Posted on 04/04/2014 4:14:34 AM PDT by Haiku Guy
The milage in both of my cars had dropped off in the last couple of months. Instead of getting 280 miles per tank, I am now getting 260 miles per tank, or even worse.
I keep a close eye on the milage as a general indication of how my cars are running, but I can't see why this has happened. I have no leaks, no lights, no rough running. I Checked the Engine, and it is still there. The plugs look good.
I think it might be the fuel blend. If that is the case, a lot of people should be seeing the same thing. Before I start tearing things apart, I thought I would ask my friends at FR what they are experiencing.
So how about it? How's the milage on your vehicle these days?
I went on line and found some suppliers for Ethanol-Free blends. Of course, there are none in New Jersey.
I would have to drive all the way out to Pennsylvania...
Which means I’ll have to buy a new gun...
And fireworks...
This could get really expensive!
1. How old is your car? If it's an older model (but still fuel injected), it's time to see if the fuel injectors have become dirty. Cleaning the fuel injectors--especially if the vehicle has over 60,000 miles on it--does wonders for power and fuel economy.
2. See if the fuel filter needs to be replaced, especially if your car is more than three years old.
I’ll try the gas dryer.
I have two identical cars, and they are both experiencing the same problem. Maybe it is the weather.
Same thing has happened to mine, and I’m also in New Jersey.
Fuel filter is easy... How do I clean the fuel injectors?
I wish there were truth in labeling for gasoline. They should put right on the pump what they are putting into your tank. Or at least have the information available on a pamphlet or on a website.
Gotta motor. Be back in 30.
I suspect more alcohol in the fuel.
I drove the '08 Prius locally, getting 54.4 miles to the gallon. No complaints there. By 2013, I noticed the mpg in the '08 dropped to 40.8. I chalked it up to the cars age, wear, and change of routine. I no longer own that '08 vehicle as the batteries were needing replacement soon.
Perhaps there was more to consider with the mpg decline, given your post. I'm curious to see how the comments on this post develop.
Thanks for offering to run the experiment and report back when you add the drying agent to only one of your identical cars to determine if that variable fixes the issue.
:)
Is it true the on board computer will adjust for the octane? My van recommends 91 but some stations only have 89 or 93, others have 91. I use 89 if 91 is not available, but recently heard it is bad to go from one to another. Is that true?
I have no idea. 5% is not worth getting your panties in a wad.
2right wrote: Don’t rule out the winter fuel blend. You might be back to normal once they go back to warm weather blends.I, too, drive in the northeast. The cold weather does have an effect on the efficiency, especially with a hybrid. However, there was no apparent difference in the mpg due to the temps that I could document. The most serious weather related issue I dealt with in my hybrid was the inability to disable the hybrid feature and force the engine to take over as I attempted to drive a steep incline during a snow event. When the hybrid is driving slowly, the motor does not kick in, saving a lot of gas. However, as my car began to slip on the slick very steep mountain road, the hybrid refused to let the motor kick in and I stalled, leaving me at the mercy of gravity when I lifted my foot off the brake. I could not force the engine to kick in as the tires slipped on the road surface. Not fun. I managed to let the car slide back down into my tire tracks, turn around and safely return home . . .plan my purchase for a non-hybrid AWD/4WD vehicle to replace it. It was nice saving BIG$$ on fuel but family safety trumps that concept.
I'd say the cold weather. But we know that Ethanol kills gas mileage. Hopefully that will disappear one of these days. Drill Baby, Drill.
ethanol will kill your mileage.
for instance those flex fuel cars have cheap per gallon gas, but it cost more to run because of the alcohol
Summer blends are here! This is deliberate. If you want to “fix” it, try buying an ethanol stabilizer or use Sta-bil in your car.
Otherwise, get your tires balanced and rotated, and make sure your shocks, struts, and brakes are in good working order. Your suspension system has a greater impact on your gas mileage than you think.
Could be that the stations you usually buy gas at changed suppliers or the supplier “watered down” the blend.
I drive a Ram with a 5.7L hemi. I see differences in mileage with different brands of gas. Running Sunoco is like flushing a commode. My mile drops a lot. I think ethanol is the problem.
Did your state recently mandate ethanol usage?
If so, you’re lucky it’s only dropped 5%.
Mine is actually a bit (+/- 1-2 mpg) better in the last two months. It was hovering around 26.8 mpg and now reads a solid 28 mpg
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