GGYY

thanks for all the responds and helps

used to manual and floor it alot
but since the gas is killin me
i started to use automatic on highway and easy on the pedal but didnt really impove the gas mileage much and i dont use cruise control

i will check my exhausts and change my air filter and see what happens

thanks

sc354 i found one of your previous post about your poor gas mileage and i though you said about dealer adjusted something and improved your gas mileage
but anywayz thanks for your helps

vfrdirk

As far as additives go, I've had great results with Sea Foam. I've started to put a quarter can in the crankcase a couple hundred miles before an oil change (it says you can use it in the oil all the time, but I'm a little skeptical) to loosen up any oil-related gunk and then put the rest of it in the gas tank with a fill-up.

Last tank I hit 200 miles just past the 1/2 tank mark and refilled at 360 miles with the needle on 'E'. This tank (after Sea Foam) I'm over 150 miles with the needle at about 1/4.... Obviously not scientific data, but I'll be interested to see if my mileage results improve after the treatment.

With 180 miles until the fuel light comes on, something is very wrong. The dealer who told you everything is fine didn't look very hard. I had terrible gas mileage before my Manifold Absolute Pressure sensor failed completely. It got down to 14 or 15 MPG and then the 'Check Engine' lamp came on and the car would barely run. The dealer replaced the MAP sensor and I went right back to 22 MPG again.

I hope you get it sorted out,

Dirk

Professor

1) Somebody is stealing your gas or 2) the gas light is wrong.

TeknoKing

do you have any proof? this is interesting.

fsttyms1

i still think something is wrong and you need to go back for a 2nd opinion (somewhere else) there is no reason you should get that low. i pulled my 2000lb ski boat at 75mph for 3 hours (bought it in IL) and had 180 miles to a half tank

TeknoKing

1) How often to you start/shut off your car?
2) Do you leave your your car idle for a long time?
3) Do you brake hard?
4) Dont forget that stop and go slow ass traffic that we have in NYC also adds to gas consumption.
5) Do you see any fliuds coming out of your exhaust when the car is running?

Also remember, when the light goes on, you still have about 3 gallons left...thats a lot!

17.17-3= 14.17 gallons to the light.... 180/14.7 = 12.2mpg

good luck.

fsttyms1

my car idles all day long and i always get atleast 170- 200 to a half

TeknoKing

im the same ballpark, but what do u mean by idling all day? u just leave the car? lol

fsttyms1

yes it idles all day. i work out of it, its alot harder on it to turn it off and turn it back on the amount of times i would have to, so i just let it run all day (except for lunch, then it geta a hr break)

redbox18

My fuel light usually comes on around 185 - 200 miles, given 100% city driving. I'm going to try driving harder and see if that helps. But I've read all these posts about O2 sensors and Manifold Absolute Pressure sensors. Does anyone think that I should just replace them and see if that fixes it? How much does the Manifold Absolute Pressure sensor cost?

fsttyms1

it could be a o2 or a cat thats going bad also. but i wouldnt go replacing ant thing with out the dealer finding something wrong. spending the money just to find it didnt work is a waste

vfrdirk

Both the MAP sensor and the O2 sensor run about $80-$90 each. That's a pretty expensive guess, since most dealers/parts shops won't take back those parts if they don't fix the problem.

This is really a tough situation unless you have access to OBD test equipment. I have a setup from http://www.obd-2.com which is a PC based OBD-II monitoring software and cable. I can evaluate the various inputs and voltages and see where problems might be ocurring. i.e. before a Check Engine (called a MIL or Malfunction Indicator Lamp) light comes on, I'd be able to see the voltage gradually dropping on the MAP sensor. I'd also be able to track a knock sensor which is sending false knock signals and retarding timing, etc. It's a very useful diagnostic tool and you'll be able to pull codes on all your friends Check Engine lights when they happen, saving them oodles of money and netting you lots of free beer....

Seriously, though, I'd probably do all the regular maintenance items (air filter, fuel system cleaner, etc.) but until the MIL comes on, experimenting with expensive, non-returnable, electronic replacement parts is a waste of money.

Dirk

redbox18

Hey...My friend actually has the OBD test equipment. Right now, there are no check engine lights on. Two questions...

1) Does the computer store previous codes (e.g. If I check it, will it display a history of previously lit codes)?
2) If I don't get any codes, is it safe to assume nothing is wrong with O2 and MAP? Or could a failing part still cause my mileage to be terribly low?

Thanks!

vfrdirk

1. The computer will store previous codes that HAVEN'T BEEN CLEARED. Also, the computer stores codes which are frequency dependent but haven't reached the 'Check Engine' state. That is, a test may have to fail 3 times before the MIL will be lit. If the test passes the 3rd time, the counter is reset to 0.

2. Sensors like thermometers, O2 sensors and the MAP sensor translate what they detect into voltage. For some reason, unlike lightbulbs which just go 'pop', these sensors sometimes just start losing their sensitivity, but still transmit voltage. When my MAP sensor finally went, it was sending out almost no voltage at all. The ECU interpreted that, finally, to mean that something was wrong with it. Until it finally did that, though, the ECU kept compensating for what the sensor was saying was lower and lower Manifold pressure. My mileage just kept on dropping, but it happend just as winter was setting in, so I though it was the denser air coupled with the switch to higher ethanol content in our gas. It's just very hard to tell what's going wrong before the computer spits the code, even if you have the diagnostic tools.

Dirk

MADCAT

Now I am geting bad mileage out of my car. Its used be that I would get around 250 KM on half a tank...now I get 250 KM from 3/4 of tank....

fsttyms1

Welcome to Winter blends!

GGYY

drive hard gets more gas mileage
lolz first time i heard something like this

fsttyms1

i get more driving agressivly than i do babying it

TeknoKing

by agressively im assuming to drive right before Vtec? I've changed my Fuel Controller about a year ago, and my gas milage improved nicely.

sc354

Ya, if you guys saw how I drive now, you wouldn't believe that I achieve the results that I do. I'm constantly launching it off the line (at stops lights) to about 4k RPM. I make sure not too hit vtec, unless absolutely necessary which I find is about 3-5 times a day!!! I don't bother wasting it though, if I'm gonna hit VTEC, it better be in WOT. None of that off the line crap, hitting 5k RPM, cause you really don't get a taste of VTEC that way. Personally I prefer VTEC down low in first gear, and on the highway!!!

redbox18

Teknoking....does the check engine light come out when the fuel controller goes bad? How much did it cost to replace?

TeknoKing

here are the clues that will tell you if you need to replace the Fuel Controller:

1) Engine Light is ON
2) TCS Light is ON
3) when starting the engine, the car has the 'shakes'
4) very low mpg

I use to get horrible milage, maybe 180-200 tops until the gas light.
After the replacement, it is much improved, today I was driving aggressively, constantly hitting Vtec, i got 178 miles for half a tank.

This is where Acura gets you, the Fuel Controller comes with PCM as a kit, so you end up buying the PCM when you dont need it.... it will set you back at least 1,000 bux. I had no choice, I had to replace the Fuel Controller. Try contacting Acura customer service, and pleading with them on this issue.

good luck!

GGYY

How much do they charge for the fuel controller?
my check engine and tcs light is not on but i do feel a lil shake sometime and very low MPG
but i dont really wanna waste money on something that doesnt help

GGYY

thanks for all the responds and helps here.

my gas mileage finally fixed~!!~!! it was the freaking TRANNY!!~!~!
AHhHhH~~~

just got my car back from acura, tested it on the high way, finally got a good number~ 31MPG!~!! and i was driving 95~110MPH

maybe drive agressivly does increase MPG on the highway but definitly not in the city tho

and i guess K&N air filter, irdium spark plugs and new O2 sensor also helped a little

for those who experiencing poor gas mileage problem, call acura and check if there's any recalls on your car, those recall problems won't cause the check engine light turn on.

redbox18

Hey GGYY....what year is your car? Mine is a 2000. Did you have a recall on your car? It sounds like you had a recall and when you brought it in, they changed the transmission. I checked my car on their website. Aside from the transmission extension warranty, they had a recall listed "00-04 CL & TL A/T RECALL Campaign". Is that what you had? I'm getting horrible mileage! This week, I tried driving aggressively, rather than babying it, and I'm at half a tank left with only 80 miles! Waiting for your response (hopefully good news....). Thanks!

GGYY

mine is 2001, i called acura customer service and found out about the recall, my acura owner website is not showing any recall information

good luck

redbox18

Which recall was it?

GGYY

sorry about the late reply
the recall was for my 2nd gear tranny but i dont feel any different tho
but the gas mileage improved nicely
got 275miles on this tank now and the light has not come up yet

pdprich

This sound like O2 sensor problem. I'll have them checked out, I change my at 90K cause I was only getting about 200miles per tank, once I change both sensor I'm getting over 260miles per tank.
The front and real sensor is about $90.62 each

I got my O2 Seneor here click


~RW

redbox18

Nice...I scheduled an appointment for my 2nd gear too, although it's to be seen whether they will actually change anything. Hopefully my gas mileage will improve as well. If not, I'm really going to look into trading in my car. I spend like $60 a month on gas driving just weekends.