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Honda Accord 4 cyl/150HP automatics get very dissappointing gas mileage

bd21bd21 Member Posts: 437
edited March 2014 in Honda
I have a 2001 Honda Accord LX 4cyl/150hp automatic that I bought new a year ago and I am very dissapointed in the gas mileage that I have been able to obtain. The car is meticiously maintained, I'm a mechanic. The car was broken in properly, 5W-20 weight oil is used and correct tire pressure maintained. In over 15,000 miles of driving using a very conservative driving style I get 21-22.5 MPG in the light flat city driving and 27-28.6 MPG on pure flat interstate 10 driving. The car is rated at 23 city/30 highway. I have never owned a car that I didn't exceed EPA estimates by at least 2 or 3 miles per gallon. I have had Honda check out the car and they changed the computer, but the mileage stayed the same. I have also talked to several people that have a Accord like mind and they are in the same boat. Accord's gas mileage is just not very good when compared to a like cars, Camry, Altima etc.
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    lancerfixerlancerfixer Member Posts: 1,284
    ...but are you using gas with any additives, such as ethanol? I noticed when I used ethanol-"enriched" gas in my '94 Accord 5-speed my mileage dropped by about 4 mpg in the summer and as many as 6 mpg in the winter. I now run 100% gas strictly, and see about 33 mpg highway and in the 26-27 range in town (anywhere from 1-3 mpg less in the dog days of summer with the A/C cranked, which will also definitely hurt mileage, and I'm guessing you're using it a lot if you're driving down south on I-10.)
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    bd21bd21 Member Posts: 437
    Lancerfixer, all gas has additives in one form or another, but I assume you are concerned about the effects of adding Mentanol and Ethanol. I have used gas from Shell, Cheveron and Racetrack. No difference noted between any brands. You have a 5 speed in a less powerful older technology Honda, so I would expect your mileage to be about where it is. I think the latest Honda should get at least 25 MPG in the city and 32 on the highway. My 1991 Mercury Sable with a V-6 gets better gas mileage than my Honda. A new Honda should at least be able to beat a 12 year old heavier car!
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    lancerfixerlancerfixer Member Posts: 1,284
    Obviously all gas has additives. Here in Iowa, a 90% gas/10% ethanol blend is sold, and I know similar blends are sold in other states; I don't know if Florida is one of them. Of course having a five speed helps my mileage, though from what I understand, a VTEC-equipped engine should have better mileage than a non-VTEC; as an aside, the owner's manual for my other car (a Volvo) specifically states not to use ethanol/methanol gasoline.
    Just trying to help. Resume complaining about your mileage at your leisure.
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    q45manq45man Member Posts: 416
    Generally gasoline that is oxygenated [MTBE or Ethanol] only decreases mileage by 5% due to low BTU of that fuel but 10% ethanol can absorb up to 5% water which might reduce mileage by another 5%.
    Great way to decrease imports by 15%.
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    wainwain Member Posts: 479
    something wrong with the Honda for sure.
    My heavier? 94 Camry 4 cyl does a lot better and its LOW tech
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    tntitantntitan Member Posts: 306
    I have a 2000 Accord SE with the 4 cylinder VTEC 150 HP engine and an automatic transmission. I keep detailed records since day one and have averaged 25.7 MPG after 31,000 miles. My office is less than 5 miles from home and the golf course is 12 miles - neither on the interstate. I do not drive conservatively and when I am on the interstate (about 25%) I drive at 80. On the few trips I have taken I averaged around 30-31 MPG driving at 75-80 MPH. The only thing I have done differently is that I use 10W-30 (which was the recommended oil for my car).

    I was a little disappointed in my mileage when I first got the car but decided that it was worth the price for the additional power over what I originally expected from the car. I think you should be upset if you are not averaging at least 24 MPG and have the dealer check it out. Something sounds wrong.
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    karlkarl Member Posts: 34
    Could the gas be evaporating out of the tank/ fuel lines somewhere ?

    Do you park in a garage at night ? notice any gas smells ?

    Also, has the dealer confirmed that your speedo /odometer is set up correctly ? (I don't know if these are gear-driven on the Accord, or if it's entirely electronic.) For example, on my Jeep, there's a small plastic gear that triggers a sensor that tells the speedometer how fast I'm going, as well as how many miles I've traveled. If I change any variables such as axle ratio or tire size, I affect the final drive ratio, and will cause the speedo/odo to be inaccurate.
    Correcting this inaccuracy is done by changing out the plastic gear to one with the correct tooth #.

    -Karl
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    bburton1bburton1 Member Posts: 395
    Tntitan says 10W-30 weight oil is recommended for his 4 cyl accord. For mine it is 5W-30 and it's a 97 LX non VTEC. Has Honda changed their recommended oil for newer accords. Just curious.
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    tntitantntitan Member Posts: 306
    My wife has a 2002 CRV-EX and the recommended oil for it is 5W-20. I rechecked my 2000 Accord SE to make sure I was not having a senior moment and it is 10W-30. The dealership I bought both of these gave me a free oil change on the first change and they put 10W-40 in my Accord and 5W-30 in the CRV. It was what they "had in stock" at the time. I now do as much maintenance as I can on both of my cars. IMHO dealership service departments rank right behind "rust protection" and extended warranties.
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    tntitantntitan Member Posts: 306
    I popped the hood and checked my 2000 Accord SE does call for 5W-30 but I still use 10W-30 because it is over 90 all summer and I am satisfied with my 25.7 MPG.
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    lolaerololaero Member Posts: 3
    Okay, I have a 2002 Honda Accord LX Auto. I'm suppose to have 23 mpg for city, but to my calculations, I am only getting about 12 mpg with a full tank of gas. I drive conservatively and I am only getting around 200 miles for each tank! What's wrong?? I haven't changed anything. Everything is stock. I use Chevron's premium gas.
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    bburton1bburton1 Member Posts: 395
    To accurately calculate gas mileage-gotta go from fillup to fillup and then do the division. If you really are getting 12mpg with a 4 cylinder accord-you have big problems-smell/look at the exhaust-is it black and really burn your nose. I think it highly unlikely you could even get that much gas through a 4 cyl accord without fouling the plugs with a really over rich mixture. Also a mixture that rich would be running raw gas into the cylinder heads-big time wear problem.

    Got a 97 i4 accord-did a 380 mile road trip, 80 miles at 63mph and 300 miles at 80 mph with ac on most of trip-used 12.2 gallons of gas-same pump for both fills and filled it to the top each time-that works out to 31.1 mpg. Usually get from 29 to 32 MPG and drive at 80 most of the time.
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