I drive a 1991 Honda Accord LX, just bought it about 4-5 months ago. Everytime I fill it up I reset my mileage and i cant even get it to 300 miles without my gas light coming on. I am drving mostly highway too. Back and forth from work. How many miles are others gettin with the same car as me?? can ne one help me out i dont think this is normal at all it is a little 4 banger ya knw. please help gas is 3.50 a gallon!!!!

 

I totally agree, I'm having the same issue. I swear i fill up and end of the week, gas light is on. I drive 50-60 round trip to and from work(city driving/manual). My bro says during winter, the mixture of gasoline they use at the pumps sucks vs summer time. I dont buy that. I would like some thoughts on it too. I drive a 93 accord.

 

Fill up your tank. Reset your odometer. Drive until its at about 1/4 a tank. Fill it back up. Divide the amount of mile you drove by the amount of gallons you bought. There is your gas mileage. I have the same exact car as yours. When I first bought it a little over a year ago, it was getting about 25mpg. I put some NGK plugs in it. New spark plug wires, new pcv valve, cleaned out the TB, IACV, EGR ports, new air filter, fuel filter. The car got about 35mpg on the freeway after that. 30 in the city.

That was over a year ago though, so I may need to start checking things again. You gotta keep up with the maintenance on these older ones to keep it running like a top.

 

Have you checked your tire inflation?

Are you running wider tires than stock?

 

I don't know but I heard that the cold does take up more gas too as it's more dense depending on your altitude and temp.

 

Do all of that^ Works wonders

 

THIS IS NOT AN ACTUAL MEASUREMENT NOR IS IT MEASURING MILES PER GALLON. WITHOUT THAT NO ONE CAN GIVE YOU AN ACCURATE ANALYSIS.

I have never understood why people do this, follow the instructions in quickster's post.

You fill all the way up to click (not any more) reset trip meter, drive the car then refill.

 

Think i get around 300miles a tank, And i've got a leaking fuel filter needs replacing ¬.¬ Has it had a service lately ? Gives me a few more miles each time i change oil / plugs / fuel filter / air filter ect every few months as a few others have said.

 

Yes, it is true that there is both a winter and summer blend of gasoline.

Secondly, cold weather causes far worse gas mileage. It takes much longer for the car to warm up and become optimum in terms of efficiency. Due to the increased time, more fuel is being burned reducing mpg.

 

Not only that, the cold air is denser, meaning that the engine will inject extra fuel to compensate for the cold air.. (think cold air intake)... While this is great for power, its not so good for gas mileage..
Its a VERY small difference to your overall number but something to keep in mind..

Finally, this may shock some of you but I get about ~14mpg on my accord.. Yes its fully maintained and the entire ignition system is in order.. I just drive it like a madman is all

 

By the time the fuel reaches your 195* injectors that won't make much of a difference. Where it does make a difference is when you fill your tank. Cold gas is denser gas. Which means you get more per gallon at fill up time than you do when it is expanded and warm during the summer.

^Above me^ You do get denser, colder air. If you drive at WOT all the time then you would get more fuel. However, airflow in a gasoline engine is controlled. You get denser, colder air you let less air into the engine to accelerate. Unless you drive crazy bouncing off the rev limiter all the time.

If your car gets crappy mileage, give it a tune up. Things to inspect:

Distributor cap/ignitor
plugs
wires
PCV system
Air filter
Oxygen sensor (sluggish sensors will give you bunk a/f ratios, my mileage increased after replacement, engine runs noticeably better as well)
Inspect your exhaust manifold for cracks/leaking gaskets (this will effect oxygen sensor readings significantly if the leak is upstream).
EGR system
Valve lash (Too loose and your valves won't open all the way)
Vacuum lines


Your tires rolling resistance will effect your gas mileage
Your alignment will effect your mileage as well.

 

Also what octane gas are you using? i used 87 when i first got my car and it burnt up quick then i switched to 89 and it lasts a lot longer, and usually honda engines can use the highest grade gas, even my 2000 accord ex coupe can use 92 if i wanted. but other than that give your car a little tune up and go on from there.

 

^^^with the low compression of the stock F series (accord/prelude) engnes theres no way in heck that you should need more than 87

 

i always use 89 now, and it lasts much longer than 87. yes my car can run on 87 and it will work fine. i even read my car's manual and it said i could use 92 and above if i wanted to. higher octane burns slower thus giving you better gas mileage, but everybody should know to read their manuals first because some engines actually cant work right with the higher octane fuel.

 

You are completely incorrect. In addition to that your manual does NOT say it is okay to put in higher octane gas. It says to use what is recommended......which is 87 octane or comparable.

Higher octane gasoline means it can be compressed more before combustion.

Source:
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/fuel-e...question90.htm

It has nothing to do with burning faster or slower, please do not spread false information.

 

Which manual do you have as mine dosn't say "NOT to put higher in" quite the reverse of that statement.

http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/9940/wp000789.jpg

 

It does not mean more boom for more compression either..........

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octane_..._octane_rating

Interesting though on your manual, the sticker on your door says "Regular unleaded fuel only" the only exception I have seen is the newer 03+ Accord V6's which over time can re-learn that you are using a higher octane and result in more power.

What year Accord are you pulling that from?

*edit*

Caught you on your ninja-edit

 

lol 87 octane, or higher

 

If you are getting exceptionally poor fuel economy, make sure your vehicle is entering closed loop. I've encountered scewed ECT sensors that wouldn't allow the vehicle to enter closed loop causing very poor fuel economy.

 

lol I just removed that bit as it will be misleading to even myself in my current state of mind O.o as i thought i would try using "sonic boom" as an expression they taught us in physics, the more you compress something, it's the rule i am now forgetting i am going to call cause and effect XD *the one you push. it reacts back with energy*, adding octane doesn't make it more or less explosive as your right, you can push it more. BUT it does affect the amount of energy you get out of the fuel back with that rule i can't rememeber *blushes*

I ran out of stuff hours ago i'm bored lol

I will upload the cover, It's the 94 - 97 US Haynes service manual, as Haynes don't make a European one *if they did, they don't now* ¬.¬ cost me more to get it than the bloody book in shipping.

Edit-
*On the missus sleeping* XD
http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/7296/wp000790.jpg

 

this actually makes more sense than what i stated earlier

 

Though it seems every Honda manual includes this clause after doing a quick Google search.

I'm actually going to look and see what my S2000 (Premium only) manual states, I've got a funny feeling it says 91 octane or higher.

In addition, Honda is most likely saying that to emphasize the minimum required. The car will run on higher octane, as you have seen first hand, however there is no performance gain, etc.

 

I predict at least 91. The S2 runs a higher compression ratio.

 

*shakes head*

Not another octane argument.

Octane is a rating as to how resistant fuel is to "knocking" in a very simplified sense. It does not give you better mpg.

People need to realize that MPG and octane ratings are NOT related in any sort of way.

 

87 is no longer "87" i've had this problem on the old accord with pinging, the standards of gas have changed over the last 25 years, fine for the new super efficient engines, not so good for older cars, 89 is closer to what 87 used to be, the way the knock index is measured has actually changed. throw the ethanol crap in there and it really messes things up, it also gives you worse fuel mileage, it's interesting that the standard EPA fuel mileage tests are done without the ethanol blends, add the corn and your fuel mileage drops, think 10 percent or more of your gas is less efficient then the other 90 percent