I'm only getting around 250 miles on a tank. Why am I getting so few? I have a stock 04 Xb and I can't figure it out. Any help? I just removed the snorkel to try to get some gains but if anyone else has some suggestions it would be great.

 

How many miles are on the car? And what's the actual MPG you're calculating?

 

37000 on the car. I'm calculating around 27-29 mpg

 

Some of the usual stuff is keep your tire pressure up, make sure all your usual maintenance (oil change, filters, whatever) has been done.

Have you noticed a change, or has it always been this way? If it's not changed, driving style is a likely culprit. Accelerate gradually, coast as much as possible. Any time you use your brakes, you're wasting gas, because you burned extra gas to gain kinetic energy you didn't need. (I know, not always possible without annoying drivers behind you, and not always safe - but where safe and sane, do it.)

 

just bought it used so it isn't a change

 

I drive alot (sometimes over 100+ miles a day) and usually get 320 miles/tank.

 

Keep tire pressures over 34 psi. What size wheels you got?
Get a k&n drop in filter to go with the removed snorkle
Drive with window up to reduce wind drag.
Seeing how you just bought it with those miles it should be due for sparkplugs. Try some NGK Irridium plugs gapped at .044.
Try and look farther down the road for red lights. The sooner you start to coast the less fuel you use.
If you follow these guidlines your mpgs should improve to at least 33-34 mpgs range.

 

stock hubs on there at the moment

 

Wide tires, soft tires, "sticky" tread all eat fuel.

Spirited acceleration, cornering and braking all eat fuel.

Extra weight carried eats fuel (about 0.1 MPG per 100 pounds, worst case).

Speeds above about 45 MPH use more fuel.

Time spent in lower gears eats LOTS of fuel.

Aside from all of those things to think about, you might want to reset your ECU (look in the tech section for the way to do it without disconnecting the battery) and allow it to learn YOUR style of driving. It is a learning ECU, and will eventually re-learn your "style," but resetting hurries the process.

Beyond that, remember that the indicated miles on your odometer ar not the actual miles you vehicle has traveled. This affects your MPG calculations. With everything absolutely stock, your MPG typically needs to be multiplied by 1.03 (mine actually comes out to 1.06).

Still, what you are seeing, depending on percentage of city/highway, and stop-and-go driving, and how hilly the terrain is, might not really be all that bad.

Tom

 

I changed my driving style a while back and went from 29-30 to 34-35mpgs.

 

Tomas, why is yours 1.06? Do you have larger tires than stock?

 

my old box when i got it used was burning up gas like no ones business, resetting the ECU should do it, im considering doing it in my new box 'cause of the removed snorkel and air K&N air filter... and you dont need them inflated to over 34 thats kinda overkill.... 32 is fine. also, a lead foot is always an issue. but i get about 28.7 mpg average, so dont feel bad, sometimes its just you!

 

Yes, my current tires are about 0.4 inches taller than the OEM tires.

Tom

 

Well said G, also throw in a set of low cost/resistance NGK "v-power" plugs and perhaps even some new spark plug wires...also many times overlooked is the 02 sensor, they dont last forever and when not working properly give the ecu bad information which may cause bad performance on the part of your engine...Im certainly no expert, I just read alot on the subject and it just makes sense....good luck!

 

Is it a good idea to reset the ECU even when you change the stock air filter, so it can sense the better air flow of a clean filter? Or if you increase all the tire pressures from 29 to 35? Or if you change gas? Or if you put on oversize tires? Or if you put in better spark plugs? It's so hard to tell about these things.

 

My average, 05 manual xb with 17in tires, 28.

 

a friend of mine has a manual, 05, with 33k miles on it. he has the stock rims/steelies, the car is lowered and has the cold air intake. he was at a little less than a half tank and he had only gone about 162 miles. he was so ____ed cuz he bought the car for aweswome gas mileage and his is sucking! i am gonna tell him to check the tire pressure and chill with the driving style - he drives like a maniac and i'm sure that has to do with it ^_^

i let him drive my xB this past weekend (an auto) and off of a stop sign, he got to 5,000 rpms!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i have never done that in my xB and will never hurt my baby like that! he's an abusive driver!

hahahaha
- sh00k

 

That would be the last time he drove MY box!

 

^^^ you're right about that! hahaha. i have seriously never revved it that high!!! i drive it very conservatively and have never had the need to go north of 4000 on the tach... he surprised me when he did that. i was like what the hell are you doing? l0l

 

^^^What was his lame excuse???