Question for those that work on cars

[kazamamaster]

Ok, so I'm newly married, and know a little bit about cars. Enough to get me by, but not when it comes to potential major repairs. My wife's car (Kia Spectra 2004) has been really bad on gas recently. I think at best given how much she drives during the week, she has to fill up twice a week, and she drives just to work. In one day literally which is maybe 40 miles of driving, a quarter tank of gas in gone.

With that said, I don't experience the same problem driving a small car as well. I notice a big difference.

So, I'm not particularly sure what to do about getting my wife's car looked at. I'm leary of taking it to the dealership, but how else do I figure out what to check for to improve gas mileage?

[stabbicus]

Replace air filter and fuel filter(s). Replace spark plugs and wires. Replace the distributor cap and rotor. Then if that doesn't help, take it to a repair shop.

[Mon Rominee]

barring the obvious oil changes, which on a 4 cylinder are a must, because oil viscosity breakdown will not only rob you of engine life but also gas mileage....

Check your air filtration make sure the car isn't running "rich" (does it smell of gas?) check plugs and wires for detonation.

Does the car also hesitate? Or does it otherwise run well? Have your fuel filter replaced (or do it yourself, dependent on where it's located, not a bad time to learn)

Run some QUALITY injection cleaner with the next fillup, make sure you're getting proper fuel flow.

Check for leaks around underneath the vehicle that would be consistent with a fuel leak.

Barring all the basic check-overs, it might be well worth the 30-60 dollar service call to ensure all is proper...especially with the price of gas these days.

That said, while an economy vehicle, Kia's aren't well known as fuel miserly. But you should be getting better mileage than you describe.

[Bryan316]

So far, good advice.

Now, tell your wife to fill the tank, and hit her odometer's trip counter. Drive until she needs gas again, and take note of both the quantity of gas needed to refill, and the miles covered on the trip counter.

Gallons divided by miles equals fuel economy. That'll tell you if you're really running inefficient, or it's just the toll of daily stoplight driving.

[hbarcat]

Originally Posted by kazamamaster

My wife's car (Kia Spectra 2004) has been really bad on gas recently. I think at best given how much she drives during the week, she has to fill up twice a week, and she drives just to work.

Are you sure she's just driving to work?

Don't hire a mechanic; hire a detective to find out where she's going on her lunch breaks.

[Tegzsa]

Plugs, filters & oil, and the catalyser are the usual culprits if a new(ish) small car suddenly starts using more gas. Timing and timing gear if its older or a grease monkey has been fiddling with it.

[FL Knifemaker]

Sometimes it's easier to have the dealer do a diagnostic. It could be a sensor or something that is hard to detect any other way. I do all the work on my old Wagoneer but wouldn't even begin to try on my wife's new Durango

[kazamamaster]

Originally Posted by Mon Rominee

barring the obvious oil changes, which on a 4 cylinder are a must, because oil viscosity breakdown will not only rob you of engine life but also gas mileage....

Check your air filtration make sure the car isn't running "rich" (does it smell of gas?) check plugs and wires for detonation.

Does the car also hesitate? Or does it otherwise run well? Have your fuel filter replaced (or do it yourself, dependent on where it's located, not a bad time to learn)

Run some QUALITY injection cleaner with the next fillup, make sure you're getting proper fuel flow.

Check for leaks around underneath the vehicle that would be consistent with a fuel leak.

Barring all the basic check-overs, it might be well worth the 30-60 dollar service call to ensure all is proper...especially with the price of gas these days.

That said, while an economy vehicle, Kia's aren't well known as fuel miserly. But you should be getting better mileage than you describe.

That's good advice, so, so far, oil filter replacement, Injection cleaner (Any particular brand?)?

[kazamamaster]

Originally Posted by hbarcat

Are you sure she's just driving to work?

Don't hire a mechanic; hire a detective to find out where she's going on her lunch breaks.

There's no need for that. I see her on lunch breaks...


Anyways, good advice so far. I'll keep track of her odometer as well. I was leary of taking this to the dealership out of fear of getting ripped off. I know most of the work like oil/air filters, fuel injection, and spark plugs can be done at Jiffy Lube...

Any other advice?

[kazamamaster]

Originally Posted by Bryan316

So far, good advice.

Now, tell your wife to fill the tank, and hit her odometer's trip counter. Drive until she needs gas again, and take note of both the quantity of gas needed to refill, and the miles covered on the trip counter.

Gallons divided by miles equals fuel economy. That'll tell you if you're really running inefficient, or it's just the toll of daily stoplight driving.

I meant to mention we drive the highways to work......That should equal better gas mileage than driving in the city. Seeing as though things are bad now, I'd hate to see what they'd be like in city driving...

[MakiSupaStar]

Gas cap?

[toytech]

check for fuel leaks too.

[bassturtle]

Originally Posted by hbarcat

Are you sure she's just driving to work?

Don't hire a mechanic; hire a detective to find out where she's going on her lunch breaks.

I can rent you a GPRS GPS unit that tracks in real time, a motion chip, a battery pack that'll last 20-30 days, and a magnetic case to hold it all that will easily stick under the car for $60 a day

[Mon Rominee]

Originally Posted by kazamamaster

That's good advice, so, so far, oil filter replacement, Injection cleaner (Any particular brand?)?

well, they're all essentially the same solution, just some are a little harsh on seals and stuff...so, not the cheapest one.

[Bob Lee (QSC)]

You can do the simple stuff yourself, like checking the tires to make sure they're properly inflated.

You could find a reputable local garage to check your vehicle. If there's a problem with how the engine runs, the computer will usually detect it and store one or more fault codes. Most well-equipped garages will have the OBD or OBD II equipment to retrieve the codes. Often you can find local independent garages that specialize in particular makes or types of car. If you find a good Kia specialist, you might get really excellent and knowledgeable service at a reasonable price.

Make sure the car is also up to date on maintenance. If not, get it taken care of.

[Bob Lee (QSC)]

Here's a resource for finding a good garage in your area: http://www.cartalk.com/content/mechx/find.html

[bearfoot]

At 1/4 tank for 40 miles - thats got to be around ten bucks each way. My guess is spark plug related. My ex had a Neon that sucked gas and that was the problem.

[Chunk-O-Funk]

A 2004 vehicle should be well past the 30,000 mile mark with average mileage.

Have you been keeping up with your regular services? If you haven't done a tune up by now it more than likely is contributing to bad gas mileage. Also check you tire pressure. If each tire is under by a pound or so it can worsen you gas mileage as well.

Are there any check engine light on? If so there are a number of sensors that will change your air/fuel mixture with a faulty signal to the computer worsening performance and mileage

One of the biggest contributors to bad gas mileage is the driver. I know I'm not the most conservative driver when I'm doing my daily drive to work. Sometimes when traffic will allow it I will be cruising around 70-75 MPH. If the car has a tachometer you should take notice to where it is when doing 55 MPH compared to 75 MPH. Basically, the higher the needle the higher your motor is revving. There usually is a sweet spot somewhere between 55-75 that is a good compromise