I've had it with this horrible Gas Mileage! Idea's?

[Numba1goalie]

I am not figuring my milage from what my girlfreind says. Shes a woman after all. They are not to be trusted right.

I am going off my experiment from last week, the week before, and since June when I bought it.

I have somewhat of an update however. Since i put my K&N filter is I had been having a problem at startup with the engine reving up and down real bad. I would imagine that somehow, the engine might of been asking for more gas too along the highway if it was reading stuff right from the MAF sensor guessing thats what was wrong.

Well i unplugged the battery for a good 15 minutes or so to reset the computer and walla, no more angry reving, and from the looks of it, I may pull of 300 miles to the tank this time around? I will let you all know when I get to the bottom of my tank.

[Dare2Dream]

One reason for crazy reving is an air leak. An intake or EGR air leak will cause it.

[Numba1goalie]

Well whatever it was, it was subsided by reseting the computer. When I put the filter on, I also took that elbow off. Thats why I figured it was doing that reving because the MAF sensor was getting TO MUCH air.

With my last car which was a VW Golf MK4. I put a cold air intake on it, when i did so the check engine light came on and it did the rev thing. I then just took the negitive side of the battery off to reset the computer and it stopped and the engine light came off. Never had a problem with it again.

[VehiGAZ]

Goalie, take a minute and review what was posted about how to calculate your mileage. You might have it right, but it really, truly sounds like you are calculating your mileage wrong and coming up with an incorrect (and way low) number.

Forget about the fuel tank capacity and what the fuel gauge needle says entirely - they have nothing to do with it, unfortunately. The tank gauge is not meant to be an gallon-accurate measurement (as the 11 gallon fill up your g/f put in at an eighth of a tank showed), and you cannot make any meaningful calculations with it.

There is only one accurate way to calculate your mileage:

1) The next time you fill up, zero out your trip odometer.
2) The next time you fuel up AFTER that, divide the number of miles showing on your trip odo by the number of gallons you put in the tank on that second fill-up.

If you had it right, please excuse my presumption. If this is not the way you've been calculating your mileage, try it again this way.

[Numba1goalie]

Thats sorta simular to the way I have been doing it. I just drained my tank till it was getting to a dangerous low, fill up the tank, and zeroed the odometer. after I got the the end of my tank I calculated and got that number. I will try this next time around with noting how many gallons I put in and estimate from there.

[SPAZZ]

the way your suposed to do it is...

1)fill your tank
2)zero trip meter
3)drive till empty
4)fill tank
5)divide miles on trip meter by gallons it took to fill

this is your actual mileage.

[Ruflyf]

Aye, what spazz said is correct, however you dont really have to drive til empty, 1/2 tank, 3/4 tank... or so will also work. makes the process a lil faster not having to empty the tank.

[Numba1goalie]

true true

[nater]

A couple of thoughts on this, be certain not to top off the tank for fear of ruining the charcoal canister system, and forever after suffering poor gas mileage.

When filling, get the nozzle to the point where will fill at a reasonable pace and leave it there. When it shuts off, pull it out. DO NOT try to add a few cents more. It will cost you in the long run.

Next, zero your trip odo, then drive around. At the next refill, fill it the same way, and divide your gallons into your miles. There's your MPG. Do three tanks in a row to get a good feel for the true MPG. If the "stopping point" on the pump varies, three tanks in a row will balance them out. Add up all gallons bought and all miles traveled. Divide Total gallons into Total Miles, that's your MPG.

Is it possible to convert a VX to RWD only? Then, can manual locking hubs be put on the front? This ought to gain you 1-2 MPG above stock, and more power to boot.

Nate

[Numba1goalie]

I am not sure about the manual locking hubs.

Its funny you tell me not to top off my tank. I am the master at doing this and in no way thought it could harm the vehicle. I always top it off till I can barley squeeze anything left into it. Well not all the time, but you get my drift. I will start doing that method though. I am waiting for my tank to go down but ever since I rebooted the computer I have been getting what looks to be like fair milage.

[Joe_Black]

Its funny you tell me not to top off my tank. I am the master at doing this and in no way thought it could harm the vehicle.

That link in post #18 goes over what fuel can do to the charcoal canister. Not a good thing.

[bulldog]

have you checked your intake gaskets ? shawn

sorry to be dumb but how do i check the intake gaskets??

[Numba1goalie]

Take that engine cover off the top and look to see if there is any black film coming from around the seems of the intake manifold.

[Ruflyf]

And, yes I have locking hubs on the front of mine, however I hardly ever unlock them making it 2wd.

Joe, is there a way to check the canister for functionality/damage to see if it needs replacing?

[Numba1goalie]

All that was very helpful. thank you.