whats wrong with my car

[Kronic Budz]

Re: whats wrong with my car

i think its you, we had a 95 3.4 a4 w/ 115k when she'd drive 15mpg when I'd drive 22 thats when it was compleatly stock and i drive fairly hard. Being smooth, steady and observent to whats going on ahead can make a huge difference in your mpg. after porting my tb, upper intake and installing a test pipe and cold air intake my mpg when up to 26-28 in town.

edit:summer also brings worse mpg in an under power'd car like the stock 3.4l

my car isnt stock, it has a 160* thermo, flowmaster catback, maremont cat converter(idk how good these things are), K&N CAI

[CDNFB]

Re: whats wrong with my car

Well, the 160 degree thermostat is part of your problem. These engines get better gas milage with high engine temps. The hotter the engine the leaner the fuel mixture. In the summer my car will get 330 miles a tank and the engine always runs at close to 210F. Now in the winter, I can only get 280 miles or so cause the engine doesn't get anywhere near 210.

[Kronic Budz]

Re: whats wrong with my car

Well, the 160 degree thermostat is part of your problem. These engines get better gas milage with high engine temps. The hotter the engine the leaner the fuel mixture. In the summer my car will get 330 miles a tank and the engine always runs at close to 210F. Now in the winter, I can only get 280 miles or so cause the engine doesn't get anywhere near 210.

Hey sorry about that, I have a 180* thermostat, not a 160*. For some reason, my car takes about 15 minutes of pure warming up and driving to be able to get it fully waremd up and driving good, which i think is a problem.

After that time, thats when my oil pressure drops to 20 when im at idle. And then when im on the gas or crusing, its at 40-60. 75-80 when the engine is cold or i just started it up.

[CDNFB]

Re: whats wrong with my car

Some more factors affecting mileage,

- low tire pressure. Higher pressures = less resistance
- tire width. Thinner tires = less drag/friction.
- front end out of alignment, or car dog-legs (rear out of alignment)
- clogged cat or restrictive exhaust
- driving habits (too much pedal to the metal)
- driving routes, select routes that have least amounts of stops, where speeds are at constant 50-55 mph, least amount of hills or grade changes.
- dragging brakes - seized or dragging calipers.
- seized or dragging front hub bearings.
- excessive power consumption from components in the belt rotation group.
(Alternator: high electrical loads, like from high powered stereo systems, bearings seizing or dragging, Power steering pump, Airconditioning compressor, idler and tensioner pulleys, etc...)
- low engine temps and slow engine warm ups.
- use of High viscosity oils or oil additives that increase viscosity.
- Transporting too much weight. How full is your trunk, or do you ride with a lot of people.
- drive train slippage or excessive friction. (clutch slippage, Torque converter lockup slippage or no engagement, seized or near seized bearings, etc...)
- High stall torque converters and high ratio rear ends.
- prolonged idling at lights, rail crossings, etc.. If auto trans, put in neutral or park or it auto trans or manual trans, shut the engine off.

[CamaroJeff™]

Re: whats wrong with my car

Some more factors affecting mileage,

- low tire pressure. Higher pressures = less resistance
- tire width. Thinner tires = less drag/friction.
- front end out of alignment, or car dog-legs (rear out of alignment)
- clogged cat or restrictive exhaust
- driving habits (too much pedal to the metal)
- driving routes, select routes that have least amounts of stops, where speeds are at constant 50-55 mph, least amount of hills or grade changes.
- dragging brakes - seized or dragging calipers.
- seized or dragging front hub bearings.
- excessive power consumption from components in the belt rotation group.
(Alternator: high electrical loads, like from high powered stereo systems, bearings seizing or dragging, Power steering pump, Airconditioning compressor, idler and tensioner pulleys, etc...)
- low engine temps and slow engine warm ups.
- use of High viscosity oils or oil additives that increase viscosity.
- Transporting too much weight. How full is your trunk, or do you ride with a lot of people.
- drive train slippage or excessive friction. (clutch slippage, Torque converter lockup slippage or no engagement, seized or near seized bearings, etc...)
- High stall torque converters and high ratio rear ends.
- prolonged idling at lights, rail crossings, etc.. If auto trans, put in neutral or park or it auto trans or manual trans, shut the engine off.

QFT
most contributing factors being alignment and keeping your foot out of the pedal
people are in way too damn much of a hurry lately... thus contributing to our gas prices.