Do I have the worst MPG ?
#61
10-10-2012, 05:06 PM
Haha. I'm still laughing at myself and my mechanic. I found the reason for the low low low mpg.
My caliper on right rear wheel was bad so It was braking all the time. As soon as I replaced it, the mpg improved by at least 10-20%. I was not able to go over 20 mpg regardless of where/how I drive. now I get to see much better mpg.
I actually suspected that caliper when I was replacing the rotors and brakes but the mechanic said it should be fine, stop wasting money....
My caliper on right rear wheel was bad so It was braking all the time. As soon as I replaced it, the mpg improved by at least 10-20%. I was not able to go over 20 mpg regardless of where/how I drive. now I get to see much better mpg.
I actually suspected that caliper when I was replacing the rotors and brakes but the mechanic said it should be fine, stop wasting money....
#62
10-11-2012, 12:04 AM
#63
10-11-2012, 01:14 AM
I was averaging 21mpg a year ago (04 Sedan), less than 16mpg today.
All filters new
New tires at the correct TP
Run Lucas Fuel System Cleaner every other oil change
Only use 91 octane
Reset the ECU several times
Idle speed perfect
No black smoke at all
Car runs as good as it did when it was new (I am the original owner)
During the winter months, I tried to chalk the sudden drop off to dreaded 'winter gas', even though the previous 6 winters were in the 20+ mpg range.
I am the same person, driving exactly the same as I have driven the previous 7 years.
I have been reading about Ethanol in gas and the negative side effects, but a 20% drop seems too extreme to be Ethanol induced (this stuffed would be banned if it caused this kind of reduction in MPG). One can make the argument that gas makes a difference (I use Costco because I save at least 17 cents per gallon over Shell, Exxon, Chevron, etc.), but 20% again seems to be a stretch for this theory.
I am down to sensors: EGR, MAF and Oxygen(4).
The dealer insists that if these sensors fail, they invoke CEL lights....I want to think that because they are sensors, there must be a gray area between being functional and CEL based failure. I also find it interesting that many others that are having similar problems are in the same 90k+ mileage range....coincidence?
The charge to diagnose all 3 is $120.
I'm thinking about taking this path soon as the 5mpg drop is not a welcome addition when gas is $4.20+ per gallon.
What's really odd is that around the same time, my wife's Honda Pilot dropped off 3-4mpg as well.
I am convinced that Southern CA is a test bed for pushing the limits of low quality fuel in the name of environmental protection, but that's the subject for another day.
All filters new
New tires at the correct TP
Run Lucas Fuel System Cleaner every other oil change
Only use 91 octane
Reset the ECU several times
Idle speed perfect
No black smoke at all
Car runs as good as it did when it was new (I am the original owner)
During the winter months, I tried to chalk the sudden drop off to dreaded 'winter gas', even though the previous 6 winters were in the 20+ mpg range.
I am the same person, driving exactly the same as I have driven the previous 7 years.
I have been reading about Ethanol in gas and the negative side effects, but a 20% drop seems too extreme to be Ethanol induced (this stuffed would be banned if it caused this kind of reduction in MPG). One can make the argument that gas makes a difference (I use Costco because I save at least 17 cents per gallon over Shell, Exxon, Chevron, etc.), but 20% again seems to be a stretch for this theory.
I am down to sensors: EGR, MAF and Oxygen(4).
The dealer insists that if these sensors fail, they invoke CEL lights....I want to think that because they are sensors, there must be a gray area between being functional and CEL based failure. I also find it interesting that many others that are having similar problems are in the same 90k+ mileage range....coincidence?
The charge to diagnose all 3 is $120.
I'm thinking about taking this path soon as the 5mpg drop is not a welcome addition when gas is $4.20+ per gallon.
What's really odd is that around the same time, my wife's Honda Pilot dropped off 3-4mpg as well.
I am convinced that Southern CA is a test bed for pushing the limits of low quality fuel in the name of environmental protection, but that's the subject for another day.
Also in Socal. I've achieved 24mpg before and after Turbo install...I don't think its the gas bro. I get 400-450+miles to tank regularly.
#64
10-11-2012, 12:39 PM
My current MPG. I calculate it the manual way and use the trip computer..they are usually within 1MPG of each other. MOST of my driving is highway though...90% or so.
110K miles
New OEM spark plugs, tires slightly overfilled, keep as little weight as i can in the car (wish i could ditch the never used full-sized spare), running 89 octane (i notice no drop in MPG from when i ran 91+ octane)
110K miles
New OEM spark plugs, tires slightly overfilled, keep as little weight as i can in the car (wish i could ditch the never used full-sized spare), running 89 octane (i notice no drop in MPG from when i ran 91+ octane)
Last edited by Mustang5L5; 10-17-2012 at 08:46 AM.
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