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Terrible gas mileage. Need help!!

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Old 12-11-2003, 07:12 PM
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Terrible gas mileage. Need help!!

I have a 2004 WRX sedan 5spd and I am getting horrible gas mileage. I have read people talking about them getting about 240-280 miles to the tank. I have only been getting 200 miles at the most! Something has to be wrong with my car. It only has 1300 miles on it. I usually keep the rpms below about 4500 as well. So I don't beat on it that often. I need help ASAP. I don't enjoy filling my tank like 2 times a week. Gas is mad expensive now. Someone help me out.
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Old 12-11-2003, 07:19 PM
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that sucks
i get like 350 to a tank pretty easily
(thats city and hwy, and some racing
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Old 12-11-2003, 07:55 PM
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i get 28 mpg highway, 22 city and 10 racing on my 02 wrx
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Old 12-11-2003, 08:09 PM
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check your tire pressure
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Old 12-11-2003, 08:35 PM
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You've got to find that happy middle ground between lugging the engine and getting into high boost. Steady-state cruise conditions is where you will find the best fuel economy. Even in heavy rush hour traffic I still average close to 23 mpg. I do drive with a light foot and try to be smooth on the go pedal. Avoid even little on, off, on, off, applications of the throttle whenever practical. I ease away from stoplights and reserve 5000 RPM launches for the drag strip.


I also try to consolidate my trips so that I do multiple errands along the way, rather than going home after work then going out again to get gas or go shopping.

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Old 12-11-2003, 09:05 PM
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I know what you mean man... I drive... fairly hard... I get around 17mpg. Ugh. Cali 91, on top of being crap, is expensive.

But I know why... boost junkie...
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Old 12-11-2003, 09:43 PM
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Re: Terrible gas mileage. Need help!!

Originally posted by jdmpwrdr
I have a 2004 WRX sedan 5spd and I am getting horrible gas mileage. I have read people talking about them getting about 240-280 miles to the tank. I have only been getting 200 miles at the most! Something has to be wrong with my car. It only has 1300 miles on it. I usually keep the rpms below about 4500 as well. So I don't beat on it that often. I need help ASAP. I don't enjoy filling my tank like 2 times a week. Gas is mad expensive now. Someone help me out.
Sounds like something is wrong to me. Take it to you your local WRX savvy shop and have them measure the air/fuel ratio.
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Old 12-11-2003, 10:10 PM
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Do you really think there is something wrong with my car? I mean, I knew this car was going to be worse on gas then my civic. But 200 miles to the tank!!!! Come on now. That is definitely crappy. My old Mustang 5.0 got better gas mileage then my scoobie. Are there any Techs on this site that can give me any more info?
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Old 12-11-2003, 10:38 PM
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There is definitely something wrong with your car, or with your driving habits. I get 270 miles/tank in the summer (AC on every single minute I'm in the car) and 300 to 315 miles per tank in the Winter (AC not on at all) on Techron 91. I don't dig into the boost all that often (mostly accelerating onto freeway) but I do hit speeds well over 80 on most highway trips, and I do a fair amount of stop-and-go (damn Phoenix traffic!) in city streets (about 4 hours of that a week).

If you are running the AC full blast and boosting away from every stoplight (throttle 3/4 or more down, RPMs topping 3200) you might be getting down to 220 per tank, but 200 seems suspicious. Are you judging by just one tank? Try this: for your next three tanks, don't refill until the yellow light comes on (don't worry - you still have 1.5 gallons left at this point!) and then write down your exact miles and reset your trip meter. If you average 200 over three tanks, you've got some kind of problem (or your right foot is made of STELLAR MATTER).
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Old 12-11-2003, 11:18 PM
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what's the BEST tank u ever had with your car?


i'm wondering, cuz when i first got the car, even while running no boost during breakin period, like the first couple tanks i'd only get around 200-220....then it started getting better from there.....then now i dropped back down to about 250- 270 a tank due to boost crazed.
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Old 12-12-2003, 06:28 AM
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just to make you fell better i have a 1.8 5spd and only get 200 miles a tank!!
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Old 12-12-2003, 07:47 AM
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Origami posted by meilers
There is definitely something wrong with your car, or with your driving habits. I get 270 miles/tank in the summer (AC on every single minute I'm in the car)...
You know you're in trouble (or Phoenix/Chandler) when it's 10:00p.m. and it's still 85 degrees outside.


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