what could be the cause of excessive gas use on a 94 carvan se 3.3?

Question

i put fresh fuel in itll quit for a little while but it will sometimes go through a half a tank in 20 miles or less for no reason that i can find yet all answers wellcome

it has no leaks or bad smell either

Answer 1

Dragging brakes, poor state of tune, and many other causes. I'd do a tune-up first though.

Answer 2

Try replacing the oxygen sensor first. It can get lazy and cause excessive fuel use. Your usage is well beyond excessive. You may want to look for a leak in the fuel system somewhere. Lines and filler neck should be your first check. You may not be burning it, it may be landing on the road as you drive. Does the exhaust smell like gas? If your using this much gas, it should smell like gas BAD! If these options fail, take it to a pro and have them check the fuel injectors for leaking problems. The injectors may be constantly overfeeding the engine. Which ever route you choose, be quick about it. This much overfuelling is not good on an engine and may lead to much more expensive damage to the engine or even cause a fire. Fire=Bad!

Answer 3

You may have a leak, getting twenty miles out of half a tank is extremely bad. However, if you had a leak you would most likely notice it. You may have a cylinder that is not firing and it simply dumping fuel into the cylinder and then out the tail pipe. You'll have to provide more information about symptoms to get a clearer answer.

Also, the gauge in your vehicle could be giving you an incorrect reading.

Answer 4

You've gotta have a fuel leak. If the car runs good. If it runs rough then it's running probably way too rich. The oxygen sensors could be the culprit Or the fuel injecters could be stuck open

Answer 5

clogged fuel filter or fuel lines or a leak in the gas tank

Answer 6

maybe you have a plugged cattalitic converter