fuel economy issue
03-09-2005, 02:51 PM
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fuel economy issue
1993 Bonneville SE (NA):
Within the last 4-5 months my fuel economy has gone to hell (12-18 mpg). The only change that was made was two oil changes and a radiator swap from a 96 SE. The radiator is smaller, but cools differently. I don't think that has much to do with it.
There are no signs that the fuel filter has been changed anytime recently. The serpetine belt is showing signs of wear and needs replacement. The air filter is almost 1 year old (or 50,000 miles). Engine was replaced at 127,000 miles with a Jasper and odometer is now at 165,000. Plugs were changed with the engine, but wires are original.
Anything else I should take into consideration?
Within the last 4-5 months my fuel economy has gone to hell (12-18 mpg). The only change that was made was two oil changes and a radiator swap from a 96 SE. The radiator is smaller, but cools differently. I don't think that has much to do with it.
There are no signs that the fuel filter has been changed anytime recently. The serpetine belt is showing signs of wear and needs replacement. The air filter is almost 1 year old (or 50,000 miles). Engine was replaced at 127,000 miles with a Jasper and odometer is now at 165,000. Plugs were changed with the engine, but wires are original.
Anything else I should take into consideration?
03-09-2005, 03:08 PM
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Sorry, my sig didn't work for some reason. I edited with the info.
O2 sensor may be original, and I have been told that before. I will take a look at it and see what I can make of the dating.
If an O2 sensor were bad though, wouldn't there be other issues? Or does the computer just adjust to compensate for incorrect input?
O2 sensor may be original, and I have been told that before. I will take a look at it and see what I can make of the dating.
If an O2 sensor were bad though, wouldn't there be other issues? Or does the computer just adjust to compensate for incorrect input?
03-09-2005, 03:21 PM
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Fuel filter won't cause poor mileage.
If your O2 is over 50k miles old or unknown, change it. AC Delco ONLY. Particularly NO BOSCH. They don't last in our engines, and can make your problem worse.
Your O2 may not have other symptoms other than mileage. They get tired, and need to be replaced.
If your O2 is over 50k miles old or unknown, change it. AC Delco ONLY. Particularly NO BOSCH. They don't last in our engines, and can make your problem worse.
Your O2 may not have other symptoms other than mileage. They get tired, and need to be replaced.
03-09-2005, 03:55 PM
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The O2'* on these cars can become almost dead without tripping the SES light... When I had a second one tank on my 95 I scanned it and noticed that it was not comming up to temp quick so that it would start giving the cars computer an accurated reading of the oxyogen content of the exahust... On a scantool you can see the O2 in voltage ot watch it swing back and forth between lean and rich... It should change fairly rapidly, lean rich lean rich lean rich... If it stays lean lean lean rich lean lean lean lean, rich rich, lean lean lean... Then its getting very very slow... This can kill you fuel effiency...
I will reccomend that you replace the plugs and wires, get some NGK TR55 spark plugs, a new air filter, and replace the O2 if it has not be done... And as Will stated, stay away from the Bosch, get the AC Delco Unit... Also is your O2 sensor a 2 wire or 3 wire unit? 3 wire would be the heated O2 sensor...
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I will reccomend that you replace the plugs and wires, get some NGK TR55 spark plugs, a new air filter, and replace the O2 if it has not be done... And as Will stated, stay away from the Bosch, get the AC Delco Unit... Also is your O2 sensor a 2 wire or 3 wire unit? 3 wire would be the heated O2 sensor...
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03-09-2005, 04:05 PM
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Originally Posted by willwren
He may also have a 1-wire. Mine is.
) and all of the SC'd applications used the 1 wire.. That might have to be tacked on the the research list 
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03-09-2005, 05:03 PM
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I will let you know how many wires this weekend. It will take some time to check all of this stuff out, but I think I can get either the 1 or 3 wire variety for AC Delco even if I have to special order it. Is there something I should know about one or the other?
03-09-2005, 05:24 PM
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I just talked to the guy who usually gets my parts and he tells me the O2 sensor that was originally installed is a Delphi. Should I believe this?