disappointing gas mileage on Elantra?

[SkepticDave]

Hi. I bought a used 2002 Elantra GT, and I'm getting a low 19.6 mpg in city driving (36 highway). Is this what other people are getting, or should I take it to the dealer and ask them to fix the problem?

Thanks.

-- Dave

[2GTS]

Depending on you driving style that is not a bad number for city driving. The car is rated at 24-26 mpg city and those epa numbers are usully a little high compared to real world conditions.

[Steve]

Try resetting the ECU. Someone else will have to fill in the proper amount of time, but it's just a matter of disconnecting the negative battery terminal, letting the car sit for awhile, or pushing the brake down for a little while, a minute I think. That will drain any stored power and then you can reconnect the battery. That should help. Also consider a CAI, it will improve both mpg and performance.

[evil247]

5-10 minutes should be good for the ECU reset.

[hyunelan2]

Reset the ECU, make sure tires are properly inflated, and don't floor it all the time - those are my suggestions for improving that gas mileage. Also, being used, check the air filter and make sure it's not full of crap.

[Leviathant]

On a drive from Cleveland, OH to York, PA (central PA) I did 75-80mph rather steadily and got nearly 35mpg :) As far as city driving goes, drive nicely to get better mileage.

There was a great thread on Slashdot about Hybrid car mileage that has lots of good tips for getting better mileage in any car, check it out here (http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04/05/12/1436225&mode=thread&tid=126). Set the filter to 4 or 5 and change the threading to "Nested" for best results :)

[SkepticDave]

Thanks very much for all the responses. Can someone tell me what mileage I *should* be getting in city driving? About 22 mpg? I don't drive it hard at all. Also, what are these terms "ECU" and "CAI"?

Thansk very much.

-- Dave

[Steve]

ECU is the main computer, by restting it, you cause it to forget the fuel maps it had stored and relearn them based on your driving style. And CAI is a cold air intake, it replaces you're entire factory air intake system with mandrel bent pipe and a cone filter in the driver's front fenderwell (just behind the front bumper)

[DragoZERO]

oh, and another fact is once you break 55 mph you will consume more gas. so don't speed - its expensive. the best i've gotten is like 28, i just trip it and calculate. i don't do the city/highway thing. but 28 is good i guess.

and CAI is said to improve all of that, but a lot of people say you'd have to do the whole nine to get a large difference, which is a lot of money. its all up to you.

[WytchDctr]

I bumped my milage up.. my exhaust improved city and the UDP helped alot with highway.

[SGTFelix]

On a drive from Cleveland, OH to York, PA (central PA) I did 75-80mph rather steadily and got nearly 35mpg :) As far as city driving goes, drive nicely to get better mileage.

There was a great thread on Slashdot about Hybrid car mileage that has lots of good tips for getting better mileage in any car, check it out here (http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04/05/12/1436225&mode=thread&tid=126). Set the filter to 4 or 5 and change the threading to "Nested" for best results :)

Hey,
Did you get those same numbers going to Philly that day?....LOL
J/K Whats up how has it been?
BTW I find myself wanting to push the gas pedal hard on my elantra...just the feeling of going BYE BYE against somebody else, I just love it. I don't drive very far anymore so I guess I don't notice it.

[watson80]

I did CAI, full exhaust 2.25", header, powerchip ECU flash, and lightweight crank pulley. Even with all of those mods if I stay out of the throttle on a trip to my aunts about 125 miles 39mpg in a 5 speed!

[RonnieSan]

All of those mods will increase your gas mileage. They make the engine work more efficiently, thus improving gas mileage. One suggestion would be the 2.25" exhaust with an Aero Turbine. Just that on my car increased my mileage about 4-5 miles per gallon.

[jameswing]

oh, and another fact is once you break 55 mph you will consume more gas. so don't speed - its expensive.

I did an experiment when I first got the car. I was driving down to LA and had lots of room, I drove 10 miles at 5 MPH intervals with cruise on, and reset the computer at each speed change. at first I found that between 65 and 90 you loose 1.5 MPG for every 5 MPH, but then I reset to 75MPH, and was getting 34MPG,(This was on a very slight slope from Bakersfield to the grapevine).

I'm going to experiment again and write things down when I go this weekend. I'll try to have a chart for you next week.

I can't really start from 55 b/c I'll get run over. the Speed Limit on Hwy 99 is 70.

[Birdman]

I envy you I want a speed limit of that .. I haven't acctually done the math but I do a lot of highway travel alot with no trafic and I average between 65-80 and with a/c running some of the time 12 gals usually gets me 300 miles which going from a mercury sable 93 I am not going to complain :-P and I did a short air intake which helped on city :-)

[BlackElantraGT]

I probably do about 60%City,40% highway and I get about 23-24 mpg on a 5 speed hatch.

[babygurl]

all of my driving is city. For thefirst 3000 miles I got about 27 mpg. Now I'm over 5000 miles and getting about 28.5 mpg. I try not to reset for at least 1000 miles so I get quite a mix of easy driving and a little bit of hard driving. I hVE an auto. so my hard driving is letting it shift about 5000 rpm's.

[Roydjt]

I envy you I want a speed limit of that .. I haven't acctually done the math but I do a lot of highway travel alot with no trafic and I average between 65-80 and with a/c running some of the time 12 gals usually gets me 300 miles which going from a mercury sable 93 I am not going to complain :-P and I did a short air intake which helped on city :-)
How do you fit 12 gals in a 93 Sable? Heck, how do you fill your car up with gals in the first place? I'd take one cute one in my passenger seat, but a carfull would be a blast for sure!:multiples

-Roy

[jpeskoff]

Does adding a CAI void the warranty?

I've got a 04 Elantra (auto trans) with 800 miles on it. On a long trip to PA, it got 26 mpg with A/C on. That trip had some traffic delays that likely killed the mileage a bit. On my wife's commute to work, which is 20 miles each way by crowded highway, she's only getting 17-18 mpg.

[dragonfighter60]

If you took it for service work you would probobaly have to switch back to the stock setup for them to even consider doing any work under warrenty.

[only1db]

i put my CAI and its been going down hill....oh...maybe its because my foot if going down hill more often now! :D

but on the highway...i have noticed a couple MPG's

[mrhoaf]

I've got almost 100k on my 5-speed '01 and my mileage really varies on where i'm driving... i get in the mid 20's for stop and go... but i usually get right around 30 or a little higher with the driving i do..... If i'm lucky enough to burn the whole take on the interstate, i'll get mid 30's (and that's with the cruise set on 75 and the a/c on)

[BeerCanDrifter]

according to the dealership, "as long as your aftermarket parts are better than the stock parts they cant void your warrenty". it is only when you downgrade your parts (if thats even possible). not a bad idea to switch parts you can back to stock so they dont complain

[dragonfighter60]

I got 32 mpg on a 470 mile trip with cruise set at 85 with A/C. Totally stock setup. i usually get 25-27 in city.

I think the warranty thing just depends on what dealer you go to. Some will try to jip ya while others are nice about it.

[KincaidCharade]

Hehe... ok... so this isn't what I usually get. I'm usually in the 28-32 mpg in the city range.

[clarion]

:abovelol: show off :rolleyes:

im starting to get around 26mpg

[Leviathant]

I drove very carefully on my last tank of gas, watching my shiny new multigauge, and eeked out 32 MPG, mixed highway & city, on a stock setup.

[YoungNotTheOld1]

I have it pretty bad too... I average around 18 mpg city. Sometimes less, like 16... bleh.
I dropped in a new k&n filter, got a tune-up, reset my ecu, and my tires are properly inflated but my mileage still sucks. Been thinking of replacing the O2 sensor but I don't really even want to bother anymore.

BTW I'm new here. I have a 2000 Elantra. Theres no forum for the elantra RD and I like this place better than rdtiburon.com haha.

[getfuzzd]

on average I get about 28 city and 34 Highway doing 80-85mph (2004 manual GT)

[blupupher]

Hehe... ok... so this isn't what I usually get. I'm usually in the 28-32 mpg in the city range.

I have never gotten mine to read that high after a reser. It is usualy around 49 or so.

[archywills]

Mine uses very little gas....when it sits parked in the driveway.

I have never taken the time to check it. I'm overjoyed to not stop at the pump every two days and put in 10 bucks like I was in my p'up truck.

[seraph0503]

my mileage has been getting worse every day for the last few months actually. as of now i'm getting 23.5 when i used to get 28.8

[dragonfighter60]

^^resetting ecu might help that

[nogo2.0]

Has anyone hear the good old wise tale " If It ain't broke don't fix it" or at least talk to a local mechanic ask him or her what they think?

[wildman92]

On my car, I noticed that after taking a couple long distance drives my mileage has gone up. I think that these long drives helped burn off some of the carbon buildup from my normal short distance driving and I have noticed an increased mpg since then. Maybe those of you getting low mileage should take a road trip or two and see what happens.

[Dman]

aight. i was messing with my air intake and reset the ecu, but u know like u have to drive for at least 30 min to get it to le-learn all the fuel maps and stuff, i didnt really get a chance to do that and had to shut off the car. Now it comes up with only around 18mpg while i was gettin around 26 mpg most of the time. I guess i can reset it again, and was just wondering if it matters how often u reset the ecu?

[seraph0503]

i drive to atl like eery other week... does that count as a road trip. i really am dissapointed. went and bought a new air filter and everything. i'm going up there tommorow so i'll see if it gets any better.

[GTSTISL]

I'm gettin 22.3 with mostly city driving and a little doggin of the car : )

[seraph0503]

35 mpg now with the new air filter and the trip to atl.

[clarion]

i just got 29mpg i did the math sense my xd dosent have that fancy do-hicky
my cai w/ k&n ,with the colder weather probly helped

filled up 5.5 gallons,reset the odm. gas light came on for a while around 160m

is it just me or when you start your car(when cold) and start driving the gas goes down 1/8 or more, also when i drive hard keepin it in Drive the gas goes down but when i go through the gears,L,2,3,D it goes down alittle bit and goes back up

[tharptroy]

if you can still get 36mpg on the highway, then you just need to keep your foot out of it when accelerating. long periods of idling will also reduce mpg. bumper to bumper traffic would pretty much kill any chance at good milage.