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Old Jan 21, 2005 | 04:36 PM
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alright i posted before that i was getting 237 miles on a full tank of 90 octane. now today im at 162 miles and the needle is touching the red zone on the guage. and gas just went back up to $2. what should i look into fixing ASAP?

ps: does this recent negative cold weather affect mileage?
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Old Jan 21, 2005 | 04:38 PM
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The cold will affect milage greatly with any car, no matter what shape it is in. If you haven't had a tune up in a while, consider that too.
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Old Jan 21, 2005 | 05:13 PM
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I been getting similar results. Granted, twenty to thirty minutes idling due to the "Wussy Button" on my key ring (aka remote start) don't help.

That 20 below snap kinda hurt us all....
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Old Jan 22, 2005 | 09:33 AM
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I wish I had a "wussy button". I'd settle for less gas on these freezing mornings.
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Old Jan 22, 2005 | 12:04 PM
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Don't you guys have block heaters?

Up in the colder Canadian climates, some guys have more than 3 plug ins......block, battery, in line antifreeze circ. heater......

Idling is a big killer of mileage. You shouldn't have to idle more than a couple of minutes. You car will warm up faster if you drive it. Dress for the weather and wear gloves.

....invest in seat heaters.
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Old Jan 22, 2005 | 01:05 PM
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yes it less than 10 mpg right now. a ford mechanic said it wouldnt be the O2 but more the PCV. what is the PCV and what does it do?

last night we found out the bonnie cant take 2 foot deep snow, it smelled like buning plastic and rubber but tis all good.
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Old Jan 22, 2005 | 02:26 PM
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i dont get it. i was under the impression that cars are more efficient in cooler weather
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Old Jan 22, 2005 | 02:33 PM
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Cooler air = more dense = more oxygen to burn = more fuel used
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Old Jan 22, 2005 | 03:40 PM
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Our cars don't have chokes but the computer will keep the A/F mixture rich until the engine temp gets over 140 F.
That'* what burns the most fuel.....besides idling to warm up.

Once the car warms up, the cooler air will make more power and as long as you don't take advantage of it with your right foot, you should get better mileage.

Other drivetrain components, like transmission fluid, wheel bearing grease, etc.. also require more time to heat up and will cause additional frictional losses.
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