What causes an automobile to get bad gas mileage?

Question

I have had the pressure in my tires checked and I use my cruise control whenever possible. My car, a 2003, which I bought in August, has dropped from 30-32 miles per gallon to 24-26.

Answer 1

Your noticing the mileage change is a very astute observation. My experience with mpg problems could be summed up by the following:

1. Driving habits. Spirited driving drains your tank.
2. Use of A/C or driving in severe winter conditions.
3. Unrealistic mileage expectations. Someone actually getting EPA mpg is as likely as an early withdrawal from Iraq.
4. Inaccurate or limited sample of mpg measurements. Self reporting is notoriously unreliable.
5. Mechanical problems or bad gas.

If you have measured the mileage on every fill up (assuming you fill up as opposed to putting in lesser amounts) since August you may have a problem. If you have been less diligent and the car appears to be running OK, with no engine light, I would continue to measure and reevaluate.

Answer 2

well there are many factors, like you said tires as well as hitting the gas really hard and breaking hard. It could be that when a vehicle becomes older then it is likely to have certain parts of the car which can be worn out. I noticed this with my 2002 Sedan It was preforming great for a few years but when I sold it had very poor gas mileage.

Answer 3

COORY guy> the two.7 had REALY undesirable historic previous of failure, Many junk yards are LOADED with undesirable ones. you could touch NHTSA for suggestion and seek for suggestion from with LEMON regulation attorneeys if yo uhave to. ANY CHRYSLER dealership could have technicians that can instruction manual you as to WHY those engines have been SO VERY undesirable and what to do to steer away from it from occurring lower back. I BELEIVE the blocks have been ok, yet that the valve publications and camshafts and rockers have been a bad layout. They as much as date long into the build time, there is in all possibility a curee for it, someplace, yet do no longer replace untill you get extra information. detect a library that incorporates the ALLDATA information base for each and all of the latest information, and PLEASE touch NHTSA. they have clout over dealerships and guarantee subject concerns. i understand i could restore what you have already got, when you consider that a USED engine could have a similar real probelms interior. i'm enormously confident (seventy 5%) that the situation is barely interior the cylinder head and valves, no longer interior the block. yet I additionally bear in mind somebody telling me that the jewellery and PISTONS have been a bad comnbination. by using fact of this people purchase TOYOTA and VW and others. they have a plenty extra beneficial historic previous of top quality and reliability. Even older FORD engines have been extra beneficial. ROD KNOCK on maximum engines is using adverse gasoline combination and administration. Unburnt gasoline is going top into the oil previous the jewellery and thins down the oil till at last there's no safety interior engine. There could be desire fo rhtat engine someplace> seek for suggestion from an ENGINE REBUILDING agency for extra beneficial adviceCHRYSLER somewhat made a huge nasty with this thingy. Their new PENTASTAR engine is a DYNAMO even with the undeniable fact that! Too undesirable there's no retrofit. solid success!!

Answer 4

Always make sure you screw your gas cap on till it clicks passed 4-5 times. Also make sure you air filter is not too dirty. You could also buy a fuel injecter cleaner for about $5 at a grocery or auto store and add it into your gas tank before you fill it up. It will clean your injecters and by the time you need to fill up again they will be clean.

Answer 5

You should have the engine checked for any fault codes. Some of them relate to engine efficiency. Bad oxygen sensor, for example.

Autozone will check them for free.

Answer 6

Have you had a tune up done? Maybe the gas filter is clogged and needs to be changed.

Answer 7

lil-bit, it's not arrow dynamics, it's aerodynamics. one word. and you can't really mess with them, considering it's the way the car is built..... if you don't know the answer don't answer in the first place.

Answer 8

any number of things. bad service. old engine. badly tuned. and most important bad driving.

Answer 9

remove the lead foot and all the crap in the trunk

Answer 10

STOPPING ALOT BIGGER ENGINEE MOSTLY IT IS THE SIZE OF THE ENGIN AND IF YOU MESS WITH THE ARROW DYNAMICS IT CAN GIVE YOU BAD GAS MILEAGE.