I'm having gas mileage issues....

[cavaliers60]

My car is really making me mad now.... Ever since I got the new tires, I've had the worst gas mileage ever! before my new tires, I could drive to Terre Haute and back (about 1 hour 10 minutes up and the same coming home) and only use about 1/4 of a tank. Since my new tires, I used half a tank of gas on the same trip!!! WTF is wrong with my car?!?!?!?!? Are new tires suppose to make your car have crappy gas mileage????

[[ion] C2]

Tire pressure, driving style, winter fuel blend..?

[cavaliers60]

My tire pressure is set at 32 PSI. It's what it's always been set at. Should it be more?

My driving style isn't bad... I don't floor it, nor do I speed. As far as winter fuel blend goes, I don't know... I've NEVER had bad gas mileage like this.

[vikz99]

time for a new fuel filter?

[cavaliers60]

I was thinking that too.... I haven't changed mine since I bought the car so I really don't know how old mine is.... How much would it cost if it does need to be replaced? And would I be able to do it myself?

[Steven01]

Well Here Is a Example of Mine. My New BF Goods Give me 400kms to a tank Little more becase i dont drive it till empty... BUT since WINTER is NOW HERE at LIKE -20 to -30 + windchill I only get about 300. And In the summer I belive I drive harder.

[cavaliers60]

yeah but still.... I have NEVER had that much of a decline in gas mileage. It's like I'm only getting 8 MPG..... I haven't done the math cause I haven't filled my car up all the way recently, but I'm sure it's pretty close the that 8 MPG mark.......

Question.... Where is the fuel filter located?

[Steven01]

Well if you see im loosing 100 Km Per tank in winter thats 1/4 of my tank evry time I fill. And i fill my car once a week Atlest sometimes more. I spend about 45$ to fill.

[cavaliers60]

I still might replace the filter since it hasn't been done in a couple years..... Depending on how hard it is to replace or if I have to get it replaced by a professional...

[[ion] C2]

calculate your mileage.. don't just go off your assumptions of what you're getting before jumping to conclusions lol

[cavaliers60]

Oh I will... lol I would also like some info on replacing fuel filters and anything else I could do to get better mileage. I just hope it gets better....

[Ryan from Ohio]

Winter fuel and cold weather sucks. Over the summer I topped out mileage at 320 per tank. Now Im down to 250. Thats a big difference for a 12.4 gallons at fillup.

Im only getting 20 MPG now.

Something s not right with these cars I swear...

[cavaliers60]

Well, I noticed that my car starts really hard too when it's extremely cold out too.... I hate cold weather....

[Gr1m]

fuel pump?

[pimpalero2003]

i didnt have a problem with mpg when mine went out.

[freakout]

Make sure you check the tires cold. You just had them put on IIRC. If they aired them up in a warm shop, they won't be the same outside. When the temp drops the air is denser it takes more to push your car through it. The fuel filter is back by the tank. An o2 sensor will screw up mileage as well. Even though it's not throwing a code it can still not read corectly messing with you a/f ratio burning more fuel.

[pimpalero2003]

who cares about mpg anyway these days

[rustyballs_69]

Your gauge could be reading wrong. Its common with the aleros.

The fuel filter is under the back of the car. Its behind the gas tank.

[cavaliers60]

So, I could change the filter myself then... That's good! only $8 for a new filter! :yahoo: I might go ahead and do that..... I'll look into the o2 sensor.... Where would that be located? We have two of them right?

[rustyballs_69]

How many miles do you have on it?

[cavaliers60]

a little over 87,000 miles on her.

[freakout]

o2 in the exhaust 1 before the converter and 1 after. Not sure but the rear 1 might be just to tell if the converter is working.

[Vinman]

Hows your heat? If its crappy, the water pump could be related to the piss poor fuel mileage...This affects mileage by having the engine working much harder than it has to (using more fuel) I have this problem, and I don't smell unburned fuel, but i do have a small leak (its a wee bit complicated to explain)..which turns out, is coming from the pump...And, If an O2 sensor is bad, the check engine light should be on..not always but most of the time




I've got a water pump and fuel filter waiting to be put in, just a matter of waiting for a "warm" day to do it.

[cavaliers60]

The water pump isn't that old. I replaced it at 70,000 miles. So it couldn't be that.... However, when replacing the water pump, my tension pully is loose now. It's tightened down as far as I can get it, but it wobbles around a little bit like it's loose... If you don't understand what I mean, I can go out and take a short video clip of it. lol

[black]

try the seafoam.

worked for me.

[TheEdgeofSanity]

um. i have the same problem but not really. over summer, i was getting 25-27 mpg and over the last 3 fillups, i've been getting 18-19 mpg. my car does smell like its running rich but no idiot lights are on. does the traction control use extra gas? i've been driving alot in snowy conditions lately.

also, i've never changed my fuel filter nor do I think the previous owners did. How does that wreck fuel economy?

[Gr1m]

^ winter blend gas

[Ryan from Ohio]

Im with Edge here. Same situation exactly and in the same region.

[whiteliquid]

I've been getting the terrible gas mileage too. And my car smells like its running really rich as well.

Im getting 16-18 mpg now:(

[Redog]

How cold is it there?

Last week it was in the teens and single digits here and my Car was running a little rich.

My old car (92 Cougar) only got like 7 to 10 MPG with the Ford 3800 when the temp dropped below 15*

[FrankTheTank]

I was thinking that too.... I haven't changed mine since I bought the car so I really don't know how old mine is.... How much would it cost if it does need to be replaced? And would I be able to do it myself?
see this thread...
http://www.aleromod.com/forums/showthread.php?t=20721

[Ryan from Ohio]

Its been in the mid teens to 20's here.

[TheEdgeofSanity]

its been anywhere from single digits to the low 30's here

[Steven01]

Here In Winnipeg Its Been Like -18 to -28s And with a windchill of like -35 :O

[CarCrazyMike82]

I have been wondering about gas mielage too. I have been consistently getting about 21mpg and just over 300kms per tank. I saw a pic of the original window sticker for an alero and it said mileage was rated at 20/29 so I dunno.

[pimpalero2003]

300 k 300000 a tank damn i want that

[freakout]

The pulley that is loose could cause your problem. Same as Vinman with the water pump. It's taking more power to turn the bearing in that pulley. Change this before it's busts and leaves you sitting with a possibly overheated motor.

[cavaliers60]

The Belt Tensioner hasn't really caused any major issues except for bad gas mileage if that's what it's doing.... It just makes a rattling noise every once in a while.... I'll get one when I get the money for it. I've been planning on getting it replaced..

[InFaMoUs_ALERO_210]

The water pump isn't that old. I replaced it at 70,000 miles. So it couldn't be that.... However, when replacing the water pump, my tension pully is loose now. It's tightened down as far as I can get it, but it wobbles around a little bit like it's loose... If you don't understand what I mean, I can go out and take a short video clip of it. lol
dude be careful with that tension tensor cause mines camed off after i changed the water pump but if it gives you dat problem just replace it, i replaced mines with one that has a stronger spring inside so it woulnt wablle i bougt it in autosone for like 30 bucks but it might be cheaper i bought mines cause it was an emergenzy lolz...

[CharleyO99Alero]

***

Cav ... besides what others have mentioned, you will probably also need a new belt if that tensioner goes out completely as the belt will probably get damaged.

The longer you wait to fix it, the more likely it will cost you more.


***

[cavaliers60]

Yeah, but it's hard to fix something when your income is next to nothing.... I'll get it fixed as soon as I can.

[shortcut]

Are the tires the same brand/type as before? for best economy use tire pressure indicated on the tire not the car.where are you buying gas? GM cars generally don't like BP fuels. try running a tank of premium through it with a bottle of techron injector cleaner before you change the fuel filter that way anything freed up in the tank will be in the old filter not the new one.you should be getting 25+mpg highway even in winter.

[WarrenBlack]

My 99 3.4L is having a hard time with the rough starts and bad mileage too. One thing I can say is its NOT the water pump. If the bearings in your pump are slowing your motor down that much its about to fail andyoull see that soon after you notice the mileage. Ive ruled out plugs, wires, front O2 sensor, map sensor and mass air sensor, and fuel filter. Only things left are fuel pressure regulator, coil pack, or egr valve. Now these parts are a little expensive to be guessing with but my logic tells me its the fuel pressure which would give you bad mileage if too much fuel is being dumped. You may not even smell if if your ECU is adjusting properly to burn off the richness. If I can figure this out Ill repost. Now who can tell my what the fuel pressure is supposed to be so Ill know if I can pull out a normal reading????????