I use this car for delivery work a lot. Yesterday I put over 250 miles on it delivering. On a mail route, with the heavy stop and go, it used to get about 18 MPG. It's down closer to 16 now. City/highway/rural combined mileage was around 36 MPG. Now it's dropped to 32. Doesn't sound like a lot, unless you drive 1,000+ miles/week.
Engine light is on, but it has been all the while. Code P0420. I even scanned it again last night. Trust me, it's a nonfactor. Very "high flow" converter. That's the only code. Live data showed slightly negative long term fuel trim (~-3%). Tires are all new and the alignment is dead on with new inner tie rod ends.
The only issue I could spot was all four tires showed 3psi low (48 instead of 51 written on the sidewall). That could be attributed to the fact that I was using the gauge at a gas station that I've never used before, so maybe it's inaccurate.
Spark plugs have about 10k on them and are the ones that ACDelco's website calls for. Air filter is also pretty new and very clean.
Gas cap is new. No smell of gas fumes either.
If I stand on the gas, the car runs like a champ.
I do believe, regardless of what the EPA website says, that I should be able to get 37 or so mpg out of this thing, under the right driving conditions. What am I missing? And do you happen to have any outside the box ideas to increase the economy? It's a work car, so looks don't really matter. It's all about functionality. I need it to go, stop, have a working radio, working windows, and pass safety inspection. Anything else is a luxury.
Engine light is on, but it has been all the while. Code P0420. I even scanned it again last night. Trust me, it's a nonfactor. Very "high flow" converter. That's the only code. Live data showed slightly negative long term fuel trim (~-3%). Tires are all new and the alignment is dead on with new inner tie rod ends.
The only issue I could spot was all four tires showed 3psi low (48 instead of 51 written on the sidewall). That could be attributed to the fact that I was using the gauge at a gas station that I've never used before, so maybe it's inaccurate.
Spark plugs have about 10k on them and are the ones that ACDelco's website calls for. Air filter is also pretty new and very clean.
Gas cap is new. No smell of gas fumes either.
If I stand on the gas, the car runs like a champ.
I do believe, regardless of what the EPA website says, that I should be able to get 37 or so mpg out of this thing, under the right driving conditions. What am I missing? And do you happen to have any outside the box ideas to increase the economy? It's a work car, so looks don't really matter. It's all about functionality. I need it to go, stop, have a working radio, working windows, and pass safety inspection. Anything else is a luxury.
Oct 30, 2022 at 2:57 AM
