RE: 4k gas mileage

["Smeins, Larry" <lsmeins@ball.com>]

I can assure you that the 4 cyl 4ks could indeed consistently get 38
mpg.  I commuted with an 84 4ks, actually still am on occasion, over the
65k to 150k miles portion of its life.  The commute consisted of 20
miles of interstate at 70+ mph, and 20 miles of secondary at 60+ mph.
Summer mileage averaged 38 and winter averaged 35.  I kept meticulous
records and checked odometer calibration.  I gave it to my 16 year old
son at 150k and the mileage continued in the same range until the
odometer hit about 230k when it dropped to the 30 mpg area.  The drop
wasn't abrupt but made the drop over about 10k miles. The car has
between 280 and 300k on it now and is doing about 30 mpg.  I've tried
the obvious tuning, (air filter, plugs, O2 sensor, injectors, vacuum
leaks) but so far have been unable to bring the mileage back up.  The
record mileage on this car was when my son-in-law drove from Loveland,
CO to Grand Junction, CO and made 50 mpg.  I filled the tank at both
ends and was so shocked I triple checked all the figures and could find
no error.  He continued driving the car to Lake Powell and back to
Loveland and averaged well above 40 for the whole trip, about 1600
miles.  Must have been something about his driving technique. 

Larry 

>Date: Mon, 4 May 1998 17:03:49 EDT
>From: C1J1Miller <C1J1Miller@aol.com>
>Subject: Subject: 4k gas mileage

>Andrew wrote:
- ---------------
>A few days ago I struck up a conversation w/a woman in a pre-'85 non-Q
4000
>that had 190K miles on it. I didn't find out if she'd had the car from
new,
>but she'd had it a long time.

>At one point I asked about gas mileage. She said it used to get 38mpg
on the
>road, but now it's down to 30. I didn't probe further, but I'm assuming
that
>both figures were compiled over time, we're comparing apples w/apples,
and
>just tuning it up doesn't restore the missing 8mpg. Of course, lowered
>mileage from an engine w/190K of wear and tear on it sounds plausible.
Is
>the delta here about par for the course?
- ------------------------------
>I'm guessing this is the 4 cylinder engine; basically a VW.  I believe
the
>only VW of this era to get 38 mpg was the diesel rabbit, a lighter car,
BTW.
>Seems like her figure of 38 is inflated; 30 seems more like it,
especially if
>just highway miles.  Could be that she's relying on a trip computer (if
it has
>one), and the computer is inaccurate.  Don't expect that high miles
would
>lessen mileage significantly, if it's in tune and working in spec.
>Chris