MPG terrible?

[2000VRsex]

kinda off subject but for everyonw who has a MT...what do you shift at? I shift at 4k and as soon as i get to my deserised speed ill just upshift to let it ride in low rpms..but im sure every car is different..my last car i would shift at 3k...and vettes your suppose to shift really funky like 1st gear to 3rd for the best mpg.

 

[bpoche]

i shift at 3000 and have been driving the speed limit no faster.

kinda off subject but for everyonw who has a MT...what do you shift at? I shift at 4k and as soon as i get to my deserised speed ill just upshift to let it ride in low rpms..but im sure every car is different..my last car i would shift at 3k...and vettes your suppose to shift really funky like 1st gear to 3rd for the best mpg.

 

[jad0110]

you have to fill up your tank - fill it right up. reset your trip meter. drive around till you need to fill up again. fill the tank up, right up, just like you did the first time. now, divide the miles on your trip meter by how many gallons it took to fill your tank. that will give you your MPG.

And return to the exact same gas pump if possible. When the pump stops, don't try to squeeze any more into the tank to round the price to the nearest quarter or anything like that. Consistency is key. Do it half a dozon times at least and average all the numbers. Doing this, my '03 MP5 5-spd with 43k miles and full synthetic 5W20averages 31 to 32 mpg, with mostly hwy driving at 60 mph.

Note that MP5s (and Mazdas in general) don't get the greatest mileage out there. I'm not complaining about 30 mpg, but for a 4 banger, it is a bit on the low side. Corollas average in the mid 30s, but I'll trade a few mpg for a car with heart!

---

When driving for max economy, I shift as early as possible without lugging it. Typically, that means 2,500 rpm on average, give or take 300.

Not to hi-jack the thread, but I had heard that max fuel econ in a manual trans is achieved by shifting as early as possible and flooring the accelerator. (shrug) If true, why is it so???

 

[ghettoracingkid]

my MPT (miles per Tank) stinks

Im getting about 240 for about ever 10 gallons i put in. yeah 24 mpg.

I got a 189000 miles so far nad ive been doing a major tune up.
O2 sensors
Air filter
plugs
wires

Im going to pick up 2 coils this week and clean out a few thigns and i should be bumping that mpg up.

I remember i was getting 400+ per tank back in the day

 

[2000VRsex]

And return to the exact same gas pump if possible. When the pump stops, don't try to squeeze any more into the tank to round the price to the nearest quarter or anything like that. Consistency is key. Do it half a dozon times at least and average all the numbers. Doing this, my '03 MP5 5-spd with 43k miles and full synthetic 5W20averages 31 to 32 mpg, with mostly hwy driving at 60 mph.

Note that MP5s (and Mazdas in general) don't get the greatest mileage out there. I'm not complaining about 30 mpg, but for a 4 banger, it is a bit on the low side. Corollas average in the mid 30s, but I'll trade a few mpg for a car with heart!

---

When driving for max economy, I shift as early as possible without lugging it. Typically, that means 2,500 rpm on average, give or take 300.

Not to hi-jack the thread, but I had heard that max fuel econ in a manual trans is achieved by shifting as early as possible and flooring the accelerator. (shrug) If true, why is it so???

hah im not sure either i heard that the best is betwenn 3k-4k rpms (altho every car is different) because if you go too high id imagine you use too much gas and too low your car would be stuggling...not sure tho

 

[njaremka]

Not to hi-jack the thread, but I had heard that max fuel econ in a manual trans is achieved by shifting as early as possible and flooring the accelerator. (shrug) If true, why is it so???

your engine get max efficiency with least amount of restrictions. go WOT, and there are the least amount of restrictions, and your engine will be at its most efficient. then, shifting at a lower rpm keep the fuel ratio from going pig rich. in the protege, i think that happens around 3500-4000 ish.

 

[Tom03es]

for what? i've always "topped" up my tank to the next full dollar amount.

I used to do that when paying with cash. But now that I use my debit card, I fill until it clicks off and then slowly fill it some more until it clicks off again. Round dollar amounts when paying with the debit card didn't make too much sense one way or another for me.

 

[bpoche]

last 2 tanks up to 36 mpg. i love my P5 455miles @12.5 gallons= 36.4

 

[Tom03es]

Just got 32.3 mpgs on my sport auto sedan. 420 miles. WOW. I'm still a bit lost as to how I did it.

 

[808MP5]

haha yeah, i always take advantage of the filler tube

Meeah Too....

About the sh!tty gas mileage... Like someone else said ... Do some maintenance, change oil, coolant, intake filter, etc... etc... and check tire pressure.

255mpg's is very low. I would hate my car if it had that bad of mpg's...

I average 350-370+mpg's per tank

 

[Ki||ian]

When my tires were low I was getting about 25-27 MPG and then I inflated them to 40 psi and now I get 30+.

 

[bford]

I need to check what I'm getting... I also need a tuneup badly... gonna hit 100,000 miles soon.

Does adding a cold air intake help mileage at all? I've seen yes and no from different people. Maybe it depends on the brand.

rock

bford

 

[njaremka]

I need to check what I'm getting... I also need a tuneup badly... gonna hit 100,000 miles soon.

Does adding a cold air intake help mileage at all? I've seen yes and no from different people. Maybe it depends on the brand.

rock

bford

anything you can do to improve the efficiency of the engine will increase your gas mileage, unless it also make your right foot heavier. however, dont expect miracles in mileage increases. i gained about 1-2 mpg with my intake, and maybe another 2-3 with a full header back exhaust.

 

[Rusty]

I've always gotten 270 miles per tank. 90% city driving, stop light to stop light. I catch them all.

If you search the fuel mileage threads, 270 miles is a pretty commom number. I wish I got the mileage some of you do. I grannied it last time and got 310 miles.

 

[andyphil27]

I've actually been noticing a decrease in mpg for my 02 p5, but turns out it's because the rear calipers weren't releasing properly and i was dragging the rear pads. i've heard that it's actually pretty common on mazdas, especially proteges. might be worth checking out? otherwise everyone else had good suggestions

 

[dxaveP5]

kinda off subject but for everyonw who has a MT...what do you shift at? I shift at 4k and as soon as i get to my deserised speed ill just upshift to let it ride in low rpms..but im sure every car is different..my last car i would shift at 3k...and vettes your suppose to shift really funky like 1st gear to 3rd for the best mpg.

i shift at 3000 and have been driving the speed limit no faster.

wow i shift at 2500K
and i dont speed
i got 374.5MPG at 12Gallons
and they are all city miles

 

[idrift4wd]

I've always gotten 270 miles per tank. 90% city driving, stop light to stop light. I catch them all.

If you search the fuel mileage threads, 270 miles is a pretty commom number. I wish I got the mileage some of you do. I grannied it last time and got 310 miles.

finally a commoner.

still not anybetter. i guess i really need a tuneup.

 

[Rusty]

I've actually been noticing a decrease in mpg for my 02 p5, but turns out it's because the rear calipers weren't releasing properly and i was dragging the rear pads. i've heard that it's actually pretty common on mazdas, especially proteges. might be worth checking out? otherwise everyone else had good suggestions

Hmmm, I think I'll jack mine up and give them a spin to make sure they're turning free.

 

[winston3x]

How "freely" should they turn? I jacked mine up the other day and it seemed to me the rear pads were dragging a bit.

I took it to a brake shop for inspection and they said everything was fine. They only drove it and did a visual inspection with the wheels on.

I recently did the 60k maint. and they said my rear pads were close but the fronts were fine. To my knowledge the previous owner replaced front and rear shortly before trading in the car.

 

[njaremka]

you want to make damn sure the rear caliper slider pins are lubricated properly, because from what i've seen none were properly lubricated from the factory.