View Full Version : sudden significant change in gas mileage?!?
I have an 03 V6 and usually get about 250-300 miles on a tank. 300 if i'm commuting a lot to work, no a/c but 250 seems to be the average.
This past week, i filled up the tank b/c i was on empty but i was just past the 200 mile mark. This tank, i also notice the gas gauge dipping quickly.
The car is completely stock and has all original parts with 56k miles on it. I just changed my oil and unclogged my a/c drain tube. Other than that, i have not touched the car recently.
What could affect the mileage that suddenly and significantly? I don't smell gas outside of the car, so that means i'm not leaking, right?
RED2KESV6
07-12-2005, 04:41 PM
Did you calculate the mpg for the most recent tank? I know that my gas gauge isn't perfectly consistent - there can be a difference of a gallon or so, from one tank to the next, if I fill up at what the gauge says is the 1/4 mark. Also, I've found that some gas pumps will allow a "fuller" fill than others.
True, that's why i give it such an extreme range of 250-300 miles per tank. I usually get 21 mpg. I got 210 miles in that tank on 14.5 gallons so that means i pulled 14.8 mpg on this round. The lowest i've had since 2003 was 18 mpg and that wasn't recently. I've had a LOT of 22's and even a 24 lately.
i had my windows down and i thought i was smelling fuel this morning but i was behind a LOT of cars and we weren't going that fast so it could have been anyone.
Any way to check for fuel leaks?
thebirdman13
07-13-2005, 07:39 AM
alot of things can affect your milage... do you fill up at the same place every time? is the truck there filling the tanks while you are filling yours? driving more aggressively, more traffic, significantly hotter than it's been in the past couple of weeks.... just depends...
alot of things can affect your milage... do you fill up at the same place every time? is the truck there filling the tanks while you are filling yours? driving more aggressively, more traffic, significantly hotter than it's been in the past couple of weeks.... just depends...
same gas station
no truck
no aggressive driving
D.C. area... there is always traffic, lol
a LOT hotter... we've been averaging mid 90's lately. The past few weeks had been mid 80's. Not as humid, but definitely hotter.
low tire pressure, but that was like that on the previous tanks
The only DIFFERENCE seems to be 10 degrees hotter... am I looking at 5 or 6 less MPG b/c of 10 degrees?
is our fuel filter under the back seat on the pump or something? ... i'm trying to remember where it was in my avenger.
RED2KESV6
07-13-2005, 01:28 PM
The only DIFFERENCE seems to be 10 degrees hotter... am I looking at 5 or 6 less MPG b/c of 10 degrees?
Maybe. You have the A/C crankin the whole time? Slow, stop and go city miles?
Jet Black
07-13-2005, 02:22 PM
Get a fuel controller and lean out your mix. Peanotation was able to achieve around 80 mpg with his turbo. https://www.thegalantcenter.org/style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif
The only DIFFERENCE seems to be 10 degrees hotter... am I looking at 5 or 6 less MPG b/c of 10 degrees?
Maybe. You have the A/C crankin the whole time? Slow, stop and go city miles?
All city miles, all a/c ... no different from any recent previous tanks
peanotation
07-13-2005, 02:34 PM
Get a fuel controller and lean out your mix. Peanotation was able to achieve around 80 mpg with his turbo. https://www.thegalantcenter.org/style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif
NOOOOOOOOOO lol tuning isn't the solution for a problem. something's wrong internally or electrically. and getting 80mpg isn't very egt friendly lol
Jet Black
07-13-2005, 02:43 PM
Get a fuel controller and lean out your mix. Peanotation was able to achieve around 80 mpg with his turbo. https://www.thegalantcenter.org/style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif
NOOOOOOOOOO lol tuning isn't the solution for a problem. something's wrong internally or electrically. and getting 80mpg isn't very egt friendly lol
haha ya i know i was jp. Im guessing its something simple like sparkers, or air filter.
if a filter or plugs was the problem, would it cause such a sudden difference like this?
FinalLast
07-13-2005, 07:05 PM
Not sure what your problem is exactly.
But I would do the following.
oil change, air filter, plugs, clean intake manifold.
disconnect battery for 30 mins.
Good luck.
pinoyesv6
07-13-2005, 10:09 PM
it was me. i was low on gas and low on cash so i siphoned just enough to get me home.
all jokes aside, how many miles do you have on your car?
pinoyesv6
07-13-2005, 10:42 PM
my suggestion. start doing your 60k service. plugs timing belt etc. etc.
i did my 60 over the interval of 2 months. started before i hit 60k btw. and yea my plugs were worn. replaced those. mileage got a lil better. changed the tranny fluid. tranny acted better. when they changed the timing belt they say i had jumped a few teeth. got that back, car ran smoother, better fuel economy.
yea, i'm starting it now... was actually going to do plugs/wires tonight and/or change fuel filter but t-storms said no (no garage).
kamilw
07-13-2005, 11:00 PM
Don't forget little things like PCV valve - that little sucker can lower your MPG if doesn't hold vacuum properly, yet it is pretty cheap and easy to replace! Sometimes they just go.
yea, i'm starting it now... was actually going to do plugs/wires tonight and/or change fuel filter but t-storms said no (no garage).
i swapped that out about 10k miles ago... may as well do it again... i think it was around 5 bucks and 30 seconds of my time.
mwilson23af
07-14-2005, 08:57 PM
i had the same prob with my 99 i took it to a shop and turns out that my fuel filter was all messed up and my fuel pump was pushing out way to much gas after everything was checked out i get alot better gas miled than ever
maybe
problem fixed (it seems)... looks like it was just a bad tank of gas b/c i'm back over 20 mpg again.
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