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Re: Geza in CA... ever solve that bad mileage problem
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Posted by Geza in CA [Email] (more from Geza in CA) on Tue, 25 Apr 2006 10:21:57 Share Post by Email
In Reply to: Geza in CA... ever solve that bad mileage problem, bosk0691, Fri, 21 Apr 2006 20:42:38
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Well, the answer is...yes and no. Yes in the sense that the '97 is getting good mileage now (on the highway, anyway), and no in the sense that I didn't solve any mechanical problems. I just kept driving, and drove less.

Since 2004, when I bought this car, I've learned a bit more about the way engine management systems work. One suggestion I have, to attain better mileage, is to avoid short trips . This is because when the engine (and especially the O2 sensor) isn't fully warmed up, it runs in "open loop" mode, that is, very rich, to compensate for the low temperature. It's similar to driving a carburated car with the choke on.

Your O2 sensor is trying to help the ECU find an "ideal" stochiometric gas/air ratio of 14.7:1. When it's cold, the O2 sensor forces more gas into the cylinders by increasing the "open time" of the injectors, so that you may be running something like 13.5:1. This can have a huge effect on gas mileage.

Also, when you're driving around town, there's a large amount of zero mileage (at stop lights, etc.) that, averaged in, brings down your total mileage.

So I think the answer to your question mostly involves my own driving habits. Since 2004 I've pretty much stopped the short, cold, around town trips. On highway, for extended periods, the '97 is getting around 28mpg, averaging 62 mph including stops, etc., for roughly 400 mile trips. That's about what the EPA estimates are for this vehicle. This is on winter blend, 87 octane, California gas, probably the worst in the nation for mpg.

Suggestion: try taking the car for an extended trip, say a minimum of 200 miles, and drive continuously at 60 or 65 the whole time, with no stops. Then see what your mileage is, not by using the device on the dashboard, but using the old fashioned method of hand calculation. This will tell you if you have a real mechanical problem or not. Anything above 26 mpg I would think is acceptable for these cars.

Good luck.



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