Hey everyone i have a 09 max with 45k on it. I've been getting around 10-12mpg. Keep in mind though i live in chicago with 10degree weather and stops signs every block, but i still dont think it should be that BAD! I got the same mpg in my GTO. All my tires are properly inflated. Im thinking it may be time to change plugs, air filter, and fuel filter. Any other ideas or input would be greatly appreciated! Thanks

 

Just curious....what does your computer say the average MPH is?

 

i just reset it because i got gas, but i believe it was around 18mph

 

I'd look at the air filter, check the entire intake tract for debris.

 

is it possible for debris to get into the vacuum lines on these cars?

 

Not likely unless someone removed a line.

 

How long have you been driving in chicago w this Maxima? Were your mpgs better under the same driving conditions? Reset you trip mpg calculator for every drive so you can get a feel for each trip.... It should be better than the GTO. From what I see the GTO gets 14city/19hwy.. Watch that mpg meter.

 

ever since i owned the car so the past 2 years ive been driving in chicago. I do reset the trip every time i fill up and i keep getting around 10-13mpg. I watch the meter and try to drive carefully and i keep getting around the same MPG its really annoying!!

 

I don't mean to insult....but are you absolutely certain that you don't have the information station set to metric instead of US? 10 to 13 L/100K is about 18-24 MPG, which sounds more like what you should be getting.

 

Are your brakes dragging?

 

are you flooring it everywhere? I average 26.5mpg in columbus ohio and the outside temperature right now is -3

 

Dude you drive in an Urban area. If i drove strictly urban, i'd get no more than 11-15mpg. Happens in every car I get. Here in Jersey City, NJ, there is a traffic light every feet. Sad but true.

Reset your computer and drive on the highway for at least 60 miles or so and see what numbers you get.

 

City mpg is not very good, it's a heavy car. If you hop on the highway and sit at 65 you will see a solid 28-30 mpg depending on terrain. I recently went on a ski trip and found out that after 75mph the mpg decreases dramatically. Cruise set at 74 was returning a consistent 27 over the 3hr drive.

I reset my computer every time I get an oil change. I usually get 23-24 over the course of the 10k mile intervals.

I just hit 30k and changed to a KN air filter, hope I can pick up a mpg or two.

 

Could be a bad PCV valve or O2 Sensor, PCV valves tend to go bad on Maximas al ot. Easy and cheap fix!

 

that seems extremely low. day to day i see 18 mpg and thats mostly city driving with lots of stops

 

I'm in Canada... is it possible that you have somehow switched over to the metric system? My max gets around 10-12 litres per 100 kms... that's how we measure it up here.

Strange though.

 

Between warming up my car and my short city ride to work i get 14 mph. When on the highway i get 27 ish. I know my car runs flawlessly. The car is not a civic but 10-12 is low.... My advice would be to keep warm ups to a minimum. If you have a remote start it will make the car nice and toasty for you, but your mileage will suck. I had a client complain about poor mileage. I drove the car for 3 days and got 6 mpg better. When i asked how long they idle, the customer then remembered that they run the remote start for 10-15 mins before they get in it. Just a though.... I hope its something that easy for your sake.

 

Isn't it a necessity to warm up the car during the winter though (not necessarily for comfort but rather for the health of the car)? Or is warming up no longer necessary with newer cars?

 

It's a good practice but with today's oils it's all but done after a minute or so. Any longer is for occupant comfort.

 

Whew, that is low, I've gotta ask but is it throwing any codes?!

 

Please check and make sure that it's setup for Miles and not KM's as others have stated. Make sure thats not the issue. Dont want to waste time if thats the case! But as I've said it should def get better mpgs than your GTO.

 

That is some low mileage, if indeed it's miles per gallon.

 

A few tips:
1) Make sure your tires are properly inflated. Check them when they are cold and the car is on a level surface. As temps drop, PSI does too. For the best MPG, inflate 3-5 psi above factory recommendations
2) Make sure your air filter is clean. Dirty air filters can kill mpg
3) Make sure you keep your car empty. You'd be amazed at how many people keep way too much junk in the trunk. A friend of mine was complaining about mpg on his car. I popped his trunk and he was lugging around weights, an extra tire with rim, and a ton of clothes/shoes/sports equipment. An empty car is a light car.
4) Make sure your brakes aren't dragging. Dragging brakes can be caused by icy conditions or improper maintenance.
5) Stop warming up your car. Even in the coldest conditions, your car does not need to be in a state of static idle for more than 60 seconds. 30 seconds is adequate in most circumstances. Also, while your engine is warming up during this time, the CVT fluid isn't. If you are going for trips of shorter than a few miles, idle for 30 seconds, then drive gently until the temp needle starts to move.
6) Focus on driving gently. A ton of gas is wasted driving too aggressively. Keep the RPM's below 2000/2500 during acceleration. Keep your eyes ahead and, when traffic permits, coast if you see a light changing to red. When you are stopped at a light, you are getting 0 MPG.
7) If you get stuck at long train crossings or traffic lights that last more than 60 seconds or so, turn off the car. I travel on roads where there are metra stops and freight lines. When the gate comes down, I turn off my car. Instead of burning fuel for 3-5 minutes at a time, I burn no fuel.
8) When driving on the highway, keep the speed consistent and below 70.
9) Use cruise control. When I drive on a road with a 45 mile per hour speed limit, I accelerate to 52 or so, and set the cruise control. If you see a light change to red ahead, turn it off and coast down (traffic permitting).
10) Braking. People have different ideas on this. Here's my take. Using the brakes is wasteful. You should only brake in an emergency or when you are stopping. Otherwise, if you use predictive driving techniques, you should use your brakes very little. You'd be amazed at how little you touch the brake pedal if you pay attention, try to predict traffic flow, and keep your eyes ahead.
11) If these don't help you get better MPG, get your car looked at. A good mechanic can be the best help you'll get here.

Whenever I wrote "traffic permitting", here's what I mean. Don't be the jerk who gets to 35 in a 45 and then stays there because you think you understand traffic flow (you don't). Don't be the guy who coasts down to a stop for over a mile when people are trying to get home. Don't be the guy who screws up everyone else's day because you want to save one or two mpg. Don't be the guy going the speed limit in the left lane for the sake of MPG. Don't be the guy who's actions have a negative effect on other drivers. When roads are empty or there is very little traffic and no one behind you, sure, start to coast down. Otherwise, be aware that the stuff you do in your car can really tick off other drivers. Don't inject yourself into other people's lives to save a few pennies.

That said (and there is more), 11 mpg in the city is awful. Even in Chicago. I lived in Chicago for over 11 years, so I understand the traffic nonsense. 11 sounds way low. The worst my max has every returned was in the 18 mpg range, and while that included some highway time, it was all stop and go on the kennedy into the city during morning rush hour and back out during afternoon heavy traffic.

 

Hey Jeff, What are your MPG's/driving conditions?

 

Well said jeffislouie.

I really liked the following.....

 

okay sorry guys i havent been on, ive been sick from this stupid weather! I just checked it does say MPG not litres. Also my tires are inflated correctly. Tommorow, i will try to check the air filter and see how that looks. Also, i dont floor it, i have been trying to drive conservatively!

 

also no codes and i dont believe the brakes are dragging

 

I'm a criminal defense attorney in the Chicago area. I cover Lake, Cook, and DuPage counties, which makes for quite a bit of driving around. I picked up my car at the end of May and I'm already close to 13,000 miles.

I'm averaging between 21 and 23 mpg's, depending on my week. There are days when it's a little worse (for example, when I have to be in court downtown Chicago for a 9 am call, I sit in rush hour stop and go traffic for about an hour and a half to two hours, then head back to the office in heavy traffic) and days when it's awesome (when I have to drive to other courts and can use light traffic tollways or highways).

I'm definitely not your average commuter who goes to work then turns around and heads home, so my driving conditions are tough to nail down.

What I can tell you is that I used to be more of a normal driver back before I started lawyering. I drove an 05 Accord with a 4 cylinder and an AT. When I got it (and for a few years after), I tracked MPG, but didn't do much about it. It was an afterthought. Then I got interested in shaving dollars off of my expenses.

When I started experimenting, I was averaging around 17 mpg, living in the city and rarely hitting highways. The first thing I did was put a K&N intake on the car (which made it sound awesome under acceleration and upped MPG). I played around with most of the stuff I provided and saw a huge increase in MPG. By the time I got rid of the car, I was averaging 27 mpg. The last two years of the car's stay with me, I had moved to the burbs but was driving almost daily into the city in bad traffic and staying there most of the time. My miles per year went up, but sadly not much were highway. The things I learned about improving MPG are applicable to pretty much any car. My wife's Equinox when she drives it gets 16.1 mpg. When I drive it, I manage right around 20.

Long answer to a short question....

 

jeffislouie - I couldn't have said it better, and I have been driving since the late 1940s. I have lived in places as diverse as The Bronx, Atlanta, Santa Monica, Montgomery, Tucson, Chapel Hill, rural Avery County NC, the desert of southern Arizona and dozens of other locations. But good fuel-saving technique works anywhere.

Saving gas is simply thinking about how things work and using good logic. Your post lays out exactly how our minds should be working. Congrats on a well presented thesis on economic driving. I say economic driving, because driving in a manner that saves fuel usually also saves wear and tear on other parts of the car, such as tires and brakes and engine wear.

 

Wow. Such praise! I'm seriously honored. Thanks lightonthehill. Made my day!

 

I got 16.9 MPG on the last full tank of premium gas. I do drive it in Sport mode all the time and do a mix of city and highway driving.

 

I used to avaerage 19.9 in mixed driving, and some aggresive acceleration here and there. Recently managed a better 26.5 goosing it on the highway and some local roads. What I noticed was that even though the RPM was under 2000 while gently pulling away from a light, the MPG meter would still drop to near zero.
Conversely, coasting to a red light pushes the bar at 60mpg max level. If only we could drive downhill both ways, all the time.

I did notice, as was mentioned in an earlier post, there is a big difference over 70mph or so, even cruising on the open highway. What was that again? Some Euro law to help pedestrians not bounce up on the hood if struck, so the aerodynamics of the front grill are worse than should be?