[94trouble]

ok i filled my tank up full of gas and then 2 days later im on Empty...should i really be getting bad gas mileage like that?...is there anything i can do to get better gas mileage? I only do city driving and i only travel from school,and to work, and thats only like 5 miles i checked for leaks and i found nothing, i couldnt smell gas anywhere..man this wants to make me go get a 4 cylinder!

 

[ZeroRain]

is it running rich? i do know that some places that sell gas have a horrible mixture and i have had 60-70 miles less a tank before because of certain gas.

 

[master486]

There's lots of possibilities. Check engine light on? Things you should do to help gas mileage:

1) Clean the MAF (and then reset the computer)
2) Change fuel filter if not changed within past 15k miles
3) Change plugs (make sure gap is correct, 0.054")
4) Change plug wires if more than 100k on them or if feeling a misfire
5) Change front oxygen sensors if more than 100k miles on them
6) Change air filter if dirty
7) Change any and all weak or broken vacuum tubing
8) Keep the right foot light

Also, you might wanna consider that someone siphoned your gas out. Just a possibility.

 

[Southpaw]

My moneys on someone siphoning your gas in the school parking lot.

 

[OxmanWI]

There's lots of possibilities. Check engine light on? Things you should do to help gas mileage:

1) Clean the MAF (and then reset the computer)
2) Change fuel filter if not changed within past 15k miles
3) Change plugs (make sure gap is correct, 0.054")
4) Change plug wires if more than 100k on them or if feeling a misfire
5) Change front oxygen sensors if more than 100k miles on them
6) Change air filter if dirty
7) Change any and all weak or broken vacuum tubing
8) Keep the right foot light

Also, you might wanna consider that someone siphoned your gas out. Just a possibility.

...and make sure tires air have the right psi

 

[Bangster]

So how many miles are you driving, how many gallons of gas do you need to put in it, and if you divide the miles by the gallons what is your MPG result?

If you are going 20 miles and using 16 gallons of gas, someone has replaced your Bird with an H1 and it has an 18,000 pound trailer behind it.

time for a locking gascap perhaps.

I drive my car at 85-100% all the time, and my city driving mpg is around 17, and I am HARD on my cars. I can only get my 89 with the 3.8 down to averaging 14 mpg in the summer with the AC on.

 

[andries]

Hey man - I'm getting crappy gas mileage as it is...but i took my car into the dealer today because of CE light, and i damn well know my air filter was dirty...so hopefully i can go up from 15-20mpg.

 

[MattsLE97]

So how many miles are you driving, how many gallons of gas do you need to put in it, and if you divide the miles by the gallons what is your MPG result?

If you are going 20 miles and using 16 gallons of gas, someone has replaced your Bird with an H1 and it has an 18,000 pound trailer behind it.

time for a locking gascap perhaps.

I drive my car at 85-100% all the time, and my city driving mpg is around 17, and I am HARD on my cars. I can only get my 89 with the 3.8 down to averaging 14 mpg in the summer with the AC on.

Ya i agree let us know how many miles u go in those 2 days. Iv got a 20 gallon tank on my durango and it can go and i laugh when i say this around 300 miles city driving, but thats with a gas guzzling dodge. I avg around 12.6 mpg city and also for kicks take it to autozone and check for codes a bad 02 sensor could be the problem and making it run rich as hell

-Matt-

 

[94trouble]

the air filter is brand new i changed it when i gave the car a tune up, the plugs and wires are about 1 month old and yes i gapped them correctly, im thinking its the fuel filter because it hasnt been changed since i got the car (june 2005 ) i also havent been paying attention to it running rich, but ill check before i go to school tommarrow. I also only drive the car about 5-7 miles a day then it sits in the drive way until the next day and its all city driving, maybe ill just buy some 02 sensors when i have time just to be safe

 

[MattsLE97]

You drive at most 14 miles a day and in 2 days your tank is empty??? If thats what your saying then you have a leak some were or someone is taking the gas out. theres no way you could burn 16 gallons of gas going 14 miles lol you would definetly notice the car running like ****. So even know u looked look real hard again just to be safe, and dont just buy the 02 sensors get it scanned for codes but im betting people are taking it because u would notice and smell a leak that bad

good luck

-Matt-

 

[94trouble]

oops...i counted my days wrong it was three days, and no check engine light is on, maybe ill fill it up again tommarrow and see what kind of results i get

 

[Southpaw]

If you don't smell gas, don't see any leaks and that's all the driving you did over 3 days the first thing I'd suggest you do is buy a locking gas cap and fill the tank up. Then see what kind of mileage your get.

(or just fill it up and do alot of driving before you park it anywhere someone can siphon your gas and see what kind of mileage you get)

also when my fuel gauge is on empty and the low fuel light is coming on there's still about 4 gallons in the tank. It's an 18 gallon tank.

 

[rx7andtbird]

all of the above, AND:
(I am not sure about what it says in the 4.6L user man. but
What type of gas are you using? 87, 89, or 91-93? In the 3.8 user man. it specifies 87 octane, and unless you like throwing money away, then switch to what it says in the book. Only exception, if your car is super modded. You will actually see worse mileage if you use higher than specified. My thoughts are someone is stealing your gas, or you lost 2 cyls to low compression/misfires (you would know something was wrong). Also, if there was a leak that size there would be a puddle under your car.

 

[MattsLE97]

Well the only reason u would really wanna use higher octane fuel is if timing is added through an xcal2 or chip of some sort ect and or if u have some pinging higher octane will help but even for 3 days and lets say u even went 70 miles in those days that milage is certainly not correct. I would just fill her back up and see what happens. Also i havent had my bird for awhile now but does the CE light on them have apicture of a little engine when it comes on?? Maybe that is burnt out or something, just looking at every cheap solution for ya

-Matt-

 

[Chris_Murder]

before you piss money away on o2 sensors buy a locking gas cap, run 87 gas, look for leaks, if your mechanically inclined enough to change your o2s than your definately inclined enough to drop your tank... when empty... to check for leaks

 

[OxmanWI]

If you don't smell gas, don't see any leaks and that's all the driving you did over 3 days the first thing I'd suggest you do is buy a locking gas cap and fill the tank up. Then see what kind of mileage your get.

(or just fill it up and do alot of driving before you park it anywhere someone can siphon your gas and see what kind of mileage you get)

also when my fuel gauge is on empty and the low fuel light is coming on there's still about 4 gallons in the tank. It's an 18 gallon tank.

18 gallon tank?

 

[master486]

Yeah, the fuel tank in these cars holds 18 gallons.

 

[OxmanWI]

I thought it was 16? I'm right......right?


Yes of course...indeed

 

[Bangster]

89-91 is 19 gallons
92-97 is 18 gallons


ish

I do know that I can get more gas in my 89 than my 97, and I also know since I have dropped the 89s tank three times that I drive it until it says I can go like 5 miles (on the digidash) and pull it and there is still like 3 gallons of gas.