mio

My 2011 MDX got 30000 miles on it, and i can only drive around 200 miles everytime i fill up the gas. i don't drive it often, like twice a week, should i change the sparking plug? what else should i do? thanks for your commends in advance.

mrgold35

Combined MPGs depends on:
- on how far you drive
- how fast
- does the car warm up
- hwy/city mix
- driving style
- terrain
- weather
- road conditions
- vehicle condition
- gas type (ethanol or not)

I've seen as low as 14 mpg in 100% city driving in Las Vegas; but, as high as 24 mpg on the hwy in TX at 70 mph. The M.I.D. mpg indicator is a little off also. I would divide your total miles traveled on your Trip A indicator divided by gallons at fill up for a better estimate. Even this method will be off a little bit depending when the pump auto shut off engages.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

the OP did not indicate a problem.

for all we know; his driving habits have changed or winter gas was used.


there are millions of variables and the OP needs to help narrow it down

mio

- normally i drive 10-20 miles in the weekend
- around 30-60 mph
- i normally don't warm up the car, but will drive very gently (lower than 3000rpm) when it's still cold.
- hwy/city mixed (60% hwy, 40% city)
- driving style not aggressive (rpm still lower than 3000, mostly around 2000)
- terrain: flat road/hwy
- weather is mostly sunny, sometimes raining, recently temp: 35-45f
- road condition dry, not too much traffic.
- vehicle condition: 30000 miles, no accident, good condition
- gas type: 93

mrgold35

The only thing I can think of is the 93 Octane gas? Most gas stations use ethanol to get the octane number up. I always get lower mpgs during the winter months because everyone switches to ethanol/oxygenated fuels to help air quality. I would see about 1-3 less mpgs combined for my vehicles just by using ethanol fuels.

Another thing that effects mpgs are tires. Sometimes snow tires or high performance tires might cause more resistance when driving compared to all season tires with a longer treadlife. Since the mpg drop happen recently, it might be more than likely gas type instead of maint/vehicle issue.

Can you use 91 Octane from the same or other gas station (assuming it doesn't have ethanol in it)? You might get your mpgs back with 91 with a possible zero loss in power.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

if tires deflated because of cooler weather, your MPGs will go down as well.


Millions of variables.

NBP04TL4ME

Double check tire inflation, even if you aren't getting a TPMS warning. Your tire pressure may be down quite a bit since Winter has arrived. Is the 200 miles per tank something new or has it recently dropped to this level?
10-20 miles on the weekend, but are you running errands with lots of stops and starts? What is your avg MPH from your MID?

flnycus

I have a 2011 Tech with 29,000 and we get an average of 13.9mpg . Its mostly 4 miles a day if that, start and stop traffic to and from school/stores (slow acceleration no heavy foot at all). Its terrible have only used shell v power from new when we had 3 miles on it.

Thus far haven't had any problems apart from had 2 new batteries replaced under warranty, an had the tab for the torque converter. Don't notice any problems with the driving, it drives great and the tires ar eat 33psi. I think its just bad mpg.

Did a 2k trip to fl, went up abit but not much.

flnycus

just to add our average mph i only 24 so... yours sounds great

TLtrigirl

iTrader: (1)

When I avg 20-25 mph per MID, my MPGs typically are around 15-17 mpg. This is normal based on my commutes which I would define as 50/50 hwy/ city. Road trips, I can get 23-24 mpg at avg speed of 65-70 mph. This is all based on the MID. All the fuel around here has ethanol in it. I'm driving the "less efficient" 5AT in my '09.

OP if you spend a lot of time idling in traffic...then your mpg will suffer. The MDX is just a thirsty heavy beast in town.

NJ06RL

Road trip MPG results from last week. 900 miles, 98% hwy, fully laden car, 3 adults,2 kids, trunk totally full of luggage, new Bridgestone Dueler low rolling resistance tires at 38psi. Got between 19 and 20.3 mpgs between each rest stop. A little lower than what we get for summer road trips but that may be the ethanol. Used Costco 93 octane all the way.

NBP04TL4ME

What was your avg. MPH on your trip?

NJ06RL

I should have looked. Sorry my bad.

TLtrigirl

iTrader: (1)

^^you're also on winter fuel.

NBP04TL4ME

No worries, but as you know speed makes a BIG difference.

mossman77

Why is winter fuel economy lower?

Cold weather affects your vehicle in more ways than you might expect:

• Engine and transmission friction increases in cold temperatures due to cold engine oil and other drive-line fluids.
• It takes longer for your engine to reach its most fuel-efficient temperature. This affects shorter trips more, since your car spends more of your trip at less-than-optimal temperatures.
• Heated seats, window defrosters, and heater fans use additional power.
• Warming up your vehicle before you start your trip lowers your fuel economy—idling gets 0 miles per gallon.
• Colder air is denser, increasing aerodynamic drag on your vehicle, especially at highway speeds.
• Tire pressure decreases in colder temperatures, increasing rolling resistance.
• Winter grades of gasoline can have slightly less energy per gallon than summer blends.
• Battery performance decreases in cold weather, making it harder for your alternator to keep your battery charged. This also affects the performance of the regenerative braking system on hybrids.

flnycus

Interesting. Our tires have been at 32 psi since new, perhaps i should air it up to 38 psi. Cant do anything about the start stop traffic or the low mileage per day.

NBP04TL4ME

You may want to go above the 32 PSI, but personally believe 38 is a bit much. While this will help your MPG, it will also increase wear in the center of the tread and make the overall ride much harder / harsh. You need to also be aware that the PSI will increase when the tire heats up - so be aware of the max PSI rating of your tires.
You might want to start with a cold PSI of maybe 34

mrgold35

I usually set my PSI to 32 in the summer since the temp always goes up as soon as you hit the road. I have to set my PSI to about 35 PSI in the winter because the early morning colder temp can knock another 2-3 PSI off. When I use to set the PSI to 32 in the winter, the TPMS would go off in the early morning sometimes with 28-29 low PSI warning. Being above 5000ft seems to knock another 1-2 PSI off the M.I.D. reading also.

I've noticed my MDX and RDX ride/handles a little better with 34-36 PSI in the tires (Conti DWS with soft sidewalls). I haven't noticed any unusual wear on all three of my vehicles when I gone as high as 36 PSI on my tires (all three have Conti DWS tires).

Lloyd10977

I recently returned from a road trip in my '02 MDX Touring that took me from Central NJ to Atlanta GA, Savannah GA, Lynchburg VA, Cleveland OH and back to Central NJ. Mostly highway using 91 octane of various manufacturers Here are some resultes that I collected:

Average MPH - 61.2 mph
tire pressure - 35psi in Michelin XTS tires
Load - 4 adults and luggage
fluids - full synthetic in tranny, diff, engine oil Castrol full synth 0w20
Distance - 1934.4 miles
Mileage - 20.9mpg

I'm happy.

MandoTL

Since owning my X and adding about 1200 miles in the month of ownership, mile range with roughly 80% city and the remaining highway. I get about 280-310 miles.

I am averaging per MID mpg 13-15 city. Like others have stated, the X is a gas hog and the winter time doesn't help mpg due to a variety of variables in driving habits with winter blend fuel.