I believe the gas tank in my 1998 se is 16 gallons? i filled it up a few days ago, and only made it to 260 miles before my gas light went on, i drove 10 more and then threw a few bucks in it. i have a 2.5L 5 speed. how many miles do you guys get to a tank? also, how many miles are left when the low fuel light engages? thanks guy.
anthony
I don't know what it would do on winter gas but in the summer we have always gotten around 300 to a tank. for winter fuel that saounds like it could be right
450 and add another 30 for the gallon left in the tank when I fuel it up.
Those are highway miles and I have a 14.5 gallon tank.
200.
If its all highway, i might get up to 230.
why is there such a wide range? what could contribute to lower fuel mileage.
Originally posted by Obsidian:
450 and add another 30 for the gallon left in the tank when I fuel it up.
Those are highway miles and I have a 14.5 gallon tank.
ditto
Well I am not surprised to see the variance. Last tank I used mostly highway and got 390km out of it, the tank previous was all city dricing and I only got 225km. No that was very very cold slippery weather, the highway tank I also inflated my tires slightly above the norm too..
Originally posted by dartsoccer8:
450 how? zetec or what?
Yes. 
What Obsidian said.
What Stolon said.
Yep.
Good Ole Zetec. Over a 10,000 mile period, I averaged 32.7 mpg. Then the mpg's dropped a little. I replaced the ECT and since then I've been getting close to 34. Mostly highway, running 65-75.
315 about, heater on most of the time, if it off then even more.
260 sounds ok for the V6. I believe we all have 14.5 gallon tanks, unless they switched gas tanks on my SVT....
. I get on avg. 20 mpg now that I switched my upstream O2s.
i thought my manual said 16 or something. guess i'm wrong.
In the winter right now i get about 220 miles per 3/4 of a tank (I always fill up at about 1/4, i don't like letting it get below that). I drive mostly highway, i cruise at about 80. All in all, i'm happy.
I average 23.5mpg and usually wait until about 330mi before I refill. My tank is 15.4 gallons btw (I've stretched it to 15.3 before filling up a couple times
)
330-350 highway
260 city
V6 ATX
geeze... not really a gas miser uh? i just got my csvt so im not sure what kinda milage im gonna get but im positive its gonna be better than the 10-14mpg i was getting on the SS...
but 20 compared to my POS crx that died still is a lot... my crx got 28-30mpg...
I've gone 400 and had a gallon and a half left. That was a 410 mile trip. Bought gas 10 miles from my house.
I usually go 300-350 in mixed. I don't like going to low as I already cleaned the fuel pump pick up strainer once.
425 on good gas with enough in the tank for some cruzin
21-22mpg in the winter
23-24mpg in the summer (better fuel & warmer temps)
50/50 driving and my well known lead foot. (the redline is my friend)
I have seen 28-30mpg in straight highway driving.
Originally posted by alibies:
425 on good gas with enough in the tank for some cruzin
Maybe if you did 100% highway driving and a steady cruise speed.
That's over 30mpg basing it on 14 gallons used.
The low fuel comes on after burning about 12-12.5 gallons (of 15.4) and you never mentioned that either.
i have 60 miles of highway drivin minimum daily. just tryin to figure out how much gas money i'm gonna use up at new job.
i used to get 200-220 straight city (delivering pizzas)
now im getting like 170-180 lol
3L + heavy foot + o2 sensor issues = bad gas milage
360-430 average mix driving on my grand am
330-360 mix with my stique
hang on...so our tamks are 15.4?... I thought they were 14.5..Did I mix up the numbers or see the wrong info somewhere?
Originally posted by Stolon #05:
Originally posted by Obsidian:
450 and add another 30 for the gallon left in the tank when I fuel it up.
Those are highway miles and I have a 14.5 gallon tank.
ditto
My understanding is that there were a couple different tanks that were used during the years the Contour was built. All I know for sure is that my gas tank is 15.4 gal.
On long, freeway trips I can get about 345 miles, but the gas light is on and its near "W", "W" for WALK
Am I the only Zetec that gets 270-310? I don't ever recall getting over 400 on a tank. Course I haven't done an all highway trip in awhile, it's always highway/city driving.
I've got a 1998 GL (16 Gal tank, I think?) and I get about 300 per fill and I usually refill with about.. 2-3 GAL. left in the tank.
Another thing to consider is you run your defroster more in the winter, and the defroster uses the A/C, which will rob you of power.
I try to remember and turn mine to floor or vent if ice/fogging on the windshield isn't a problem.
I get 300 miles or more in the summer, and a little less in the winter.
The one I have now I get ~300 to the tank whereas my first one I would avg around 400 and more on the hwy.
For comparison, 2002 5.3L Silverado get's about 400 to the tank. It's a 26gal tank and I usually fill up with about 5 gal left.
I get about the same mpg with both.
I've almost run out a couple of times, the tank seems to only be 14 gallons. The light is SUPPOSED to come on with 2 gallons left, but mine usually comes on when I've used about 10 gallons. Who knows.
Originally posted by Batmobile:
Am I the only Zetec that gets 270-310? I don't ever recall getting over 400 on a tank. Course I haven't done an all highway trip in awhile, it's always highway/city driving.
When it's extremely cold she doesn't do to well,especially now w/ the cai on. She only gets around 320ish or so on a tank if it's in the teens and 20's outside. warmer weather yields the best mileage which is usually right around 400+ at 30-32mpg, and yes, that is w/o air. Did a study one year and found that running the air really only shaves off a few mpg. Nothing like the old gas guzzling vehicle were when the air was switched on... 
A friend told me this. You can leave your windows down up to about 50mph. After that raise them up and use your a/c.
Why? I asked him.
Because the wind resistance of the wind going into the car and pushing against it and still trying to maintain your 55mph speed uses more gas then using your a/c at 55mph.
Thought he was da man!
Originally posted by Obsidian:
A friend told me this. You can leave your windows down up to about 50mph. After that raise them up and use your a/c.
Why? I asked him.
Because the wind resistance of the wind going into the car and pushing against it and still trying to maintain your 55mph speed uses more gas then using your a/c at 55mph.
Thought he was da man!
That's true for the most part.
However, even better mileage with windows up and no A/C on
Originally posted by Contouraholic:
Originally posted by Obsidian:
However, even better mileage with windows up and no A/C on
Until you pass out from heat exhaustion and crash!!!
I usually get about 250-270 in strictly around town driving, depending on my right foot. In summer with A/C on probably 240.
Originally posted by StealthWyvern:
360-430 average mix driving on my grand am
330-360 mix with my stique
The most i got out of my stique was 550 miles to the tank 100% highway miles at 100+ on I-10. BTW I was on empty but my light didnt come on nor did the car start to sputter. 
Originally posted by StealthWyvern:
The most i got out of my stique was 550 miles to the tank 100% highway miles at 100+ on I-10. BTW I was on empty but my light didnt come on nor did the car start to sputter.
550 miles on even 15 gallons is ~37mpg.
Top that off with the fact the wind drag at 100+ mph would knock off about 10-15% of the MPG you are now at (40-42MPG)
Then consider that the rpm levels required to sustain 100+ MPH would easily drop another 10-15% of your MPG you are now above 45-48MPG
Then if we consider your fuel light never came on and it comes on with about 2.5 gallons remaining and figure all these calculations on that fact you end up with an amazing number around:
60MPG
I think you should be marketing that because the auto manufacturers would pay you billions for your Miraculously low fuel consumption.
Originally posted by DemonSVT:
Originally posted by StealthWyvern:
The most i got out of my stique was 550 miles to the tank 100% highway miles at 100+ on I-10. BTW I was on empty but my light didnt come on nor did the car start to sputter.
550 miles on even 15 gallons is ~37mpg.
Top that off with the fact the wind drag at 100+ mph would knock off about 10-15% of the MPG you are now at (40-42MPG)
Then consider that the rpm levels required to sustain 100+ MPH would easily drop another 10-15% of your MPG you are now above 45-48MPG
Then if we consider your fuel light never came on and it comes on with about 2.5 gallons remaining and figure all these calculations on that fact you end up with an amazing number around:
60MPG
I think you should be marketing that because the auto manufacturers would pay you billions for your Miraculously low fuel consumption.
um... im not even sure if my car has a fuel light... All I know is what the speedo read and the tripe meter thing and that my guage was on in the red past e and the car didnt even act like it was low on fuel. Either that or your calcualations are way off my man.
I usually get around 310-340 on a tank with a highway/city driving mix. I've gone over 400 miles several times, but that's with a lot of highway miles. I drive it until the light comes on, and even then I don't usually fill it right away. I've driven nearly 50 miles with the light on! My g/f thinks I'm crazy, but I just want the most out of every tank!
Yeah some people go crazy when their tank gets to 1/4. My grandparents never let it go below half.
Did you guys ever see that Seinfeld episode where Kramer is taking a test drive of the car (a Saab I think) that Jerry is going to buy (since he's going to be borrowing it so often.) The salesman is riding with him, and suggests they stop and get some gas. Kramer won't do it, he wants to see how far he can get on empty. It turns out to be this big liberating experience for the salesman. Very funny episode.
Quote:
I've driven nearly 50 miles with the light on! My g/f thinks I'm crazy, but I just want the most out of every tank!
Okay, Kramer.
Quote:
Did you guys ever see that Seinfeld episode where Kramer is taking a test drive of the car (a Saab I think) that Jerry is going to buy (since he's going to be borrowing it so often.) The salesman is riding with him, and suggests they stop and get some gas. Kramer won't do it, he wants to see how far he can get on empty. It turns out to be this big liberating experience for the salesman. Very funny episode.
I didn't even see that until I went to hit the Post Reply button. W3rd.
'95 = 36.6 US mpg , 44 CDN mgg 830 Km on tank
'97 = 34.1 US mpg , 41 CDN mpg
Speed limit 60 - 70
Cruise set
boring
Originally posted by Batmobile:
Am I the only Zetec that gets 270-310? I don't ever recall getting over 400 on a tank. Course I haven't done an all highway trip in awhile, it's always highway/city driving.
Sounds like about what my car gets.
I average 17-18mpg with normal driving, 2/3 highway (with traffic) using California gas (Bay Area). The best I've done was ~420miles for a tank, going cross country on a tank of Nebraska gas, doing a constant 90.