<FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" color=black size=3>Hi:</FONT></P>


<FONT face=Arial size=3>I drive a 2003, Mustang, 6cyl, 3.8liter. My gasoline consumption is 16liters/100 km and I find this high. (EPA city rating is 11.8 liters/100kms)</FONT></P>


<FONT face=Arial size=3>I had diagnostic 42 run on the vehicle and everything checks out</FONT></P>


<FONT face=Arial size=3>Any ideas if this is somewhat normal? given that it's winter, given that I drive very short distances in winter (about 5 - 8 kms at a time) in typically stop and go traffic</FONT></P>


<FONT face=Arial size=3>Your ideas / thoughts are welcome</FONT></P>


<FONT face=Arial size=3>Happy Driving!</FONT></P>


<FONT face=Arial size=3>Halina</FONT></P>


<FONT face=Arial size=3></FONT></P>


<FONT face=Arial size=3></FONT></P>


<FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT></P>


<FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT></P>

 

Short trips,winter weather and stop'n'go trafficuse a lot of fuel.How long are you warming upthe car? If you are idling and warming the carexcessivly that could be your difference right there. Its directly related to your driving situation and urban surroundings.</P>


If you want to see what you arecapable ofgetting go fill upon a saturday or sunday (assuming you have weekends free)and put ona 100km or morein town then refill andcalculate. </P>

 

I have a 5.0L89GT and am afraid to measure my fuel consumption. Happily I just drive it for pleasure and take the bus to work most days.</P>


I would have thought that winter (cold air) would have given better than rated consumption. For sure lots of stop and gos are going to guzzle fuel. </P>


I drive pretty easy but on the odd occasion when I boot it I can notice the gauge drop. </P>


What do you get on a normal highway trip? As Piston says try a longer trip with fewer stops. </P>


I think that you should be able to look up an EPA definition of "City Driving"??</P>

 

Sorry Paddy, cold air can give a little boost in power because the cold air will expand in the cyl. and artificially increase compression but it does little to the fuel economy. In fact winter driving really hurts economy because we tend to idle the car to let it warm up AND it takes much longer for the choke to kick off so the car idle's at a higher rpm for much longer both amount to much more fuel being consumed. If they are short trips, the choke may not kick off at all and you would use a LOT of gas. Not to mention EPA standards tend to be for ideal driving conditions with an "ideal" driver. In other words their estimates are good but it is rare for anyone to hit these targets on a regular basis.

Just My Opinion but it sound like your fuel milage is pretty average, sorry.