Winfree

My best milage, and the best reported by a lot of people, is when I can do a long run at 70-80 mph - If you can't get anything else to work, save up your bucks and take her on a long run - if it isomething on the rotars, or if it is a clogged fuel system it may shake it loose - and use a blastedly expensive grade of gas, like shell -

But first, replace your battery - a flakey battery doesn't provide proper ignition, and make sure your belts are tight - with that low a milage, either gas is not getting where is should, or it's not igniting properly, or it is being lost some place, if you were a standard engine I would suggest you are not running on all pistons.... Are you getting a lot of heating? If its not anything else then check the transmission - because the power is not getting to the wheels -Are you running some sort of odd tires?

The only good news I can give you is that our Mobil Station Manager says he thinks California gas prices have peaked and should begin to drop, so other states may drop also. OPEC says they will remain constant on production so that will effect the spot market, and Sen Barbara Boxer is sniffing around like she did with ENRON - she feels that the highest gas prices in the Country charged in California are a personal insult to her intellegence - especially since we did not get hurricaned. The FTC is also snooping, and Mobil/Exxon just had a stock holders meeting and they demanded the newly retired CEO return half of his retirement package...

MazdaRX8er

i barely reach 200 with DCM on, with it off. i get around 240 - 260 with full tank.
mine is AT/ 2005 Pearly.., since im in LA, I heard in CA- the chemicals they put in gas is the problem with bad gas milage. I usually put in octane booster when i fill up, i think it helps.

teen_living_a_dream

isn't 87 bad for the engine?

Winfree

As a full time, professional, resident, little old lady, i.e. Granny (and driver of a great granny) - you need to know that we took Rotar God's advice, and we red line our engine at least once a week because it knocks oil deposites off the rotar and that helps milage. (See his string on synthetic oil) We found, by accident of course, that if you should be stopped at a red light, and a nice young man shows off the fun noises his engine can make, it is a very opportune time to red line your engine. Sometimes that demonic vacumn sweeper married to a jet engine sound will confuse the enemy! (Do not start the demonstration, especially if the nice young man happens to be a policeman)

Napboy

i'm basing my assessment on the million threads posted here regarding mpg. it's one person stating their gas mileage sucks, then most of the others stating that they get 16-22 mpg and there must be something wrong.

i'm not saying that a driver cannot get 180 miles to a full tank if he tries. However, these posters are saying that they are driving normally (50/50 highway and street, shifting at reasonable rpms, etc) and still getting anywhere up to 10 mpg fewer than others. that's not normal, nor should it be accepted as such. i'm not suggesting that there aren't a lot of people with this problem, but 12 mpg is not normal.

fisherdn

A lot of people on the forum prefer it and feel their car runs better on it.

Skythe

If our friend is getting 180ish per tank that works out to 14-15 mpg not 12. Although he or she emphasized 12 in the subject, the math doesn't add up.

If you and I are reading the same posts where members speak of their fuel economy sucking *****, 15 mpg - 17mpg city driving seems pretty normal to me.

Whether or not this is something we should accept, is something that doesn't require much discussion.

What we can actually do about, is something that I would like to get some input on.

Do you have any ideas?

Raptor75

I'm really excited because my city mileage for the 1st time just hit 13mpg. If this keeps improving I might beat my neighbors Hummer's mileage.

Rich Rx-8

I get an average of 190 miles per full tank, and about 95 miles for a half tank. I think that's pretty good considering I keep the rpm's above 4000rpm's almost always.

MazdaRX8er

actually 180 per tank = 12mpg. Rx-8 has capacity of 15 gallon. 15*12=180. get it? got it! good.

supergoat

15.9 gallons...so call it 16.

tiltmode43

iTrader: (15)

16 gallons would be when you run the tank completely dry. I'm pretty sure the light comes on at about 13 gallons because this past time I drove until the light came on (246.6mi) and it only filled up 13.6 gallons (about 18.1mpg mixed driving!) That means when people say to be getting about 200mi per tank, I'd assume they fill up when the light comes on (rather than running the car completely dry :p) thus meaning those people get ~15.4mpg... If the light comes on at 156mi, then you're getting 12mpg.

The worst I have ever gotten was 14-15 and that was a full tank in one day. I love love love long long long canyon runs

Skythe

Is it more likely that he's filling up around when the light comes on (13-ish gallons)? or is it more likely that he's filling up when the car is running on fumes (15-ish gallons)?

Napboy

he/she has already stated that he's filling up at over 15 gallons.

SumoF18

To all, some may complain about our fellow 8 Driver that is getting 12 mpg... I also feel his pain... I have also recently purchased a 2004 Mazda RX-8 (auto), 23K, and it sucks at fuel efficiency... averaging maybe 15 mpg... 50/50 driving... I have seen it as low as 12 mpg... I honestly thought my car was having some serious problems but after reading all of these postings... I see that I am not alone...

Reading all of the other write ups and comments I see that Mazda has made a car that gets nowhere near what they advertise.. Almost needs to be launched as a Class Action Law Suit for some lawyer that wants to see if he can make a few extra $$$$...

I will try and change my driving habits and see if it improves... thanks for all of your inputs...

Winfree

It may be superstition, but I have heard that if you refill when your tank is half full, and refuel in the cooler part of the day, you get better milage - also the weight of the driver/passenger/luggage may have an effect - an old bike racing theory states that 1 pound of load is 5 pounds of push on the wheel, increasing to 7 going up hill. Thus, a little old lady of 120 lbs may get better milage than a big 200 plus male. I wonder what the weight of the passenger was set at in the milage tests?
Also, would you lighten the car sufficiently to improve milage if you ran the tank to E before refilling. Any of you engineering types know?

Skythe

thanks

Skythe

I'm with ya on this one.

LET'S SUE THE *******!!!!

Daylou93

I'm realized that keeping the RPMs down and driving it like a sports car really doesn't make much of a difference in fuel consumption so I've given up driving her like a granny. I first tried 93 Octane from Shell and since have tried Exxon and Mobil as well. All give me about the same MPG. As for the people asking about using a lower octane....Mazda calls for 91 or above because of it being a high compression engine. Using lower than 91 could cause pre-ignition, which damages a vehicle. Though I don't see it having as much damage on a rotary as much as it would to a 4-stroke engine. In other words, not going to be bending any valves. And for whoever might have missed it, I did correct myself in actually getting 13 MPG. 197 miles for 15.2 gallons. I brought it to fumes, lol! And still no conclusion to this problem. I am interested into looking at the possibility of their being a problem with the catalytic converter though. As for redlining it to clear it out....it's been done and nothing.

LionZoo

Actually, pre-detonation is a lot worse for a rotary engine than a piston engine. Rotors can often by destroyed by just one bad knock.

MSTYLES

Doesn't matter how I drive the car I still only get 210 to a tank. On long road trips I might get 250. (This would have to include hell freezing over)

I did the comparison driving 2 tanks the way I normally drive and 2 tanks the way that mazda recommends and I saved a total of 7 miles that tank. It was just not worth losing the thrill of beating the crap out of my engine for 2 tanks of gas.

This is just how this car is......there are only two things you can do:

1 - SELL IT and leave the forum

2- KEEP IT and tell us how you drive it like you stole it and love the crappy gas mileage that your rotary has bestowed upon you

zoom44

15.5-18.5 which is quite predictable looking at the size of your wheels

yiksing

No point driving it like a granny, just keep it in 5000 rpm range. Its healthier that way for both you and the engine plus the mileage doesn't get affected much.

yiksing

If enough people sue Mazda over this, there might be some new miracle flash... I'm getting 18mpg but i'm not satisfied.

Xantium

I'm not really sure you can sue mazda over something like this... I'm pretty sure fuel mileage estimates are provided by the EPA, part of the government. They have nothing to do with mazda at all. However, the way the epa tests vehicles is absolutly hillarious. Highway milleage is calcated at about 48 mph while accelerating from 0-48 over the course of about 40 seconds. I'm sort of exagurating but car and driver had the figures in an article and they were gay as aids. I highly doubt anyone drives their rx8 like that.