spending about $400/mo on gas.

Thanks for any suggestions,
JP

 

You would need the CC cable and vacuum gizmo that operates it, switches, plus whatever is in between the two. I've only seen A/C kits for DX models, but you could go pull the parts from a 4th gen LX or EX at a junkyard.

25 mpg seems pretty low for a stock Accord driven mostly highway. There must be something up that needs cleaning/adjusting/fixing. Chips will kill your gas mileage, a K&N drop-in filter might help.

 

I can't really add much to what finch said above. As far as the CC goes, his advice is the same I would have given you.
25mpg ispretty badmileage IMO. My 2000 LX gets 35 mpg highway and 29-30mpg city driving (It has 135k+ miles on it.) When is the last time the spark plugs were changed? That could be your bad MPG problem right there. Spark plugs are a relatively cheap maintenance item and are super easy to DIY, especially on 4 cylinder models, so I would start there (just DO NOT replace the old plugs with Bosch plugs - NGK are preferred, Denso are fine if you can't find NGK's.) There is a spark plug DIY in the DIY section. PM me if you want it and cannot locate it in there and I'll link it for you.

 

Thanks for thesuggestions everybody. Yes, plugs are high on my list...at least to inspect. When I do the timing belt, I am planning to do a full tuneup also...valve adjustment, already got the cap and rotor, gap or replace plugs depending on how they look. I'll go look for that section on spark plugs and see what all is in there.

Yeah, I got most of the parts already short of plugs and an air filter. I was also thinking that a cold air intake might be worth considering. do you think a drop in K&n would be enough, or should I consider one of the low cost intake kits I see listed on ebay a lot ? I know K&N is a great brand. I like the idea of being able to keep reusing the filter.

Does anybody know if the cruise control job has been done by anybody, and what parts they needed? True, I would need the master switch, the brainbox, the steering wheel buttons, vacuum actuator and cable. My biggest fear with this is that I'm going to get inthere and find out that something about the wiring harness on the DX is going to defy Hondalogic and prove that they really plan more than just to add things on. If its just a matter of picking up a few pieces at a junk yard, I'm sure that would be a great upgrade in my situation.

It would make my day if anybody knows somebody who did the cruise control.

Thanks again,
JP

 

actually 25mpg is above the (2008 spec) epa mpg for that year.

to hook up cruise you would need a new throttle body. its gets pretty expensive right there.

 

Another thing you can do to save fuel is slow down when there isn't anyone behind you. Also take out anything that isn't necessary in your car. Weight saving will help with the fuel mileage.