Bad mileage from the beginning

What you have is not true!
It could be that you have pushed on the gas pedal too deep that makes the 16 valves work too hard to burn the gas.
Mine is also a 2009, 4 cylinders. It consumes 420 miles with 16 galons to fill up, and I drive both city and the freeway everyday.
Remember the MPG base on 55 MPH on the freeway only!

Tony

This car is EPA rated 21/31/25. I had been getting 25 mpg in the summer and about 22 mpg in the winter in about 90% city driving. Last winter, the car got 15 mpg with similar driving. I took the car to the Honda dealer and they could not find anything that would contribute to the low winter mileage. This summer the car was back to 25 mpg but it's already at about 19-20 mpg and I'm certain it's headed to 15 mpg as winter approaches. Please help.

It could have something to do with the quality of the fuel and the percentage of Ethanol they are putting in as they switch formulas in the fuel for summer and winter. They are also very erratic on the amount of Ethanol they put in.

Would the percentage of Ethanol affect every car? How can I be certain that this is causing the mileage drop? I tried different gas stations last winter but saw no difference in the mileage.

All I can do is offer possible causes. I can't know where your mileage went over the Internet.

That's fair. Can you think of anything else and will anyone else at your end weigh in on this? Thanks.

I had to have my car jump-started 3 weeks ago. Ever since, there has been a noticeable lack of power, loss of fuel economy, and it seems to idle around 500-600 rpm, lower than normal. When i jumped it, there was corrosion around the battery terminals, which i scraped off, and it hasnt needed a jump since. Could the corrosion be causing the performance issues?

To a certain degree, yes. But not entirely. The corrosion definitely is the problem why you need a jump start. Terminal corrosion to a battery is a cancer to a human body. Scraping helps, but it will come back. Here is what you should do. Treat the problem before it spreads.

If you have the EX model, find out what the anti-theft code to the radio. It is usually on the glove compartment, if you can't find it, call your "friendly" Honda technician for one. Or you can call 800-999-1009 and ask them for it. Have you VIN ready. If you have other models, disregard.

In a container(that you don't need anymore) make a solution of water and baking soda. Remove your battery terminals (one at a time) and soak the terminal into the solution. You will see bubbling, wait until it stops, and clean the terminal with a clean rag. You should have an almost brand new terminal now. Attach terminals back onto the battery. Once done, go to an auto part store and have your battery tested to make sure that the battery is still good. Depending on the condition of the battery, usually factory battery is good for about 3-4 years.

If you still have performance problem after that, then we'll trouble shoot more.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy:

E10 and E15 are blends of ethanol and gasoline—the number after the "E" indicates the percentage of ethanol by volume.

Most of the gasoline sold in the U.S. contains up to 10% ethanol—the amount varies by region—and all auto manufacturers approve blends up to E10 in their gasoline vehicles.

As of 2011, EPA began allowing the use of E15 in model year 2001 and newer gasoline vehicles.2 Pumps dispensing E15 must be labeled (see example). The vehicle owner's manual may indicate the manufacturer's maximum recommended ethanol content.

Since ethanol contains about two-thirds as much energy as gasoline, vehicles will typically go 3% to 4% fewer miles per gallon on E10 and 4% to 5% fewer on E15 than on 100% gasoline.

I recently went to a fuel system training class and they spent a lot of time talking about lean codes that could not be resolved that the engineers traced back to fuel that tested to have much more ethanol that claimed.

They tested samples from a number of local stations and the results were all over the board.

car has no noises and runs smoothly with decent acceleration but only gets about 17 mpg mostlly highway driving.

could plugs and air cleaner, fuel filter be the cause of this as the have not been replaced

Thanks

Hi craunico,

Those items mentioned are the basics of tune ups and would affect the fuel consumption.

Is the Check Engine Light showing?

the valves have always made a slight pecking noise at idle most noticible but have been told that was normal

The engine light is not on

thanks for your reply

Minimal valve noise is acceptable but it would be good to heve thnm checked if you are going to perform a tune-up to check the fuel economy issues.

Without the CEL showing, there should be no engine mamangement problem so the tune up should be able to increase the fuel economy.

[quote:d20f527d5d="KHLow2008"]Minimal valve noise is acceptable but it would be good to heve thnm checked if you are going to perform a tune-up to check the fuel economy issues.

Without the CEL showing, there should be no engine mamangement problem so the tune up should be able to increase the fuel economy.[/quote:d20f527d5d]

Hi there, I am having the same issues. I have less KMs (I'm in Canada) but I'm getting very poor fuel economy.

I've tried to do stuff myself - changed the air filter, changed the spark plugs (used OEM NGKs)

I can't change the fuel filter since I heard the fuel filter cannot really be changed with this model of Accord.

The check engine light isnt on, but I'm wondering if its time to change the 02 sensor? Anything else you can recommend to inspect / change?

Hi jyd1234,

Was anything done prior to the increase in consumption?

The fuel filter is located intank with the fuel pump and replacement is required if the fuel pressure falls below the minimum requirements.

If performance is decreased from previous, it would increase the fuel consumption and apart from the maintenance items replaced, the tires and wheel bearings should be checked.

If it is possible to get onto a diagnostic machime, you would be able to check if the O2 sensors are working correctly.

my 2003 accord consumes fuel alot, i have changed the nuzzels,plugs,air filter , oil filter, engine oil and serviced the injector but the pick up is still slow

[quote:1e0921901c="KHLow2008"]Hi jyd1234,

Was anything done prior to the increase in consumption?

The fuel filter is located intank with the fuel pump and replacement is required if the fuel pressure falls below the minimum requirements.

If performance is decreased from previous, it would increase the fuel consumption and apart from the maintenance items replaced, the tires and wheel bearings should be checked.

If it is possible to get onto a diagnostic machime, you would be able to check if the O2 sensors are working correctly.[/quote:1e0921901c]

Nothing was done prior to the increase in consumption.

After we noticed the increase consumption, along with changing the air filter and spark plugs, We did change the tires. We put on brand new H rated tires.

How much do you think it would cost to inspect and get the fuel filter replaced on a 2003 Accord?

Thanks for the tip on the 02 sensor. A friend told me that if the check engine light hasn't come on yet (which it hasn't) then there is no need to check it...but some say a 02 sensor change could increase fuel consumption up to 15%. Is this true?

Do you have a check engine light On and when was last tune-up??

This could be anything from wheel alignment, brakes, suspension, transmission etc-engine performance

Probable causes of an engine running rich are as follows:

1.Excessive fuel pressure can be cause by restricted fuel return line
2.Defective Oxygen Sensors.
3.Leaking injectors and fuel pressure regulator.
4.Coolant temperature sensor out of calibration.
5.Restricted air intake system

Replacement of the fuel fi;ter is listed at 1.3 hours and the list price of filter is $32.63.

Yes, inaccurate O2 sensor can cause higher fuel consumption.

Others items that you can check are :

1. Idling system, throttle body, IAC and other clogging of air passage can affect the fuel economy.

2. Valve clearance. Improper clearance is a possible cause.

2000 Honda Accord 100k miles

Hi
I recently bought a honda accord 2.0l ivtec exec auto on a w plate, lovely car it is but the first thing i noticed was the fuel consumption, I have not put my foot down in it at all cause im afraid how much fuel im loosing. I have gone from being a white van man to mr slow coach. I have put about 50 quid in it so far i have noticed the last £30 i have put in i have only got about 100miles , although its mainly short journeys here and there school runs etc, it is pretty poor thought. The point im tryin to get to is there anything wrong with the car or is this normal? or is there anything i could do to make it anymore economical (im driving slow enought as it is).

Hi there,

Go get a full tune done, include the tappet adjustments, all the filters and a comp test, also have a scan done for any unresolved fault codes, this should uncover any tune and economy problems, start here.

mark (mhpautos)

My 2001 Honda Accord LX has 129000 KMs on the odometer. I got the Auto GearBox replaced by an aftermarket garage just 300 KMs earlier, following which, I see a significant increase in the fuel consumption. Spark plugs and fuel filter are new, the injectors are clean and the tire pressures are fine. The car has been regularly serviced and the engine performance, vehicle starting and running seem normal. Just that, the car feels a little too 'heavy' and 'torquey' on the road after the gearbox changeout. Please advise.

Sanjit Mishra

Auto Gearbox is an automatic transmission, right? Going with that, was the tranny new or used? Was it rebuilt? Besides the sluggish response which if you feel it the car does as well and shows it with the poor fuel economy. Does it shift properly such as upshifting and downshifting? It is possible that the wiring was connected properly and the shifting is off.

My dealer has recommended that we have the fuel system service to keep the milage up. The milage averages 31-34 mpg and on trips as much as 35-36. With this performance is this necessary?

Also recemmended is a power steering system flush. There are no leaks in the system, the floor beneath the vehicle has no spots whatsoever. Do I really need to do this. I plan to drain and replace the coolant as I know the inhibitors "wear out" eventually.

You do the fuel system maintenance so that your mileage numbers stay that way.

With regards to the power steering flush, it's oil, just like your engine oil, eventually it has to be replaced.

Apparently my Accord has some kind of super engine - which I did not know when I bought it. The speedometer goes to 160 and it only gets 20 mpg. Could I switch my engine for a 'normal' one that gets better mpg and doesn't tempt me to get into trouble? Do you think I could switch 'even steven' for a smaller engine AND labor? If not, how much do you think switching the engine might cost? Could a regular mechanic do it or would I have to go to a Honda place? How long do you think it might take?

you would be wasting our money, you must have bought a performance car and switching engines would devalue the car plus cost about $10k. If unhappy with it sell it as is and get another car that is more suitable to your driving style.

i had the oxygen sensor #2 changed a couple weeks after the light came on. i was told by the mechanic that it takes about 50 miles for the computer to adjust to the new sensor but after 400 miles i still feel the mileage hasn't gotten any better. i've tried gas additives, injector cleaners, etc... any ideas why i have such as bad mileage? any ideas how to fix it? i have no other lights on the dashboard.

well do a good throttle body cleaning and check the fuel filter make sure it is not clogged, also the air filter too.

Apparently my Accord has some kind of super engine (I didn't know this when I bought it). The speedometer goes to 160 and it only gets 20 mpg. I am wondering if it would be possible to switch out the engine for a 'normal' one? If so, how much do you suppose it might cost? Do you think I could switch my super engine even steven for a normal one PLUS labor? Could a normal mechanic do it and how long would it take, approx?

Hi:
We only recommend direct fit replacement parts. Therefore, I don't recommend switching the engine. When you do, there are so many sensors and other items that don't work together. As a result, problems pop up. It isn't worth the effort or the problems.