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why am I getting terrible gas mileage?

B

BOMBdig

CEG'er
Joined
Nov 8, 2007
Messages
482
Location
Springfield-all of them
i have a 1996 GL ATX and currently i am getting around 14 MPG. it goes about 200 miles to the fill up and i have no idea why. The temperature gauge says that it is running kinda hot, but i had the temperature checked while it was running and it read normal. I bought a focus intake for it to see if that would help, but i know it's not going to do much. Is there anything i should check or do to it to help boost my MPG?
 
make sure that your tire pressures are correct.

make sure the airfilter and fuel filters are clean or new.

flush the tranmission fluid might help.

make sure the e-brake sticking causing the brakes to drag.

make sure that the O2 sensor and Cat monitoring sensor are working correctly and are not about to throw a code

thats all I can think of at the moment.
 
tredse1 said:
a good tune up and get rid of the cat...o and check on the EGR...do u have a CEL? is so codes??
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The cat works just fine, or else she'd have a code. And I don't think the EGR is a problem for the pre98 Zetecs...someone correct me if I'm wrong.
 
Whens the last time you changed the oil and air filter? How about running a decent fuel system cleaner through the gas?
 
well i just got my 95 so i'm not super familiar with the egr setup on our cars, but my 86 tempo had a bad egr and it got about 10mpg so that's where i wud start, and the pos cat!...can u tell that i hate cats?
 
zorrex said:
The cat works just fine, or else she'd have a code. And I don't think the EGR is a problem for the pre98 Zetecs...someone correct me if I'm wrong.
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he wud know more than me so there ya go i guess:shrug:

but i don't think simple tune up things wud kill the mpg that bad..but who knows mabey it does
 
BOMBdig said:
the CEL isn't on.

i forgot to mention that i also changed all the spark plugs and wires back in November so those are not a problem.
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was that before I checked the spark plug gap at gregs or where they changed after?

did you ever get the stalling issue corrected?
 
BrApple said:
was that before I checked the spark plug gap at gregs or where they changed after?

did you ever get the stalling issue corrected?
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No it hasn't been corrected as I haven't had time to do anything to it :(. We have agreed to clean the IAC and EGR valves to see if that does anything.
 
as I suggested I really would check the air filter and change the fuel filter as well as check tire pressures.
 
zorrex said:
No it hasn't been corrected as I haven't had time to do anything to it :(. We have agreed to clean the IAC and EGR valves to see if that does anything.
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Ian i can answer questions for myself. Also the reason it hasn't been corrected is not because you haven't had time, but because we don't even know where the problem is.
 
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