So lately, I've been feeling like I'm getting crummy gas mileage.
So I thought I'd try a little experiment

I drove up until the gas light comes on, and fill it for a gallon
Then I reset trip meter and drive until the light comes on again.
My trip meter reads about 21 miles =[
Tried it twice just in case

So I was wondering if that's my o2 sensor going bad or...something...?

Any input is nice

 

Do the calculation a different way....the way you did it isn't going to work. Fill the tank up, drive unitl the normal time you fill again, write down the amount of gallons and then take the number of miles you went on that tank (from the trip) and divide it by the gallons. I guarentee you see better numbers.

 

Would that be more exact? Because what if you go off the appearance of your gas gauge, and sometimes you wouldn't be sure exactly when you filled it up or anything of the such.

I thought my theory would be good; filling it up by just one gallon from the light then driving until the light pops up again. But I'll go ahead and try another method.

So when you say fill it up, as in fill it until it doesn't take it anymore? Then drive till the light...or drive until a certain mark (let's say half point) and then measure the amount of miles droven per amount of gallons I filled it up with?

 

The problem witht he way you were doing it is that the light can come on and you can drive up to 30-35miles I believe before you run out of gas which will cause the error in your method.

Just fill the tank up and reset the trip, don't worry about a mark or anything of that sort on the guage, drive until...well when ever you want, fill the tank all the way up again then divide the trip mileage by the gallons you put in and bingo, you have the mpg.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Gsr94black &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">The problem witht he way you were doing it is that the light can come on and you can drive up to 30-35miles I believe before you run out of gas which will cause the error in your method.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Wait wait wait...I fill it up by a gallon, like almost precisely when the light turns on.
Here is exactly how I do it, I think you might have misunderstood me.

I drive, shifting normally (about 3k rpm), until the light turns one. The SECOND the light turns on I reset the trip meter. Then I drive to the nearest gas station. Then say my meter reads about .5 miles, so I then fill it up ONE gallon and reset my meter again.

So now I drive...until the light turns on again. I record the number, memorize whatever. Now let's say my meter read...22.3. I then take .5 away from that number because it took me .5 miles after the light turned on to drive to a gas station. So it ends up about 21.8 mpg.

Does that sound more accurate now?
If it doesn't I give up, I'll try your theory, haha

Plus I did try it twice, it was off about a mile or so but overall around 21-22 mpg

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by DOHCter VTEC &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Wait wait wait...I fill it up by a gallon, like almost precisely when the light turns on.
Here is exactly how I do it, I think you might have misunderstood me.

I drive, shifting normally (about 3k rpm), until the light turns one. The SECOND the light turns on I reset the trip meter. Then I drive to the nearest gas station. Then say my meter reads about .5 miles, so I then fill it up ONE gallon and reset my meter again.

So now I drive...until the light turns on again. I record the number, memorize whatever. Now let's say my meter read...22.3. I then take .5 away from that number because it took me .5 miles after the light turned on to drive to a gas station. So it ends up about 21.8 mpg.

Does that sound more accurate now?
If it doesn't I give up, I'll try your theory, haha

Plus I did try it twice, it was off about a mile or so but overall around 21-22 mpg </TD></TR></TABLE>

You are wrong, what you are doing is inaccurate....USE THE SEARCH. Its not hard to figure out your MPG. FIGURE IT OUT!

 

i got a new o2 sensor and im getting 33 MPG i use to get 27 MPG it could be your o2 sensor or you can clean your fuel system professionally.

 

you're not going to get an accurate reading. the gas light can come on at any time depending on slope. i think you're better off trying to find an overall average mpg with a full tank of gas like suggested before reaching any final conclusions.

 

real simple...top off at a pump you will remember...reset mile tracker
drive until whenever you want, lets say a quarter tank
go to same pump and top off again(same slope)
look at your mile and divide that number(higher number) by the number of gallons it took to top off(lower number)
get it?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by lmike6453 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">real simple...top off at a pump you will remember...reset mile tracker
drive until whenever you want, lets say a quarter tank
go to same pump and top off again(same slope)
look at your mile and divide that number(higher number) by the number of gallons it took to top off(lower number)
get it?</TD></TR></TABLE>