Why am I losing gas milage?

Question

I recently purchased a 2006 Honda Civic. The first time I filled up the tank completely i got 270 miles. This time I filled up and only got 140. The car isnt leaking anything so I dont know what it could be.

I realized that on the car inspection it says I need a new air filter. The car came with 25000 miles. Is that enough to make the air filter dirty enough to lose that many miles?

Answer 1

you must have a v6 ... mine gets about 400 miles to the tank (4cyl) anyway... did you drive more on the highway the first time or have you basically been driving the same ol same ol?
but i still dont quite understand how you only got 140 miles on a tank of gas.... unless you have been drag racing it or something..... all i can tell you is check your fuel lines and stay off the pedal

Answer 2

If it isn't math or drag racing, it may have a fouled plug. Does the engine hum smoothly, or does it have a "put, put, put" sound? when were the plugs and wires last changed? If more than 25,000 miles or you don't know, they would be the first place I'd look. they are about the only thing on the engine that can wear out, and when they do they will take the gas mileage with them.

They are easy to get to on the 4 cyl. and not expensive.

Had 240,000 on my Honda and got 40 mpg with an automatic. Be sure to change the oil every 3000 mi. Great car. Best regards, Mike
*********************Later edit*********************************
And it may be nothing at all. You can't go by fill-ups--there is too much variability built in to the upper and lower ranges of the gas gauge. You need to buy a pocket notebook for a dollar, write down the odometer reading and record how many gallons each fillup. then subtract the odometer readings to get the miles driven, and divide by the gallons used to get the miles per gallon. It's the only accurate way to measure your mileage. Your car may be all right after all. But a locking gas cap IS a really good idea, though I think the Honda has a locking gas lid already, so it shouldn't need it.
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Answer 3

Hi!

Nine-tenths of the time, lost gas mileage is due to a sore need for a tune-up. What you will need is an oil change, and a change of spark plugs, spark plug wires, distributor cap and rotor, change oil/ air/fuel filters, and top off the fluids in your radiator, tranny, brakes, and power steering box. If you don't know what you are doing with regard to the power steering though, let a mechanic do it, as even one overfill can mess up your p.s. box, *and* your brakes.
Other potential factors are as follows:
1. You have run your gas tank on empty for too long or too often. Small high power engines are notorious for burning up their fuel pumps when the fuel level drops too low for too long. A shaky gauge needle is a good indicator, and poor pick-up or passing gear performance is a common side effect too.
2. You may have an electrical issue. This one is a pain to diagnose, and usually expensive, so save it for last.
3. Have you checked your tire pressure, tread, and alignment lately? Faulty tires are a very common source of poor gas mileage, among other problems.
3. Fuel injectors are clogged... This one thanks to cheap gas, lots of stop and go driving, frequent changes of fuel quality, or contaminants from bad combustion. Cleaning fuel injection systems is not cheap either.
4. Least likely but possible, your transmission is not up to snuff. A malfunctioning tranny will drag on your engine and really hurt your fuel economy. A bad tranny though is not usually a "silent" symptom. You will get dismal passing gear performance, the car won't stay in park, it will have trouble starting when in Park, and Reverse bails on you, among any of the symptoms that may appear. In small high performance cars, the rear seal (where the drive line and tranny couple) can be stripped out, but you will notice a smell, a leak, and eventuallly, white smoke.
That's the most I can tell you without look at your car personally, and I hope the problem is a simple one. Good Luck!

Answer 4

Ok, first make sure that your tires are properly inflated. Second you have to use quality gas. 76 and Chevron are the best. Arco gas is the worst gas in the world... Third you are describing a loss of over 100 miles. Highway (freeway) miles are how you get more miles out of a tank. City driving. Starting and stoping use more gas. It takes more fuel to start a care moving than it does to keep it moving. If you also have a lot of miles on the car. Carbon build up on the valves and in combustion chambers will decrease miles. Fourth check you air filter. YOur air filter is the lungs of your car. If it's clog it will take more gas. The engine is working harder..

Answer 5

That is a big difference. Check under the car with the engine running. You may be pumping it out on the ground as you drive. I also have noticed my mileage going down. I think it has a lot to do with them trying to produce a cheaper grade of gasoline. When oil started getting so high, I noticed that my mileage went down by about 3 mpg.

Answer 6

Have you checked the pressure in your tires? If it is low, the car eats more gas. Tires should be checked once or twice a month, especially if there is a fluctuation in the temperature outside.

Answer 7

Someone is stealing your gasssssssss. I don't remember, but did Honda ever put a little button in their cars marked "O/D"? The scurge of fuel mileage!

Answer 8

Put a LOCKING gas cap on. With the current price of gas, there is a lot of theft going on. A locking cap trippled the mile per tank on my little pick-up.

Answer 9

Maybe they had ethanol in the second take of gas. Ethanol reduces your mileage by 30% in e85 vehicles.

Answer 10

Did u fill up at the same station? Have you been driving the car harder then b4?