Bad Gas Mileage

Did the mileage return to 17.5???

The Saab I just bought has a MPG gauge. You reset it, and then it'll keep a running total for you, determined by gas consumed vs. distance traveled, since the last reset.

Even with a 4cyl, I only got 22.9mpg for the work week--I reset it Monday morning before leaving the driveway and then it read 22.9 Friday evening, right when I pulled in the carport.

Bad traffic in Atlanta is to blame. I was, believe it or not, doing MORE stop-and-go driving on the interstate than I did on roads with stop signs and redlights. 16 miles of my 30 mile commute is interstate... Monday morning was the only exception. I pulled 27mpg on the way into work.

I figure if I change my schedule and go in at 7:30am instead of 9am, I'll save $15 a week in gas.

~jp

diablo wrote:

I hear that! My wife has to leave for work at 7:30 but if she does, she has a 1 to 1 1/2 hour commute in bumper-to-bumper traffic...

She leaves at 6:45 and is there in less than 20 minutes.. gotta be a lot of difference in mpg! Mac

Just picked it up from the dealer yesterday so I don't know about the fuel usage yet. I'm driving to Dayton Ohio from Cincinnati tomorrow so I'll get an idea quickly. I won't be on the expressway for most of the trip so it will be normal driving style for me.

I know what you mean about Atlanta traffic, that's where I'm flying to from Dayton. I spent 12 weeks in Suwannee this summer for work and flew back every weekend. The traffic around there never stops.

Brian

Around here, the traffic is unbelievable. The layout of Atlanta's interstate system looks very logical and great on paper, but in reality, if one of the interstates gets backed up, it can (and often does) affect every other interstate.

Thursday morning was the worst I'd seen in years, and many coworkers (who came in from opposite ends of town) agreed.

It took about 1hr, 45mins to get there!

~jp

mac davis wrote:

Then you feel my pain...

A coworker of mine (who lives on my end of town, except further out) comes in at 6:30am and leaves at 3:30pm. Luckily, my department works in such a way that normal operating hours are pretty much irrelevant. I may follow suit.

It's not just the gas mileage. The stress and frustration, wear and tear on the clutch, as well as the wasted time that could be used for other things are all good reasons to change up my hours.

~jp

diablo wrote:

El Sat, 26 Aug 2006 09:14:00 -0700, Jon R. Pickens escribió:

Thanks everyone for reminding me what I left behind. My daily commute is a ten minute walk.

Warren Post Santa Rosa de Copán, Honduras

I know the feeling, Warren... I just moved from an apartment that was basically across the street from work. I had the same kind of commute as you ;-)

I was forced to look for more suitable surrounding when the crime rate in the area suddenly went up and we simultaneously needed more room after getting a 2nd dog.

However, now I have a house and a yard, so the trade-off was well worth it. I'm just not digging having to actually *mow* the grass...haven't had to do that since I was 17 and Dad made me :-(

~jp

Warren Post wrote:

Got back from the airport awhile ago. I filled up before leaving on Sunday, the poor mileage from the stuck thermostat checked at 12.4 MPG. I filled it up again tonight and got 16.8 MPG. And I was running pretty hard all the way there on Sunday. So I would say that the thermostat was the culprit.

Brian

Glad to hear it Brian. My Saab has the check engine light on. It's being fixed tomorrow, as that was a condition the dealer agreed to when I bought it...probably just an O2 sensor.

I'm hoping that the condition is somewhat crippling the performance of the engine. I love the way it runs, and I'd love it even more if I were able to get a little more power or MPG out of the deal.

~jp

diablo wrote:

If the O2 sensor is bad it could cause poor mileage and performance. Hopefully that will cure your problems.

Brian