Don't get me wrong, I do "open her up" from time to time but normally I'm driving in traffic to and from work and can't go faster than 25-30 so my RPMs aren't excessive. I've read too much in other threads that most other people get 20-29 MPG generally and I need to know what things I can check/adjust to increase my mileage.

All of my tires inflated to 33 PSI
I have the stock 18's on my car, no heavy aftermarket rims
RPM's under 2000 most of the time
The air filter looks moderately clean, I guess I could get a new one but could a slightly dirty filter be robbing that much MPG?

Any other suggestions of things to check/adjust or even have Nissan look at in relation to a TSB would be helpful. Something just feels wrong that I can't get over 20 MPG unless I'm cruising on the highway ~60-70.

 

You can try to raise your tire pressure to maybe 34-35 psi.

 

If you are located in the northern states, the winter gas takes a toll as does the addition of ethanol to most of the gas, kind of a double whammy. My mileage is down this winter but still over 20 at an average speed of 23.7 mph.

 

I am located in Maryland, so yeah I guess I'm hit with two things there.

My average speed is actually between 22-23 mph as well.

I'm willing to try anything, even if it will only help a little...grounding kit? Different spark plugs? Different kind of air filter (K&N)?

 

Well, the one thing you didn't mention that does help, is to keep your foot off the brake. What I mean by that is to "drive ahead" and attempt to gauge the traffic lights so you aren't wasting all the fuel used to accelerate these big rides of ours. I realize if you are a commuter in heavy traffic that isn't always either possible or wise, but does make a big difference in the MPG.

 

ya raise your tire psi to 36 (36 in the cold so it goes up to about 40 when it's hot)

and ease of the gas pedal, this will not only save some gas but some yourself some break pad wear as it will take less resistance to grap the rotors when the car is just gliding.

It seems to make a big difference on these bigger 6 banger cars.

 

In some cases this would work, except when you take into consideration how people drive in Maryland. If you get more than 1 car length behind the car in front of you, someone will merge into your lane in front of you. When you back off more than a car length, it happens again. So you can imagine how much longer it would take me to travel everywhere if I didn't stay on top of keeping the gap closed in heavier traffic.

In light traffic I can usually sail along at a constant speed and I switch lanes to maintain speed as opposed to just sticking to a lane, so I guess I do try to already do what you say - use the brakes less as well. As I said I normally just coast along and listen to music but occasionally I do get someone next to me at a red light who wants to see what's up, and I show them what's up.

I'll definitely go fill my tires to 36 PSI tomorrow. 40 in the summer though? Doesn't that make the ride rough?

 

I live in Fairfax, VA so I know exactly how you feel. I've been managing about 21mpg in heavy traffic and use the same techniques folks have suggested above. Coasting as much as possible, easy on the gas from a stop, etc. Inflating your tires to 36psi will help a hair, but not so much in heavy traffic. You'd notice more of a difference in hwy mileage as there's less drag.

Also, are you using premium fuel and good oil? If you've got some miles on her, might want to throw in a can of BG 44K in a full tank of gas to clean out the entire fuel system. Sure couldn't hurt!

 

Only been filling her up with 93 octane; even look for gas stations with "dedicated hoses" for each octane to make sure I get a full tank of premium only.

Haven't had to do an oil change yet, only had her for about a month and a half - only 24k on the motor right now. I have no idea how the previous owner took care of the car though so maybe the BG44k would help clean something up.

Speaking of which, is there anything else you can think of that the previous owner could have ignored that might cause this drop in MPG? No idea what maintenance they had done and wondering if maybe I should have someone run through the 15k recommended servicing list.

 

The colder weather certainly doesn't help the mileage. I was getting about 23mpg avg during the summer and fall. Definitely give the 44K a try. I usually toss in a can of that stuff every 15K or so just to keep the fuel system nice and clean. During the colder months, I try to let the car sit for a few minutes after a cold startup to ensure that the oil, CVT fluid, etc are warm before setting off for work.

Averaging 19mpg in traffic in 32 degree weather doesn't sound too bad. Now if you were getting 16 in the city, then there might be a larger problem at hand. Just give the few ideas above a shot and see what happens over the next few tanks.

Note- when you go to use the 44K, put in a tank of Shell V-Power and run the snot out of it. If you don't get into the upper rev range often, you'll definitely get carbon buildup in the combustion chambers. Your mileage is going to suck for that tank, but you might see a difference in the tanks following.

 

How critical is it to let your car sit in the morning because it is cold? I've had other people tell me that, but never knew why.

I'm assuming that you already have used the 44K in your Maxima so it's safe for our engine?

 

This sums up your mileage! The most important factor for MPG, is how you drive. For your driving style, where you live that MPG sounds pretty good. Just think about how much stopping and going you do!

I live in the midwest and in the suburbs. I can time the stop lights and usually get 26-27MPG in the city! Now in the winter its more 25-26. Now on the highway i drive 73 or so and last week i took an 800 mile trip and got 26.4 on the way there against a nasty wind and 28.9 on the way back with not hardly a drop of wind.

These numbers were hand calculated. the trip computer for me is usually within .5mpg. My tires are stock 19"ers, with the stock air pressure. I use premium fuel, usually BP when I can. For me I wouldn't go much over the stock pressure or at all. I want my tires to last, and not to wear uneven. Plus i feel it is unsafe to over air them.

 

Letting the car warm up a bit before setting off allows all the fluids to get a head start on getting up to operating temp before driving. The fluid used in the CVT is heavier than normal Dex/Merc ATF fluid. I'm sure you've probably noticed that the trans can feel bogged down when its really cold outside. Also, if the engine oil isn't completely fluid before you decide to flog it, you risk having parts of the engine that aren't completely coated with lubrication and you might scar the cylinder walls. I'm sure there are plenty of owners out there who don't do what I do, but it's a little peace of mind for me.

Haven't used the 44K in the Max yet, just ticked over 14K on the odo, however I've used it in all my previous cars with great results.

 

Oh I see, okay it helps to know that people who get higher mileage consistently also are cruising most of the time. Most of my commute is in the suburbs, but in heavy rush hour traffic so I am definitely constantly stopping and going. I almost want to see if I can adjust my work schedule so I'm driving not during rush hour.

Curious what is the stock recommended PSI for the tires?

 

19 mpg is that bad? I had a Nissan Armada before and that was getting 12 mpg. haha

 

Boom. There ya go! Stock PSI is 33ish from what I remember. I usually go with 35-36 all year round. Quite a few other folks here use 36psi as well.

 

Changing the time makes a big difference, you can roll to stops, time lights better, only wait one cycle of a light instead of sitting through two...

I have a 5.5 mile commute, and used to average about 18.5 mpg. All things the same, but going into work at 7:15 instead of 7:45 and I'm over 20.5 on average.

Trips are different. I still don't get great mileage, but I've seen 25mpg on a straight trip averaging around 73.

All this with an 07, I just wanted to point out that avoiding rush hour does have an impact on mpg's...

 

Okay maybe it's not terrible, but when you see the advertised rate being 19-29 and you get 19, you definitely start feeling like the only *** who doesn't know what he's doing.

 

WOW! i guess im the only one here getting 14 mpg!!!!
calling nissan tomorrow.

 

If you are looking to increase your gas mileage, ignore this balderdash. While I wouldn't advise starting it up and flooring it, letting your car sit there and idle to "warm up" has been proven to be wasteful over and over again. Your MPG while "warming up" your car is easy to calculate....it's exactly zero. Just don't hammer on the car before you let it warm up and you will be fine.

 

If you're idling in the drive-through at starbucks for 8 minutes every morning, that could have a huge impact especially on short commutes...

All I'm saying is explore you circumstances, see if it's the driving conditions causing your poor results.

Also, have a few test runs where you can run it straight for say 20 miles at 50 mph. at that speed without stopping, you should see the upper end of 28mpg easy.

 

i get 13! thats crazy. and your getting 19 thats pretty good

 

I actually reset the gauge right before a 1.5 hour highway trip where I was mostly travelling 50-80, and the highest I saw was 24 MPG.

 

Consider throttle response...where you easy getting up to speed, or would you consider it a bit more on the peppy side with slowing and speeding up frequently keeping with traffic?

I'm not sure with the 7 gen, but with my 6.5 gen (CVT also), anywhere between 50-60 mph is the honey spot for best mpg. Holding it there will yield the greatest return. Once I get over 70 it will drop, then anything pushing 80 or above, it's 24-25 at best.

Mixed driving on the highway I always get around 24mpg. If I can hold it at 50-55 with nominal speed changes, I can see 28 over a period of time, but where are you ever going to find a road that you can do that frequently?

 

The difference of speed from 55-65-75 especially upwards of 85 MPH can make a decent amount of difference in your MPG. I think 55 MPH is about the most fuel efficient speed you can travel consistently from my own experience.

WOW! And here's a website that actually says don't drive faster then 55 MPH on the highway! Haha!

http://www.thedailygreen.com/going-g...rive-55-461130

Here's another that states gas mileage decreases rapidly after 60 MPH:

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/driveHabits.shtml

When you're driving to Phoenix From Las Vegas, the highway is mostly 55 MPH. I averaged 36 MPG in my old 08 Altima 2.5 S. I am curious what the Maxima will get. I will be taking a trip there within the next few months so we'll see then.

 

This was merely a suggestion only in cold temps. Letting the car sit for 2-3 mins before hitting the road isn't going to hurt anything.

 

Yeah I've had way too many people tell me to let the car warm up a minute or two before driving otherwise it can be bad for the car. I can even tell when I don't wait the 2-3 minutes, I'll put the car in reverse and it will like hesitate to start automatically rolling back (how it normally does during idle). Not sure if that is simply because it's cold, or because the car needs to warm up a little to work smoothly.

 

I usually avg 19-20 MPG in my driving in conditions like you described. My drive to work is 35-40mph with some stop and go (traffic lights) so I wouldn't say what you are getting is terrible. On the highway, I get around 24-26 but have seen as high as 29 on level roads crusing at 65mph

 

As long as it's not those same idiots that were yammering about a housing market bubble popping, I am totally cool with listening to them and ignoring the engineers who have actually, you know, done research on it.

 

For me it's much simpler actually. It comes down to listening to people I know in real life vs some random person in an online forum. I try not to believe everything I read on the internet.

 

Hi guys

I bough 2011 Maxima with premium package two weeks ago, the car seems fine and drives smooth but my MPG Avg is 12 !!! I tried resetting the trip computer more than once and still getting 10 or less in the city and when I go to the highway it changes to 12 !!

The cars odometer is only 300 miles as it's still new still new , any advise ? Could it be a trip computer problem or any other problem with the car ?

Thanks

 

While that does seem low, I think you need a larger sample size. 300 miles is tough to make any kind of measurement, especially since it is a new car to you and my guess is your standing on the pedal because it's new and you want to see what it can do. I would consider throwing some premium gas, checking the oil, tire pressure, and waiting to see if it gets better with a larger sample size. Also, calculate the mileage yourself, don't rely on the computer. Mine is always dead nuts on, but others have seen variances.

 

Thank you very much for your quick response

When I got the car the tank was 75 percent full and after a week I filled it again with premium gas and yesterday it was almost empty with 300 miles on it !! I think I should get around 350 with one full tank based on 20 mpg avge.

Will check the tires pressure as advised, I guess if something wrong with the engine it should give me a notification or the engine light should turn on

I reset it yesterday and spent half an hour searching for parking in the city and after i found a park and parked it showed 8 MPG, is it the same for your car if you reset it and take half an hour ride in the city ?

Thanks again for your support

 

No I have an 09, run mobile 1 and get 23-25 no matter what. How I drive, temperature, nothing changes it from this range. If there was something wrong you would get notice and lights or you could tell. Again, your sample size is so low there are a million possibilities including a bad tank of gas or non premium (if I put less than midgrade I do notice a drop in MPG).

 

When I drive on the city in low speeds my realtime MPG meter is always below 10, like 6 to 8 mpg

 

I'm still on my first tank of gas with ~300 miles on the car. My MPG average is 24.5 with 75% highway driving.

 

Don't ever base your MPG numbers on what your trip computer tells you, period. Hand-calculate it when you fill up.

 

'City' MPG is virtually meaningless. In 'city' driving, my MPG can be anything from 2 MPG to 22 MPG, depending on the endless thousands of variances involved. When the motor is running, fuel is being consumed. But in city driving, the car is often standing still or going virtually nowhere.

I look at suburban driving, highway driving, and open freeway driving as the three areas where fuel efficiency actually has some meaning. My '09 is currently getting around 21 to 23 MPG in suburban driving, around 24 to 26 in highway driving, and 27 to 29 in freeway driving. I have occasionally gotten 30 on long interstate trips, but that is not very often.

The 7th gen is a 3600 pound car (heavier than any previous Maxima), with a 290 HP motor (more powerful than any previous Maxima), and when I consider all factors, my mileage is very good.

When in doubt, I always remember that 11 MPG was the best fuel efficiency I ever attained on freeway trips with my 1966 Olds Delta 88, and that car absolutely would not run on anything but premium.

Despite urban rumors to the contrary, the 7th gen Maxima runs extremely well on midgrade, getting EXACTLY the same MPG as it does on 91 or 93 octane. Scientists have long confirmed that, in a properly tuned engine that is set up to handle variations in octane, small changes in octane do not affect fuel efficiency. But many 7th gen Maximas do not run well on regular, because 87 is just too far from the optimum 91 octane range for which this car's fuel system is set up.

In my opinion, the only situations in which premium has an edge over midgrade in this car are a very small difference at maximum performance, such as during an elapsed time accelleration run, and the good feeling an owner gets from putting the most expensive fuel in his baby.

 

I have personally found this to be exactly true in real world application, regular results in crappy mileage (and a bogged down feeling), Mid & Premium MPG is exactly the same.

 

I really do feel good when I fill up with Premium. It's like eating a steak instead of a burger.