mpg maitnance

w0158981 · Post by **w0158981** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 12:03 am

ok so i checked my mpg the other day on the way to school its only 22 mpg and it was mostly highway driving so something definatly needs some attention.

some i'm just wondering maitnance wise what can i do to get even an extra 1 or 2 more anything is good with my mpg

i know its good to:
-change your oil
-tire Pressure
-Change plugs wires
-clean filter
-alignment

Anything else i should look into? remove cat or clean it, it is 8 years old. I've also read about water build up in your gas tank just from over time can screw it up to?

jetas · Post by **jetas** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 12:50 am

umm u got nothing to worry about. I keep getting 10-12 MPG wit combined driving... And i drive like a freakin old lady. The SRT wing u got on there is creating more drag than downforce. lol jk. Watch ur driving habits

OB · Post by OB » Mon Sep 01, 2008 3:11 am

jetas wrote:umm u got nothing to worry about. I keep getting 10-12 MPG wit combined driving...

Yeah, you either have major engine issues or dont have a clue how to calculate mileage.

Regarding the original post. Oil changes wont adversely affect fuel mileage unless intervals are severely overlooked. Change it every 3k conventional/ 5K synthetic, end of story.

Tire pressure should be as close to the max pressure on the sidewall as possible. 2-4psi below max is a safe way to go. Keep in mind, the higher the pressure, the stiffer the ride, and the smaller the contact patch. Finding a fine medium is ideal for a combination of fuel mileage and traction.

Replace your paper air filter every 20-30K miles or sooner, or clean your oiled drop-in (K&N or similar) about twice per year.

Alignment, unless severely out of adjustment, will have very little affect on mileage. If it's bad enough to eat tires, that's a much better reason for having it aligned than saving a few cents per tank on fuel.

Ignition system (plugs, wires, coil etc) should be in good working condition. If they're old, replace them. Plugs should be done a bit more often than wires and coil. I do mine every 2-3 oil changes personally, because they're cheap and easy to maintain. 25-30K mile intervals for plugs is sufficient, while wires should go 50-60K easily. The coil is probably fine, but if you feel like it might be old and getting weak, a new unit is an easy swap.

Also a few common practices to save fuel:

Keep A/C use to a minimum.
Keep your foot out of the throttle
Keep your revs as low as possible (shift properly)
Keep windows up on the freeway (aero drag)
Minimize weight carried in vehicle
Use quality gasoline (this will avoid sediment/water buildup in the tank)

Paul56 · Post by **Paul56** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 5:11 am

OB wrote:Change it every 3k conventional/ 5K synthetic, end of story.

I would think synthetic in a non-turbo application could go much further than 5K.

cbjones26 · Post by **cbjones26** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 9:24 am

i get 28-33 mpg. all stock. ( only thing wrong with my car is there is no cat converter it was plugged so i gutted it.) i have a new one but haven't installed it yet!)

<--- gets better mpg in an atx then mtx

Midnight_Rider · Post by **Midnight_Rider** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 10:07 am

I have the dealership clean the fuel injection system annually and I average 27-30 MPG in my SRT so this obviously isn't hurting my mileage. Just a suggestion.

jetas · Post by **jetas** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 12:53 pm

OB wrote:
jetas wrote:umm u got nothing to worry about. I keep getting 10-12 MPG wit combined driving...
Yeah, you either have major engine issues or dont have a clue how to calculate mileage.

Na there was a time wen id get 30 MPG in the city but the last few months ive been dealing with this shit. My shit fucked n i kno it

Pablodragon · Post by **Pablodragon** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 5:36 pm

I don't feel so bad anymore..

I got;.. short ram intake, dual exhaust, have changed the plugs and wires once in the 2 years I've had my 04...change oil regular, swapped the stock steel 14" wheels for 16"... sometimes drive with windows down, other times the A/C is on... and I like to get on it from the light so's I can here the intake/exhaust...oh, and mine is ATX

...and I'm getting about 26-27 stop/go city... took a trip -freeway driving-down to Ohio and calculated 28-29 MPG

fixitmattman · Post by **fixitmattman** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 6:21 pm

The 3k mile oil change is BS and waste of money. Some of you either can't drive, can't do basic math, or both because it takes a hell of a lot to get that kind of bad milage on a neon. Worst milage I ever got was 28 Imp MPG (23 MPG), and that was doing 60 mph average over the entire trip with a bike rack on the back driving like a maniac. Just the other day I moved backed to school and got 42/46/46 Imp MPG on my fill ups (35/38/38 ). Take it easy on it and she'll do fine.

Post by **racer12306** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 9:22 pm

Yall got problems. Whether its math problems or driving problems or mechanical problems.

I got 39MPG today.

tommigun · Post by **tommigun** » Tue Sep 02, 2008 12:04 am

And I thought I had it bad. I used this calculator http://www.eforecourt.com/calc_mpg.htm and with occational spirited driving mostly in stop-and-go -traffic I got about 38 MPG. I don't know how accurate that calculator is.

w0158981 · Post by **w0158981** » Tue Sep 02, 2008 12:40 am

o trust me i no my cars got problems,
1) i can take probably 8 out of 10 left turns by just letting go of my steering wheel and letting the shitty alignment take the turn.
2) i got one hell of a grinding noise in the front i have no clue what it is tho.
3) my steering wheel shakes like a paint shaker
4)contacted the guy i bought my car from, he never changed the plugs or the wires or had any serious maitnance done to it like cleaning the cat, injectors etc.

Wenuden · Post by **Wenuden** » Tue Sep 02, 2008 12:53 am

LOL @ cleaning the cat

randomZERO · Post by **randomZERO** » Tue Sep 02, 2008 3:52 am

Wenuden wrote:LOL @ cleaning the cat

They make shampoos specifically for cats.

OB · Post by OB » Tue Sep 02, 2008 4:58 am

randomZERO wrote:
Wenuden wrote:LOL @ cleaning the cat
They make shampoos specifically for cats.

double

Swordfish2Cowboy · Post by **Swordfish2Cowboy** » Tue Sep 02, 2008 8:48 am

Midnight_Rider wrote:I have the dealership clean the fuel injection system annually and I average 27-30 MPG in my SRT so this obviously isn't hurting my mileage. Just a suggestion.

Yeah but you baby your car otherwise.

OB wrote:
randomZERO wrote:
Wenuden wrote:LOL @ cleaning the cat
They make shampoos specifically for cats.
double

fixitmattman · Post by **fixitmattman** » Tue Sep 02, 2008 1:03 pm

w0158981 wrote:o trust me i no my cars got problems,
1) i can take probably 8 out of 10 left turns by just letting go of my steering wheel and letting the shitty alignment take the turn.
2) i got one hell of a grinding noise in the front i have no clue what it is tho.
3) my steering wheel shakes like a paint shaker
4)contacted the guy i bought my car from, he never changed the plugs or the wires or had any serious maitnance done to it like cleaning the cat, injectors etc.

Here's an idea, why don't you get your car back into proper mechanical shape before you start worring about dumb and unlikely crap like plugged cats. Basic maint. goes a long way. Sounds like you have front end issues and need an alignment bad. You would be surprised how much that affects milage. I cross posted a thread from another forum over here a long time ago about how to get the best milage you can. I suggest reading it as it covers the basics that everyone ignores.