Gas Millage Issue

[nicholasleefonseca1979]

ok people i have had this car for roughly one year. I bought it at 35000 its currently got about 47000 now. I change the oil regularly. but i cant get any more than like 180 miles per tank of gas. Is this normal gas mileage? What can i do to improve this i really am getting to the point where i cannot afford to drive :gun:

[SlickSketcher]

i have an 04 3.4L i sometimes get up to 280 miles per tank...once in a while a bit more. but usually i do get between 200 and 250 per tank. and i usually drive it hard.

[pawzbear]

obviously something isnt working efficiently in your car to produce this bad gas mileage. i get well over 30mpg with a fully loaded car (5 people) on the hwy.
check to see if it is leaking anything in the driveway where it sits, then bring it to your local trusted shop and tell them if its leaking any fluid or not, and explain your problem. there is NO way we can diagnose your car for you on here babe.

[-Alero-]

make sure your running better oil, make sure you have 100% electricity in your coils, wires, and plugs, also check your vaccuum lines such as your PCV...........and make sure your MAF is properally working.

[-Alero-]

and change your fuel filter?

[Str33tRacer]

Check your fuel pressure regulator... take it off make sure its not squirting out.... change all spark plugs and wires... change the coil packs.... change the air filter. that will solve it for sure if nothing seems obvious

[Redog]

Highway, city, going down to "E" or 1/4 tank, flooring it at every light, or not, 2.4,2.2, or 3.4?

Since I moved outside the city I avg about 20 MPG, just did 21.2 MPG filled up 11.5 gallons (3/4 empty) which worked out to 245 miles.

I have the 3.4 liter motor

[bigd6983]

driving respectively redog, or lead foot........if i drive 1/2 and 1/2i can get about 22 average, 24 if i granny it non stop, and about 18 if im driving like a maniac.........

[SilverBullet256]

yeah i usually average close to 30 highway and mid 20's in town, so i think something just isnt working right, or flowing right, id get something fixed, or i would also make sure you are doing your calculations right

[cherrington17]

i get close to 30mpg, but when i do drive now its 120 miles at a time, at 65-75mph...

before i was driving long distances, i usually got like 20mpg around the town i live in.

3.4L V6 of course....

[nicholasleefonseca1979]

ok guys i added new k and n air filter and changed fuel filter didnt make it better made it worse now its like around 140 miles a tank im selling this piece of crap any suggestions? :gun:

[eag182]

I got 320 miles on a tank after some seafoam treatment on the highway.

[doubleN0alero]

Originally posted by pawzbear@Jan 12 2006, 11:48 PM
obviously something isnt working efficiently in your car to produce this bad gas mileage. i get well over 30mpg with a fully loaded car (5 people) on the hwy.
check to see if it is leaking anything in the driveway where it sits, then bring it to your local trusted shop and tell them if its leaking any fluid or not, and explain your problem. there is NO way we can diagnose your car for you on here babe.
Quoted post


you have the 2.4, stay out of this conversation!

Anyhow, it happens to all of us in the winter itme. During the summer on the highway, i can stretch 400 miles to a tank. now in the winter with city driving, i'm sporting a nice 18 to 20. Its a combination of the winter fuel mix along with the fact that its just colder and it takes the car longer to get up to operating temps. also when you're running your defrosters, you're also running you a/c compressor and that never helps fuel economy. just some things to take into consideration. give it a wait out until spring/summer and see what develops.

[nateb06]

my 02 3.4, with 57Kmi gets about 22-24 right now in winter, and i used to get 25-30 in summer and all i got right now is a K&N filter. filter did bump up my MPG by 1 though i was happy. specially at 3.30 a gallon( katrinas a BI#ch)winter gettin 320-340MPT tank, summer like 350solid 380 all freeway

[Redog]

Don't complain about MPG, I figured out the Delta's MPG

12.5 mpg both city and highway, which I don't think it too bad for a car of it's size

If the mpg really bothers you, buy a Prius

[S_Gibson]

I just rolled in from a 416 mile round trip to visit relatives. I nailed 29mpg on the trip. Have been getting real lousy milage for the mixed highway city driving, but for all highway I'm pleased.

[-Alero-]

Originally posted by Redog@Feb 4 2006, 05:14 PM
Don't complain about MPG, I figured out the Delta's MPG

12.5 mpg both city and highway, which I don't think it too bad for a car of it's size

If the mpg really bothers you, buy a Prius
Quoted post



or a bike :cool:

[Alerosince99]

With my mods I get 28-30 highway and about 22-25 city depending how much city isn't highway. ;) This is also during the heart of winter. Let it be noted this is not babying it either.

[AlbinoMonkeyRat]

Check your filters. ESPECIALLY THE AIR FILTER. If the air filter is clogged up, then the intake is going to heat up and the air temp sensor in the intake will read that hot air going into the engine thus burning off more gas.

Also, make sure you're not trying to drive like Mario Andretti. ;)

[brhardie]

With a stock 3.4L and driving a mix of city & highway, I usually get 22 MPG. If I drive like its a race car than it quickly drops to 16-18 MPG. I found that your driving style greatly affect the mileage. My previous car was a 96 GTP with the 3.4L DOHC and it was much more tolerant of my occassional race car style driving without a huge drop in milage.

[jackal2000]

Originally posted by pawzbear@Jan 12 2006, 10:48 PM
obviously something isnt working efficiently in your car to produce this bad gas mileage.
Quoted post

look everyone, its captain obvious!! lmao


sounds like you might need what doctors call a tune up. has your car every sat for any length of time? (i.e. several months)

[BlackJack]

ok, everyone.....lets not get too stupid.

The obvious point is....rising gas prices + drop in quality.

For the first time ever, I have (in a desert invironment with no humitidy) a serious water drippage in the tail pipe with no leaking water level. To me, this equals drop in gas quality, rise in water as a filler. Total equals drop in total efficiency.

man, I seriously suggest a gas quality check. Get a tekkie out there with a test tube and find out wtf....

[cavaliers60]

seems plausible... I know my gas mileage really sucks... I have a 2000 alero with the 3.4L V6... I put in the K&N air filter, but not sure about the gas filter.... I never got it checked sinse I bought it... I should get on that... but I can fill my car up and it will last me about a week... it sucks compared to my Corolla I use to have.. It lasted two weeks.. lol

[Satsuriku]

if u go to the gas station, have the use a giant dip stick that goes to there undergrounds (if thats how its set up) and what they will do first is put a cream substance on it (and its clear), they dip it is and if it comes back up and its pink, theres traces of water in the gas, if its clear like it was when he/she put it in, the gas is clean.

thats how i used to test the gas when i worked at ther station here. works VERY nicely.

[cavaliers60]

I don't think anybody here would be willing to do that..... but it's a neat idea... I might try asking around..

[kaularo88]

:gun: if u can, check base timing w a scanner or a light. it might be off :gun: :emotlol:

[Crazytaxi37]

My bet is on your CAT. I get over 30 on the highway and mid 20's in town. Is your car California certified????

[Cliff8928]

Heh, i get about 15 in the city and 25 on the highway with my 3400 (with a 5-speed to boot!). It still really needs the computer tuned, it runs a little rich. Probably lower revs on the highway with an auto as well (mine's about 2250 RPM @ 62 MPH). Then again, I don't have the car for good mileage, that's what the Ecotec is for.

[Mac]

I have an 04, 3400 and get 15-18mpg in town, 24-26mpg :glare: on the highway average. This includes the average of different temps aka 15 degrees to 100.

[Orion]

Wow there must be something wrong with my car, i don't drive heavy footed much at all and i am lucky to get 150miles per tank!

[soupitup]

OK, there's a number of other possible causes here that it seems no one else has mentioned, first and simplest of all is tire pressure. If you're tire pressure is low, you won't be getting optimum gas mileage, but this usually results in only a minor loss. The other thing to focus on is anything to do with emissions!!! Oxygen sensors, catalytic converter, EGR, etc... If any of those components are not functioning at 100% it will result in lower fuel economy, even if you don't have a check engine light on. Another small possibility is the fuel filler cap. If it is bad, or not sealing properly that can also hurt your mileage.

Also, a good idea, if you haven't done it yet, is a good fuel injector cleaner. I recommend the Lucas fuel system cleaner. Not only does it clean the fuel tank, lines, and injectors, but also help to bust up carbon build-up in your vavles and blow it out. If your valves are not seating properly there is another place you could be wasting fuel. I would definitely give Lucas a try, cuz at $3.97 it's probably the cheapest place to start after checking your tire pressure.

[alero440]

3400 here... I get like 17mpg's but I do alot of city driving. If I do all hwy I get like 315 per tank. That rarely happens though. Gm just lied on the window sticker thats all. I think the 3400 was rated at like 22 city and 28 hwy. Oh well its just another alero issue that we deal with.

[FartCannonAlero]

i get around 245-290 from full to just under 1/4 and i drive it hard

[Biggib76]

Hey i'm new, but i seem to get about 175 average with the occasional heavy foot, but today with severely heavy driving i went through about 75 miles to 1/2 a tank :P Fun day.