I was averaging about 14-15 MPG on my 2004 TL for the last year.
Now, I am averaging about 12-13 MPG.
I'm thinking there is something wrong with my car.

I always get the same type of gas, 93 Octane Mobil.
I get an oil change every 3 months with Mobil1.
I use techtron fuel injector every oil change.
I recently changed my cabin filter in the glove compartment.

I'm an average driver, never driving my car hard.
Since I live in NYC, I know I shouldn't expect the sticker of 20 MPG on the window,
but this is ridiculous.

My jaw just dropped yesterday when my Dash showed avg mpg of 13.
My friends CLK55 AMG gets better gas mileage than my TL.

Anyone experience the same thing?

 

When's the last time you changed the engine air filter?

 

thats weird, try getting a cold air intake...itll get you better gas mileage

 

Tire pressure?

 

Something must be wrong. I wonder if something is unplugged in your engine or if one of the sensors is broke. Maybe if your MAP or 02 sensors were messed up your air/fuel ratio could be too. I don't know, just a thought.

 

really? I thought CAI give you WORSE gas mileage / intakes in general?

wow? I had no idea

 

If you're doing mostly city driving, that's the mileage you're going to get. Don't peddle so hard of the red's. Take your TL out on the highway and watch your mpg go to 30. I'll get poor mileage when I'm drving in the city or just the subs.

 

do u use your AC all the time and do u drive in the city all the time...then 14-15 is pretty normal.

try changing your engine air filter if that hasn't been done in a while and you don't need to change your oil every 3 months unless you're putting on >5k miles every 3 months. mobil1 will last greater than 5k miles.

 

No, actually it only eats up more gas when you floor it, other then that..normal driving it gave me about 1-2 MPG..engine breathes easier with a CAI

 

I agree.

Plus it is colder air (more dense) so you can cram more air and fuel into the cylinder.

 

how many miles from full to empty light do you get?

 

oh what is your average mph from the MID.

 

YOu realli trust MID? I rather do the Math myself. fill up the tanks divide by mileage.

 

Check tire pressure, make sure you are using recommended 5w-20 oil, if you havent had a tune up done on the car you may want to do so, check engine air filter. These are just some thing that you should check which should give you better gas mileage!

 

Since I've had my TL I've always did the math myself. The MID seems to be pretty close (but always higher than lower). It's typically about .5 mpg higher. I think last time I actually got 21.6 mpg, but it actually said 22...

 

Reset your MID, and take your TL out on the weekend and cruise on the highway for 3 hours at speeds of about 65 mph. Then call me in the morning.

 

That sounds pretty low to me, I tend to get 27mpg and I do about 50% city 50% highway going to and from work. Course the highway is usually so crowded I usually can't do more than 55-60 so my highway mileage is probably giving me a pretty big boost, but still I can't be getting less than 20 or so in the city.

 

The MID appears to round. If you have NAVI and have the hack you will get the MID gas mileage to the 10th and I find the calculation to be VERY accurate compared to doing the math. I use www.fueleconomy.gov to input/share my TL's mileage and the MID mileage and speed readings jive quite well. When I have a 20-25mph average speed, I get about 19 MPG by MID and 18.5-7 actual- that's pretty close!

Remember when you drive in the city with lots of stop lights, you are getting ZERO MPG while stopped. Your average speed reflects this so if you have an average speed of < 15MPH you mileage will definitely suck but that will happen with any car that is not a hybrid.

 

Wow, thanks for all the feedback.
i'm going to take it to the dealership on friday to get it checked out.
Just to let you know, my car is pretty new with 24K miles

Now, to answer some of the questions.

1. Air filter was changed on my last oil change, so about 3 months.
2. I just bought new continental all season tires, tire pressure is checked every month or so and is correct
3. I never take the car over 3,000 RPM. Maybe once I took it over 4,000 RPM
I told you I drive like an old fart
4. its a lot of local driving in a suburban neighborhood (Queens NY)
5. I don't use the AC much, unless im on the highway.
6. Average MPH is about 15
7. Too early for a tuneup with only 24K miles
8. I must have reset the MID over 10 times throughout the ownership of my TL
it usually reads the same, when I'm lucky I get 14.
9. No Navi

I compared with cars that my friends have, and sad to say, i have the worst mileage.

My friends 04 CLK55 AMG gets 15, 07 Porsche Cayman gets 20, 06 Infiniti G35 gets 17, 07 Toyota Camry gets 24

Humiliation...haha

Thanks for all the input guys.

 

I am sorry to hear that your mpg average has plummetted, thank god gas prices are following right... I live in Manhattan and I get 14mpg no matter how I drive, definitely get it checked out because a 22mpg drop isn't normal at all... hopefully it is something as simple as a lose sparkplug

 

6. Average MPH is about 15

My average MPH is 31-35, and that equals 21-23MPG.

So maybe it is correct?

 

correction: 2mpg drop

 

Since the average MPH is 15, the mileage is going to suck. Any 6 cylinder car will perform similar unless cylinders deactivate like in the new Accord. There is a high correllation between speed and gas mileage at least up to 60mph and then mileage may drop.

If you want to improve the mileage, try turning your engine off at long lights- especially if you have lots of cars ahead of you at the light- that may improve things a little. You can also go to www.fueleconomy.gov and see what other drivers are getting.

 

uhm...seriously i average 30+ on the freeway and around 25+ around the city; try using shell? i've noticed the best mpg w/ them versus chevron, costco, and texaco.

 

I can go through several tanks at a time driving only in the city of Chicago (major stop and go), and average around 13-14 using the A/C 100% of the time. On a long road trip I'll get around 30 so I know there's nothing wrong with my TL.

As far as I'm concerned it's the nature of the beast