ok, I should have just bought an suv.

[StealthWyvern]

im new to small cars, whats a good amount of time to warm up? in my big v8 if i waited any less than 3-5 minutes it drove terrible. but thats all it took for it to reach running temps. is it not nessary to get the needle up in our p5's? and if it IS why the heck does mine take her sweet time??

I genearlly start mine up and let it idle for eh 30 sec if its cold outside and go. Obviously I keep the rpms down tell its upto op temps.

 

[BoostedPR5]

im new to small cars, whats a good amount of time to warm up? in my big v8 if i waited any less than 3-5 minutes it drove terrible. but thats all it took for it to reach running temps. is it not nessary to get the needle up in our p5's? and if it IS why the heck does mine take her sweet time??

Recommended from what I've heard a few places is to not let it idle but drive "gently" while it warms up. It'll warm up faster, therefor being better for the engine. Besides, idle = 0mpg.

What kind of tires? I know it's not why you get 18-19mpg, but tires change it.

Oh and I get about 22mpg on snows with boost...I don't drive her nice either.

 

[2slow2go]

WOW... Something's wrong!
I have same tire size (in the summer) winter I run 14's. Although mines manual.
I'm quoting in KMS not Miles.
I start my car every morning (in winter) about 15 minutes before I get in, and the samething after work (approx 20 to 30 minutes idle time per day) I have about 150,000 KMS, regular tune up done early this summer.
I'm 50/50 highway city driving
In the summer I average an easy 700 kms per tank. (= 435 miles)
Winter I average about 550 kms per tank. (= 345 miles)

 

[StealthWyvern]

WOW... Something's wrong!
I have same tire size (in the summer) winter I run 14's. Although mines manual.
I'm quoting in KMS not Miles.
I start my car every morning (in winter) about 15 minutes before I get in, and the samething after work (approx 20 to 30 minutes idle time per day) I have about 150,000 KMS, regular tune up done early this summer.
I'm 50/50 highway city driving
In the summer I average an easy 700 kms per tank. (= 435 miles)
Winter I average about 550 kms per tank. (= 345 miles)

435 miles to the tank... i think thats stretching it a bit personally... I have had two proteges and never once I have even come close to that.

 

[ucMP3]

you can: fill up, then every time you refill divide your miles by gallons, but that only works if you fill to full every time.

i use vehicalc on iphone

you can just track your total miles and gallons

use fuely online..

any number of ways really.

For one, you don't have to fill to full for it to work, just divide miles x gallons used and that's all there is too it. Why would u have to fill it up to full to do that??

And essentially, all those ways you just listed do the exact same thing.... Divide your total miles driven by total gas consumed. That's what I was getting at. There is only one equation.

 

[Wagonbacker9]

For one, you don't have to fill to full for it to work, just divide miles x gallons used and that's all there is too it. Why would u have to fill it up to full to do that??

And essentially, all those ways you just listed do the exact same thing.... Divide your total miles driven by total gas consumed. That's what I was getting at. There is only one equation.

it will still work, but your number will vary more. you don't know if you are calculating the fuel you put in last time with the miles you put on this time unless you fill the tank to the same level every time.

 

[ucMP3]

^That doesn't change the math. distance/volume

 

[nate0123]

the point is - you need a reliable reference point or the results will be meaningless

most people use the fuel filler auto-shutoff as the reference point

fill to the shut-off point, reset odo, (drive), return to gas station, refill to shutoff point - then divide miles by gallons needed to refill to the same point

works with multiple tanks too - as long as you keep track of total miles and total gallons, and when you're ready to calculate, refill to that reference point

 

[Wagonbacker9]

^That doesn't change the math. distance/volume

if you change the volume, you change the math! lol

 

[BANANA]

Oy It just occurred to me that i haven't checked my air filters in a while (ie since i bought it lol)

before i take a look tho, is there any possibility a filthy filter would be causing this??

 

[nate0123]

it would choke it up a little, but less air also means it's using less fuel

 

[BoostedPR5]

it would choke it up a little, but less air also means it's using less fuel

It means it has to work harder to get the air.
So yes, it could be.

 

[StealthWyvern]

it would choke it up a little, but less air also means it's using less fuel

It means it has to work harder to get the air.
So yes, it could be.

less air, less fuel = more load on the engine

 

[ucMP3]

if you change the volume, you change the math! lol

So if you drive a different distance it would change the math too? lol no mathematical concepts do not change, just the variables being entered into them.

the point is - you need a reliable reference point or the results will be meaningless

most people use the fuel filler auto-shutoff as the reference point

fill to the shut-off point, reset odo, (drive), return to gas station, refill to shutoff point - then divide miles by gallons needed to refill to the same point

works with multiple tanks too - as long as you keep track of total miles and total gallons, and when you're ready to calculate, refill to that reference point

This is the important part. When your tank fills, you have a starting point to clear past uses. (monkey)

 

[ejb2112]

I've had two bad oxygen sensors over the last few years and I replaced both of them. Both threw CEL's (0037, I think). Do you think a sensor could go bad without throwing a CEL? If so, maybe I'll bite the bullet and replace them both.

 

[Wagonbacker9]

well, the 02 code can mean MANY things... but if your O2 is bad it will ALWAYS throw a code.

 

[Matsuda03]

Rev it a little!

Banana, I think it's the way you're calculating your miles-- that or you're not telling us something. Excellent responses from the forum, by the way. This group is amazing!

That EGR valve could definitely be the culprit. How's the idle? If it's varying (up and down) at idle more that 500 r.p.m then that would certainly indicate an EGR problem.

My suggestion is to pour some cleaner in the gas tank, fill it up with some good gas, and take it on a nice freeway trip. Always shifting low is not necessarily good for the car. Rev it up a little and clear out some of that carbon!

 

[Wagonbacker9]

Rev it up a little and clear out some of that carbon!

though i'm not saying I disagree completely, I think you've been spending too much time with rotards. lol

 

[JamesCH]

Make sure you don't have any leaks in your fuel system, even if you're not loosing liquid fuel a vapor leak can cause significant fuel loss over a prolonged period of time. I can recall leaving a 6gal gas can open (no plug in the nozzle) during the summer and having 3 gallons missing in less than a week.

And driving a reciprocating engine hard does clear out carbon, though carbon buildup is not usually problem unless you have a performance car. <-- from my buddy who used to be a BMW mechanic before he was an A&P mechanic.

 

[BANANA]

weee woo weee woo weee woo!

Hey you guys, How possible is it that someone is siphoning my gas?! My next door neighbor just had it happen to him a month or two ago, and he suggested i buy a locking gas cap. This tank isn't looking so great, despite replacing my air filter and reducing my warm up time to nearly nothing. I'm at half a tank now with less than 110 miles. Ideas?