Might as well drive an SUV..

[Subix]

I can't wait to do 500 mile trip on one tank .

The highest I've ever gotten on my 94 AWD Bordeaux is about 468 miles and that was REALLY pushing E like and only just one time, I'm sure I had minutes before the engine were to shut off. Can't really describe what I did driving habit wise that got it so high because that was years ago. The highest after that was about 423 and then this last go around 380ish miles but it was a really hilly drive and quite a bit of stop and go or slow and go....

Week to week driving is terrible. Unless you're taking a trip, gas mileage is just crap. I try not to even calculate it anymore.... but, I can say it definitely isn't 13... I would easily guesstimate I'm averaging around 20 - 22 mpg.

[kwren]

Originally Posted by Freeman

I just got my tank to empty from when I filled it a while ago. I haven't been driving around much so it took a while to get these results.

I was trying to find out my MPG for my 92 pearl and I came up with 234 miles from a full tank, which averages out to nearly 13 MPG.... I only get 13 MPG in my day to day, mixed highway and city driving (mostly highway) and that's just terrible.. I have new(ish) spark plugs, new O2 sensors, I've run some cleaner through the fuel system and something to clean the injectors and this thing still sucks down gas very quickly..

Any advice?

Maybe this could possible be "advice" in a carefully worded question but ... Do you have a "lead foot"?

Keith

[kwren]

Originally Posted by ensteele

Some gas is without ethanol and some has 10% in it. If it has it in there, you will get 10% worse mileage.

Translation... ethanol is totally worthless. We get nothing but "deeper in debt" by the libs forcing us into that crap.

Good point, Earl!

Keith

[Cam]

I don't care how you drive, where you drive. You should not get 13. The worst I've gotten on my built motor is about 15.5. And that is with runnability issues and running VERY RICH. The best I've gotten was on a highway trip, about 22.5. I got better before my build, but honestly not that much.

I should mention that I drive like a bat out of hell in that thing. It is just pure fun when she cooperates.

[dcarrb]

Thirteen MPG definitely means something's wrong somewhere. But there's no way to calculate fuel economy accurately by clocking miles between fill-ups unless you're filling it to the brim then running 'till fully out of gas.

For years now I've consistently gotten high teens in daily driving and high 20s on the highway, no matter how hard I drive, burning Brand X E-10 fuel and alternating regular and premium to achieve a blend of roughly 90 octane.

dcb

[Freeman]

I only use 92 octane and 93 where and when available. The problem is that there is no place around here that doesn't have ethanol in the fuel so I just live with it.

My transmission revs high from time to time and feels like it's on its way out. I didn't stop to think that it would consume fuel more. I keep my tires VERY level and make sure to check them every two weeks to make sure they have the right amount of air in them.

I used a fuel calculator to find out how much fuel I was consuming and I had let it run completely dry, as in I had my uncles 3 gallon tank filled with gas in my trunk to get to the gas station.

Also, ever since I got out of this $1,500 ticket last year, I've been driving the speed limit or around 5 mph over the speed limit. Occasionally, I'll stomp the pedal to get out of the way of a truck or move quickly to not get rammed into. People out here cant drive.

I'll have to make my way to OT's soon I imagine.

[92snowmachine]

lead foot doesn't seem to make mpg go down on mine. my wife (who drives slow) only gets around 16, but i get above 20 and drive it much harder. also, after getting lan's tcu my mpg went up a couple mpg in the city.

[LetItSnow]

Originally Posted by dcarrb

Thirteen MPG definitely means something's wrong somewhere. But there's no way to calculate fuel economy accurately by clocking miles between fill-ups unless you're filling it to the brim then running 'till fully out of gas.

How accurate is that, though? Filling up, the auto-stop can kick off at very different fill levels, if not fill to fill then certainly station to station. How are you measuring being fully out of gas? Pull the tank?

Running the tank to zero isn't a great idea. It also doesn't tell you that your car's consumed 18.0 gallons of fuel.

If you're not going to get all sorts of scientific by using calibrated vessels to fill the car and measure the fuel that's left after the pump can't collect the remaining puddle, the best you can do is use the fill-and-divide method over a series of fills. Try this.

Truth told, even if the last fill stopped a gallon early and the car only ran down to, say, the last 1.4 gallons (your guess is as good as mine) then you still only got 15mpg. There is something inherently wrong with that! With my lead foot and 5 mile city style trips, my Pearly still got 17mpg.

This leaves the question of where your gas is going. Any leaks? Vapor can still functional? Sooty bumper? Gassy oil? If you've got drivetrain issues, you might want to start there.

[Happy]

Originally Posted by SVX92-97

I would routinely get 330 miles to a tank with combined city and highway driving in my 96 polo, so I dont understand how some of you guys are getting 13mph per gallon, that makes no sense to me.

It is 95% how you drive it. I can get 10MPG or 28MPG in it depending on how aggressive I drive. Did anyone see the Top gear episode where they drove a Prius as fast as they could on a track and had a BMW M3 follow if a few car lengths behind. The BMW got better gas mileage than the Prius
http://spikestl.wordpress.com/2010/0...-toyota-prius/

This is because the Prius was at 100% and the M3 only had to go 40% or so to keep up with the Prius being driven flat out.

[Cam]

Originally Posted by Happy

It is 95% how you drive it. I can get 10MPG or 28MPG in it depending on how aggressive I drive. Did anyone see the Top gear episode where they drove a Prius as fast as they could on a track and had a BMW M3 follow if a few car lengths behind. The BMW got better gas mileage than the Prius
http://spikestl.wordpress.com/2010/0...-toyota-prius/

This is because the Prius was at 100% and the M3 only had to go 40% or so to keep up with the Prius being driven flat out.

That is completely irrelevant and off topic...

The Prius is not meant for fuel consumption, but low emissions. It recharges its battery with a regenerative braking system, and using the electric motor mostly in the city in stop and go. It is unique in this way and thus is not meant to be driven flat out, as you are using 1.4 litre engine to move a very heavy car at that point. If you don't understand what is actually happening, then that episode can leave quite an impression. But if you do understand how both cars work, hen tu realize that segment of the episode was crap.

I'll say again, i can drive my 11:1 engine as hard as I want, with a fuel leak and a 4.11 trans, and never drop below 14 or 15. Sure, if I stayed at 7k rpms for an hour or two, it would be worse, but our show me one spot in the US you could get away with that.

[LetItSnow]

Originally Posted by Cam

I'll say again, i can drive my 11:1 engine as hard as I want, with a fuel leak and a 4.11 trans, and never drop below 14 or 15.

Including a track day on a tank full of short trips, I can see mid elevens, but the car runs so hellaciously rich that the tune is surely to blame. If our free man's math is right, he's got disappearing fuel.

[Happy]

Originally Posted by Cam

That is completely irrelevant and off topic...

The Prius is not meant for fuel consumption, but low emissions. It recharges its battery with a regenerative braking system, and using the electric motor mostly in the city in stop and go. It is unique in this way and thus is not meant to be driven flat out, as you are using 1.4 litre engine to move a very heavy car at that point. If you don't understand what is actually happening, then that episode can leave quite an impression. But if you do understand how both cars work, hen tu realize that segment of the episode was crap.

CAM,

Wow, it’s ok if you drive a Prius, we won’t think less of you. Top Gear is one of the funniest shows on TV and if you haven’t watched them you must. Driving style significantly affects fuel economy. This may not be Freemen’s problem but that doesn’t make the premise untrue. Again no offense meant to you and your fellow Prius drivers. I know they are a touchy lot especially a few days every month.

[Freeman]

I don't think I have a fuel leak anywhere.. I mean, I don't drip and there aren't any puddles or anything. I know I leak oil a bit and I used to leak antifreeze but I have never leaked fuel..


You know though, I just thought about how there is smoke coming from my tailpipe occasionally and it keeps turning my rear bumper blackish... I thought it was from leaky oil but maybe something else?

[icingdeath88]

Originally Posted by Freeman

I don't think I have a fuel leak anywhere.. I mean, I don't drip and there aren't any puddles or anything. I know I leak oil a bit and I used to leak antifreeze but I have never leaked fuel..


You know though, I just thought about how there is smoke coming from my tailpipe occasionally and it keeps turning my rear bumper blackish... I thought it was from leaky oil but maybe something else?

Black smoke = running really rich. You do have a problem somewhere. Leaky injector, post-MAF vacuum leak are a couple possibilities. Maybe an O2 sensor?


I get like 25 mpg in my black '97 stock auto (mixed hwy/city), and like 16-20 in my blue 6-speed. Actually my 6-speed does worse on the hwy because of how low my 6th gear is. If the trans is ever apart, I will definitely be putting a higher 5th and 6th. Although it is nice to not have to downshift to pass people on the highway.

[Freeman]

Originally Posted by icingdeath88

Black smoke = running really rich. You do have a problem somewhere. Leaky injector, post-MAF vacuum leak are a couple possibilities. Maybe an O2 sensor?


I get like 25 mpg in my black '97 stock auto (mixed hwy/city), and like 16-20 in my blue 6-speed. Actually my 6-speed does worse on the hwy because of how low my 6th gear is. If the trans is ever apart, I will definitely be putting a higher 5th and 6th. Although it is nice to not have to downshift to pass people on the highway.

Injectors haven't been checked that I'm aware of. I did try the injector cleaner but if they aren't working properly, all the cleaning in the world won't fix em. Vacuum leak is likely as well but the O2 sensors have just been replaced. They SHOULD be fine.