Newb & Mileage Question (MPG)

[napalmzappa@yahoo.com]

Mileage: In the tested 2.5-liter Legacy Outback with automatic transmission, about 23 miles per gallon, pretty good for an all-wheel-drive vehicle. Fuel capacity is 15.9 gallons. Estimated range is 350 miles on usable volume of regular unleaded, running combined city-highway with five passengers.

 

from: http://tinyurl.com/p4yv8

 

First off, hello all. New to the forum & just bought my first Subaru; a 1996 Legacy Outback 2.5. (like the one mentioned above) I've been eyballing all you happy-looking Subaru People for a few years now, and finally made the move. I bought the car used, with a mere 86,000 miles on the odometer. (the car is in great shape & the price was a good chunk below the high retail KBB, so I'll leave it at that)

 

I absolutely LOVE this car as I knew I would, however I'm not getting even close to aforementioned 350 miles to the tankful. Granted, there is still some figuring to do here, and I am running the A/C most of the time right now. Preliminary figures saw me getting something like 125 miles out of 1/2 a tank. Even figuring in the A/C use, I am not liking the petrol suckage rate. Of course I plan to have all of this checked out thoroughly, however any rudimentary troubleshooting advice would be more than welcome.

 

 

P.S. is there anyway to change this damn username to something other than my email addy? This not what I signed up as.

[napalmzappa@yahoo.com]

Update: Looks like at least part of the mystery is solved...

 

Just so you all know, I DID perform a search for similar threads before my post, however the results which came up after posting (related/ similar threads) were much more helpful. I now realize that the gauges for this time period are notoriously inaccurate etc.

[Manarius]

I'd just drive 300 miles anf fill it up. Divide by the gallons and you'll see what your MPG is. I ignore my gas gauge and only pay attention to the low fuel light.

[outback_97]

Welcome to the USMB, I see you're from Coon Rapids, I used to live in Brooklyn Park and worked in Osseo.

 

Sounds like you answered your question, yeah, the search feature is great but sometimes doesn't get you what you want, it's hard to know the exact terms to use. I've had the same thing happen... the "related" threads give me my answer after I've posted.

 

My trip odometer (reset last time I filled my tank) is at 190 miles and my gas gauge shows only 1/4 tank. Yet I get around 21 mpg in straight city driving, so I should get >300 miles per tank. I pretty much ignore the gas gauge, it is indeed a common problem... better to read low than too high though IMO! And my low fuel light seems to be right on, it comes on when there's just over 2 gallons left. I've seen it about three times in seven years though.

 

Steve

[nipper]

NOOOOOOOOOOO MAKE THIS GO AWAY !!!!!!!!!!

 

dont go by the gas gauge on range or mileage. The gauge sending unit gets dirty (chevron has an additive that actually works to clean the sender) and gives you a false reading. The fuel light is always accurate. Mine always comes on at 280 miles like clockwork around town. i get about 21 around town, and im happy with it, considering my around town (1997 obw)is like most peoples city driving.

 

nipper

[LosDiosDeVerde86]

i concur with all that's been said. after 1/2 tank with my 96 it shoots right down to 1/4 tank than pegged at E. then i get about another 100 miles or so before i get conerned and then the light comes on (as nipper said) like clockwork.

 

i also base my mpg on my trip tick. i reset it every time i fill up and around 260-280 miles i fill up. (adjusting for my 12% larger tire size; the actual mileage is around 291-313)

[soylentgreen33]

i concur with all that's been said. after 1/2 tank with my 96 it shoots right down to 1/4 tank than pegged at E. then i get about another 100 miles or so before i get conerned and then the light comes on (as nipper said) like clockwork.

 

i also base my mpg on my trip tick. i reset it every time i fill up and around 260-280 miles i fill up. (adjusting for my 12% larger tire size; the actual mileage is around 291-313)

 

I have a 96 OBW w/ 149K and have been averaging 13-15 with city driving and AC. In the spring I was getting between 15-17. All short trip city. Any ideas as to what might be wrong. Everyone seems to be saying I should be getting between 17-20 in city, if not a little more. BTW, new plugs, wires, fuel filter, air filter, TPS, PCV. Also I run 91 octane because it just seems to run better. Oh, I forgot, also a new O2 sensor.

[nipper]

I have a 96 OBW w/ 149K and have been averaging 13-15 with city driving and AC. In the spring I was getting between 15-17. All short trip city. Any ideas as to what might be wrong. Everyone seems to be saying I should be getting between 17-20 in city, if not a little more. BTW, new plugs, wires, fuel filter, air filter, TPS, PCV. Also I run 91 octane because it just seems to run better. Oh, I forgot, also a new O2 sensor.

 

get the dead body out of the car?

In NYC stop and go traffic i can get as low as 13mpg with the air on. i dont consider this the cars fault.

DO you have any breaks dragging. Are the tires high mile tires (long life) of low mileage tires. Low milegae tires are softer rubber and in general will have lower gas mileage. Check your air pressure.

If your not using it remove the cross bars from your roof rack.

Also reset your computer, let it sit overnight disconnected so it has to re learn your driving habit.

If i drive with a lead foot i can get my mpg down to 15 in local driving.

Also er um, how to put this nicely .... the size of the occupants will have an effect on gas mileage.

 

nipper

[soylentgreen33]

get the dead body out of the car?

In NYC stop and go traffic i can get as low as 13mpg with the air on. i dont consider this the cars fault.

DO you have any breaks dragging. Are the tires high mile tires (long life) of low mileage tires. Low milegae tires are softer rubber and in general will have lower gas mileage. Check your air pressure.

If your not using it remove the cross bars from your roof rack.

Also reset your computer, let it sit overnight disconnected so it has to re learn your driving habit.

If i drive with a lead foot i can get my mpg down to 15 in local driving.

Also er um, how to put this nicely .... the size of the occupants will have an effect on gas mileage.

 

nipper

 

Well, tires are cheap Kirkland brand, probably high mileage, with good pressure. I'll try removing the crossbars. I have reset the ECU several times recently because of a bucking/hesitation going uphill (hence all the tune up items). It is more pronounced with air on and only seems to occur between 2k-3k rpm. I drive pretty sedately, as my leadfoot days have long since passed. And it is true that the size of this occupant is not, shall we say, svelte. Another reason to loose weight! Any ideas about the bucking?

[nipper]

Well, tires are cheap Kirkland brand, probably high mileage, with good pressure. I'll try removing the crossbars. I have reset the ECU several times recently because of a bucking/hesitation going uphill (hence all the tune up items). It is more pronounced with air on and only seems to occur between 2k-3k rpm. I drive pretty sedately, as my leadfoot days have long since passed. And it is true that the size of this occupant is not, shall we say, svelte. Another reason to loose weight! Any ideas about the bucking?

 

grrr i hate it when they leave out little details like "bucking":banghead:

 

thats a HUGE detail.

 

Do us a favor please , start a new thread and ask about the bucking, so things dont get confused.

What have you replaced, have you checked for codes, when does the car buck?

 

nipper

[Gnuman]

grrr i hate it when they leave out little details like "bucking":banghead:

 

thats a HUGE detail.

 

(snip)

 

nipper

 

**hands Nipper a mug of coffee and a slice of chocolate cake**

 

Time to take a break and relax a bit.

[nipper]

**hands Nipper a mug of coffee and a slice of chocolate cake**

 

Time to take a break and relax a bit.

 

WHAT! no cookie

 

nipper

[LosDiosDeVerde86]

Well, tires are cheap Kirkland brand, probably high mileage, with good pressure. I'll try removing the crossbars. I have reset the ECU several times recently because of a bucking/hesitation going uphill (hence all the tune up items). It is more pronounced with air on and only seems to occur between 2k-3k rpm. I drive pretty sedately, as my leadfoot days have long since passed. And it is true that the size of this occupant is not, shall we say, svelte. Another reason to loose weight! Any ideas about the bucking?

 

i was getting a consistant 16-17mpg until i replaced my MAF sensor and it imediately shot up to around 22-24. there were so symptoms of a bad sensor for 4 years (of 17mpg's) until one day a few months ago it went kaput.

[Andyjo]

I'm getting about 27-28 mostly highway stuff... that's after i took off the roof racks (all of them) and accounted for the 6% larger tires.

[Gnuman]

WHAT! no cookie

 

nipper

 

Well, if you would rather have the cookie over the cake, sure.

 

*swapps the cake for half a dozen chocolate chunk cookies*

[nipper]

Well, if you would rather have the cookie over the cake, sure.

 

*swapps the cake for half a dozen chocolate chunk cookies*

 

 

mmmmm happy nipper cookie:banana:

[jon38iowa]

First off, hello all. New to the forum & just bought my first Subaru; a 1996 Legacy Outback 2.5. (like the one mentioned above) I've been eyballing all you happy-looking Subaru People for a few years now, and finally made the move. I bought the car used, with a mere 86,000 miles on the odometer. (the car is in great shape & the price was a good chunk below the high retail KBB, so I'll leave it at that)

 

I absolutely LOVE this car as I knew I would, however I'm not getting even close to aforementioned 350 miles to the tankful. Granted, there is still some figuring to do here, and I am running the A/C most of the time right now. Preliminary figures saw me getting something like 125 miles out of 1/2 a tank. Even figuring in the A/C use, I am not liking the petrol suckage rate. Of course I plan to have all of this checked out thoroughly, however any rudimentary troubleshooting advice would be more than welcome.

P.S. is there anyway to change this damn username to something other than my email addy? This not what I signed up as.

Hello,

I have '99 Forester with the non turbo 2.5 sohc; obviously it is a heavier vehicle, however, it manages at least three hundres miles per tank in mixed driving. I noticed right away with this car that the mileage is adversly affected by: how fast I accelerate, use of airconditioning, and even brands of fuel.Overall I think I average about 25, and that is pretty good I think,for a car this heavy.

John

[kimokalihi]

Alright, I don't see why everyone has such trouble finding milage. It's soooo simple. Screw the gauge all together, ok? Screw the fuel light too, that thing is not always acurate. Mine goes on and then goes off again and then comes back on.

 

All you do is drive until you're about on E and fill it up. And assuming you started out with a full tank, you take the miles that you have on the trip odometer from last time you filled up and divide them by the gallons you just put it. It's so easy. I get a constant 22 mpg, sometimes I get 23 or 21 but rarely. 9 times out of 10 it's 22 mpg. That's mixed driving. And I drive FAST. I did all freeway and got 31.

[LosDiosDeVerde86]

Screw the fuel light too, that thing is not always acurate. Mine goes on and then goes off again and then comes back on.

 

no one was asking how to calculate. we're not idiots.

 

btw, the fuel light is programed to do that. it will turn on and off once or twice as a warning before it turns on solidly.

[nipper]

Alright, I don't see why everyone has such trouble finding milage. It's soooo simple. Screw the gauge all together, ok? Screw the fuel light too, that thing is not always acurate. Mine goes on and then goes off again and then comes back on.

 

All you do is drive until you're about on E and fill it up. And assuming you started out with a full tank, you take the miles that you have on the trip odometer from last time you filled up and divide them by the gallons you just put it. It's so easy. I get a constant 22 mpg, sometimes I get 23 or 21 but rarely. 9 times out of 10 it's 22 mpg. That's mixed driving. And I drive FAST. I did all freeway and got 31.

 

the light goes on and off as the fuel moves. Fuel is a liquid and will shift with car direction, but will always initially come on at the same level in the tank, gee i dont see why you have such trouble with that. The gauges have an elcetronic damoer so they dont react as quickly. Tis effect is obvious when you fill the car up, and it takes a few minutes for the gauge to read full.

The light means, GET GAS IN 30 miles or sooner. That way you know when to fill up so you can figure out the gas mileage.

 

sheesh

 

nipper

[napalmzappa@yahoo.com]

Thanks for the input & advice everyone. BTW after calculation, I've

been getting 21-23 MPG. (with the A/C running most of the time)

[jon38iowa]

First off, hello all. New to the forum & just bought my first Subaru; a 1996 Legacy Outback 2.5. (like the one mentioned above) I've been eyballing all you happy-looking Subaru People for a few years now, and finally made the move. I bought the car used, with a mere 86,000 miles on the odometer. (the car is in great shape & the price was a good chunk below the high retail KBB, so I'll leave it at that)

 

I absolutely LOVE this car as I knew I would, however I'm not getting even close to aforementioned 350 miles to the tankful. Granted, there is still some figuring to do here, and I am running the A/C most of the time right now. Preliminary figures saw me getting something like 125 miles out of 1/2 a tank. Even figuring in the A/C use, I am not liking the petrol suckage rate. Of course I plan to have all of this checked out thoroughly, however any rudimentary troubleshooting advice would be more than welcome.

 

 

P.S. is there anyway to change this damn username to something other than my email addy? This not what I signed up as.

 

Be careful when paying attention to gas gage, and be ready to quickly get gas should your low fuel light come on; modern cars don't like to run out gas, moreover, the fuel pump is kept cool by fuel flowing through it. Should you run completely out, it gets hot and even if you manage to get it running , a few months later poof its done! I have seen this many times.

John

[SuperSubaru]

I have a 97 OBW 131,000 miles, 2.5L, 5SPD... I check my mileage every tankful and with nearly pure highway miles (just a few stops between home and work -45 miles each way) I religiously get 26.5 mpg... low of about 25 if I have to pass a lot of semis on the two lane road, or high as 28 on fresh oil checked tires and windows up.

[Martinjmpr]

Thanks for the input & advice everyone. BTW after calculation, I've

been getting 21-23 MPG. (with the A/C running most of the time)

 

That's about average. Incidentally, on most modern cars there's usually very little (if any) difference between running with and without AC. In fact, since you usually have the windows up with AC on, instead of down, it will probably improve mileage because there will be less wind resistance. The days when AC meant a 2-5 MPG drop are in the past.

 

I get 22-24 in the city, but if I drive like an old lady I can stretch it out even more. Right now the car's sitting at just under 1/4 tank with 325 miles on the trip odometer. And that's almost all city! But I probably pissed off a lot of people driving 40 in a 45 zone.

 

But this way, not only do I save money on gas, I'm also less likely to get a speeding ticket like I got last month! That $40 could have filled my tank and bought me lunch, too.

 

Incidentally, the farthest I've ever gone on one tank is 411 miles.

[subiefan]

21-23 sounds pretty good. All Subie gas guages are pitifully inacurate. Mine creeps down until about 1/4 tank, then drops like a stone from there. It used to worry me, but now I accept it as one of those little Subie quirks.