Bad Gas Mileage...help.

Skirvdawg · 03-19-2001, 06:30 PM

I have a MY01 RS that I got in January and it has, um...let's call it 1300 miles. Either the car lives and dies by the window sticker that said 20 mpg city and whatever it said for highway, or I'm doing something wrong. I have yet to get over 20mpg, and when I say over, I mean 20.1. Is it still breaking in, am I doing something wrong? Did I just happen to pick up a car that gets low mileage? I've even been avoiding quick starts and driving around in a higher gear than is called for, like lumber along at 30mph in 5th gear (we have some low speed limits around here).

I'm using Citgo gas because I can get it cheaper on base, but I'd be more than happy to pay more and use Shell. If I had it my way I'd use BP, but we don't have it up here.

Any ideas what I could do or not do to help my mileage? It's not a big thing, but it's just getting annoying having to fill up every two weeks when you consider I have a 10 mile round trip commute plus miscelaneous driving to the store and such.

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bratmantlz · 03-19-2001, 06:36 PM

any mods done to the vehicle?

ChosenWon · 03-19-2001, 06:40 PM

As the miles go up so will the gas mileage. That was the way mine went anyway.

Longshot · 03-19-2001, 06:47 PM

Dude.. 30mph in 5th? You should be in 3rd.. Avoiding quick starts is one thing, but driving around at almost idle at 30mph is just as bad.

My suggestion is this.. drive your current tank of gas until the light comes on (not before not near, because the cars tend to stay on eay for like 30+ miles before the light comes on..), then fill up.. your tank holds 15.9 gallons. Once its all topped off reset the trip odo and run until the light comes on.

If you get anything less than 280 miles on a tank trying ressting your ECU by disconnecting the battery for 15 minutes.

Also bare in mind mpg is affected by other variables.. time spent idling in traffic or time spent warming up before the drive.

Just to give you a good indication my MY01 RS gets around 330 miles on a tank.. and thats before the light.. my daily driving varies between short highway bursts and a few minute downtown drive. I'm also not waiting until the light comes on and get 330..

Hope that helps..

Korey

(Also I use the mid grade 89 octane.. the manual that coems with car will tell you that 87 or up is fine..)

[This message has been edited by Longshot (edited March 19, 2001).]

dandbest · 03-19-2001, 06:53 PM

I just turned 6000 miles, and, I'm still getting 18-19 mpg on average... I know someone with a Forester, and he too is not getting anything near what the sticker says. At first, I tought that it was just a Subaru thing, you know, write one thing on the sticker- get something much different, but my g/f just got a 01 Jetta VR6 and the thing gets like 16-17 mpg mixed city and highway, and the sticker said 20 city 25highway, so I guess it's not just a Subaru thing. We must all be abusing the cars or something.

Danny

bratmantlz · 03-19-2001, 06:54 PM

my RS with tons o N/A mods for speed and HP can get a minimum of 320mptank o gas. and i get WOT all the time.... i document my mileage and when i fill up...

the Dabbler · 03-19-2001, 07:17 PM

Skirvdawg:
Bad O2 sensor, perhaps?

SnapperHead · 03-19-2001, 07:21 PM

I agree with Dabbler, poor gas mileage is one of the signs your O2 sensor is going bad, get it replaced and out of the way, because you will have to in a few months anyhow, they all tend to go bad.

ATX25RS · 03-19-2001, 07:44 PM

If you read your sticker, your MPG is an average of the mileage range (13 to 25) or something like that. Mine is a MY01 BRP my only mod is a Weapon R Dragon Intake. my MPG is still fluctuating(?) sometimes its 23 in the city and others its 16...it depends on my driving.

ScoobyDriver · 03-19-2001, 08:06 PM

It took until ~25000 before I broke 20-22 consistantly in my '98 RS. I was hurting and only getting 270 top per tank (always filled when I see the little light.)

Then one saturday afternoon crusing the twisty two lane hi-ways of northern MN, I filled up and calculated 30!! First and only time ever. After that I saw a bunch of 25 and 26's but that's it. (oh ya, Amsoil filter, free flow back box and BFG comp tires for mods)

Shane Kullman
'02 WRX Blue

[This message has been edited by ScoobyDriver (edited March 19, 2001).]

ejicon · 03-19-2001, 11:03 PM

maybe ur o2 sensor!!!

Skylab · 03-20-2001, 01:56 AM

If you're driving sanely, you should get mileage similar to the rest of us. I too am getting about 330 miles per 13.5 gallons of gas. I've gone through three fillups with the same amount put in the tank each time. That equates to 25 mpg. Which is just about right. I do about half/half freeway/city driving. My advice, really anticipate stops, coast when ever possible down hills. Tire pressure, pump it up over the stock rating by a few psi.

Good luck, Buddy.

Skylab

Mike Smith · 03-20-2001, 02:04 AM

My mileage dropped to 24-25mpg when I put on the snows - usually around 26-27mpg daily driving. I pulled a 33 on a trip to Toronto last year - over 400 miles on one tank. Never seen a tank below 24mpg. (I use Agway gas- like there's any difference!)

lone wolf · 03-20-2001, 04:18 AM

Wow! You guys are getting good gas mileage. My FD3S is only getting an average of 12mpg city and highway and I'm suppose to be getting 18mpg in city as posted on the window sticker back then when it was new. But that is expected since I've modified it quite a bit.

philrb · 03-21-2001, 06:52 PM

The fact that you're in Rhode Island where it's still cold right now and your short trip to and from work is probably the culprit. An O2 sensor only starts doing it's job (closed loop) when it's at 700 degrees F. Your O2 sensor is probably telling your ECU to keep running rich until it warms up (open loop).
Try taking about a 100 mile trip on a highway, record your mileage, do the math and I'll bet your mileage is up where it should be. And that'll hold true when the weather warms up. And it'll get even better as the engine wears in. And remember that just because the temp guage reads in the normal operating temp area doesn't mean the engine is hot....it only means the water is hot.

Phil

SlideWRX · 03-21-2001, 07:00 PM

Also, if the trips are relatively short, the tires don't warm up as much and the pressure doesn't rise as much. In the winter I run a couple psi over rated. Make sure your tires pressures are up to spec, it is a big (1-3 mpg) difference.

Youngun · 03-21-2001, 07:05 PM

I'm getting around 250 miles to the tank of my 01, i have 850 on it right now and my fourth tank is half full. Scrumlicious.

Jazz95 · 03-21-2001, 08:31 PM

All you guys are lucky. Because I'm getting about 210 miles per tank of gas in my MY95L. And its not even AWD! It has 50K on it, so its broke in, but I just can't seem to find the problem. My sticker says 28cty and 31hwy, but that has yet to be proven. But I'll try swapping out the 02 sensor. Thanks!!

Xio · 03-21-2001, 08:36 PM

Another thing.
By driving in a higher gear than necessary, you keep the rpms low. I'm gonna guess probably the 1500-3000 range. Your engine develops less torque in this part of the band, and probably has to dump extra gas in to keep from bogging when you accelerate. My best mpg's come from keeping the engine above 3000 rpm.

Skirvdawg · 03-22-2001, 07:03 AM

Ok, I'll stop driving around in a higher gear; sounds better with the revs up anyway. As far as mods go, I have a Ganzflow and Amsoil air filter. If it's my O2 sensor, should but my stock air plumbing back on before having the dealer check it out?

Also one other question. I noticed the owner's manual says to keep the tires inflated to somewhere in the 30s, but on the tires it says max psi is 44. This seems really high. Should I go for something in between those two pressures, stick with what the manual says, or go with what's on the tires? I have the stock RE92's.l

SlideWRX · 03-22-2001, 03:49 PM

The max tire pressure rating includes (I believe) warm tire pressure. After a 20 minute highway ride, your pressure can go up 5 or more psi. The manual reccomends the 30 psi when cold, so check it before you go driving. The only time to really go over 35 psi would be at autocross, where you want the hot temp pressure, but the tires are cold.

remarcable · 03-22-2001, 05:49 PM

20-25MPG city, 25-30MPG highway

99 Legacy Outback with 25k miles on it. Mileage sucked in between 10k and 15k for some reason.

No mods that would affect mileage.

I dunno why I get such good mileage, the outback is about as aerodynamic as a brick. I put in 87 octane BP gas usually.

kevinsUBARU · 03-22-2001, 05:51 PM

Jazz95, I sent you a PM.

03-19-2001, 06:30 PM	#1
Skirvdawg Scooby Newbie Member#: 3375 Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Virginia Beach Vehicle: 2002 VW Jetta Wagon Black	Bad Gas Mileage...help. I have a MY01 RS that I got in January and it has, um...let's call it 1300 miles. Either the car lives and dies by the window sticker that said 20 mpg city and whatever it said for highway, or I'm doing something wrong. I have yet to get over 20mpg, and when I say over, I mean 20.1. Is it still breaking in, am I doing something wrong? Did I just happen to pick up a car that gets low mileage? I've even been avoiding quick starts and driving around in a higher gear than is called for, like lumber along at 30mph in 5th gear (we have some low speed limits around here). I'm using Citgo gas because I can get it cheaper on base, but I'd be more than happy to pay more and use Shell. If I had it my way I'd use BP, but we don't have it up here. Any ideas what I could do or not do to help my mileage? It's not a big thing, but it's just getting annoying having to fill up every two weeks when you consider I have a 10 mile round trip commute plus miscelaneous driving to the store and such. * Registered users of the site do not see these ads.

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03-19-2001, 06:36 PM	#2
bratmantlz Scooby Specialist Member#: 3231 Join Date: Dec 2000 Chapter/Region: RMIC Location: colorado springs colorado usa Vehicle: 88 626 Turbo white	any mods done to the vehicle?

03-19-2001, 06:40 PM	#3
ChosenWon Scooby Specialist Member#: 2236 Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Red Sox Nation w/ y2k4door Vehicle: 2000 Audi S4 silver/rally dirt brown	As the miles go up so will the gas mileage. That was the way mine went anyway.

03-19-2001, 06:47 PM	#4
Longshot Scooby Specialist Member#: 2359 Join Date: Sep 2000 Chapter/Region: NESIC Vehicle: 2001 Impreza 2.0 WRS	Dude.. 30mph in 5th? You should be in 3rd.. Avoiding quick starts is one thing, but driving around at almost idle at 30mph is just as bad. My suggestion is this.. drive your current tank of gas until the light comes on (not before not near, because the cars tend to stay on eay for like 30+ miles before the light comes on..), then fill up.. your tank holds 15.9 gallons. Once its all topped off reset the trip odo and run until the light comes on. If you get anything less than 280 miles on a tank trying ressting your ECU by disconnecting the battery for 15 minutes. Also bare in mind mpg is affected by other variables.. time spent idling in traffic or time spent warming up before the drive. Just to give you a good indication my MY01 RS gets around 330 miles on a tank.. and thats before the light.. my daily driving varies between short highway bursts and a few minute downtown drive. I'm also not waiting until the light comes on and get 330.. Hope that helps.. Korey (Also I use the mid grade 89 octane.. the manual that coems with car will tell you that 87 or up is fine..) [This message has been edited by Longshot (edited March 19, 2001).]

03-19-2001, 06:53 PM	#5
dandbest Scooby Specialist Member#: 1885 Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Bayside, NY Vehicle: 2002 WRX	I just turned 6000 miles, and, I'm still getting 18-19 mpg on average... I know someone with a Forester, and he too is not getting anything near what the sticker says. At first, I tought that it was just a Subaru thing, you know, write one thing on the sticker- get something much different, but my g/f just got a 01 Jetta VR6 and the thing gets like 16-17 mpg mixed city and highway, and the sticker said 20 city 25highway, so I guess it's not just a Subaru thing. We must all be abusing the cars or something. Danny

03-19-2001, 06:54 PM	#6
bratmantlz Scooby Specialist Member#: 3231 Join Date: Dec 2000 Chapter/Region: RMIC Location: colorado springs colorado usa Vehicle: 88 626 Turbo white	my RS with tons o N/A mods for speed and HP can get a minimum of 320mptank o gas. and i get WOT all the time.... i document my mileage and when i fill up...

03-19-2001, 07:17 PM	#7
the Dabbler Scooby Newbie Member#: 4540 Join Date: Feb 2001 Vehicle: MY00 2.5RS Sedan Abnormally Aspirated	Skirvdawg: Bad O2 sensor, perhaps?

03-19-2001, 07:21 PM	#8
SnapperHead Scooby Newbie Member#: 2740 Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Schaumburg IL	I agree with Dabbler, poor gas mileage is one of the signs your O2 sensor is going bad, get it replaced and out of the way, because you will have to in a few months anyhow, they all tend to go bad.

03-19-2001, 07:44 PM	#9
ATX25RS Scooby Guru Member#: 4597 Join Date: Mar 2001 Chapter/Region: TXIC Location: Laredo, Texas Vehicle: 2011 Mitsu Outlander Sport (Ex-Suby owner X3)	If you read your sticker, your MPG is an average of the mileage range (13 to 25) or something like that. Mine is a MY01 BRP my only mod is a Weapon R Dragon Intake. my MPG is still fluctuating(?) sometimes its 23 in the city and others its 16...it depends on my driving.

03-19-2001, 08:06 PM	#10
ScoobyDriver Scooby Newbie Member#: 195 Join Date: Aug 1999 Location: Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA Vehicle: 2001 BH9 White	It took until ~25000 before I broke 20-22 consistantly in my '98 RS. I was hurting and only getting 270 top per tank (always filled when I see the little light.) Then one saturday afternoon crusing the twisty two lane hi-ways of northern MN, I filled up and calculated 30!! First and only time ever. After that I saw a bunch of 25 and 26's but that's it. (oh ya, Amsoil filter, free flow back box and BFG comp tires for mods) Shane Kullman '02 WRX Blue [This message has been edited by ScoobyDriver (edited March 19, 2001).]

03-19-2001, 11:03 PM	#11
ejicon Scooby Guru Member#: 2452 Join Date: Sep 2000 Chapter/Region: SCIC Location: Burbank,California, USA Vehicle: 08 2.5 WRX WRB Mica	maybe ur o2 sensor!!!

03-20-2001, 01:56 AM	#12
Skylab Scooby Specialist Member#: 4263 Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Cardiff-by-the-Sea, Ca	If you're driving sanely, you should get mileage similar to the rest of us. I too am getting about 330 miles per 13.5 gallons of gas. I've gone through three fillups with the same amount put in the tank each time. That equates to 25 mpg. Which is just about right. I do about half/half freeway/city driving. My advice, really anticipate stops, coast when ever possible down hills. Tire pressure, pump it up over the stock rating by a few psi. Good luck, Buddy. Skylab

03-20-2001, 02:04 AM	#13
Mike Smith Scooby Specialist Member#: 744 Join Date: Jan 2000 Chapter/Region: Tri-State Location: Middlesex, NY USA Vehicle: 00 BRP RS Coupe 02 Forester, 00 S-10,	My mileage dropped to 24-25mpg when I put on the snows - usually around 26-27mpg daily driving. I pulled a 33 on a trip to Toronto last year - over 400 miles on one tank. Never seen a tank below 24mpg. (I use Agway gas- like there's any difference!)

03-20-2001, 04:18 AM	#14
lone wolf Scooby Newbie Member#: 4953 Join Date: Mar 2001	Wow! You guys are getting good gas mileage. My FD3S is only getting an average of 12mpg city and highway and I'm suppose to be getting 18mpg in city as posted on the window sticker back then when it was new. But that is expected since I've modified it quite a bit.

03-21-2001, 06:52 PM	#15
philrb Scooby Newbie Member#: 2547 Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Avondale, AZ USA	The fact that you're in Rhode Island where it's still cold right now and your short trip to and from work is probably the culprit. An O2 sensor only starts doing it's job (closed loop) when it's at 700 degrees F. Your O2 sensor is probably telling your ECU to keep running rich until it warms up (open loop). Try taking about a 100 mile trip on a highway, record your mileage, do the math and I'll bet your mileage is up where it should be. And that'll hold true when the weather warms up. And it'll get even better as the engine wears in. And remember that just because the temp guage reads in the normal operating temp area doesn't mean the engine is hot....it only means the water is hot. Phil

03-21-2001, 07:00 PM	#16
SlideWRX Scooby Specialist Member#: 3803 Join Date: Jan 2001 Chapter/Region: MWSOC Location: South Carolina Vehicle: 07 Mustang GT 285 is a wide tire!	Also, if the trips are relatively short, the tires don't warm up as much and the pressure doesn't rise as much. In the winter I run a couple psi over rated. Make sure your tires pressures are up to spec, it is a big (1-3 mpg) difference.

03-21-2001, 07:05 PM	#17
Youngun Scooby Newbie Member#: 3382 Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Ithaca, NY Vehicle: 2001 Impreza RS Black, like me	I'm getting around 250 miles to the tank of my 01, i have 850 on it right now and my fourth tank is half full. Scrumlicious.

03-21-2001, 08:31 PM	#18
Jazz95 Scooby Newbie Member#: 4600 Join Date: Mar 2001 Chapter/Region: MAIC Location: Bel Air Subaru Nissan Group Vehicle: Da Ridge Racer	All you guys are lucky. Because I'm getting about 210 miles per tank of gas in my MY95L. And its not even AWD! It has 50K on it, so its broke in, but I just can't seem to find the problem. My sticker says 28cty and 31hwy, but that has yet to be proven. But I'll try swapping out the 02 sensor. Thanks!!

03-21-2001, 08:36 PM	#19
Xio Scooby Specialist Member#: 3805 Join Date: Jan 2001 Chapter/Region: International Location: Paris, FR / Houston, TX Vehicle: 2011 STi Sedan SWP 2011 Outback ABP	Another thing. By driving in a higher gear than necessary, you keep the rpms low. I'm gonna guess probably the 1500-3000 range. Your engine develops less torque in this part of the band, and probably has to dump extra gas in to keep from bogging when you accelerate. My best mpg's come from keeping the engine above 3000 rpm.

03-22-2001, 07:03 AM	#20
Skirvdawg Scooby Newbie Member#: 3375 Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Virginia Beach Vehicle: 2002 VW Jetta Wagon Black	Ok, I'll stop driving around in a higher gear; sounds better with the revs up anyway. As far as mods go, I have a Ganzflow and Amsoil air filter. If it's my O2 sensor, should but my stock air plumbing back on before having the dealer check it out? Also one other question. I noticed the owner's manual says to keep the tires inflated to somewhere in the 30s, but on the tires it says max psi is 44. This seems really high. Should I go for something in between those two pressures, stick with what the manual says, or go with what's on the tires? I have the stock RE92's.l

03-22-2001, 03:49 PM	#21
SlideWRX Scooby Specialist Member#: 3803 Join Date: Jan 2001 Chapter/Region: MWSOC Location: South Carolina Vehicle: 07 Mustang GT 285 is a wide tire!	The max tire pressure rating includes (I believe) warm tire pressure. After a 20 minute highway ride, your pressure can go up 5 or more psi. The manual reccomends the 30 psi when cold, so check it before you go driving. The only time to really go over 35 psi would be at autocross, where you want the hot temp pressure, but the tires are cold.

03-22-2001, 05:49 PM	#22
remarcable Scooby Specialist Member#: 2362 Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: South Carolina, USA Vehicle: 1999 Legacy Outback Blue w/ Paint Chips & Mud	20-25MPG city, 25-30MPG highway 99 Legacy Outback with 25k miles on it. Mileage sucked in between 10k and 15k for some reason. No mods that would affect mileage. I dunno why I get such good mileage, the outback is about as aerodynamic as a brick. I put in 87 octane BP gas usually.

03-22-2001, 05:51 PM	#23
kevinsUBARU Scooby Specialist Member#: 2263 Join Date: Sep 2000 Chapter/Region: Tri-State Location: Funky Kingston, NY Vehicle: 2012 Impreza Sport	Jazz95, I sent you a PM.