Poor Gas Mileage

caliplaya650 · 07-19-2001, 05:51 PM

I have a 1992 5.0 mustang w/ 160,000 miles w/aod tranny and a bbk cold air intake. I just put in a full tank of gas and have driven it 45 miles and i'm down to have a tank!!!! Damn is that possible? How much is the average MPG on a car of this year w/ that many miles????

------------------
1992 Mustang 5.0
BBK cold air intake
Dual Flows w/ H Pipe

dinomite · 07-19-2001, 10:56 PM

how do you drive? you could easily get 10mpg if you were to put your foot down all the time. going by the gauge shows nothing, the only way to get gas mileage is to fill up the tank, and reset the trip at the same time, then when you fill it again, see how much you burned, and how many miles you went. i have a 90 AOD vert and it get about 17 in city if i drive nicely, thats about average for an 87-93. that all goes out the window if ya get on the throttle all the time.

caliplaya650 · 07-20-2001, 02:19 AM

yea i filled up the tank w/87 octane and reset the trip odom. before i started the car. I'm at half a a bit under half a tank and @ 75 miles on the trip odom. since the last post.

------------------
1992 Mustang 5.0
BBK cold air intake
Dual Flows w/ H Pipe

Skyman · 07-20-2001, 02:37 AM

Fill it up, reset the trip, then drive around. NICELY, no flooring it. Then fill up again, see how many gallons go in, and then divide the miles by the gallons, and you get MPG. If its less than 14-15 for in town we can work from there.

Skyler

------------------
-1989 Saleen Mustang #406-
TFS TW Heads, E-303, Edelbrock intake, 70mm TB, 73mm MAF, 24lb injectors, 1 5/8 shorties, Off Road H, 3 Chamber flows, Jaz Race seats, Back seat removed, sub-frames, Roll Cage, and a 80 shot of N20.
12.54@107.4 Motor
1.69 60'

dinomite · 07-20-2001, 10:00 AM

Yup, when you go to fill up again, tell us what your mileage is, then we can figure this out. tell us how you drive too.....as Skyman said, you must drive nicely to get good mileage.

jimberg · 07-20-2001, 10:48 AM

Quote:

you must drive nicely to get good mileage

You guys know what I drive and I can tell you, I do not drive like a granny. I get 18-20mpg. There is no way in hell for a basically stock 5.0 to get that kind of mileage. Even if he drove around at WOT everywhere he went. He's basically saying that he's getting about 8 mpg.

My first suggestion would be that he confirm how much gas he's used. Fill up and see how much fuel went in like Skyman suggested. It may be that the gas gauge is just wrong.

If it turns out to be correct, the next thing to find out is how the car has been running. In order for the car to get that bad of gas mileage, you'd have to be running seriously rich and likely not very well. The first thing you should do is pull the codes from your computer. It's possible for a sensor to be hosed causing the computer to stay in open loop mode. If you get no codes, then the first thing I would do is replace the O2 sensors if they are the originals.

That's enough info for now. Get back to us on what you find out.

------------------
351W 89 Mustang GT Convertible

dinomite · 07-20-2001, 11:00 PM

the thing is, you can't really tell that much from the gauge. if his gauge is accurate (odds are its off a little, could be lots) then yes, he is getting amazingly bad gas mileage. the only way to really know is to is to figure the gas mileage correctly, as explained.

caliplaya650 · 07-21-2001, 09:30 PM

Thanks for the info.====> Jimberg where would i find a tool that would read codes i've been looking for one but im not too sure which one would be the best for my car/year. Im at about E and will take down all the specs e.g O trip Odom. Gallons of gas.
Late

Also The car has 160,000 Which im pretty sure is contributing to poor gas mileage??

[This message has been edited by caliplaya650 (edited 07-21-2001).]

jimberg · 07-21-2001, 10:57 PM

Read this article for information on how to read codes without a scanning tool. Basically, all you need is a wire or paper clip to read codes.

Do it yourself EEC IV Diagnostics

Sorry for the bad link. As long as I'm editing I may as well mention that a code reader is not required to read codes.

I would say that the age of your sensors has more to do with it than the age of your engine.

------------------
351W 89 Mustang GT Convertible

[This message has been edited by jimberg (edited 07-22-2001).]

89lxinwky · 07-21-2001, 11:24 PM

You can get a code reader at Autozone for around $30. I had an '87 GT for six years in the early '90s. Down to E, mine still had probably 2-3 gallons. In other words, if I filled up with my gauge on E, It might hold 12.x gallons. So, I wouldn't worry about it until you figured your actual gas mileage as mentioned in earlier posts. High miles alone won't hurt your MPG. I drove from KY to the Meadowlands in NJ in '96 to watch the Cats win the NCAA. My '87 5spd got
22-23mpg(with 3.55 gears) and 127,xxx miles.

caliplaya650 · 07-26-2001, 01:19 AM

Sup Folks,
I have once again filled up the tank w. reg unleaded gas. I pushed it as far as i could when it was on E and got in 14 1/2 gallons of gas. I have since then traveled 70 miles and i am at the second notch. I've driven it slowly w/ out quick punching starts.
i am here:
=<---- Full
-
-<---- I am here
I've driven it slowly w/ out quick punching starts. What im noticed is, i got on the freeway and hit the over drive For i'd say even less the 10 feet and it went from the first small notch str8 down the to second!? I thought OD was suppose to save gas not waste it? I had a 65 mustang with a 600 cfm carb, performer intake and dual exhaust and was getting way more MPG!!!
=<---- Full
-<---- Went from here to:
-<---- Here

------------------
1992 Mustang 5.0
BBK cold air intake
Dual Flows w/ H Pipe

jimberg · 07-26-2001, 01:36 AM

When you put in the 14.5 gals how far did you travel? That's what we've been waiting for. Here's the process once again:

Fill your tank.

Reset trip odometer to zero.

Drive it until it's near empty.

Fill your tank again.

Write down the number of gallons you filled it with.

Write down the number of miles on the trip odometer.

Divide the number of miles on trip odometer by the number of gallons you used.

Report back the results.

You should know that the first half of the gauge goes quickly in Mustangs. Usually when my gauge hits the half way mark I have gone 100-120 miles. By the time it hits E, I usually go about 250-270 miles. As you can see, the gauge is not linear. When I first bought my Mustang and saw that gauge move so fast I couldn't believe what I got myself into. Then I realized that the needle started moving slower toward the bottom. I figured about 40 miles a notch. The top half is like 25-30 miles per notch.

And you may notice that the needle sits on full for a while and then when you shut down or drive a while, boom, it's plummeted.

------------------
351W 89 Mustang GT Convertible

dinomite · 07-26-2001, 09:38 AM

ya, i am confused as well....how far did that 14.5 gallons take you? BTW, the mustang has a 15.4 gallon tank.

blueneonman1 · 07-27-2001, 04:09 AM

You know, in my '95 GT, I watch my gas guage closely now that gas is expensive, whereas i used to not really care. But watching it constantly, I noticed that when I fill up, it stays over the "F" for awhile, then creeps down the ladder rather quick for the miles I put on, then slows down again after about half until "E" for the miles I put on there.

------------------
Blueneonman - '95 5.0L Mustang GT Convertible | K&N Custom Cold Air Intake | FMS 9mm Wires | Hollow Cats | Flowmaster 2 Chambers | BBK Subframes | 6-pt Rollcage | King Cobra Clutch | FMS Adjustable Clutch Cable | B&M Short Throw | Coolest Neon Lighting on a Mustang EVER!

Homepage: http://www16.brinkster.com/blueneonman/

caliplaya650 · 07-29-2001, 05:14 PM

Sup Folks,
Thanks for all of the help last time i filled up i was at 190 miles @ 2 notches before E. I've asked my friends who have 5.0 Gts and they tell me that im getting really good gas mileage. I also wanted to know if any one has used the product spiralmax.com makes or the tornado from tornadoair.com?
Its suppose to give u 30%+ hp/30%+ MPG????
Thanks Again.

------------------
1992 Mustang 5.0
BBK cold air intake
Dual Flows w/ H Pipe

07-19-2001, 05:51 PM	#1
caliplaya650 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Moses Lake, Wa USA Posts: 72	Poor Gas Mileage I have a 1992 5.0 mustang w/ 160,000 miles w/aod tranny and a bbk cold air intake. I just put in a full tank of gas and have driven it 45 miles and i'm down to have a tank!!!! Damn is that possible? How much is the average MPG on a car of this year w/ that many miles???? ------------------ 1992 Mustang 5.0 BBK cold air intake Dual Flows w/ H Pipe

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Gas mileage?	Nixon1	Windsor Power	17	08-07-2003 01:43 PM
Gas Mileage	Jacob_M	Blue Oval Lounge	5	01-28-2002 12:11 AM
really bad gas mileage???	green94droptop	Windsor Power	22	05-22-2001 01:12 AM
Gas mileage on a '78?!!	purple horse	Classic Mustangs	3	03-09-2000 01:07 AM
68 Mustang Gas Mileage?!	CobraAC	Classic Mustangs	3	10-23-1999 07:35 PM

07-19-2001, 10:56 PM	#2
dinomite The Dude Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 1,262	how do you drive? you could easily get 10mpg if you were to put your foot down all the time. going by the gauge shows nothing, the only way to get gas mileage is to fill up the tank, and reset the trip at the same time, then when you fill it again, see how much you burned, and how many miles you went. i have a 90 AOD vert and it get about 17 in city if i drive nicely, thats about average for an 87-93. that all goes out the window if ya get on the throttle all the time.

07-20-2001, 02:19 AM	#3
caliplaya650 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Moses Lake, Wa USA Posts: 72	yea i filled up the tank w/87 octane and reset the trip odom. before i started the car. I'm at half a a bit under half a tank and @ 75 miles on the trip odom. since the last post. ------------------ 1992 Mustang 5.0 BBK cold air intake Dual Flows w/ H Pipe

07-20-2001, 02:37 AM	#4
Skyman I need 110mph Trap Speed! Join Date: Feb 1999 Location: So, CA Posts: 4,315	Fill it up, reset the trip, then drive around. NICELY, no flooring it. Then fill up again, see how many gallons go in, and then divide the miles by the gallons, and you get MPG. If its less than 14-15 for in town we can work from there. Skyler ------------------ -1989 Saleen Mustang #406- TFS TW Heads, E-303, Edelbrock intake, 70mm TB, 73mm MAF, 24lb injectors, 1 5/8 shorties, Off Road H, 3 Chamber flows, Jaz Race seats, Back seat removed, sub-frames, Roll Cage, and a 80 shot of N20. 12.54@107.4 Motor 1.69 60'

07-20-2001, 10:00 AM	#5
dinomite The Dude Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 1,262	Yup, when you go to fill up again, tell us what your mileage is, then we can figure this out. tell us how you drive too.....as Skyman said, you must drive nicely to get good mileage.

07-20-2001, 11:00 PM	#7
dinomite The Dude Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 1,262	the thing is, you can't really tell that much from the gauge. if his gauge is accurate (odds are its off a little, could be lots) then yes, he is getting amazingly bad gas mileage. the only way to really know is to is to figure the gas mileage correctly, as explained.

07-21-2001, 09:30 PM	#8
caliplaya650 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Moses Lake, Wa USA Posts: 72	Thanks for the info.====> Jimberg where would i find a tool that would read codes i've been looking for one but im not too sure which one would be the best for my car/year. Im at about E and will take down all the specs e.g O trip Odom. Gallons of gas. Late Also The car has 160,000 Which im pretty sure is contributing to poor gas mileage?? [This message has been edited by caliplaya650 (edited 07-21-2001).]

07-21-2001, 10:57 PM	#9
jimberg Registered Member Join Date: Oct 1998 Location: Rogers, MN Posts: 2,089	Read this article for information on how to read codes without a scanning tool. Basically, all you need is a wire or paper clip to read codes. Do it yourself EEC IV Diagnostics Sorry for the bad link. As long as I'm editing I may as well mention that a code reader is not required to read codes. I would say that the age of your sensors has more to do with it than the age of your engine. ------------------ 351W 89 Mustang GT Convertible [This message has been edited by jimberg (edited 07-22-2001).]

07-21-2001, 11:24 PM	#10
89lxinwky Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: KY Posts: 59	You can get a code reader at Autozone for around $30. I had an '87 GT for six years in the early '90s. Down to E, mine still had probably 2-3 gallons. In other words, if I filled up with my gauge on E, It might hold 12.x gallons. So, I wouldn't worry about it until you figured your actual gas mileage as mentioned in earlier posts. High miles alone won't hurt your MPG. I drove from KY to the Meadowlands in NJ in '96 to watch the Cats win the NCAA. My '87 5spd got 22-23mpg(with 3.55 gears) and 127,xxx miles.

07-26-2001, 01:19 AM	#11
caliplaya650 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Moses Lake, Wa USA Posts: 72	Sup Folks, I have once again filled up the tank w. reg unleaded gas. I pushed it as far as i could when it was on E and got in 14 1/2 gallons of gas. I have since then traveled 70 miles and i am at the second notch. I've driven it slowly w/ out quick punching starts. i am here: =<---- Full - -<---- I am here I've driven it slowly w/ out quick punching starts. What im noticed is, i got on the freeway and hit the over drive For i'd say even less the 10 feet and it went from the first small notch str8 down the to second!? I thought OD was suppose to save gas not waste it? I had a 65 mustang with a 600 cfm carb, performer intake and dual exhaust and was getting way more MPG!!! =<---- Full -<---- Went from here to: -<---- Here ------------------ 1992 Mustang 5.0 BBK cold air intake Dual Flows w/ H Pipe

07-26-2001, 01:36 AM	#12
jimberg Registered Member Join Date: Oct 1998 Location: Rogers, MN Posts: 2,089	When you put in the 14.5 gals how far did you travel? That's what we've been waiting for. Here's the process once again: Fill your tank. Reset trip odometer to zero. Drive it until it's near empty. Fill your tank again. Write down the number of gallons you filled it with. Write down the number of miles on the trip odometer. Divide the number of miles on trip odometer by the number of gallons you used. Report back the results. You should know that the first half of the gauge goes quickly in Mustangs. Usually when my gauge hits the half way mark I have gone 100-120 miles. By the time it hits E, I usually go about 250-270 miles. As you can see, the gauge is not linear. When I first bought my Mustang and saw that gauge move so fast I couldn't believe what I got myself into. Then I realized that the needle started moving slower toward the bottom. I figured about 40 miles a notch. The top half is like 25-30 miles per notch. And you may notice that the needle sits on full for a while and then when you shut down or drive a while, boom, it's plummeted. ------------------ 351W 89 Mustang GT Convertible

07-26-2001, 09:38 AM	#13
dinomite The Dude Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 1,262	ya, i am confused as well....how far did that 14.5 gallons take you? BTW, the mustang has a 15.4 gallon tank.

07-27-2001, 04:09 AM	#14
blueneonman1 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Palm Harbor, FL Posts: 208	You know, in my '95 GT, I watch my gas guage closely now that gas is expensive, whereas i used to not really care. But watching it constantly, I noticed that when I fill up, it stays over the "F" for awhile, then creeps down the ladder rather quick for the miles I put on, then slows down again after about half until "E" for the miles I put on there. ------------------ Blueneonman - '95 5.0L Mustang GT Convertible \| K&N Custom Cold Air Intake \| FMS 9mm Wires \| Hollow Cats \| Flowmaster 2 Chambers \| BBK Subframes \| 6-pt Rollcage \| King Cobra Clutch \| FMS Adjustable Clutch Cable \| B&M Short Throw \| Coolest Neon Lighting on a Mustang EVER! Homepage: http://www16.brinkster.com/blueneonman/

07-29-2001, 05:14 PM	#15
caliplaya650 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Moses Lake, Wa USA Posts: 72	Sup Folks, Thanks for all of the help last time i filled up i was at 190 miles @ 2 notches before E. I've asked my friends who have 5.0 Gts and they tell me that im getting really good gas mileage. I also wanted to know if any one has used the product spiralmax.com makes or the tornado from tornadoair.com? Its suppose to give u 30%+ hp/30%+ MPG???? Thanks Again. ------------------ 1992 Mustang 5.0 BBK cold air intake Dual Flows w/ H Pipe