GAS MILEAGE

Can somebody tell me why i get only 23 mpg city on my '97 auto. sl2? I've had a '95 and 6 auto. and both got 28+29 mpg. TIA

Reply to
Elaine again ^,,^
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tune-up??? dirty air filter?? cold weather??? underiflated tires??too wide a tire???put on weight from Christmas overeating?? bad struts??? dirty injectors???wrong oil???

Reply to
p_vouers

Gee all that can affect gas mileage? I took another reading today, 25 mpg....2 more than precious and I've done nothing to the car.

Reply to
Elaine again ^,,^

If the car is properly tuned, filters replaced, and the tires are inflated - this is usually the thing that affects mileage the most (my tires state a maximum of 44 PSI, I inflate them to 35 despite manufacturer door stating 26 PSI is recommendation).

Bob

Reply to
Bob Shuman

In additiona to the other comments you've received, winterized fuel should reduce mpg's, so does extended idling (gridlock traffic or letting the car warm up in the driveway before venturing out), and or a tired engine (high mileage, oil usage, etc).

Reply to
Jonnie Santos

What IS winterized fuel??

Reply to
p_vouers

Thanks for all your help. It's not a high mileage car,it's only got

78,000 but I do mostly stop and go traffic. I live in Miami now but I do remember having to "winterize" the gas by putting in some kind of gas antifreeze. My next oil change will replace all filters and I'll inflate my tires to 35. Don't have to warmup the car anymore. :) I love my Saturn
Reply to
Elaine again ^,,^

The volatility is altered through chemical composition to make it burn more easily in the cold, winter air. That change or reformulation has less energy content and you have to burn more of it. So usually winterized fuel will result in lower mpg's... Do a Google search on 'gasoline formulations' and you'll find probably more than you ever wanted to know...

Reply to
Jonnie Santos

If you are comparing single tank averages, your numbers are almost meaningless. Even if you are very careful (same pump, same car position, etc.), it is very easy to vary the amount of gas you put in your tank by +/- one gallon. A one gallon error on a 14 gallon tank can make a huge difference, especially if you are figuring the economy on a partial tank run. You need to record your fuel purchases for several weeks and calculate the average over three or four tank fulls of gas.

With modern OBD-II engine controls, you don't need to worry too much about traditional tunes-up items. OBD-II systems are very good at detecting miss firing cylinders and usually keep the fuel air ratio controlled close to the ideal.

Factors that are likely to affect you fuel economy:

Gas formulation - winter/summer formulations differ and formulations differ by location. Some areas (Minnesota and others) blend ethanol with the gas and this can decrease fuel economy by 3% to 5%.

Under inflated tires - be sure to make your tires are inflated per the manufacturer's recommendations (assuming you are still using the OE size and type)

Tire type - P series tires provide better fuel economy than similar non-P series tires. If you have changed tire sizes, the odometer may be incorrect and this will affect your fuel economy calculations.

Dragging brakes - improperly adjusted drum brakes and/or disc breaks with dragging calipers can adversely affect your fuel economy.

Additional weight - Are you carrying around items you don't need? More weight = decreased fuel economy.

Driving style - have you changed where you drive, or how you drive? Maybe the '97 encourages more spirited driving. I keep a book on my Vue. It is shared by three drivers. I average around 21 mpg. My SO average close to 25 mpg. My 16 year old son averages less than 18. Same car, same tires, same gas, different drivers - greater than 20% variation in fuel economy.

Increased accessory load - does the '97 have more features that might increase the load on the engine? Anything that consumes more electricity will decrease fuel economy since the engine driven alternator has to supply the energy.

Engine oil - are you using the correct viscosity Energy Conserving oil?

Ed

Reply to
C. E. White

Um, if I remember correctly, does not Jonnie Santos live in San Diego? Do they sell winterized fuel there when the temperature falls below 70? :-)

(Temp here is Boston is in the 20's)

-David

Reply to
David Teichholtz

...it's in the upper 50's tonight because of the rain - it's been in the low

50's when skies are clear in my area (we're about 4 miles to the ocean which keeps us from getting too cold). If you drive about a half hour east of here the temps will go into the low 30's, and if you feel like driving into the mountains, you may see some snow around 6,000 foot. Nothing to compare to the East as far as temps go - I don't know how people deal with it. I'm thinking Hawaii might be a nice place to retire to, at least it's warmer than here... (smile)

I always suspected we got winterized fuel, either on purpose or because it was surplus - I don't know how gasoline is managed and they don't announce what flavor of the week they're pumping. I think there's a disclaimer on the pumps that say the gasoline 'may' contain ethanol. What a racket.

Reply to
Jonnie Santos

We use something called "clothes" and somehow stay warm.

Back to the original topic, gas mileage goes up with higher temps and down with lower temps. YMMV.

Reply to
o-dawg

I never was good in arithmetic, latest reading I'm getting almost 37 mpg, mostly city. Does that sound right?

Reply to
Elaine again ^,,^

On what type of car? Pretty good if it is real... I don't trust the gas guage, I usually keep tabs of how much fuel I add to the tank when filling up. Over a few tankfuls this averages out. Miles travelled since last fill / Gallons added at fill-up = MPG

My mileage had fallen off lately. I took the lw300 in for state inspection and they said I need 4 tires (ouch!). They did a 4 wheel alignment since the tire wear was due to something out of whack. I also had the auto transmission serviced (fluid + filter). Driving is WAY better today (if only that my wallet is now much lighter) and I expect that the MPG should improve significantly.

Oppie

btw, how's the cat?

Reply to
Oppie

I sent you an email but it came back "bad address". My Saturn is a '97 SL2 automatic. Which cat? I have 5 and you?

Reply to
Elaine again ^,,^

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