16 mpg??

[Christea77]

I was hoping to get around 23 mpg, when I bought PT cruiser, its 2003 limited edition (onyx green woody). The first time I calculated it, much to my dismay, I was getting 19, and this time I got 16. This just ain't gettin' it!

Any insight on this?

[CREWZIN]

HI, welcome to the forum. Not sure why you put this question in the Southeast sectin of the forum. Not too many people will see it.

The PT isn't known for it's mileage. The faster you go the worse it gets. Aerodynamically it's a brick. Load of little things you can do to increase the mileage. Go about 3-4 pounds of air above the recommended pressure in your tires. Switch to synthetic oil. Take off from stoplights gently and slowly (but not slow enough to piss people off) get up to the speed limit. Don't run up to stoplights, look ahead and take your lead foot off the accelerator when you see a red light coming up. Don't carry loads that you don't need (like golf clubs all week long when you only golf on Sundays). If nobody else gets in your car, take out the back seats. Go on a diet. ...only kidding. Every little bit helps.

[Christea77]

Ok, sounds good. Thanks. How about type of gas you put in?

[CREWZIN]

Originally Posted by Christea77

Ok, sounds good. Thanks. How about type of gas you put in?

Unless you bought the Turbo model, 87 octane is fine. Anything higher is a waste.

P.S. Even if you do have a turbo, you can use the lower octanes as long as you don't hear "pinging" from the engine. The lower octane on the turbo will also reduce your HP.

[Mean Green]

Originally Posted by CREWZIN

Unless you bought the Turbo model, 87 octane is fine. Anything higher is a waste.

P.S. Even if you do have a turbo, you can use the lower octanes as long as you don't hear "pinging" from the engine. The lower octane on the turbo will also reduce your HP.

Sorry, don't agree. The pcm can't totally prevent possible engine damage when running the wrong lower octane in a vehicle programmed to use premium gas. When you are punching it to enter a freeway or to pass not all pinging is audible. It's ok to use a lower octane in an emergency, but not all of the time.

[CREWZIN]

Originally Posted by Mean Green

It's ok to use a lower octane in an emergency, but not all of the time.

Normally, I'd agree with you, (and I'd never do it) but reading both the PT forums and my Corvette forums, there's all kinds of people who bought the Turbo PT and a Corvette and now they're being cheap about gas prices and saying that they are running "el cheapo" gas and not seeing any problems.

As you say, not all pinging is audible and maybe in the long run it will hurt the internals, but is that gonna convince the people that are throwing in 87 because they can't afford premium anymore and they say their car is running OK ?

Probably the best thing for them is a tank full off premium, then a tank full of 87. That'll save em money and raise the octane of the 87 .......I think.

[Mean Green]

Originally Posted by CREWZIN

Normally, I'd agree with you, (and I'd never do it) but reading both the PT forums and my Corvette forums, there's all kinds of people who bought the Turbo PT and a Corvette and now they're being cheap about gas prices and saying that they are running "el cheapo" gas and not seeing any problems.

As you say, not all pinging is audible and maybe in the long run it will hurt the internals, but is that gonna convince the people that are throwing in 87 because they can't afford premium anymore and they say their car is running OK ?

Probably the best thing for them is a tank full off premium, then a tank full of 87. That'll save em money and raise the octane of the 87 .......I think.

If they really can't afford the gas then alternating would be a bit better. As for the PT turbo it's only about $2 more to fill the tank and at one fill up a week thats only $8 dollars more a month. That really shouldn't hurt anyone who had the extra money to afford the turbo. I can really understand people wanting to use a lower octane if they drove a large vehicle using premium that cost $75-$100 a fill up. In that case I'd sell the big gas guzzler. You know if you could drive on a level plane never having to punch the gas you could probable get away with a lower octane and none to very minimal engine damage, but it's hills, passing and hard accelerating that would worry me a bunch.

[quicksilverdon]

Agree w/Crewzin (as usual).
This is my second PT, and I have found that calculating by tankful gives results all over. Get a small diary-type book and put it in glove box. Write down every time you put in gas, then figure mileage after numerous fill-ups. I get gas at the same station, and my miles are nearly exactly the same, yet from one pump to another I find one pump will click off a gallon or more before another pump would. Calculating over more miles averages that out.
My PT now has 50,000+ miles on it. I just figured mileage since May - went 4,942 miles, took 152.32 gallons for 25.88 MPG.
Over all 50,000 miles (50,420) used 2020.65 gallons for 24.95 MPG.
My '02 PT without a turbo I was getting 1-2 MPG LESS, or 22-23 MPG.

[vdbd08pt]

Originally Posted by Christea77

I was hoping to get around 23 mpg, when I bought PT cruiser, its 2003 limited edition (onyx green woody). The first time I calculated it, much to my dismay, I was getting 19, and this time I got 16. This just ain't gettin' it!

Any insight on this?

Hmm, I must admit that I was hoping to get better milage as well.
That's OK, I ride my Goldwing most of the time any way, if I keep it at 70MPH or lower I get 45 mpg. So far the On Board Computer on the PT shows about 14 MPG.

Van

[Mean Green]

Originally Posted by CREWZIN

Normally, I'd agree with you, (and I'd never do it) but reading both the PT forums and my Corvette forums, there's all kinds of people who bought the Turbo PT and a Corvette and now they're being cheap about gas prices and saying that they are running "el cheapo" gas and not seeing any problems.

As you say, not all pinging is audible and maybe in the long run it will hurt the internals, but is that gonna convince the people that are throwing in 87 because they can't afford premium anymore and they say their car is running OK ?

Probably the best thing for them is a tank full off premium, then a tank full of 87. That'll save em money and raise the octane of the 87 .......I think.

The Aeroforce Interceptor scan gauge is becoming widely used by friends of mine with a PT turbo.

SRT-4 Technical Information

One of my friends ran regular in his GT with the scan gauge. You wouldn't believe how much knock is going on that's not being prevented by the pcm. Not causing any damage. I wouldn't bet on it. Down the road they will wish they never used regular instead of premium.