where you are located are you getting oxygenated gas now?

dont really understand the question, i am located in the burbs outside chicago.
robert

Then yes, we not only have 10% ethanol, we also have oxygenated winter blends... neither of which help our fuel economy.

What part of the burbs are you in?

Im in western, lombard, villa park elmhurt area, you?
robert
sorry just saw where you are~

Sorry for sounding like a total retard but.... what does that mean?
As you can probably tell by now, I am not exactly the most mechanically inclined person on this forum. :rolleyes:

I live in sunny Southern CA... is our fuel any different?

well i am now at the 1/4 mark on gas and i have 122.8 miles now to the full tank so far. what the fuck is the deal, i brought it up to 8500 about 5 times but still for it to drop that badly... think this is something that has to be looked at, cause i just dont understand how my mpg went to shit so fast.. oh and i only use the shell vpower in my car aswell. hope this helps some.
robert

The gauge is far from accurate... so don't get too freaked out until you've finished the tank, recorded how much you put in, and divide by the tripmeter reading. I've had 120miles at the 1/4 tank point, and I've had 200miles at the 1/4 tank point... there are a ton of variables.

I always land right around 150 miles at my 1/4th mark ever since I got my car. I do mostly city driving with mostly 3k shifts, maybe about 4-5 redline runs per fillup. Using Shell V-power, build date is 6/04. 120ish at the 1/4th mark is pretty bad, I'd definitely go and raise hell about it if I were you.

I don't think cali's fuel is oxygenated, might be ehtanoled. What was told to me, or what I have picked up from people trying to explain it is that in many major cities they switch blends of gas based on the seasons. Namely winter and summer. In winter, since many people let their cars warm up, and the way the engines run due to the cold temps, The gas companies and EPA oxygenate and add ethenol to gas to help keep the emissions down. This again is how I understood it when someone tried explaingin it.

All of the gas in Socal uses ethanol. I'm not sure about it being oxygenated.

120 miles at 1/4 tank
 

I always fill up until the pump shuts off. yesterday I filled up with 125 miles on the trip odometer and it took 10.6 gallons. I would be happy if I got close to what some people here get. Just give me 15 mpg and I would celebrate. I also have the latest flash. My dealer is going to have to address this. But all said, I do love my car.

I think I meet you once at the car wash once on St.Charles Rd. Mine was built 9/03 and I have the same problem. I'm getting about 13mpg. The last two tanks of gas, I tried to granny drive the car shifting at 3K. Didn't help at all. I'm going back to wide open throttle.

yes the light went on at 148 miles tonight and i filled it up and did the math, i got a shitty 11.5 mpg... i dont care how hard someone tries to drive the car it shouldnt get that low of mpg.. and all i was first 1/4 tank shifting under 3or4 grand and then the rest shifting around 5 or 6 and the going to 8500 about 8 or 9 times...this is bullshit....i knew it would not get the best gas milage but this is bad...im calling the dealer tomorrow and talking to the owner of the dealer since i know him.. i will let you guys know what he says.
robert

Rotary fuel consumption vs weather changes?
 

Last week acold front came in downhere in Miami and our normal 80 degree weather shotdown between 65 - 75. Cooincidently I usually average 16mpg andthis figure somehow shot up to 20 at the end of last week. I remember looking at the gauge whenit was at 3/4 full and already having 70 miles on the tank andthinking "damn the gauge must be busted."

I always drive till the gas gauge is below the last notch and got about 290 miles and filled up 14.5 gallons on this new tank. I didnt change any driving styles at all otherthen using less AC b/c of the cooler weather.

I cantthink of any other reason for why Id have a sudden jump in mileage other than the weather change. Ive tried driving around before w/the AC turned off and that never had too much of an effect.

I reallycannot explain this butI wish there were a way tomake it happen more often

Yeah i noticed a change in MPG this past week so far at 1/2 tank 150 miles

me too.. my car seems to eat less gas even though ive driven it hard this tank of gas :/ interesting to find out if theres ne truth to this or if its just in our heads o.O

well seeing that it is now in the 20's-40 here in chicago and my gas has gone down.. makes it hard to believe for me... im prob one of the few that have the shitty gas sucking 8s though. but it prob is a possibility seeing that it is used to higher temps.
robert

Your aircon usage plus the humidity in the air (more difficult for the engine to 'breathe') is the reason why your fuel consumption has increased.

So youre saying thatthis is likelythe same case for all cars down here rightnow and not just my Rx8?

I can say only that my mileage is just plain strange. I have not been able to find any rhyme or reason for it either. I have tested with different octanes, and brands...but was never able to get more than 15.53mpg.

There have been a few instances, however, when without really paying attention it appeared as though I was getting significantly better mileage. Just this week, I bought gas at about 1/2 a tank. I filled it up with 8.6 gallons. When I looked to reset my trip meter, it stated 140.0 Only on two occasions have a ever had more than 105 at 1/2 and this is one of them. This comes to just over 16mpg. After the fillup, today I have driven 43 miles, and I am already more than a 1/4 down.

I believe that my mileage has taken a turn for the worse in cold weather. Being in Michigan, we have had some pretty cold weather lately. I guess it makes sense though...colder air is denser, therefore more O2 by volume...so will the ECU apply MORE fuel to compensate? In which case, there is more power? I will say that my 8 FEELS faster in cold weather....just not sure.

I took my car into the dealer last week for shakes and rattles, and the low mileage. They said that there were no open TSB's, and no error codes. So, "nothings wrong".

Sorry for the long post.....By the way, I drove a Mazdaspeed 6 on Monday. It was a very strange experience. Aside from the fact that it is extremely powerful, the feeling of the AWD system was unsettling. Apparently, the final drive gear is variable...so different ratio in the rear diff in higher gears...weird, but definately fun.

I agree. I know that sportscars are not known for there efficiency, but there is no way to drive my car and get 18-20mpg. I could have gotten a Evo8 or STI for the same money, had more power, AWD, and gotten far better mileage.....I mentioned in another post, that my dealer said "no CEL, no errors, no problem." I have 13k on my odo, and it's been the same since July when I bought it. That's right, I have driven 13000 miles in 6 months. With the price of gas in Michigan (avg 2.15pg), I have used 65 tanks of gas at the cost of $1886....in 6 months. I don't know about you guys, but spending $3600 on gas each year was not what I had in mind. If I was getting 290 per tank like many people are, I would have saved almost $600 so far. I don't know about you, but that would almost pay for my insurance for 6 months.

Totally frustrated with mileage
 

After receiving the new flash I am still getting 10mpg. I called the dealership and they are doing nothing. I asked them to have someone from Mazda call me but they refused and just wrote down my complaint. I again called the Mazda assistance number and they repeated that they would contact the dealership and that I need to take care of it there. I have no alternatives other then legal left. I have no way of speaking with anyone from Mazda and obviously the dealership can offer no solution. They never test the mileage, they just tell me that the computer emissions say that my mileage could not be that bad and that I would have black smoke if it was. They say they could test the mileage the old fashion way what ever they mean by that. They never do test it though. I am still waiting to hear back from them after I called yesterday. They said they will tell the rep. They have been saying that for weeks. There is no other dealership close to me. I don't think it a problem with the dealership, rather that they just don't know what to do and Mazda is not willing to offer a resolution. I f anyone has a way to contact Mazda I would appreciate knowing how. That is other then contacting their assistance center which is a dead end. They repeat over and over that they offer no technical assistance and only call the dealerships. I don’t mean to start a gas mileage discussion thread. Please don’t tell me all of your ideas about how to drive the car or check the mileage. I know how to check the mileage and even if I kept the revs at 7000 rpm constantly it should get better mileage then this. What this thread is about is how to contact Mazda.

Beats me, my best idea would ask to speak with the Regional Manager or District sales manager. Something either has to be very wrong with your ride or your math is WAY off. One time my father had a major issue with a Lincoln, he bithced and moaned enough to get the problem escalated to a District manager who reports directly to people who actually make decisions and believe it or not got everything worked out. Good Luck

I would keep at it if I were you. Far as I know, there isn't any soludion to the low mileage issue that a few RX-8s are having. If you can find others who have the same issue to also complain they may take notice, otherwise they may think you're some guy who can't calculate mileage properly.

Been following your threads for a couple of months. And unless you're a nut case with the ability to conceal it on this forum, you clearly have a legitimate complaint. Here's some advice that is worth exactly what you're paying for it.

1) If you haven't already done so, begin immediately to collect documentary evidence to support your mileage claims. This should include dated photographs of your odometer readings and dated receipts for your fuel. (Purchase a disposable camera for the purpose if necessary.)

2) If you have not already done so, begin keeping a detailed log of all phone calls and copies of all correspondence with your dealer and with Mazda. Note the facts of each call, preferably in non-emotional language, in order to add to the documentation of your case.

3) MOST IMPORTANT. Contact an attorney, preferably one with experience in product liability or even better "lemon law" litigation for automobiles. You will probably find that an attorney's registered letter to Mazda has considerably more impact than your repeated calls to your dealership and the Mazda corporate help line. If your attorney is ethical, and lawyer jokes aside, most are, he/she will attempt to protect your interests and resolve the problem at minimal cost to you.

4) Contact your state attorney general. I have no idea how active the Indiana attorney general is in dealing with consumer issues, but you may find an advocate there.

5) In general, direct your energy and frustration toward a solution to your problem. Believe me, I, and others, understand your frustration and can sympathize with your desire to blow off steam on this forum. Having said that, however, I suspect that you should focus your attention directly on a strategy to resolve your problem. Others on this forum may provide solace, but they're unlikely to be very effective in assisting you (as you've already found, I suspect.)

Good luck.