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  #16  
Old 11-23-2002, 11:22 AM
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Relax man, I was just kidding with you. Nothing wrong with stepping on the gas, I do it every time I drive. I just don't expect my gas mileage to be good when I'm hammering on the car. If I run through a tank hot rodding around the whole time I'd get around 16-17mpg. I used to drive like that all the time when I first bought the car and I have logged my gas mileage since I bought the car. Not really because I care about the mileage, more so I can tell if something has gone wrong.
Now I get around 19-22 mixed city driving with about half of the time spent racing around and 26-27 highway.

10 mpg is pretty low. They could have screwed up the plugs by not gapping properly but I expect you'd have some roughness in the engine. I'd also check air filter, all the vacuum connections, 02 sensors, and make sure the intake boot is on tight and also the intake itself is bolted down tightly. Do you have alot of black soot in your tailpipe? Have you ever had a CE light? Maybe your crooked dealer pulled the bulb out and you don't know its throwing a code. Have you tried a good fuel system cleaner?
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  #17  
Old 11-23-2002, 01:42 PM
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I drive highway any where between 65-80 mph and have never got above 21 mpg.
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  #18  
Old 11-23-2002, 09:17 PM
Ron Mummert Ron Mummert is offline
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Quote:
Originally posted by svxy
I drive highway any where between 65-80 mph and have never got above 21 mpg.
Must be them West Virginny hills - On a mostly level highway at those speeds you should get over 28 mpg. On a 3,500 mile vacation trip in 2001 my '92 got 27.75 mpg with the A/C running most of the time, city & highway driving combined.

Ron.
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  #19  
Old 11-23-2002, 10:27 PM
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Quote:
Originally posted by immortal_suby
They could have screwed up the plugs by not gapping properly
You shouldn't gap platinum plugs; you shouldnt run crapy plugs in this car either, does drop fuel economy in any car. I would suggest bosch 2s or 4s, worth the few $.
I find that after the work i have just done i have doubled my fuel economy- plugs, airfilter, fuel filter, oil and filter, atf and filter, coolant temp sensor, and other thing that wouldnt change economy.
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  #20  
Old 11-23-2002, 11:32 PM
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Quote:
Originally posted by MT maniac


You shouldn't gap platinum plugs; you shouldnt run crapy plugs in this car either, does drop fuel economy in any car. I would suggest bosch 2s or 4s, worth the few $.
I find that after the work i have just done i have doubled my fuel economy- plugs, airfilter, fuel filter, oil and filter, atf and filter, coolant temp sensor, and other thing that wouldnt change economy.
right, some may have bought the SVX for $1500, but fer crissakes spend the little bit of extra $$$ and give it the maintenance treatment like it was the $36,000 car it used to be. you may have gotten a bargain, but its still a complex, flagship-o-mobile.
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  #21  
Old 11-24-2002, 12:27 AM
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Quote:
Originally posted by immortal_suby
Relax man, I was just kidding with you. Nothing wrong with stepping on the gas, I do it every time I drive. I just don't expect my gas mileage to be good when I'm hammering on the car. If I run through a tank hot rodding around the whole time I'd get around 16-17mpg. I used to drive like that all the time when I first bought the car and I have logged my gas mileage since I bought the car. Not really because I care about the mileage, more so I can tell if something has gone wrong.
Now I get around 19-22 mixed city driving with about half of the time spent racing around and 26-27 highway.

10 mpg is pretty low. They could have screwed up the plugs by not gapping properly but I expect you'd have some roughness in the engine. I'd also check air filter, all the vacuum connections, 02 sensors, and make sure the intake boot is on tight and also the intake itself is bolted down tightly. Do you have alot of black soot in your tailpipe? Have you ever had a CE light? Maybe your crooked dealer pulled the bulb out and you don't know its throwing a code. Have you tried a good fuel system cleaner?
Sorry for getting so defensive...lol. I don't know about the vacumn connections, or the O2 sensors, or the intake stuff. What I DO know is that the check engine light works cause its on before the car is started in the ON position in the ignition, and no, the check engine light has never been on while the car was started. I've tried MANY fuel system cleaners.

You said something VERY interesting...yes, I have TONS of black soot out the tailpipe. I cleaned them good, and 2 weeks later, its like all back again! You can't see it coming out, but yes, I get the deposits like crazy. What does that mean?
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  #22  
Old 11-24-2002, 05:53 AM
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It must be them thar hills because I've done everything in my power to maintain this like it cost me $36,000.00 and still 21mpg is the best it's ever done.
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  #23  
Old 11-24-2002, 07:18 AM
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You should always check the gap before installing plugs. They are factory gapped platinums when you get them at the dealer but it only takes a small tap or drop to close the gap up. I dropped a plug once before putting it in an astro van and believe me, it was running on 5-6 cylinders until I found out which plug it was. Weird thing was the van felt more powerful than ever. Maybe beav could explain why. If you've ever even seen under the hood on one of these you'd learn the lesson I did. Changing the svx plugs was easy in comparison. I agree you shouldn't run cheap plugs but I have never tried the bosch +4, I just go with the factory platinums.

I drive through VA and WVA right over the hills about 6 times a year and I still manage 26mpg through there doing a steady 75-80mph but that is with only 1 or 2 stops during a tank. Now if thats 45-70mph driving in hills, you're gonna spend alot of time with the TC unlocked and doing alot of downshifting and that will definitely drop the mileage down. I try to always go fast enough to keep the engine above 2600 rpm when I am coming up to a hill so that the car has enough power to go right up without unlocking the torque converter. If I am only going around 60-70 I won't make it up the big hills without the TC unlocking and possibly a downshift. On an 800 mile trip it makes a difference. I have never hit 27 mpg but my wife has once on the same trip driving my car so I am on a never ending quest to beat that. I still don't know how some people here get 30mpg.


Excessive black soot in the tailpipe indicates you are running a rich mixture. You're burning more gas than you should be. This could be due to a number of different things. Some black soot is normal. You can pull out your spark plugs and check their condition to see how your engine is running. They have pictures in the back of most chiltons manuals that will show you how to read a plug.
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92 Ebony LS-L. ecutune stage1v4, motorsport 1pc pulley. Garage Queen - sold to Dad in upstate NY 155,000 miles
19 Subaru Ascent Premium - -Hers !.
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  #24  
Old 11-24-2002, 08:38 AM
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Help! My mileage has fallen and it can't get up!

My mileage sucks also and it is running rich from the looks of the tail pipe. The air filter is clean. I will have to pull my plugs and have a look at them. What is the best way to get to them? I've never changed them and it looks extremely tight on space from above. I've heard someone say that they are easier to get to from underneath. Is this true? Any suggestions would be appreciated. I can't believe the crappy mileage I get compared to some of you. Would clearing the computer make a difference if the prior owner didn't run premium fuel?
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  #25  
Old 11-24-2002, 08:44 AM
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I did all of the plugs from the top with a ratched and a couple different sized extensions. Some people remove the plug in the wheel well but it isnt necessary. Main thing to remember is patience. Take it easy, if you start swearing then step back and look at it from a different angle. They are a PITA to take out until you figure out the 'trick' for each one. You have to finesse the plugs out.
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92 Ebony LS-L ECUtune Stage2av1, Z32 MAF, 370cc injectors, TomsSVX intake, BontragerWorks 22mm RSB #003, HID Hi and Lo beams, OT endlink and bushing mods, PWR Aluminum radiator, Harvey's QC shift kit, 2.5" flowmaster 80 exhaust, 17" Michelin Pilot Sport A/S, Poly sway bar bushings, Slotted Bradi rotors, AFBeefcake powdercoated calipers, 97 grill, and a huge set of air horns. 300,000 miles and counting
92 Ebony LS-L. ecutune stage1v4, motorsport 1pc pulley. Garage Queen - sold to Dad in upstate NY 155,000 miles
19 Subaru Ascent Premium - -Hers !.
89 DL 4x4 little red wagon - a.k.a. The immortal suby. 275k R.I.P.
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  #26  
Old 11-24-2002, 04:03 PM
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All I know is that NOTHING can be as bad as my 68 Charger 383's engine. Why? EGAD those headers sucked. There was one plug wher eyou literally couldn't fit a socket onto it. ACK.

- Ca$h
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  #27  
Old 11-24-2002, 09:07 PM
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Quote:
Originally posted by svxy
It must be them thar hills because I've done everything in my power to maintain this like it cost me $36,000.00 and still 21mpg is the best it's ever done.

Then it must be Fester's Exxon & Road Kill Kuisine station. Maybe he's done some West Virginny math back at the pump flow control to help pay the mortgage on the doublewide. Seriously - the car should get AT LEAST 26-28 mpg over the road, or you got one of them 3 speed models.

Ron.
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'01 Miata SE - 79K
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  #28  
Old 11-28-2002, 08:00 PM
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Quote:
Originally posted by MT maniac
I would suggest bosch 2s or 4s, worth the few $.
Those plus here are 1/4 the price of the OEM NGK's!! I still went with the NGK's because they have platinum on both ends of the spark unlike the Bosch's.
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  #29  
Old 12-11-2002, 08:10 AM
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Quote:
Originally posted by MT maniac


You shouldn't gap platinum plugs; you shouldnt run crapy plugs in this car either, does drop fuel economy in any car. I would suggest bosch 2s or 4s, worth the few $.
I find that after the work i have just done i have doubled my fuel economy- plugs, airfilter, fuel filter, oil and filter, atf and filter, coolant temp sensor, and other thing that wouldnt change economy.
How much did all of that cost you?
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