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Getting 13.5 mpg city, is something amiss?


iPath
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Figured my gas mileage last fill-up. Is this abnormal? The only thing I can think of that could possibly create problems is the fact I have no resonator, the pipe rusted from the OEM muffler so I just took it out. Could this be causing a problem with backpressure or what not?

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Could be a bunch of things. My MPG's just fell off. When I go it, it got 16MPG, then it went down to 12, and now its at 8. I'm getting ready to rebuild the motor, since it's also leaking oil everywhere. Just check the basics. Tires, CV's, ignition stuff. Fuel filter, PCV, air filter. Tune up stuff!

 

Jose

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3.5s can be a pig in city driving, but that is still a bit on the low side, I'd think you should get 15. Check your air filter and try another tank to be sure. Are you running premium?

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I filled up today and got 17.7xxxx. Thats 75% suburban driving, shifting low, keeping rpms down and trying not to go over 65. I ran mid grade gas. However, I have the 3.3-you get more power and should get same mpgs from what I understand.

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I've got an '03 SE - pretty much the same as what you have... I get about 14-16 around town. I noticed a slight loss of MPG's when I switched tire sizes last year - went from the stock 255/65 to the slightly larger (and heavier) 255/70's with a more AT tread pattern. Cost me about 1-2 MPG's, city and hwy. The only consolation is that my hwy MPG's are about 18-19 'empty' or when it's loaded with camping gear - not really a difference between the two.

 

As noted above, I'd check the usual culprits of low MPG's - check the tire pressure, be sure your air filter is clean, etc. Not much to 'tune-up' on a 3.5 VQ, other than to change plugs, and maybe check to be sure the O2 sensors are still within spec.

 

-sjm

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^^^^ it'll vary quite a bit depending on the tire size people are running, amount of load people are carrying, etc.

 

the higher you go, the harder it'll ride, and you'll get a little bit better MPG, but you'll wear out the center tread faster, and are also reducing the size of the tire's footprint on the road.

 

i've got 255/70/16 on my truck right now and comfortably run 32PSI. not too harsh, still rides smoothly, and it's just a hair overinflated.

 

since your tires are flotation sized, your results will be quite a bit different.

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one method that people like to use is the chalk test. put a line of chalk across the tire, drive it about 50 or so feet and see how the chalk wears. that'll give you a decent idea of the footprint of the tire. with FLT sizing though, you should be able to inflate a little higher than 32PSI and still get pretty even treadwear.

 

most FLT sized tires have reinforced sidewalls to allow for aired-down driving, and still put a proper footprint down.

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Out of curiosity, what do you run? I'm at 28 psi on my 31"s.

I'm running 40 psi in my 31s. The max rating on the tire is 50psi. If the tire is not too wide for the rim you want to run what the tire manufacture recommends to prevent uneven wear. A soft off road tire will require more pressure to keep the tread flat on the highway.

James

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I typically see anywhere from 13-16mpg in the city, depending on how I drive, my tire pressure, which gas I use and if I am using the heater or A/C.

Everything seems to play a factor in it.

 

The biggest thing that I noticed was not using any heat or air. But nature has to agree with me in order to do that.

 

I have noticed a difference using nothing but premium gas for a few tanks. The premium here is 91 Octane, regular is 87, and mid is 89. I've run mid for a while, and decided to switch it up to the recommended premium for at least three tanks in a row. I saw a steady, although very slight, increase in mpg.

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Use the vehicle, not the tire, pressure for stock size tires. Non-stock tires the chalk mark idea is a good one. Using the tire rating on larger than stock tires is very likely to have the tire over-inflated - the tire can be used in many applications.

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The biggest thing that I noticed was not using any heat or air. But nature has to agree with me in order to do that.

 

 

If memory doesn't fail me, I want to say that we get better MPG's with all windows UP and the A/C on as opposed to driving around with the windows down and the A/C off.

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I've experimented a bit with tire pressure... pretty much settled on 30 psi which gives me the best compromise of ride and mpg's. Tried the chalk marking last summer, but I had a difficult time seeing the difference between tire pressures - probably wasn't experimenting with enough of a pressure difference to tell. For what it's worth, I also to see a slight MPG increase when running premium gas vs mid grade or regular. I usually alternate between premium and mid-grade every other fill-up.

 

This summer we will be towing a tent trailer for the first time with the Pathy... I'm sure that will kill whatever Hwy MPG's I have left.

-sjm

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If memory doesn't fail me, I want to say that we get better MPG's with all windows UP and the A/C on as opposed to driving around with the windows down and the A/C off.

 

You've got the right idea.

 

For city/stop and go driving, AC off and windows down.

 

For highway driving, AC on, windows up, so as to reduce the amount of drag.

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