sc354

Hey guys,

this is the third and final time I will do this. I will be however taking my car to the dealer tomorrow for an unknown period of time, or until they manage to fix my problem.

Anyways, over the past 3 months I have kept track of my gas mileage with a fine tooth comb. I have been tracking every tank that I get, and before I explain the figures that I ended up with, let me give you some background history about the car

-it's a 2003 TL-S
-has 24242 km which is roughly 16k miles
-I replaced the oil at 18k km with mobil 1 synthetic and k&n oil filter
-I checked the air filter and it's still very clean
-tire pressure sits around 35 PSI all around, which I know can't be the cause of my problem because anything above 32 PSI doesn't affect gas mileage
-I have only filled up at sunoco 94 here in ontario, which is the highest level of octane...so this rules out that it's the type of fuel I'm using
-Put in STP Fuel injector cleaner every 5k km as noted on the bottle
-had the spark plugs replaced under warranty by dealer due to rough idle at 16k km (the problem still persists)
-Car is babied all the time, once in a while I'll open her up on the highway to avoid carbon build up in the engine
-At no time, have I exceeded 3500RPM in the city, most of the time from the line I don't go past 2700RPM which I find is a rather comfortable RPM to hit in the TL around the city.
-I do relatively short trips, about 3-5km, the car's engine however does get to warm up everytime I do these short trips. If it's been sitting overnight, I warm it up for about 1 min in the mornign then drive it smooth as silk until the gauge shows it's 100% warm. And when she's driven, I never turn it off before the engine is warm. I will go for a bit of a joy ride until the engine is at optimal temperature. Sometimes I will drive though more. I would say 50% of the time I do normal city driving trips, greater than 15km but sometimes short trips too.
-I do mostly city driving, well basically 99% city driving

Over the past 3 months I have averaged 14.8-16L/100km which is 14.8-15.9 MPG. IMO this is fu(king terrible mileage, and I no longer can stand to afford this car if it continues on like this. I'm aware that my lifestyle and the type of driving I do isn't ideal conditions (ala highway driving to and from school), but I'm getting no more than 300km in the city on a full tank of gas. The gas light comes on around 320km.

I know that I should never go by the gauge, but ever since I replaced the fuel sending unit I find it's rather accurate in its measure. Just to give you a good idea, I currently have 81km on this tank which I filled up this morning, and I currently sit at the 3/4 mark. Now if you do the math, that's about 320km/tank, but I'm sure all of you know that in the TL, the bottom half of the tank seems to go a lot quicker than the top half. So to give it the benefit of the doubt, we'll say I'll get 280km until it's about time to fill the tank. So when you do the math, I generally fill the tank with about 50L, since I normally don't go lower than 15L in the tank. That comes out to 17.85L/100 km. Believe it or not, my car has gotten some tanks as bad as that. For the most part though, I'm in the high 16L/100km range, which is absolutely unacceptable. I don't give a **** what acura says, I'm leaving the car with them until they find something mechanically wrong with the car, cause I won't stand for this **** anymore. If it takes them a day to fix it, then so be it, if it takes them a month to fix it, then too ****ing bad for them. Sorry guys, I just needed to vent, and sorry for such a long post..

take care boyz.


BTW if some of you guys could tell me your mileage that you get when you do literally all city driving, and for the most part short trips. Either give me the total distance you drove and how many litres/gallons were used, or give me the L/100km or MPG and I'll convert it.

thanks

hemants

1. using higher than recommended octane can LOWER your gas mileage

2. the numbers you are getting are consistant with heavy footed city driving

3. your best case is probably 11 litres/100km driving 90km/h on the highway with no slopes

dlpickering

The obsolute worst milegae I have gotten this winter is 20.0 MPG. I track every tank meticulously with a spreadsheet I created. My average since November 1 is 24.99 MPG.

Steph-TLS

Hey dlpick...What is the city/hwy percentage on that 24.99mpg?

KZGTR

mine is around 22, I warm up my car evey morning, does that matter?

sc354

that's interesting that using higher octane could infact lower your gas mileage. The dealer has always told me that when I have a problem in regards to gas mileage or rough idling, the first thing they tell me to do is switch to using sunoco 94. They claim that it cleans out the fuel system quite well in case there is carbon build up causing the problem.

riontegra

iTrader: (2)

340 miles on the first full tank 02 type-S. Filled up w/ 14 gallons, that's roughly 25mpg. About 60% highway driving. I just bought the car used. I expect it to get better once the summer blend gas comes back.

Winter blend gas gets worse gas mileage due to the oxygenation or ethanol blending, depending where you go. The blend is suppose to get cleaner exhaust during the cold months in certain states here in the northeast. I'm not sure if they blend in Canada. Anyone know??

--John

SK2003TypeS

I don't think 94 would hurt your mileage.
I'm like 80/20 city/hwy. Tires at 35 psi. I get anywhere from 16.5 to 27. 27 on last long trip.
Also, just because the temp gauge is "warm" doesn't mean that the engine is warm and running at optimal performance. City driving just kills mileage on the TLs.
The mystery is, I can't figure how some of you guyz get 30+mpg.
btw: I'm bone stock, no intakes or whatever.

fsttyms1

higher octane wont hurt your milage. lower octane than they recomend will. the reason our cars say 91 is becaust thats as high as alot of states have. most others have 93-94.
as for your milage jeff? i idle all day long and have a heave foot while in the city, and still usually manage over 220 a tank (12-13 gallon fill up) which isnt that far off of your #s but you say your easy on the gas pedal, where as im hard on it. all i can say is maybe you need to talk to the dealer about it?

sc354

ya, I don't know if this is true but some people have said that the TL-P does get slightly better mileage than the TL-S. To what extent I have no idea. I'm not gonna say I never punch the gas, because I would be lying, however it is far far less than I used to. On every tank of gas, I maybe enter into VTEC range 2-3 times maximum, so it's not the lead foot syndrome that is causing it. As for what is, I have yet to determine that. I'm starting to think that this mileage is normal due to my driving style. i tend to do a lot of short trips in the city, which has a direct affect on gas mileage.

vfrdirk

As my MAP sensor slowly died, my mileage got progressively worse and worse. I was running at about 19-20 MPG when I was hammering it daily in city driving and it dropped to about 14 or 15 MPG as the sensor failed. Now that the MAP sensor is totally dead, I hit the 100 mile mark on the way to work and the indicator is squarely on the 1/2 tank mark.

The dealer is replacing the sensor tomorrow...

Dirk

sc354

what is the MAP sensor? I'll be honest with you, generally when I'm at about 150-170km, my gauge reads about 1/2 a tank...maybe I have the same problem??? What exactly is the MAP sensor?

elah

get your oxigen sensor checked. I'm not sure if its true but some fuel additives can screw your sensor up.

ou sig

My driving is usually 95% city or so, unless I go on a long trip... Depending on my driving - with minimal hot rodding around, I get 18.5 - maybe 20 tops usually around 19 mpg. All hwy - 26 - 28 mpg.

I think our cars have a very delicate ballance when it comes to gas mileage. When you hit VTEC its like our engine becomes a gas sucking V8. Every time I floor it, I am mentally taking like .5 mpg off... it seems like.

hemants

If my calculations are correct, 20mpg is about 14 litres per 100kms.

20 m/g * 1.6 km/m * 1 gallon/4.54 litres.

sc354

Well my first assumption after talking to fsttyms1 on the phone was the EGR valve had gone sour. however I spoke to the dealer about this, and they told me that my engine light would have most likely come on if in fact my EGR valve was malfunctioning or had stopped working. Has anyone on this forum had their EGR valve replaced without the check engine light coming on???

Silver2000TL

My gas mileage sucks too...75% city 25% highway, I get maybe 220 every 13.5 gallon fillup. That's about 16.5 mpg.

sc354

have you spoken to the dealer in regards to this problem?? any ideas what it could be?

fsttyms1

MAP SENSOR= Refers to a manifold absolute pressure sensor, a variable resistor used to monitor the difference in pressure between the intake manifold at outside atmosphere. This information is used by the engine computer to monitor engine load (vacuum drops when the engine is under load or at wide open throttle). When the engine is under load, the computer may alter spark timing and the fuel mixture to improve performance and emissions.

njtls

honestly....you sohuld probably sell your car if you cant afford the gas...alot of people have complained about gas milage...including myself..i average 14-16 mpg when im trying to get good gas milage...its cause you drive in thie city/locally 99% of the time...while their still may be something wrong with your...im jsut telling you that me and alot of other people opn this board who drive city all the time get the same gas milage as you...unless we all have the same problem....you can ask the dealer to check but i doubt you'll find anyhting...also i doubt they will even look into it for you unless the check engine light is on...

also..from personal experiences....when i accelerate slowly as you mentioned...i seem to get worse gas milage then if i accelerate normally like other cars..i do better..also you say you hit vtec 2-3 times per tank..vtec wastes ALOT of gas...

Turboara

that's horrible gas mileage, I get 22-30 avg, even with my heavy foot city/highway combined.
Like someone above said, maybe those additives killed your O2 sensor. When that goes your gas mileage goes to hell. Have the dealer check that first. Dirty air filter maybe?

njtls

yeha but you driv on hte highway too...hes tlaking all city...which is entriely blekiveable that he gets that gas milage

sc354

whatever based on some of the things said in this thread, I think that a lot of people "believe what they want to believe" or they are simply calculating the gas mileage incorrectly. The fact is, my 98TL was a gas guzzler, and so is my '03 TL-S. See a trend? Cause I do, the TL's are terrible on gas when driven almost all in the city.

Turboara

could be..... I've never driven my tl entirely just city driving, but even my wife's gas guzzling rx300 gets 16-18mpg with just city driving

larryr20

Ive noticed as that the temperature goes down outside, it has a direct correlation to the milage. The average around here has been around 20 degrees and I was averaging 17. It has moved up to higher 30's and I am averaging 19. Same driving style, same gas.

Silver2000TL

I notice that relationship with temperature too.

wakattack

Long trips I have gotten around 32 - 33mpg around Texas.

Usually get around 30 highway, and 23/24 around town

PA-TL-MAN

I believe you should try two things ... 1) Increase your tire pressure to about 3 lbs below the maximum, and check them every week when the tires are cold. The cold air outside causes your tire pressure to drop. 2) Switch gasolines. I found that Exxon premimum works best for me. About 90% of my driving in my 2002 TL-S is highway, and I have gotten 33.5 mpg on three or four occasions. I do very little city driving. The worst tank I ever got was around 22 mpg (combined, but mostly city). Also, cold air produces more hosepower and uses more fuel, and the winter mix gives you your worst mileage. I hope this helps.

Pauli

You are getting terrible gas mileage.

I probably do 75hwy/25city (but in bumper-to-bumper LA traffic), and I have been averaging 25.4 mpg over the last 11 months (18,000+ miles). I'm pretty conservative, but I get into VTEC at least 5 or 6 times per tank, when passing cars and such. I would bet that my calculations are at least 95% accurate since I always completely fill up and calculate based on the odometer reading since the previous fill up.

It's interesting to note that for my last vehicle, a 1996 Maxima SE 5-speed, I was getting 26.5 mpg with exactly the same driving habits and same commute. This is also based on about a year's worth of driving. Not bad, I'd say -- an automatic transmission car with 70 more hp that's heavier and more luxurious -- and I'm getting only 1 mpg less!

njtls

yeah....a high compression 3.2 liter engine....that makes 260 hp....i say you cant expect the best gas milage...esspecially at low speeds

Bxscig

Those #s are just really shi*ty. I drive it pretty hard and I would say 70/30 city/highway and I average an 18 or 19. If I drive nice I can get 20 or so but here in NYC is it hard to drive nice. Lots of stop and go. There is something seriously wrong.

My 91 oldsmobile cutlass ciera also a V6 with a LOT less horsepower gets an avg of 19/20 with the same driving conditions although I can't floor it like the TL So the TL I think is acutally good.

elah

i get about 260-280 miles on a tank, 100 of those miles are highway, rest city stop and go with a/c, system blasting. 5 minute car warmups in the morning and driving like i stole it

hzm82

I usually get 300 miles before the light.

elah, 5 mins car warmup is just a waste of gas. You live in FL, not Maine. Drive your car but keep it under 2k rpm until the engine reaches the proper temp.

em17henry

You should really warm up your car for 5 minutes in the morning or when you freshly start driving for the day. Just turning on the ignition already takes up alot of gas to power up. I also have an SUV ML500 with a V8 engine, got what a gas guzzler, seriously when I start the car it eats gas, and I"m not driving its still eats gas, and I do mean alot of gas, sounds like almost your situation, the most time you'll experience gas level to go down is when you either haven't warm your car enough, meaning 1min not enough and aggressive driving.

seahawk

My last car was a 1997 Olds Cutlass Supreme SL

Nick

I get 32-33 mpg on steady 70 mph highway driving. In strictly around town driving in winter with mostly short trips (3-mile commute to work), I get 18-20 mpg (variance probably due to temperature). No lead-footing, mostly level roads, no warm up in morning (unheated attached garage = 30-35 deg F) and only 15-30 sec warm up when out in cold. Next to no delays due to traffic or lights.

seahawk

Sorry bout that , fingers got in the way.... where was I...
97 Cutlass with a 3.1 . Which got better millage. Supprised
that my Ack got such poor millage , but realize its got a
H/C - 260 HP engine. It might be a pig on gas but I sure love
that pig.

G-UNIT

sc354, yesss leave it with them, there is no way in hell 320 KM for a full tank is acceptable, and at the price us Torontonians pay for gas...($45-$50 tank). I get upset when i dont get 500 km on my full tanks....I recently brought my car in to the dealer, complaining about rough idle, and eating alot of gas lately...they replaced a whole bunch of stuff, fuel pressure regulator, intake assembly, ecu, all under warranty...and i have like 98k's.....I know get about 520Km per tank...so bring it in, let them test drive it....the technicians should be able to tell whats wrong once they plug in the OBD to it....

Fleetwood

I see this in the above posts. Is it in a certain rpm range or under a certain load? Does this increase gas-guzzling due to more open valves? (I don't see anything in the manual about our vtec engine and its special features/needs.

tlsblack

I think your mileage is bad too. I live in the Boston suburbs, drive 20%-25% highway with the rest on back roads and get 24-25mpg in the winter and 26-27mpg in the summer. I have 7,500 miles on the car and have never had a tank below 23mpg. On long highway drives I have gotten over 30. I drive the car almost identically to you as well.