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  • 1996 - 2004 SN95 Mustang -General/Talk-

gas mileage per tank help

  • Thread starter Thread starter 03 Mustang gT
  • Start date Start date Jan 6, 2009
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'13_ImpactBlue_GT

Angry Little Elf
Mar 30, 2005
872
2
98
Where the men are men and the sheep are nervous
Jan 8, 2009
#21
  • Jan 8, 2009
  • #21
I switched from the ethanol crap to the non-ethanol added super unleaded and my gas mileage improved by 2 mpg, the best gas mileage that I have seen since November is a little over 23mpg.
 

02nightmaregt

To hell with your Mustang, I want to see your HOG!
Jul 1, 2007
513
4
19
Southern Indiana
Jan 8, 2009
#22
  • Jan 8, 2009
  • #22
Dayum, some of you all are getting awesome mileage. I baby my car and do about a 50/50 mix of highway and city driving and get about 200 per tank. WTF. I'm seeing 240, 270, 290? Thats really good. I just changed my fuel filter and plugs. I hardly ever go above 3 grand and try to cruise between 1500-2000 grand
 

bhuff30

Founding Member
Dec 11, 2001
6,037
35
129
Olathe KS
Jan 8, 2009
#23
  • Jan 8, 2009
  • #23
I get around 18mpg these days, but my trips are all 8 miles or less, on a cold engine, in cold weather. In the summer, when I was doing a lot more highway driving, I could get up to 27mpg.
 

2oo3MustangGT

New Member
Apr 27, 2008
46
0
0
birmingham, alabma and marietta, gerogia
Sep 30, 2009
#24
  • Sep 30, 2009
  • #24
If you have aftermarket gauges maybe your reaching "E" before it's actually empty?? when you fill up from empty is 15ish gallons? i would try injection cleaning and all that good stuff. i have a bone stock 03 other than a intake/exhaust and i get a solid 230 city at least. closer to 300 if it's all highway. i also run premium b/c it burn cleaner/ more efficiently. it only costs $3 per full tank more than regular so IMO it's worth it. you can also put the car in test mode and read what the car is saying you have left on the tank (with the car off hold the trip button down for a few seconds until it reads TEST, let go of the button and start the car up. you can check speed, tach...all the gauges and even codes show up. just press the trip button to scroll through. next time you turn the car off the test mode turns off too.) the fuel doesn't give you mpg but it tells you how how many miles you have left on the tank. i think a full tank is somewhere around 250 according to the computer...?
 
D

Drew0318

New Member
Aug 15, 2008
115
0
0
Chicago, IL
Sep 30, 2009
#25
  • Sep 30, 2009
  • #25
When I brought my car home (350 miles of tollroad), it got about 270 before the light came on. Since I was still new to it, I didn't want to see just how much further I could go.

Driving it around (when I do that occasionally), it probably gets about 140-160mi to a tank.

I think it got 22mpg on that trip home, the next tank got 11. I haven't bothered checking since.
 

joshjwc9

Active Member
Jun 12, 2006
1,095
17
39
Palm Harbor, FL
Sep 30, 2009
#26
  • Sep 30, 2009
  • #26
Drew0318 said:
When I brought my car home (350 miles of tollroad), it got about 270 before the light came on. Since I was still new to it, I didn't want to see just how much further I could go.

Driving it around (when I do that occasionally), it probably gets about 140-160mi to a tank.

I think it got 22mpg on that trip home, the next tank got 11. I haven't bothered checking since.
Click to expand...
I let my car run to 1/4 left because I don't trust the gauges...thanks to my Camaro's!

I usually get 150-180 depending on the weather and if I use the A/C or not.

I wish that the new edge car had a display showing the miles left on the tank like some of the newer ones do, and have multiple trip odometers...
 
D

Drew0318

New Member
Aug 15, 2008
115
0
0
Chicago, IL
Sep 30, 2009
#27
  • Sep 30, 2009
  • #27
Multiple trips would be nice. I only reset mine when the car comes out of storage in the spring.

It's up to 828 miles this year.
 

Mr. Rustypwnz

Advanced Member
Jun 1, 2005
1,761
63
69
indianapolis/ valdosta ga
Sep 30, 2009
#28
  • Sep 30, 2009
  • #28
I went 400 miles on a tank in my 98gt. all highway with 4.10s. I drove up to indiana and I pulled over every 250miles and I had about 1/4 tank left.. in town its about half of that..
 
9

98Teksidcobra

New Member
Sep 8, 2009
11
0
0
Sep 30, 2009
#29
  • Sep 30, 2009
  • #29
I average roughly 24 mpg in my cobra,

Its not all about RPM though, there are multiple factors.

Like standing on the gas pedal in overdrive instead of using a lower gear and higher RPM isnt saving you any gas.


For the OP, it could be a mix of basic things, Like clogged filters (air and fuel), aged and corroded spark plugs...etc, hard to tell from internet postings, but basic maintanance never hurts
 

Niterydr85

Member
Apr 25, 2005
174
1
18
Pasadena, Maryland
Sep 30, 2009
#30
  • Sep 30, 2009
  • #30
I average between 275-310 a tank. Usually works out to about 21-23 mpgs.
 

VOORHEES

Stangnet's "35th Limited Edition" VIN Guy
15 Year Member
Nov 9, 1999
3,046
36
119
LaGrange, GA
Oct 1, 2009
#31
  • Oct 1, 2009
  • #31
evil281 said:
man i get 270 miles before light even comes on, thats all city, i guess i drive like a granny or something, stock gears, mods below
Click to expand...


My 99 GT is stock too and will get about the same as you. 300+ on hwy.
 

04GreyGtUSAF

Member
Dec 10, 2007
43
0
7
KS
Oct 3, 2009
#32
  • Oct 3, 2009
  • #32
I just took a trip over to vegas and got 400 miles to that tank . i know its highway, but for an 04 with 54,000 this always impresses me. A city tank ill see 290-330

John
 
N

narib2008

New Member
Feb 19, 2008
14
0
1
Oct 3, 2009
#33
  • Oct 3, 2009
  • #33
My 97 GT with all the bolt ons and 3.73's gets 22 mpg on combined driving.I think thats actually very good considering i have my foot in it and i also have a bad thermostat that makes the car run rich
 

Mike97gt

it doe snot
Founding Member
Jan 26, 1999
10,633
7
89
the people's republic of massachusetts
Oct 3, 2009
#34
  • Oct 3, 2009
  • #34
03 Mustang gT said:
got the car back and it turned out that the ignition coil for cylinder 5 was shot. also the gas stations have 10 % ethanol which someone mentioned kills gas mileage....guess those were my problems
Click to expand...

Did it run rough? I don't get how some of my customers don't notice a misfire like that. with one coil out it was running on on seven cylinders good thing you caught it before it destroyed the cats..


BTW must feel quicker now..
 
P

peepeeskillz

New Member
Mar 23, 2009
171
0
0
texas
Oct 3, 2009
#35
  • Oct 3, 2009
  • #35
my car has 150miles on it at 1/4 of a tank, just drive until the low fuel light comes on and youll hit 200 easy lol, i even drive mine a while after the light comes on, if you fill it right when the light comes on usually still have 2 gallons left atleast
 

bhuff30

Founding Member
Dec 11, 2001
6,037
35
129
Olathe KS
Oct 3, 2009
#36
  • Oct 3, 2009
  • #36
What is this 'fuel light' you refer to? Niether my 97 nor 88 have one.

I normally get 240-260 miles at 1/4 tank remaining. My mileage varies between 20 and 22mpg, depending on how heavy my shoes are, traffic and driving conditions. All highway, I rarely do worse than 25mpg, and have gotten a best of 27.

The tank is suppose to be 15.7 gallons, but I once added well over 16 gallons.
 
D

Drew0318

New Member
Aug 15, 2008
115
0
0
Chicago, IL
Oct 5, 2009
#37
  • Oct 5, 2009
  • #37
I've noticed that with a lot of cars. You can seemingly put more in the tank than it says you can. I'm guessing automakers have a built-in reserve on the specs.

Either that, or every gas station on the planet is ripping you off (moreso than usual).

The Acura I used to have, had a 14.8 gallon tank in it, yet I was able to pump 16.1 into it, and it wasn't even empty (according to the gauge). So it's either a case of the manuals/manufacturers erring on the safe side, or gas stations' pumps need adjusting.
 

stangGT97

New Member
Dec 22, 2004
1,299
1
0
Boston area, MA
Oct 5, 2009
#38
  • Oct 5, 2009
  • #38
My '97 never did better than 22-23 with 3.55 gears on the highway. My '98 got 28-29 highway mpg with 2.73s, and now it gets 26 mpg highway with 4.10s at 75mph. With a mix of around town and highway, it is more like 20mpg. Both the '97 and '98 were/are maintained meticulously so I can't understand the difference.
 
S

SONIC 4.6

New Member
Mar 18, 2009
15
0
0
Oct 5, 2009
#39
  • Oct 5, 2009
  • #39
I get something 300-320 on a tank on my gt. 5 speed with boltons.
 

Premium Speed

New Member
Apr 22, 2003
1,006
0
0
Houston, Texas
Oct 6, 2009
#40
  • Oct 6, 2009
  • #40
I've never gotten less than 260 from a tank that i can remember, i drove 380 all highway last year.

A few things to consider; the terrain you drive on the most(flat vs. hills), i live in a very flat part of Texas, very few hills. Also clogged air/fuel filters and under filled tires can kill MPG.

I have a fox body mustang with a fully built carbed 351 that gets about 150 per tank.

-Premium
 
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