95 at the half mark would be 15 mpg or so. doesnt sound right.if you really want to know, fill it up and do the math.if you filled it last time it should be right.
I will have to go find something on this, but I will tell you right now that fuel gauges are a very approximate way to keep track of your gas.
Back in the 70s, the auto industry standardized fuel gauges to make a sudden drop at around 1/4 tank. Watch your gauge...it'll do this. This was done to try to eliminate the problem of running out of gas that was happening with the more "real-time" gas gauges.
Like I said, I'll see if I can find something on this. Anybody have more specific info?
norwaydoug - Your listening specs are a good start, but are incomplete. For the test to be meaningful, it must be as standardized as possible. For instance, windows should be down or the listening test should be done from outside the car. Note that near by objects or enclosed spaces will make a difference. Listening in the garage will be noisier then out in a big empty parking lot. Finally, everyone should try to listen under the same exact conditions - as much as possible - for the reports to be useful.
For instance, I always keep my windows up - I hate the wind noise - and run the inside fan - usually at position 2 - at all outside temps. My ZX3 is wonderfully quiet to me. But on trips I occasionally need to drive briefly with the window down - toll booths are a good example. The rattling noises I hear when driving past other objects (the noise echoes off stuff) are startling. But then every car I've ever owned seems to be noisy that way so I don't consider it to be an issue.
As for judging fuel economy by the number of miles till the fuel gauge reads empty, or half full...
There are too many other variables here for this to be meaningful. Fuel gauges are often not very reliable or stable. They are good as a judge of when to refill, but don't just assume you have half a tank because the gauge says so. To judge milage, we really need to know how many miles have been driven, AND the number of gallons of fuel were put back into the tank to refill it. The gauge reading is basically meaningless.
An example - My old Escort can go for a week before it hits the 1/2 mark, then it goes to E in another day or two. This gauge is very non-linear. I can rely on it to tell me when to stop for gas, but I had to learn it's quirks first.
I agree with your comments. I did my noise test out on a huge parking lot with my windows closed, and then I stepped out. very quiet from the inside, and a bit loud from the outside. nothing significant to report. sounds normal to me.
last fill up got 28mpg--mostly city drive. 2000 miles so far got 27mpg on the first tank, so it seems to be constant.
reed112, watch out for that g-shock, they'll send you a bill in a couple of days...if you thought they watch was big, wait until you get the bill!
I do realize the half way mark on the gauge is not the correct way to calculate the MPG...that's why I sadi the 2nd half of the way down it goes MUCH quicker and it varies from 170-200....
But on average 30-ish....
Anyone have any clue about the "reserve" in the tank? Is that just the gas you use after the light goes on?
I've posted before that I get the worst mileage ever (but still love my car). However, I was talking to my neighbor over the weekend, who is the head mechanic at a Ford/Lincoln/Mercury dealer and I told him about my never-got-more-than-19mpg-ever fuel economy. He said that dealers have a special whatchimajammy (that's the technical term) that they can hook up to your car and take it for a ride. It will display to the second mpg as well as average mpg too. Funny, how my dealer didn't mention that he had such a thing. I think I'm going to send my neighbor to work with my car and ask that he Hook Me Up. Maybe we should all bombard our dealers with this request. He (the neighbor guy) said that all cars over the year of 1995 have this capability to be hooked up to this doohicky (the other technical term). This may be old news to some of you, come to think of it. But, if it is, no one has mentioned it lately.
There exists quite a variable measuring gas mileage by using the gas gauge. I find that each gas pump has a different sensitivity and this causes the volume of gas to vary by about a gallon. Often the pump clicks off when the tank is not fully filled.
I find I get 170-190 miles from a half tank. I believe the best way to calculate is by doing the math. Keeping a record is also recommended.
Zgrrrl and I have the same experience regarding gas mileage. I would re-read the manual regarding the gas indicator light though. There is no reserve tank. There was some discussion regarding this some time ago, but trust me there is no reserve tank.
Still , drebe's 95 miles from a half tank seems not correct. I second the vote and ask drebe to get a database of calculated gas mileage.
Jwkessler's points are valid regarding my sound test. I do the test with the windows closed too.
Oh...and thank you for remembering Silver Bullet that I had some success with ford customer service in the past.
dropped the car at the dealer while I went on vacation to have them fix the AM (4th time) and replace the auto transmission.
Picked it up late at night (after driving for 13 hours) only to learn that they ones again lost my key. Luckily I had my other set with me so I could drive it home. Next morning I noticed the forgot to put the trim panel on the A pillar in place so I took it back to have them fix it. They actually did find my key while I waited for the fix. Amazing how they had the car for 2 weeks and I still had to take it back.
On the mpg. Noticed that that I now have 90 miles on the tank and its only missing a 1/4 tank. Normally I could only get about 50-60 miles out of it. So maybe with the new tranny mpg is up from the 25 I was getting. Will keep you posted when I fill up next time.
Speaking of mpg, any of you using priceline.com to save on their gas? I don't work for them or anything but have been real happy with their service and love saving $0.12 to $0.25 a gallon.
I still havent figured out this whole MPG thing... i can say that since ive had my car ive gotten 114miles on a quarter tank pure highway a/c on... and other times i get 50-60miles on a quarter tank if that... I think i'll drive til my gas light comes on and fill it up and write down how many gallons went in and see how many miles i get til the light goes on again.
I ordered my wind/rain deflectors today... cost about 45 bucks and will be in tomorrow... but im goin in to get my tonsils removed first thing in the morning... so I probably wont pick them up for a few days.
I dont realy like the way the focus 16" rims look... just personal preference... but I like my 15" 5-spoke rims much better.
If you want to have some fun, go to www.tirerack.com and use their online guide to see what different wheels look like on the ZX3. More wheels in the proper offset are becoming available now - I think the Tire Rack now has 19 different wheels to choose from ranging from 15 to 17 inches in diameter.
brett- i agree,the mileage you are getting does not seem normal with a/c on or off.the better half drives an auto zx2 with same zetec engine air on always and averages 25 to 28 mpg. not to shabby. in my opinion, the zetec in zx2 seems to be more gutsy.i dont know why either.it may have to do with the more aerodynamic shape,also seats are lower to floor than zx2.it may just be that sensation of being closer to ground level than zx3.even the escort seems more gutsy than the sedan base focus. there must be differences in the 2 configurations of the zetec used in the zx2 + zx3.as far as cape may,it certainly is a beautiful one of a kind town. if i wasnt for work,i could live on the beach till i checked-out.i got lucky,2 sunny saturdays in a row.i am going for three this saturday.its a good idea to have your friend do an analysis for you.it is certainly an odd situation with all the different mpg being reported here.i think 25 mpg avg.would be decent overall.i almost forgot,hows the dryer?
Well, for anyone that was waiting to find out, even though my aftermarket wheels and tires look a bit bigger than stock, I checked and looked and measured and they are the same size. Must be an optical illusion. Still looks good and I will scan some pics and post some time. I also drilled two holes in the front bumper and put my "Jimmy" license plate [that I swiped from the GMC display at a Pittsburgh Auto Show] on, looks good, I like it [but then again, I am a bit vain. My MPG is still in the slightly sucky [not as bad as my 1998 Ranger, but not at good as my bro's GOLF] and I tried to shift at 3000 rpm or so but darn if I couldn't do it. I had to let the Zetec sing up till the 4500 rpm sweet spot and get to where I was going sooner.
It is a long story, but I've ended up with TWO Official Ford Car Service CD-ROMs, which is one more than I need. Would anyone care to buy my spare, say for $25.00 incl. shipping? This is the same CD used by the dealer, and contains procedures, diagrams, troubleshooting charts, wiring diagrams, etc. for ALL 2000 model year Ford cars. Will run on any computer with Windows 95 or 98 and a CD-ROM drive. Let me know, and we'll discuss offline!
go to www.priceline.com for all the detail info. But it basically works this way. Select three or more participating gas station that are in your area from a list. Submit a bid on how many gallons you want to buy and what you are willing to pay for them. If one of the stations is willing to sell to you at that price you will get immediate confirmation. The amount is billed to your credit card and all you have to do is to go to the station and pump the gas. Since I started using it just over a month ago I have paid between $1.20 and $1.54 while the gas station price was between $1.46 and $1.65.
drebe73, I hit the halfway mark on the gauge yesterday. Trip odometer said 100 mi.
Obviously the fuel gauge isn't accurate as I know from figuring my mileage that I'm getting 22 mpg. in the city.
approximate values: 200 mi. 9 gallons
(I have used the same gas station and the same pump for every fueling of my car thus far.) I do check my mileage every time I put fuel in the car. I'm sure that if I was easier on the car, I'd see a better mpg. However, all the highway miles I've calculated were 35+ mpg.
Hi all. I was at the dealership where I purchased my Focus last night for the new owner car care clinic. This was a nice opportunity to introduce the service manager to my BIG complaint about my mileage. He gave me the same old bs about the "break-in" and said it should gradually improve, but no one could expect the standards printed on the sticker since they are based on going 50mph on a straight road. Hmmm. Sounds like he will be getting to know me a lot better. After the "official" clinic, I did speak to the service mgr and asked if he would promise the improvement would occur and what the options were if it didn't. He then told me to document for the next 1000 miles, then come in. So at least I will have an opportunity to show my side of it. BTW, just to clarify, I didn't buy the focus strictly for "economy" and I don't expect to be getting 35 mpg or anything. I do think it is reasonable to expect the 28 mpg combined figure offered on the EPA website. If I had been going for straight fuel economy alone I would have gone with something that had a higher EPA estimate. But I wanted something that looked good too! And at that my focus definitely succeeds. And it is not like I dislike my car, I LOVE it, I just want it to perform as I was led to believe it would.
The dryer works like a charm! And, I definitely will have someone I know take my car in for analysis. We also have another friend who works at a Ford Dealership. I am definitely interested in getting that information. It does get under my skin that they (the dealerships) blow off the service customers and tell US to do all the calculations when they are fully capable of ascertaining that information in the blink of an eye. Instead,they just blow us off.
Hi fellow ZX3'ers Here's an announcement: at 0450 this morning, on Highway 280 near downtown St Paul. my ZX3 quietly, smoothly, and without fanfare, passed 10,000 trouble free* miles on the odometer. I pointed this out to my (non driving) wife, who was...unimpressed.
My MPG has stabilized at about 27-28. I've never done as well as 30, but have not been below the low 20's. Keep in mind that the ZX3 is (relatively) powerful, and has a stubby, tall shape. Not good for high MPG.
Thinking back on the thousands of posts we've read: hey, torinopaddy (in Italy) are you still reading these posts? Long time, no hear.
Dave (not to be confused with the Dave of Chain Letter fame.)
AAA Picks Its Top Cars Ford Focus Mitsubishi Galant Buick LeSabre Acura TL Lincoln LS Cadillac DeVille Lexus GS 300/400 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Dodge Caravan Nissan Xterra Chevrolet Tahoe GMC Yukon Audi TT
I signed on with priceline.com recently, and I'm enjoying saving 15-20 cents over the local gas stations. It's been a very simple process and I'd recommend it. The only potential caveat is that you have to use up your prepaid gallons on your card before 90 days, so you should budget how much you'll be pumping before you prepay. But as I'm doing around 2500 miles a month, I'll have no problem myself.
I installed my HiperWhite 60/55w bulbs last night, and really like them. It took me a while to figure out how to take the 'old' bulbs out; that metal spring clip looks nothing like the drawing in the manual!
Do any of you think that the dipped-beam headlights (also the full-beam) are shining too high on the road ? I don't have any heavy weights in the trunk, so I'm sure the car isn't tilted back at all. I'd appreciate if any of you (silverbullet?) have adjusted the height to let me know what to do. Thanks.
I'm in central NJ you know, where EVERY major road comes together! Turnpike, Parkway, Rt 1, 1/9, 287, oh it sure is fun to go out for a Sunday drive! Jen
Sorry, Gabe spoke up first for the extra CD-ROM I've got. Zgrrrl - no, the brake pads are free to anyone who wants them, no purchase necessary - and the baggie is free Regarding gas from Price Line - does William Shatner come out and fill your tank? ;-) This is gonna be real big!
I don't think our headlamps are adjustable, but I'll check the service CD and report back a bit later.
I tried, but nothing is cheaper than the reservation gas. Priceline can't compare with the prices. Just keeps coming back nothing available. Off reservation is about 15 cents higher.
brett- come on now,wheres that old philly spirit? you have to march down to the dealership and read those guys the riot act.you havent forgotten the squeaky wheel gets the most oil.you have to be one big pain in the a..sometimes thats all they under- stand.you have a legitimate concern that should be addressed.dont forget,old jack,the ceo is on the tv every night putting a spin on the firestone fiasco. they need to retain all the customer confidence they can.i believe this one is going to hurt them hard.by the way, is the dryer the one where the door opens from the front?i think i had noticed in our laundry room two types of appliances.not sure how they operate.i do take out the trash twice a week.
Am I correct in understanding that you have a Native American reservation nearby that sell gas for "cheap" ? - as in not having to paying taxes to some level of government ?
...Ford is getting trashed big time. First the tire fiasco. Now the federal judge telling Ford they have to recall a bazillion cars to fix a stalling problem due to a misplaced ignition component. Then there is the as-yet-undefined recall involving virtually every Focus on the road, due to an alleged failure to meet an impact injury standard. Here in TX, it is tough to get a service appointment, thanks to all the hysterical soccer moms demanding new tires for their Explorers RIGHT NOW. It sure tests your loyalty...
Am I correct in understanding that you have a Native American reservation nearby that sells gas for "cheap" ? - as in not having to paying taxes to some level of government ?
I want to thank all of you who have posted the good the bad and even the ugly over the past several months. How wonderfully helpful this forum has been for me in deciding to buy my zinc yellow z which I picked up from the dealer yesterday. I absolutely love this car and find myself smilling as I drive. It is a fun car with lots of very nice features. I have been driving since yesterday and so many people have stopped me to talk about this car and to ask if they can see it! Amazing! So if you see a yellow Z with Ohio plates give a honk and a wave! I have gone through about a full tank of gas and am pleased with the mileage thus far. Aprox. 25 miles per gal. with mixed driving.
I posted about my pour gas mileage a couple of months ago. Good to see that others are concerned with this problem. I have the 5-speed -- thought that I would get better mileage vs automatic.
I have noticed that when I am at 70 mph, the tach is around 2900 rpm. You folks getting the 30-38 mpg, what does your tach register at when you are driving @ 70? Just wondering if my engine is working harder, thus yielding the lower mpg.
God my rain deflectors today.... they werent the kind that goes inside the door =( they just stuck yo the outside. but since they're smoked color and my car is dark they look pretty sharp. I wanted to get the Lund X-Terminator as well, but everyone i try to order from tells me that im a moron if I think it'll fit my focus... I tell them that I know people that have done it and they just say "yeah right" Pat, which model of the X-Terminator did you get? apparently there are different sizes?....
sunnyz - Congratulations on the Zinc Yellow Z! Keep an eye out in about two weeks. I expect to be in the Columbus Ohio area with mine to visit some family and I expect to stop off in Dayton to see the Air Force Museum. It would be neat to see another yellow ZX3 - So far I've only seen my own.
zx3beast, you left out the part about Ford chopping pay for warranty work. If you believe the tech boards, Ford's best mechanics are leaving in droves to work for Toyota. So I'm not too sure what my warranty is worth.
On the subject of tires, I checked my tire pressure for the first time (had my car 5 days), and all tires were 38-40 lbs at 75F. According to the label in my door jamb, they are supposed to be 34 lbs. Is 75F too warm? Is my gauge wrong? Or did dealer prep over-inflate my tires?
Hmm. 70 mph is about 115 kph. At that speed my auto (still has the tach) was turning over at about 2900 (I don't know the wind conditions.) There is a big difference between 115 and 100 kph (about 60 mph.) Sadly, I think the Focus has the Reynolds number of a brick - to get good highway mileage, you simply must drive more slowly.
Ok, so I managed to adjust my headlights last night. I followed (as recommended of course) the procedure in the manual. They both needed to come down a bit. I made sure the tire pressures were correct first, at 32psi, just in case.
Interestingly, I should have mentioned this before, but the first time I checked my tires (about a month after purchasing my z), they were all at 25psi. So I had to pump them all up to 32psi. So, I find it disconcerting to read the carconnection.com report about Ford routinely underinflating the Explorer's Firestone tires due to the apparent instability when inflated to their recommended pressure. I hope these two aren't connected. I really hope so, for Ford's sake. At least the zx3 is on Goodyears.
I noticed the other day on WV turnpike that my tech read 3,250-3,000 rpm at 80 mph. Even at speeds to 70-80 mph, I managed to get 30.4 mpg on a tank of gas (vacation trip).
My husband won't take the wheel off for me "for no reason" but says he is 99.9% sure that the wheel dimension is 16 x 7. I asked about mm. of offset and he said he would find out.... we'll see....
I would bet the wheel is 16x7 -- the offset is probably similar to the 16" wheel fitted to the Cougar.
Regarding tire pressures, first you have to obtain a decent gauge - no, the $5 pencil types aren't very accurate. The gauge I use came from Racer's Wholesale, and is actually hand calibrated for accuracy; when it reads 30psi, it means 30 psi. It is a dial-type gauge with an extension hose and integral bleeder, and cost about $35.00. A similar device is a worthwhile investment, as I've found most dealer service departments and tire shops use inaccurate gauges. You should get in the habit of checking tire pressure every week, or at least every two weeks. Keep in mind that a drop in air temp. will result in a drop in tire pressure as well, and that the rated pressure (isn't it 32 psi?) is always measured when the tires are cold (i.e., before you start off for the day).
People are posting some weird ways to calculate MPG. The only way to get an accurate value is...
1. Fill up the tank 2. Reset the tripometer. 3. Drive until you need to fill up again. 4. Divide the number of miles on the tripometer by the number of gallons pumped.
Example...
300 miles driven divided by 10 gallons pumped = 30 MPG.
MPG calculation has nothing to do with the gas gauge.
And I know I am stating the obvious for most hear but some seem confused.
Comments
Back in the 70s, the auto industry standardized fuel gauges to make a sudden drop at around 1/4 tank. Watch your gauge...it'll do this. This was done to try to eliminate the problem of running out of gas that was happening with the more "real-time" gas gauges.
Like I said, I'll see if I can find something on this. Anybody have more specific info?
For instance, I always keep my windows up - I hate the wind noise - and run the inside fan - usually at position 2 - at all outside temps. My ZX3 is wonderfully quiet to me. But on trips I occasionally need to drive briefly with the window down - toll booths are a good example. The rattling noises I hear when driving past other objects (the noise echoes off stuff) are startling. But then every car I've ever owned seems to be noisy that way so I don't consider it to be an issue.
As for judging fuel economy by the number of miles till the fuel gauge reads empty, or half full...
There are too many other variables here for this to be meaningful. Fuel gauges are often not very reliable or stable. They are good as a judge of when to refill, but don't just assume you have half a tank because the gauge says so. To judge milage, we really need to know how many miles have been driven, AND the number of gallons of fuel were put back into the tank to refill it. The gauge reading is basically meaningless.
An example - My old Escort can go for a week before it hits the 1/2 mark, then it goes to E in another day or two. This gauge is very non-linear. I can rely on it to tell me when to stop for gas, but I had to learn it's quirks first.
last fill up got 28mpg--mostly city drive. 2000 miles so far got 27mpg on the first tank, so it seems to be constant.
reed112, watch out for that g-shock, they'll send you a bill in a couple of days...if you thought they watch was big, wait until you get the bill!
But on average 30-ish....
Anyone have any clue about the "reserve" in the tank? Is that just the gas you use after the light goes on?
I find I get 170-190 miles from a half tank. I believe the best way to calculate is by doing the math. Keeping a record is also recommended.
Zgrrrl and I have the same experience regarding gas mileage. I would re-read the manual regarding the gas indicator light though. There is no reserve tank. There was some discussion regarding this some time ago, but trust me there is no reserve tank.
Still , drebe's 95 miles from a half tank seems not correct. I second the vote and ask drebe to get a database of calculated gas mileage.
Jwkessler's points are valid regarding my sound test. I do the test with the windows closed too.
Oh...and thank you for remembering Silver Bullet that I had some success with ford customer service in the past.
Still love my green machine
Doug
http://www.blueovalnews.com/ubb/ubbhtml/Forum34/HTML/000096.html
ND
Picked it up late at night (after driving for 13 hours) only to learn that they ones again lost my key. Luckily I had my other set with me so I could drive it home. Next morning I noticed the forgot to put the trim panel on the A pillar in place so I took it back to have them fix it. They actually did find my key while I waited for the fix. Amazing how they had the car for 2 weeks and I still had to take it back.
On the mpg. Noticed that that I now have 90 miles on the tank and its only missing a 1/4 tank. Normally I could only get about 50-60 miles out of it. So maybe with the new tranny mpg is up from the 25 I was getting. Will keep you posted when I fill up next time.
Speaking of mpg, any of you using priceline.com to save on their gas? I don't work for them or anything but have been real happy with their service and love saving $0.12 to $0.25 a gallon.
I ordered my wind/rain deflectors today... cost about 45 bucks and will be in tomorrow... but im goin in to get my tonsils removed first thing in the morning... so I probably wont pick them up for a few days.
I dont realy like the way the focus 16" rims look... just personal preference... but I like my 15" 5-spoke rims much better.
NJ
not seem normal with a/c on or off.the better half
drives an auto zx2 with same zetec engine air on
always and averages 25 to 28 mpg. not to shabby.
in my opinion, the zetec in zx2 seems to be more
gutsy.i dont know why either.it may have to do with
the more aerodynamic shape,also seats are lower to
floor than zx2.it may just be that sensation of
being closer to ground level than zx3.even the escort seems more gutsy than the sedan base focus.
there must be differences in the 2 configurations
of the zetec used in the zx2 + zx3.as far as cape may,it certainly is a beautiful one of a kind town.
if i wasnt for work,i could live on the beach till
i checked-out.i got lucky,2 sunny saturdays in a row.i am going for three this saturday.its a good idea to have your friend do an analysis for you.it
is certainly an odd situation with all the different mpg being reported here.i think 25 mpg
avg.would be decent overall.i almost forgot,hows the dryer?
I also drilled two holes in the front bumper and put my "Jimmy" license plate [that I swiped from the GMC display at a Pittsburgh Auto Show] on, looks good, I like it [but then again, I am a bit vain.
My MPG is still in the slightly sucky [not as bad as my 1998 Ranger, but not at good as my bro's GOLF] and I tried to shift at 3000 rpm or so but darn if I couldn't do it. I had to let the Zetec sing up till the 4500 rpm sweet spot and get to where I was going sooner.
Jimmy
Since I started using it just over a month ago I have paid between $1.20 and $1.54 while the gas station price was between $1.46 and $1.65.
I hit the halfway mark on the gauge yesterday. Trip odometer said 100 mi.
Obviously the fuel gauge isn't accurate as I know from figuring my mileage that I'm getting 22 mpg. in the city.
approximate values:
200 mi.
9 gallons
(I have used the same gas station and the same pump for every fueling of my car thus far.)
I do check my mileage every time I put fuel in the car. I'm sure that if I was easier on the car, I'd see a better mpg. However, all the highway miles I've calculated were 35+ mpg.
Gabe
Have a great time in Cape May. I am so jealous!
My MPG has stabilized at about 27-28. I've never done as well as 30, but have not been below the low 20's. Keep in mind that the ZX3 is (relatively) powerful, and has a stubby, tall shape. Not good for high MPG.
Thinking back on the thousands of posts we've read: hey, torinopaddy (in Italy) are you still reading these posts? Long time, no hear.
Dave (not to be confused with the Dave of Chain Letter fame.)
* .. well almost no problems
Ford Focus
Mitsubishi Galant
Buick LeSabre
Acura TL
Lincoln LS
Cadillac DeVille
Lexus GS 300/400
Mercedes-Benz S-Class
Dodge Caravan
Nissan Xterra
Chevrolet Tahoe
GMC Yukon
Audi TT
But as I'm doing around 2500 miles a month, I'll have no problem myself.
I installed my HiperWhite 60/55w bulbs last night, and really like them. It took me a while to figure out how to take the 'old' bulbs out; that metal spring clip looks nothing like the drawing in the manual!
Do any of you think that the dipped-beam headlights (also the full-beam) are shining too high on the road ? I don't have any heavy weights in the trunk, so I'm sure the car isn't tilted back at all. I'd appreciate if any of you (silverbullet?) have adjusted the height to let me know what to do. Thanks.
treva
I don't think our headlamps are adjustable, but I'll check the service CD and report back a bit later.
Pat
Pat
you have to march down to the dealership and read
those guys the riot act.you havent forgotten the
squeaky wheel gets the most oil.you have to be one
big pain in the a..sometimes thats all they under-
stand.you have a legitimate concern that should be
addressed.dont forget,old jack,the ceo is on the tv
every night putting a spin on the firestone fiasco.
they need to retain all the customer confidence they can.i believe this one is going to hurt them
hard.by the way, is the dryer the one where the door opens from the front?i think i had noticed in
our laundry room two types of appliances.not sure
how they operate.i do take out the trash twice a week.
Am I correct in understanding that you have a Native American reservation nearby that sell gas for "cheap" ? - as in not having to paying taxes to some level of government ?
Carl
Am I correct in understanding that you have a Native American reservation nearby that sells gas for "cheap" ? - as in not having to paying taxes to some level of government ?
Carl
I have noticed that when I am at 70 mph, the tach is around 2900 rpm. You folks getting the 30-38 mpg, what does your tach register at when you are driving @ 70? Just wondering if my engine is working harder, thus yielding the lower mpg.
Thanks
NJ
2002 Ford Mondeo....ZX-3 on STEROIDS!!! I Like it.
http://www.thecarconnection.com/thisweek/default.asp?idSection=1
Whyford,
Gas mileage sucks but i really like mine.
Check out http://www.geocities.com/zinc_zx3/ for some pictures of my first two trips.
On the subject of tires, I checked my tire pressure for the first time (had my car 5 days), and all tires were 38-40 lbs at 75F. According to the label in my door jamb, they are supposed to be 34 lbs. Is 75F too warm? Is my gauge wrong? Or did dealer prep over-inflate my tires?
Interestingly, I should have mentioned this before, but the first time I checked my tires (about a month after purchasing my z), they were all at 25psi. So I had to pump them all up to 32psi. So, I find it disconcerting to read the carconnection.com report about Ford routinely underinflating the Explorer's Firestone tires due to the apparent instability when inflated to their recommended pressure.
I hope these two aren't connected. I really hope so, for Ford's sake. At least the zx3 is on Goodyears.
treva
treva.
Regarding tire pressures, first you have to obtain a decent gauge - no, the $5 pencil types aren't very accurate. The gauge I use came from Racer's Wholesale, and is actually hand calibrated for accuracy; when it reads 30psi, it means 30 psi. It is a dial-type gauge with an extension hose and integral bleeder, and cost about $35.00. A similar device is a worthwhile investment, as I've found most dealer service departments and tire shops use inaccurate gauges. You should get in the habit of checking tire pressure every week, or at least every two weeks. Keep in mind that a drop in air temp. will result in a drop in tire pressure as well, and that the rated pressure (isn't it 32 psi?) is always measured when the tires are cold (i.e., before you start off for the day).
1. Fill up the tank
2. Reset the tripometer.
3. Drive until you need to fill up again.
4. Divide the number of miles on the tripometer by the number of gallons pumped.
Example...
300 miles driven divided by 10 gallons pumped = 30 MPG.
MPG calculation has nothing to do with the gas gauge.
And I know I am stating the obvious for most hear but some seem confused.