so i just bought this car and im getting 21 mpg which seems VERY low for how tiny my car is.

What all should i check for problems and what mods can i do to my car to increase my gas mileage. And that 21mpg is when i drive like my grandma.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (rlahiff @ May 3 2007, 01:36 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>What all should i check for problems.</div>

Your foot.... I know you said driving like a grandma but have you seen my grandma drive? Lol seeing as you just bought it and it is a sporty car, I'm thinking off the top of my head you weren't driving "like a grandma".

On the other side if you were taking it easy, you could do a few things to improve gas milage:

1. Cold Air Intake
2. Check fuel filter
3. Change gas stations - Some just buy their gas from the cheapest pedlar
4. Are tires different sizes?
5. Perhaps the previous owner drove that car like he stole it?

These are just some questions that usually come to mind.

Edit--> Is it a standard? If it is you could shift sooner or ride in higher gears to keep the rpms a bit lower.

 

Anytime you buy a used car, do a basic tune up on it. That means get new plugs, plug wires, and air filter. If you want to take it a step further and have the money get new O2 sensors and a new fuel filter.

Also how many miles are on it and what type of transmission?

 

I am driving it like a grandma BECAUSE i get such bad gas mileage, which means im constantly thinking about not accelerating too fast. It sucks.

I think the previous owner did drive it like he stole it, what does that mean for me now, the car is used to eating up gas and would take a long time to switch over?

135,000 miles manual transmission - i do shift as soon as i can keeping rpms as low as possible without bogging the engine. Driving wise, i do everything right because i wanted to make sure it wasn't me, so i took it to the grandma extreme. But now that i know for sure its not my driving habits thats why i turned to here.

I guess when the last guy was putting in the aftermarket headers he cut the tubing on the o2 sensor and now that isint hooked up, hence a check engine light. So i bought a new o2 sensor last week on ebay and am hoping it may be the cause of the car running heavy.

I just looked up fuel filters and they are like 10 dollars, thats nothing to me, so i think im going to buy one of those too.

I was thinking about getting a cold air intake but do i really need to get a $200 dollar AEM one? is there any other alternatives?

What else should i do to my car since i bought it used? New engine belts for everything? What would give this thing much better engine health - and tranny longevity, apperently a new clutch was recently put on, but i want this car to last for a really long time.

anyway thanks for the replies smile.gif

 

Definately do everything I said before with the tune up. Go and get the CEL read and see what it says and fix that also. With that kind of mileage you want to also make sure that the timing belt is in good conditions unless you want bent valves when it breaks soon. Another thing that eats gas that most people dont really think of all the time is proper tire inflation and go ahead and get something that cleans the fuel injectors so you get better atomization of the fuel as its being injected and maybe even remove the intake manifold and see how much carbon is built up in it. Anything that restricts air/fuel flow is going to screw up your mileage. Good luck smile.gif

 

First off, get that o2 sensor in and working. If the car has a CEL, it may be running rich, which will kill your gas mileage and its not good for your car to run like that for a long time. Although, if its from the headers like he said, then it's probably just the "catalytic converter malfunction" code. Which wouldn't affect your mileage, but it's still something I'd do ASAP.

If the AEM is too expensive, go for the AEM knockoff. A GOOD air filter will improve gas mileage. They are the ones that look like this: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/97-01-98-99...bayphotohosting

Fuel filters are cheap, but on our cars, I've heard they are a b**** to replace. Search "fuel filter" and read some stuff about them first.

Change the spark plug wires. If you'd like a set of the NGK plug wires, I'll sell you a set. Used, but they work fine. $20 shipped? I think they're like $45 new.

Change the spark plugs as well. These are cheap, like $1-2 a piece.

Check tire pressure. Under inflated or overly inflated tires will affect gas mileage. Now that the weather is warm again, you may find that you have to add a little air.

Change the oil. I would reccomend NOT going to synthetic after 135,000 miles, stick with conventional (unless you already have synthetic). Use K&N oil filters, they're the best. K&N HP-1004 is the one that fits our cars.

You could also try swapping ECUs. I know a LOT of people have reported better gas mileage after swapping to the 1.8 ECU on a 2.0 engine because it leads to slightly leaner conditions. This will also imrpove horsepower. Search "1.8 ecu"

Lastly, when all of this is done, reset your ECU. Search "reset ECU."

 

thanks for all the info guys i really appreciate it, i wrote it all down listed out and am going to try to knock these off one by one, hopefully ill see a mpg gain. Plus ill feel better knowing my car is in good order.

a few questions:

how much harder is it to add a working hood scoop to my car and can that CAI you suggested be used witha hood scoop. Since as you all know i want to rice out my car, a hood scoop was something iw as thinking about doing and since i dont want to drop 200 on an aem i thought i could somewhat increase the performance of that ebay one you suggest while at the same time making my car look a bit nicer.

as far as the spark plugs and wires, you suggested NGK - http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/HYUNDAI-TIB...bayphotohosting

that comes with the wires and the spark plugs but you said spark plugs should only be 1-2 - is that a good deal?

also with that CAI you suggested it comes with a filter - is there really THAT big of a difference between the one that will come with it and a K&N one, difference to warrant the tossing out of a perfectly new filter just to go buy a brand name one?



something a little more off topic - i have no tools, hence why im not good at cars, cant play around. What do you guys suggest, just buying single tools as i need them, or is there like a kit i can get that is cheaper and has most of the tools ill need for my tiburon? im starting at such a base level i dont know where to start. sad.gif


i think i had more questions but that's enough for now, thanks again guys

 

A working hood scoop is not rice. It's the non-functional ones that are considered rice. LOL.
The CAI sits the filter just behind the front left foglight, so there is really no way to use it with a "ram air" system as if you had a hood scoop. However, as the engine heats up, everything under the hood heats up, so your cold air heats up a little. A lightweight hood with a scoop will keep engine temperatures down. So will ceramic coating things like intake manifold, throttle body, and headers. If you like the look of a modified hood, I would suggest looking at FlyRyde's Evo Hood. I believe he has 3 in stock and is selling them right now, comes with a metal hood latch too, so no modifications or ricey hood pins are needed (although you might like those hood pins tongue.gif)

Wires - told you they were around $45. Want mine for $20 instead?

I don't believe that one oiled air filter is much different from another. However, AEM makes a paper air filter, which is washable in water, and sucks up more air than the oiled filters. Plus, it's proven that oil in the MAF sensor (the black thing in your intake) can cause issues. Not that it's ever been determined that the cause was an oiled air filter, but still, that's why I preach AEM dry-flow (paper). If you're trying to be cheap about it, then don't even worry, because the difference is minimal. It's more peace of mind for me, knowing I got the best thing possible for my car. But that's just how I am.

As far as tools, having GOOD tools makes every job a LOT easier. However, if you're creative and can't afford to spend big bucks, you can make do with an off brand of the basic stuff. You will want a metric socket set with two different drives, and at least one or two extensions. A magnetic screw driver will come in handy too. My tool box = a cardboard box. My garage = any empty parking lot. My tools = wal mart brand. Every once in awhile I have the chance to work on something in a real garage with a huge tool box, and I'm going to be honest, things are sooo much easier with a good supply of good tools. If I had the money, I'd buy them, but I can't afford it. Snap-On, Craftsman, and PMI are good name brands if you're going to go that route. Tools are more something that I buy on a basis of as I need it. ie, I didn't buy a deep spark plug extension + spark plug gapper, until I changed my spark plugs. Not having a good supply of tools will mean that sometimes you have to just go buy the right tool for the job. But for the most part, a metric socket set with two ratchets of different drives will do most things you want to do on your car. I installed an AEM intake with a needle nose pliers and a flathead screwdriver. It would have been MUCH easier with a socket and ratchet, but at the time I didn't have them. So you learn to be resourceful.

 

Do yourself a favor - go here

Follow the instructions (you'll need 2 bottles) and report back in 7000 miles. If you're mileage doesn't improve, I'll change my name wink1.gif

good luck!

 

before anything, do the plugs, wires, and oil change. it will help a lot. fuel filter, ya its only 10 bucks, but it is a pain in the ass to change. ive got an aem knockoff cai here thats in real good condition. not sure when youll be down this way but let me know. ill help you out with anything ya need if youre down by me anytime im free. ive got all the tools for anyhting.