greengasguzzler
New CEG'er
- Joined
- Apr 14, 2008
- Messages
- 10
Please help with your info. I just bought this car for the purpose of saving gas. It's a 1996 zetec 4 cylinder automatic. This car is getting 18.4 mpg's combined highway/city. Im getting less than 3 mpgs more than my 98 olds intrigue 3.8 liter 173000 miles.
Ive inquired at 2 mechanic shops and they blow me off like this is the expected mpgs for this car?? According to all the posts ive read here regarding mpg, almost everyone is in the twenties and up including six cylinder owners.
I bought it from the original owner (elderly woman) 38000 miles. according to receipts included with the car the plugs/air+fuel filter/ect/thermostat have been changed within the past 10k or so.
The check engine light is not on, and the mechanic said this is indicative that everything is fine, but obviously its not.
Im not running the A/C or defrost and tried babying it, but still get the same 240 miles out of 13 gallons of gas. I will be checking the back brakes for dragging as recommended in other posts. Tire pressures 32.
The car has only two issues thant may or may not be contributing to the poor mileage. #1 temp gauge is erratic. #2 the car idles high for like ten seconds before it drops low enough to put in gear, even when completly warmed up. doesnt matter if you drove 30 miles it races then drops slowly after every start. I just noticed tonight that the idle also hangs high for the same amount of time if i rev it up in park.
I plan on checking the filter and cleaning throttle body and idle air valve. Aside from that i dont know where else to look, and im dreading taking it to the dealer where ill be sodomized for even a minor repair, but no one seems to want to touch this issue.
Sorry for the long post, but i wanted to be thorough in my description of my problem. Who better than fellow contour owners to get advice. THANKS !!!!!!!!!!
Ive inquired at 2 mechanic shops and they blow me off like this is the expected mpgs for this car?? According to all the posts ive read here regarding mpg, almost everyone is in the twenties and up including six cylinder owners.
I bought it from the original owner (elderly woman) 38000 miles. according to receipts included with the car the plugs/air+fuel filter/ect/thermostat have been changed within the past 10k or so.
The check engine light is not on, and the mechanic said this is indicative that everything is fine, but obviously its not.
Im not running the A/C or defrost and tried babying it, but still get the same 240 miles out of 13 gallons of gas. I will be checking the back brakes for dragging as recommended in other posts. Tire pressures 32.
The car has only two issues thant may or may not be contributing to the poor mileage. #1 temp gauge is erratic. #2 the car idles high for like ten seconds before it drops low enough to put in gear, even when completly warmed up. doesnt matter if you drove 30 miles it races then drops slowly after every start. I just noticed tonight that the idle also hangs high for the same amount of time if i rev it up in park.
I plan on checking the filter and cleaning throttle body and idle air valve. Aside from that i dont know where else to look, and im dreading taking it to the dealer where ill be sodomized for even a minor repair, but no one seems to want to touch this issue.
Sorry for the long post, but i wanted to be thorough in my description of my problem. Who better than fellow contour owners to get advice. THANKS !!!!!!!!!!