MPG
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 30
From: Florida
MPG
I made this post a while back but got no responses so i wanted to try again.
Hi i have a serious question, i have a 2002 mustang only thing put in it is a air in take and a chip and its manual. Ive noticed my mustang is waisting alot of gas, i remember filling up the tank which was about 13.4 gallons and ive noticed it did about 155 mph by the time it got to red again. Is there an issue with my stang or is it normal.
Hi i have a serious question, i have a 2002 mustang only thing put in it is a air in take and a chip and its manual. Ive noticed my mustang is waisting alot of gas, i remember filling up the tank which was about 13.4 gallons and ive noticed it did about 155 mph by the time it got to red again. Is there an issue with my stang or is it normal.
The Godfather
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 15,480
From: Temple, Texas
Poor MPG can have a lot of factors from bad plugs/wires, intake leaks, to bad sensors or leaking fuel lines in extreme circumstances.
This is one of those things you can throw a lot of money at it trying to fix the problem which may or may not have success.
The first things to check are the easiest. Check for vacuum/intake leaks. This can be done by smoking the system. Simply unplug the AIT sensor from the air intake and fill in the hole with a small hose, leave it around 1-2 feet long. Then light up a cigarette or cigar, puff (do not inhale) and blow the smoke into the air intake. Do this several times and look carefully for leaks. If you find one then that may be your problem. If not move on.
Next check the spark plug wires and spark plugs for wear. If the wires are rotten and or the spark plugs have excessive wear on the cathodes and show signs of running rich then change out those. Testing the coil pack is more difficult but if any of this is bad then it all needs to be changed. If this is good then move on.
Next brings us to fuel systems leaks. These are a lot harder to find and will require you to do both a visual inspection of the lines as well as running the fuel pressure using a gauge. If this all test out then move on, if you have low fuel or even high fuel pressure readings then you need to begin diagnosing a fuel systems issues which can be very in depth.
Lastly would be a bad sensor. Common misconception is that a bad sensor will throw a check engine light, however this is not always the case. A sensor may be functioning but may be stuck in open or closed loop. If the sensor has anything to do with air or fuel mixtures this will single handedly ruin performance and kill MPG. Common sensors to check are the AIT, IAT, MAF, O2, EGR, Thermostat Control Sensor, and TPS. Any of these failing or sending bad info will kill MPG.
This is one of those things you can throw a lot of money at it trying to fix the problem which may or may not have success.
The first things to check are the easiest. Check for vacuum/intake leaks. This can be done by smoking the system. Simply unplug the AIT sensor from the air intake and fill in the hole with a small hose, leave it around 1-2 feet long. Then light up a cigarette or cigar, puff (do not inhale) and blow the smoke into the air intake. Do this several times and look carefully for leaks. If you find one then that may be your problem. If not move on.
Next check the spark plug wires and spark plugs for wear. If the wires are rotten and or the spark plugs have excessive wear on the cathodes and show signs of running rich then change out those. Testing the coil pack is more difficult but if any of this is bad then it all needs to be changed. If this is good then move on.
Next brings us to fuel systems leaks. These are a lot harder to find and will require you to do both a visual inspection of the lines as well as running the fuel pressure using a gauge. If this all test out then move on, if you have low fuel or even high fuel pressure readings then you need to begin diagnosing a fuel systems issues which can be very in depth.
Lastly would be a bad sensor. Common misconception is that a bad sensor will throw a check engine light, however this is not always the case. A sensor may be functioning but may be stuck in open or closed loop. If the sensor has anything to do with air or fuel mixtures this will single handedly ruin performance and kill MPG. Common sensors to check are the AIT, IAT, MAF, O2, EGR, Thermostat Control Sensor, and TPS. Any of these failing or sending bad info will kill MPG.
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