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I've always kept the tires correctly inflated. And this car is brand new- only 700 miles.
Today I put 100 miles on. The highway was filled with slow drivers, ie doing 60 MPH in the middle lane on a 65 MPH highway. Some were talking on the phone, others looked like they were asleep. Naturally, I have to pass. I really enjoy hitting the gas, but I'm realizing more how much that affects fuel economy.
Another thing, I often drive with the A/C on. I'll stop that.
A few fuel econ notes FWIW:
A. First full tank right out of the box (but corrected for the infamous dealer "full tank of gas" as noted on the window sticker) was 27.5
B. Odometer 25k....a random seven fuel stop sample 11/24/06 to 12/18/06...
1. mean 27.9
2. median 27.3
3. mode 27.4
..usage pattern samo/samo for all: (60/40)(fwy/city)........
.......improvement? Depends on the measure of central tendency selected.............
YMMV (as MidCow has indicated)
..ez..
Most trips at around 75mph: about 32mpg.
I drive local only, 2 miles per day on average -- I live close to where I work, 1 mile away, four traffic lights. Now I have close to 600 miles on the car. Filled up 4 or 5 times now. Each time about 12 gallons, and each time about 100-110 miles, which means I am only getting 9-10 MPG. I am expecting lower MPG for local driving, but never thought it would get this low.
Do you guys think there might be a problem?
Many thanks in advance!
1. Your Honda was a good choice....IMHO.
2. Your drive precludes adequate engine warmup/efficiency.
3. 9 or 10 mpg would seem low at any rate.
Expanding #1 above, when you've time, take a trip (on the freeway, top gear, warmed up).....your Honda should easily log 32+.......
Have you considered the health/monetary benefits of walking to work (about 20 minutes on average)..........
best, ez...
you're not driving your vehicle a sufficient distance to get it to temp and highest efficiency as ezshift indicates.
you need to drive it longer distances for sure, and i presume you *MAY* do damage to it by taking exclusively short trips.
break it in with some long distance stuff.
ezshift5, i'd be worrying about battery life and cat convertor life at the very least.
yeah, at 2 miles, one presumes one could walk, but we don't know the details of course. if possible, walking would be better than driving the car the 2 miles, for the car and the person.
I do your kind of driving to some extent. I am a train commuter living only 1.25 miles from the train station. Every 2 out of 3 weeks, I use my V6 A/T Accord to drive to and from the station. Every 1 out of 3 weeks my wife uses the Accord to commute to her job which is 32.5 miles from home. We also use the Accord for various errands and kids' activities on evenings and weekends, both city and highway. We're averaging 23.5mpg. Never got worse than 20.5mpg in any tank. But then again, I never had a tank where all I used the car for was short trips to the train station and back.
There's no "*MAY*" about it. "*ARE* doing" would be the appropriate phraseology. I responded on the other discussion and pointedly suggested leg power, too, as well as public transportaion. fated's poor fuel economy issue is only a symptom of a motor crying for help, not the actual problem, itself. I'm additionally curious, given fated's vehicle operating regimen, what the age and total miles were on his/her previous ride at trade-in time.
There has to a point where it doesn't make sense to drive to work.
Where do people make the cutoff? 1/4th of a mile?
Does anyone think that this could be due to faulty spark plugs, which I was informed were the wrong ones for the car? Could it be that the plugs are a contributing factor to lower than average fuel economy. I've checked the air filter already and it's clean, I've also been checking tire pressure monthly and attempt to drive sanely without mashing the gas pedal. Also, does anyone know how to access the fuel filter because I'm sure that probably needs to be replaced, I don't know if it's been replaced lately.
Thank you for your comments and advice.
sure your plugs could be fouled. your idle could be too high. you could still have a heavy foot ("attempt to drive sanely"). you could be greatly exceeding the speed limit.
when you do a 300mi cruise at about 60-65 on the highway, what is your MPG?
you might want to throw a bottle of injector cleaner into the tank on your next fillup. maybe a clogged injector?
I got 254 miles on 7.5 gallons of gas, or 35 MPG. I was thrilled, especially with the hills, and two other passengers!
..both were at 2200 RPM (6M high gear) circa 66 MPH......
..fuel numbers for both: just under 36 miles per gallon.
..takes some discipline/concentration to hold the V-6 in check, but the fuel economy sure do respond......
best, ez..
Enjoy your new car.
At 80mph (minus hitting the break a couple times for slow drivers in the left lane) the speed was consistent. Topped off in Macon with the following results:
157.8 miles using 5.553 gallons = 28.4mpg @ 80mph
Almost home and decided I would set the cruise at 60mph and see how the numbers looked. I topped the tank off as soon as I hit my exit with the following numbers:
53.5 miles using 1.416 gallons = 37.78mpg @ 60mph
Filling up with so little fuel being used makes your margin for error much greater, especially the tank where you used less than 2 gallons. While I have experienced the numbers you have at 60MPH with me going 75MPH (in a 2006 EX I-4), it'd be better to do mileage after more than half a tank has been used if possible, to minimize error.
Remember, when the pump clicks off, sometimes, there can be as much as 1 or more gallons that could still be put into the car. It varies with each pump.
What kind of car do you have?
Now that I think about it, it might have been worse on that same drive, with the moderate grades to climb. At 72 MPH, the RPMs are high enough that the car has enough torque, and doesn't have to downshift, or unlock the torque converter. At 60 MPH, I can imagine the car having to downshift, raising RPMs higher than they would be at 72 MPH, for those same hills.
I dunno, it's probably a very "had to be there" kind of road (I-65 from Birmingham, AL to Mobile, AL basically).
I only top off when I leave the house to make the 28 mile trip to work.
26 MPG pulling a boat isn't bad, I must say, especially with the 6-cylinder.
My grandmother has a 2002 I-4 4-speed Auto Accord LX, and it runs around 2,200 RPM at 60 MPH.
New Honda Accord 2007, V4, 4th month in use, Total milege is 950ml(not too much)Uses regular gas. As known the tank is 17 gallons.
By manual an engine consumes 24/34 city/hw.
The car runs 180-200ml for full tank in a city, So the fuel consumption is very low. Today I visited the Honda servise station, I'v been told, that's OK, and only after 7000mls of run the engine is going to start working in economy regime. Also I'v been told that 10-16mpg is normal for a new car. I can't believe in it!
Please, explain Who is right and what to do?
Thank you!
Joseph.
When you say "city," that leaves a lot of room for interpretation. How long is your typical commute, and how many minutes does that typically take you?
When calculating mileage, you should never go with the 17 gallon figure. Do this:
Miles Driven divided by Gallons pumped to reach full.
Example: 250 miles / 10 gallons pumped = 25 miles per gallon.
If you are doing lots of time idling, stop and go, warming up your car, and taking many short trips, you are never going to hit EPA numbers.
P.S.: The Accord 4-cylinder engine is an "inline-four" not a "vee-four." This is true of basically all 4-cylinder car engines produced today. Just a tip so the service technicians will take you a little more seriously.
Let us know more about your driving habits please, so we can advise! I have an I-4 Accord also, and have never had a tank below 26 MPG, but my driving conditions are likely different from yours. On the highway, these cars are capable of 40 MPG.
"City" means Brooklyn NY
You are right I don't drive to much, and my trips are usually short.I don't spend much time to worm engine up.
Certaenly, it's lot of stops like trafic lights, stacks, and because of that I anderstand, that such driving can't hit EPA. BUT at the same time it can't be like I calculate:
FULL TANK = 17g USING AN ODOMETER FROM 00.00(WHEN THE TANK IS FILLED UP) TO EMPTY TANK, ODOMETER SHOWS LIKE 180ML OF RUN, HERE OBVIOUSE 180 / 17 = 10.5mpg,
or 220 / 17 = 13 mpg, same like you explained, right?
When it's cold, like 12-22F, the engine starts preaty hard, with a little kick...?
Thahk you and would be glad to hear from you again!
So, the difference in how you are currently calculating (and I honestly think it is wrong, no offense) is that you SHOULD be calculating the amount of gas you pump into the tank AFTER driving on the now-empty tank.
Here's my example.
I currently have a full tank of fuel. I drive 400 miles, and stop to fill up. The car ISN'T empty, and takes 14 gallons of fuel, which means I have used 14 gallons over that 400 miles, not all 17 that the tank can hold.
Therefore, the equation should be 400 miles / 14 gallons = 28.57 MPG.
The way you are doing it is throwing your numbers WAY off. Make sure you divide the miles driven (180 or so) by the amount of gas you PHYSICALLY PUMPED INTO THE TANK, NOT THE TANK'S CAPACITY.
Calculated correctly, your numbers would be more like: 220 miles/ 14 gallons (assuming you let the low-fuel indicator come on before refueling) which would equal out to closer to 16 MPG, which considering where you live and how you are forced to idle so much, is pretty understandable.
P.S. The low-fuel warning light comes on with more than 3 gallons left in the tank. The tank will read on the red "E" line with about 2 gallons left.
Once more, for good measure, divide the miles driven by the gallons you pump after you drive them, NOT the 17 gallon capacity. You understand what I'm trying to say? Measure by GALLONS PUMPED after you drive the miles, not tank capacity.
Also, driving in NYC, you will do great to hit 18-20 MPG I'd guess.
All the things, you just explained are obviouse, but anyway I'll try.
I undrstand your point and next week I'm gonna make a test. I'll try using all the sugestions I got on forum.
But never the less some things I can't accept.It's a subject of discussion how to calculate MPG. Your calculation method looks more accurate. OK Let's see. After a wile I'll anounce the test result.
Thank you again!
All told, 324.9 miles on 11.97 gall--> 325/12 = 27.1 mpg
My car is newish (clock on this trip started at 1,600 on the odo). 90% of the driving was on the freeway at 68-75 mph (tach between 2100 and 2500 rpm). I was hoping for about 32 mpg, since I know I don't drive 60 mph @ 2000 rpm. Thoughts?
PS - my first fillups were like 22, 24, 25 mpg. I've been paying close attention to my break-in period and have been babying the car as much as i could. i've varied up and down up to 4,000 rpm but haven't gone higher than like 4,200 rpm. Soon I'll redline it once to fully seal it.
PPS - I have an 07 Auto 4-cyl. Driving in cold weather
this one where they mention going up and down from 30-50 mph a numebr of times (which i've done).... and he mentions, sometime around 2,000, you can/should redline it once. the guy seemed to know what he was talking about :P but i cant find the post now. it was made like a month or so ago
I would suggest you take a weekend day (maybe Sunday morning when there is less traffic?), drive 3 hours on the Interstate at a STEADY speed of 55-60 (even if it's a PAIN), fill it up right before you enter the Interstate, and again just when you exit it... In other words, do a PURE highway test...
Only then you can REALLY judge your gas mileage objectively. if you still get such poor gas mileage -- there is a problem somewhere in your car's system, which should be addressed.