(another) MPG FIX (possibly)!!
 

OK.. I've been getting 15mpg VERY VERY VERY steadily with my normal driving routine. I only go to the same 4 or 5 places repeatedly, so my trips don't vary much.

I typically fill up at 1/4 tank wich is right at 170miles's at 11* gallons.

So I was about 2/3 through my current tank. The gauge was very predictable and was set to give me another 170mpg by 1/4 tank. Every notch from 1/2 to the 2/3 march was giving me exactly 10miles.

Yesterday, I cleaned my MAF with 97% Isopropyl Alcohol. I just removed the sensor and poured some of the stuff on there from both sides, then let it dry.


So far i've my gauge looks like I'm set for 180miles to finish out the 1/4 tank. I probably won't know for sure till I fill up.

The reason I decided to do this is because I had had an aftermarket airfilter on there before and I believe some oil had gotten on the MAF..

Just some food for thought.

Keep us posted. I hope it works.

Interesting. Let us know what happens.

Guy, what are you doing out here in the Garage?

Back to the Lounge with you!

:p

^ That's exactly was I was thinking. Guy321 in The Tech Garage??? Hmmmm. :)

How comeyou never drive to empty?

The owners manual suggest filling at 1/4 tank. I do it, but occasionally it doesn't work out... like today.

Did you run out of gas today? I was on fumes myself. The fillup was 14.11 gallons and cost me $29.90.

My most expensive fillup in my 13 years of driving :mad:

I didn't run out, but it will be a bit below 1/4 tank since I had a 30 minute commute to work this morning w/ a 1/4 tank. Gas here is 2.07 /gallon now (hell of a lot lower than the Cali and the rest of the world!). I'll probably be in the mid $20 range. I wish Dodge would hurry up and release the Slingshot so I could decide if it or a motorcycle would be in order...

i couldnt break 15 mpg if i drove highway the entire time. with the windows up, the a/c off, granny shifting, cruising @ 60 on a downhill.... i mean seriously, this sucks! I sit here in absolute awe and disbelief when i see some people posting 20+ mpg. and getting over 300 miles out of a tank of gas, Im lucky to break 200 miles on a tank. I have 3600 miles on the car. and have owned it since birth. gas has had absolutely no improvement from day one to now. Mazda says 18/24 mpg. we get 13/15 mpg. I pay friggin $28-$30 ever 3 days. thats $250-$300 a month. screw that. I WANT A SOLUTION. I WANT A FIX. I WANT AN EXPLANATION. FROM MAZDA. IF EVERYONE CALLS / E MAILS MAZDA... THE PEOPLE WHO ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUE AS I AM. OUR VOICE WILL BE HEARD. AND MAZDA WILL BE FULLY AWARE THAT THE PROBLEM IS WIDESPREAD. AND A FIX COULD BE AROUND THE CORNER.. OR ATLEAST SOME FORM OF REISBURSEMENT.. WHO KNOWS..www.mazda.com... e mail them. I DID!

Glad you learned how to copy / paste Hollywood.

Hollywood Hall...

Check out my charts at
https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.p...0&pagenumber=2

There is hope!

As soon as my car hit 5000 my mileage improved GREATLY with no changes in driving habits!

guy you said you only go to 4-5 places and thats it .so which 4topless bars are you going too .the other stop must be mc donalds

Do you have the "M" flash? If not, get it!

I finished my last tank with 15.89 mpg..

which is the highest i've ever gotten with 100% city driving..

Keep in mind, I only ran maybe 1/8 of a tank before filling up.. so homefully I'll see improvement with the new tank!

I always fill at 1/4 tank now because I ran out of gas 3 times in one year once and i vowed never to let it happen again :)

I never go to strip clubs unless i'm dropping off my friends to work.

I'll go back to the lounge now :)

out here i would love to pay that little :P

P.S. try filling up my 36 gallon tank on the 4x4 at $2.78 a gallon .

Holy F,,, i just did the math if i fill up my 4x4 with a full tank of 91 it will cost me $100.08 !!! shees.. guess i wont do that ever again ..

You know your gas guage is not perfect ? it will give you diffrent readings for diffrant reasons. I say this because if you are going down to a 1/4 tank everytime you fill up then this may be part of the reason you think your getting such bad mpg. Theres more gas left in the tank, and fuel lines then you think. Trying running down till the gas light just comes on.

Or be brave and carry two, 2 gallon can's of fuel with you, drive the 8 till it stops running. put the 2 gallons in the tank, dirve it till it stops. then figure your mpg and use the second can to get home. You will find the true number once and for all!

I had to do this in my 4x4 because the tank readings are not accurate below 1/4 tank. Now I know excatly when it will run out.. And at 7000 lbs you cant really push it anywhere ...

my 2cents

I know the gauge is not completely accurate. I am dividing the number of gallons pumped by the miles driven. That gives me an accurate MPG for what I have driven.

It may give me a more accurate MPG to drive to the entire tank. However, I'm not in the habit of doing that.

Also, Using the same method for all my fillups also gives me an accurate base for comparison.

For whoever asked, refilling at the 1/4 tank mark will greatly increase fuel pump life. The fuel pump is submerged in fuel in the tank and uses the fuel as coolant for the electric motor. If you run it below a 1/4 tank it will run very hot, which will shorten it's life.

You should never run your gas tank that close to empty...you pull the scum from the bottom of the tank into the engine. ...also agree with the preserving life of your fuel pump. Just my .02 cents

So, any news on how well this is working? Maybe a note on progress thus far to get the thread back on track?

Too easrly to tell yet. Ill give an update after the tank is done.

Filter!

theres a filter screen on the intake.. and then a fuel line filter before the injectors. !! hogwash..

run that tank down to the light.. thats why it is there.. if not Mazda would make the light turn on at 1/4 tank :P

and a pump is a pump is a pump.. even if it sucks air your not going to to run it till it burns up.. its not possible. with no fule you car shuts down .. then you turn off the key ..

and even if you did leav the key on and the pump was trying to sux air !! and did start to get hot.. the fuse would blow..

These are old wives tales, some of witch used to be true. but with todays fuel systems you can run the tank down to at least the light with no fear of damage whatsoever.

I had the gas tank repaired on a 17 year old toyota- which had to be drained. I asked the tech if there was any gunk in the tank, like I had heard about- he said no.

Yeah, think about it--what gunk? Where does it come from? It's not like gasoline corrodes the inside of gas tanks (at least, I hope not!). As long as you aren't putting "gunk" in your gas tank, there shouldn't be any "gunk" to suck out.

Peace
policy

yep :)

You guys, Here in the uk i get no better that 200 from a tank (light on at about 11 UK Gals left)
Fillup costs approx $72 !!! You guys have it easy ! Av cost here of gas for the Rx is 83pence / litre thats about $5.80 per US gal :(

My minivan take 80 l of diesel and that costs about $120

I'm surprised you guys don't already have electric and / or hydrogen powered car production. If gas gets that bad in the US, I will build my own.

There must be some point of frustration that yields innovation. What is it for you?

You kinda get used to it....
innovation makes no difference 75% of the price is tax :(
My diesel will do 40-50Mpg and run on biodiesel which is close to
carbon nuteral but our govt taxes that at $2 gall and they are trying to workout how to tax hydrogen power now :(
I know we should try to reduce co2 but when the govt hammer you even if you use something more eco friendly it gets a little depressing. Anyway the 8s worth it.

A

now thats true love for the car, right there!
i wonder how many 8 drivers in the states would keep this car if gas got up to 5.80?
"...through sickness and health, for richer or for poorer, through low gas prices and exorbitant gas prices..."
:D

I would, I'd just ride a bicycle to work :)

I'd still keep it, but it wouldn't be my daily driver. I'm looking forward to when (if?) Dodge releases the Slingshot in the US. I think that could be converted to a decent electric vehicle since it is already light.

Thank God someone is finally porting Smart to the US. I just wish it was out already.

Re: (another) MPG FIX (possibly)!!
 

Okay, dumb question time -- What's a "MAF" (I'm guessing it's a sensor?) and how did you remove it to clean it?

I've only just gone over 1000 miles, but I'm getting consistently about 16-16.5 MPG. I dropped to 87 octane after the initial tank (of presumably 91) from the dealer didn't seem to net me much more than 13 MPG; I last filled up with 89 and have experienced a little better idling and response, but I think my mileage is suffering again (won't know for sure until I refill, naturally, but my trip odometer seems awful low for where the needle is, compared to the last few tanks of 87).

...Paul

I can go the rest of my life without hearing the "us Euros pay $6 a gallon (or litre equivalent)".

You guys have governments that TAX THE CRAP out of you. We complain about taxes in the states, and it's only half of what they take (steal?) from you over there.

If you're upset with paying so much for gas, do something about it and vote differently (if your particular country affords you such a freedom to make a difference, that is).

Even in the US, our gas is heavily taxed (relatively). Overseas, the taxing is just monumentally worse. But hey, you get slow and delapidated health care centers for your taxes! What a deal:)