I have a 2000 SE Auto with 56,322 miles on it. I got 352 miles to the tank when i just filled up yesterday with the gas light on. I notice that the car is less powerful with low gas and also when i accelarated the engine was much louder like it was struggling or something. Anyway i filled up with 93 octane from citgo. I have been driving since last night and this morning and i noticed that the car stills feels sluggish. The gear canges are not as crisp and sometimes the pedal feels mushy. I also still hear the loud engine noise when i accelarate. By the way, i live in maryland and it just got noticebaly cold over here. Does the colder weather have anything to do with it or did i screw something up by driving the car till the gas light comes on? All help is appreciated cuz i don't wanna take it back to the dealer. By the way, im due for an oil change in about 300 miles, should i go synthetic and get an engine flush??
Thanks alot guys

 

Could be pinging a lot... especially if the fuel system got clogged a little from running the tank so low. Run some fuel injector cleaner in there and see how it goes. I never run my tank lower than 1/4.

I noticed mine's been pinging occasionally during this cold weather (I'm in MD)... wonder if resetting the ECU (making it run richer until it readjusts) might help

Anyone know a quicker way of resetting a 2000-model ECU besides disconnecting the battery for an hour?

 

Hey guys, I'm in MD too and I let the tank go way low and my Max started pinging. I refilled it and put in some techron, but it still pings a little. When you let the gas get very low, it's possible to get condensation in the gas tank. I reset my ecu a couple weeks ago and I may try it again soon to see if that helps with the pinging.

 

Is there a TSB that sounds familiar with my problem? I have 56,000 miles on my car and i was wondering if i should take it in to the dealer so they can look at it or do a tsb before my warranty runs out.

 

I never heard of a pinging thing when you're driving in colder climate. That's very unusual, unless you're not using premium grade gas aka higher octane rating of 92 or higher