As the temperature has been getting colder... i've been getting worse gas mileage... i used to get around 300-350 miles per tank (city/highway) in the summer... but now I barely get over 200 miles!! i know the cold air will burn more fuel.. but is this normal?? the mileage difference seems to be a lil too extream...

 

wow that is really bad gas mileage, in the summer i got like around 300 maybe a little over (I also floored it liek every day), now im getting just a little under sometimes better (Im trying to keep the car under 3000 roms all the time)... I think you have somethign wrong maybe?

 

I just checked my ODOMeter and I made 230. THe low fuel light is on.
I think it's the warming up part that eats the gas. I start my car 15 min before I leave the house.

 

Whats your mileage, Check your fuel filter, air filter or maybe try a fuel system cleaner. Something is not right.

 

He must be warming up his car too much. (like i am). I don't mind though. I charge gas and I pay for it. NO WORRIES.

 

try changing your spark plugs... i changed mine and the MPG went back up. Same thing was happening to me. I normally get close to 400 before the lights go on but it went down to around 340 miles. After i changed my spark plugs, it went back up.

 

i have 27500 miles... gonna do the 30k mileage service soon... i do warm up my car a lil before i start to move... any suggestions for the 30k service? things to let the dealer do and not do? thanks guys for the input.

 

just over 200 is pretty awful. i've been complaining about gettin 380 a tank recently, round 22-23 mpg. definatly get worse mileage when the engine is cold, but then again if ya sit and let it warm up, your gettin 0 mpg. i think I like 15 mpg better than 0

 

IMHO,
A warm up of more than a minute is a waste of gas if your windows will stay clear.
Light throttle applications and low revs should be maintained until fully warm.
Now if is that you like a warm cushy car, at the start of your drive, then you pay.
I think they warm up pretty fast if ya just drive em.

 

It is better to warm the car up as you drive at low speeds than to let it sit and idle. Just don't do any WOT until the engine is warmed up. I usually start my vehicle and let it run for less than a minute before I drive away. I will have heat within 2 miles or less.

 

What if your trip to work is 3 miles? i get one mile of heat ahah. anyways yeah, the winter formulation is defiently in the gas right now, all of a sudden i'm getting 250 miles per tank instead of 300. gotta love winter

 

I have always noticed a dramatic drop in fuel mileage when I visited Chicago during the winter. It takes a lot more energy to burn the fuel when the temperature drops. That's one of the main reasons for winter formulation. It is supposed to make the gas easier to burn. I know you are joking about the 3 mile commute. You could just about walk that far.

 

Try to check the tire pressure as well. I noticed that a drop of a few PSI has dramatic effect on the mpg; especially if you're running wide tires.

 

I just finished my first tank of 10% etanol fuel - it sucks (literally), lost about 2mpg down to 23, obvious signs of running lean, much worse than the MTBE winter gas, and that was bad enough!

 

Yup! I just also ran through my first tank of ethanol enriched Mobil gas and my mpg dropped way down. I went from about 22-23mpg down to about 18-19 including an overall drop in power/performance! On the flip side, I have read that the ethanol is really good for cleaning fuel injectors! I don't think the car runs lean - the computer adjusts for that by monitoring the O2 sensors . . . but more fuel is consumed since the winter mix is very rich in O2.

Also, the reason for MTBE or ethanol is to reduce emissions during cold starts (by adding O2 to the mix and thereby increasing the reactivity in the catalytic converters) and not for any other reason.

 

Extended Warm-up is the culprit.
That, and the colder, drier air = cleaner burn = more WOT in the winter.
I LOVE winter!

gr

 

1. Winter Gas
2. Tire Pressure
3. Air/Gas Filter
4. Check for leak

I've got a leak from my gas cap, no matter how I close the damn thing it still smells like gas.

Can everyone please do me a favor and smell your gas cap, I know it's a strange request but I go a three to four days of not driving my car and my cap still smells.

On the 03's the cap looks strange so I'm not sure it they're any aftermarket caps.

Cause if its just me I'm taking the car in.