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| Miles per tank of gas (Page 1/2) |
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Garrett5982
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JUN 06, 06:42 PM
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So on my 85' GT i feel like it is seriously drinking fuel, i only get about 100 miles per tank in the city. I was mostly wondering what's the "normal" amount of miles you guys get per tank and what i should even start with to get better mileage
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82-T/A [At Work]
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JUN 06, 07:05 PM
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| quote | Originally posted by Garrett5982:
So on my 85' GT i feel like it is seriously drinking fuel, i only get about 100 miles per tank in the city. I was mostly wondering what's the "normal" amount of miles you guys get per tank and what i should even start with to get better mileage |
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It's been a while since I've had a working V6 Fiero, but back in the day, it was not uncommon for me to get like ~15-17 miles to the gallon. Are you getting a "check engine" light? If not, then it's still possible that your oxygen sensor is starting to go bad, but not enough to flag an error code.
I think the better thing is to determine what your miles to the gallon is.
Fill up your take, reset your trip odometer, and then go about your business. Next time you fill up, remember how many gallons you put in it, and divide the number on the trip odometer to determine your miles to the gallon. If you're getting less than... I dunno, 12, and you're not flooring it at every single light, then you probably have a bad O2 sensor.
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Patrick
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JUN 06, 07:08 PM
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In addition to the O2 sensor that Todd has mentioned...
Leak in the exhaust upstream of the O2 sensor? (...as this throws off the O2 readings.)
Any Trouble Codes present?
195° thermostat installed?
Confirmed with OBD1 reader and/or WinALDL that the ECU is actually seeing the correct coolant temperature?
Ignition timing done using timing light with ALDL jumper in place?
Fuel pressure holds for an extended period of time when engine is turned off? (...indicating that the injectors are not leaking.)
EGR functioning properly?
Automatic or manual?
Heavy foot?[This message has been edited by Patrick (edited 06-07-2024).]
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cvxjet
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JUN 06, 11:00 PM
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I would usually get around 28 mpg on the highway (lots of camping trips) and commuting to NAS Alameda IN Alameda I would average about 22.....so typically I'd get between 200 and 250, depending on where I was driving.
Anything lower than 20 something is wrong with the engine- unless you are at the dragstrip ALL the time....
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Garrett5982
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JUN 06, 11:22 PM
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| quote | Originally posted by 82-T/A [At Work]:
It's been a while since I've had a working V6 Fiero, but back in the day, it was not uncommon for me to get like ~15-17 miles to the gallon. Are you getting a "check engine" light? If not, then it's still possible that your oxygen sensor is starting to go bad, but not enough to flag an error code.
I think the better thing is to determine what your miles to the gallon is.
Fill up your take, reset your trip odometer, and then go about your business. Next time you fill up, remember how many gallons you put in it, and divide the number on the trip odometer to determine your miles to the gallon. If you're getting less than... I dunno, 12, and you're not flooring it at every single light, then you probably have a bad O2 sensor. |
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Fair enough, i do have a check engine light that comes on after about 5-10 minutes of driving. currently just don't have a means to get it diagnosed since pretty much nobody has an OBD1 scanner where i am
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OldGuyinaGT
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JUN 06, 11:28 PM
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While we're on the subject of miles per tank, my 88 GT is running great, but there's something I've been wondering about since I bought it in 2016.
If I get down to about 2 gallons remaining in the tank, and I turn or take a curve even at relatively low speed, the fuel pump complains loudly. Apparently it's cavitating, evidently because the fuel stacks up and at least partially uncovers the pump pickup The pump goes silent again as soon as I complete the turn. This doesn't happen at any fuel level over about 2 gallons. I know getting the pump into this state is not a good idea, so I've taken to filling up when the trip odometer gets to about 170 miles (I'm getting about 17 mpg combined).
But this limits my effective range even more than the relatively small tank capacity. I have a buddy who also owns an 88 GT, and he gets the same behavior. So is this typical? Is there anything that can be done about it?
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Patrick
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JUN 06, 11:43 PM
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| quote | Originally posted by OldGuyinaGT:
If I get down to about 2 gallons remaining in the tank, and I turn or take a curve even at relatively low speed, the fuel pump complains loudly... Is there anything that can be done about it?
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Ear muffs? 
I heard that sound just the other day. I knew the gas tank was getting low, but I figured I was still okay for a few more miles. However, I parked the car with the nose pointing down at quite an angle. When I went to back out of this space a while later, I heard "moaning" coming from what I thought was the back of the car. I then quickly realized it was probably the fuel pump complaining. I happened to have some gas in a jerrycan in the trunk. Dumped a bit in the tank... fuel pump was happy.
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Patrick
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JUN 06, 11:46 PM
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| quote | Originally posted by Garrett5982:
i do have a check engine light that comes on after about 5-10 minutes of driving. currently just don't have a means to get it diagnosed...
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You don't have a paperclip? Possibly a Code 32.
[This message has been edited by Patrick (edited 06-07-2024).]
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Garrett5982
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JUN 07, 08:22 AM
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| quote | Originally posted by Patrick:
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Dude thanks i completely blanked on the paper clip trick But i did get a code 22 and 32
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css9450
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JUN 07, 09:25 AM
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| quote | Originally posted by OldGuyinaGT:
If I get down to about 2 gallons remaining in the tank.... |
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The Fiero gas gauges aren't very accurate. You probably don't actually have two gallons.... It's probably less.
My gauge is so bad it'll run out of gas with the gauge still showing about 1/4 to 3/8 full. It's a lesson I learned the hard way; I don't ever let the gauge drop below about 1/2 tank. Anything less than that is like playing with fire. Sooner or later I'll be walking. I replaced my pump in 2003 shortly after buying the car, and again in 2012 because I ran it empty too many times. I learned my lesson!
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