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Poor Mileage?; 95 metro lsi 1.0 5 speed getting 34mpg
Topic Started: Feb 10 2009, 11:23 AM (2,479 Views)
ambrotype
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I have a 95 2 door Metro Lsi with a 1.0 liter engine and a 5 speed. I am getting 34 mpg with a 85 hwy to 15 city driving ratio. My highway speed is mostly 70 mph. Is this low for this model? I have read much higher numbers for this model. Fuel economy.gov shows the revised numbers should be 37 city and 44 hwy. The car currently only has 66,000 miles on it. I bought it three months ago. The man gave me all the maintance info for it. It was always serviced at the orginial dealership. 10 months ago he spent almost 2 grand on repairs. The exhaust was replaced from manifold back, new plugs and wires, and the timing belt was replaced. The car is completly rust free and clean. The tires are at 32 psi, no brakes are sticking and there is no check engine light. Could it be the 02 sensor? I have noticed that when I push down on the plug wires on the plugs I get a shock. Is this to be expected or does this mean there may be a problem with the plugs or wires? I also thought maybe the timing could be off from when the timing belt was changed. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
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metromad


You problem is a common one and I believe I can help you. You suffer from the same dementia that a lot people who buy these cars do. That they will get incredible mileage while being driven badly. How can I help you, you ask?

Slow down!

The mileage given by the EPA estimates is not for a car being driven at 70 mph. They were based on a time when 55 was still the speed limit in place on most highways. You should be able to acheive those estimate numbers by driving 60 (I routinely get 47mpg avg. but I only exceed 60 mph when absolutely necessary).

There are some other areas you can look to: maintenance items like new plugs, wires, dist. cap and rotor. Run some Seafoam (fuel additive) through a tank of gas to clean up the fuel system. Other fuel saving ideas will come from others I am sure.

The basic idea on these cars is don't drive it like you stole it. A light foot on the pedal and some planning ahead while driving will raise your mileage the fastest!
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billy508
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billy508

My 1.0 responds well to advancing the timing. There are quite a few posts here on the subject. It might be just me but 70 is pretty fast for good mileage. But I have vert so my input might not be valid for 95 lsi. Welcome and good luck. :drivin :drivin
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Hacksaw
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Disciple of Johnny Mullet

Ambrotype,
I think we're all suffering from the colder winter weather. I'm down at least 7 miles per gallon compared to the warm summer months.
As long as your roads are clear of ice and snow, I'd recommend bringing your tire pressure up...I run 45psi in my 155/80R13 Kumo's to lessen rolling resistance and it helps my mileage quite a bit. If you're concerned about your wires, you can always check each individual wires' resistance with an ohm meter. The lower the ohms(measurement of resistance) the better the spark. Also, you can take the spark plugs out and examine them to see how each cylinder is burning it's air/fuel mixture. A compression test performed while the plugs are out of the head can tell you what condition your valves and piston rings are in. Slowing down from 70 to 60 or even 55 mph will show you improved mpg instantly. While these cars are great on gas, they aren't magical...It takes dedication and honed driving skills to achieve the higher numbers that some report. Throttling up hills to maintain speed, shifting late instead of early, and driving at higher speeds are no-no's to a hyper-miler. Adjusting the nut behind the wheel yields the biggest mileage gains.

Hacksaw.
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metromad


Don't take us wrong, we are not trying to make you feel bad or slap you around but it is a common complaint with people buying these cars. A Metro is not designed for power or speed. It will do one thing very well, get great gas mileage when driven correctly. By that I mean keeping your foot as light as possible, shift with the shift light if not before, install a vacuum gauge to keep the engine in its most economic area, start braking before you get to a light and try to time lights so you don't have to stop completely, etc.

Of course all of these techiques can be applied to any vehicle to increase mileage. My '99 Dodge Caravan routinely averages 23 mpg. That is the top mileage for that year for the hwy mileage. Of course, I only drive it 55, I time the lights, use the cruise whenever possible, get the auto tranny into the highest gear possible as soon as possible, etc.

Mileage is as much (if not more) of a driver function as it is of the car itself. Of course, when you think about it, 34 mpg is not a bad figure. It is about average for most Japanese cars produced today and yours is a decade older. My mom's Accura only returned 35-40 depending on how it was driven. It sure beats driving a tank that is only getting 20 mpg!
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ambrotype
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Thanks for the response guys. I'll try to slow it down to 60 for the next cycle and see what happens, that is if I don't get ran over. The traffic between Petersburg and Richmond, VA is like a race track. The posted Speed is 60 but flows at 70 to 75 in all three lanes. I had a 2001 Metro 1.3liter Lsi sedan with automatic that had 74k miles on it and got 34 also on this drive. I hate that I parted with it.
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metromad


LOL, I know what you mean! However, I have found some more scenic routes home that get me off of the interstates and in a much better frame of mind before I get home.
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Johnny Mullet
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Fear the Mullet

My car gets horrible mileage at 70 MPH speeds unless I got a good wind pushing me along. I get great mileage, but I am at my season low with around 49 MPG compared to hitting 60 in the summer. The weather and wind plays a huge factor.

Welcome to the site.
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Will
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Victory is mine!!!!

Weather is a huge factor, but you are only 2 mpg off the 32 mpg my wife gets in her Buick Century. I think Metromad is right. You are driving it too hard. I would recommend avoiding the interstate completely. The interstate system is no longer the place for mpg minded Metros. If the national speed limit is ever reduced back to 55 it will be then.
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Lincoln
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Your mileage is about on par with mine.
My last tank was 36 mpg. I am guessing do to the cold.
I normally average about 40 mpg doing 70 mph on the interstate.

Trying to go slower on the interstate got me hit once and I had a couple of near misses.
If the traffic is light, I try to slow down, otherwise I keep pace with the traffic.

If I am in an area where I can maintain about 55 mph, I have gotten 45-50 mpg.
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Rowbear
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Hacksaw
Feb 10 2009, 11:48 AM
It takes dedication and honed driving skills to achieve the higher numbers that some report.

Hacksaw.
makes me want to create a bumper sticker that says "eternal vigilance is the price of fuel efficiency"
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Bad Bent
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Facetious Educated Donkey

Welcome to the forum, ambrotype!
Doin' 70 mph, eh. This being winter I have seen my mpg drop also. My lighter '91 1.0 was doing 53 mpg but dense cold air, low tire pressures, "winter" fuel formulas, yeda yada make things worse, like 46 mpg. Try Winter Gas Mileage where I list 9 reasons for bad mileage from metrompg.com's site.

Lincoln thinks it's doing just fine. Upgrade the plug wires to 8 mm? New wheel bearings? Do you do your own work? If so just check the timing. There's a lot of things you can do to make the engine more efficient. Like synthetic oils, clean air filter, upgrade plugs, gas cleaning additive, upgrade exhaust, warm air intake - remove the snorkel hose from the air cleaner. But from the sounds of it, it's simply going fast. :D
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PushnFords


I have a '91 1.0L 5spd 2dr. as well except mine has 210K on it. I was averaging 40-41mpg running 70mph on the way to work but had a miss. I replaced the exhaust valves, got the cylinder compression all straightened out, and now I'm getting 35-38mpg. I think I have several factors hitting me...I'm still driving 70 if not 75, passing people, colder weather, and possibly a converter that is a little clogged. I need to slow down a little and see what happens but that requires getting up earlier..... lol

Derek
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exploited789
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i have a 95 metro 1.3 4cylinder and im getting 100 miles for half a tank, im doing 65 on the freeway and its 90% hwy driving. im pretty sure the compression is good because the car gets up and goes with little pedal. what else could be wrong? besides slowing down?
any help is appreciated
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metromad


Umm, errrrr, I think you answered your own question.
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