Consumption way worse than expected

[eflyguy]

Had our 2001 for 2500 miles now, been tracking gas usage and found we're getting 15.7mpg (US)..

This is a LTD.

My 5.4l V8 F150 gets better than that!

Where do I begin?
..a

[RustysTouring]

Hey there, I thought I was the only sub 20MPG PT owner on the planet. I'm getting 12mpg in city driving. It does jump to 30 on the highway but I'm driving 160 mi. before the yellow gas pump icon lights up. I guess that the light flashes at 2 gal. left since it always takes 13. whatever to top off. It is a fifteen gallon tank. Being in NYC I don't really do alot of highway driving but to say I'm looking at new iridium plugs, wires, coils, K&N filter, and a dyno-tune is not an understatement. I have an '05 PT Touring Convertible auto purchased Nov. 06 w10K mi. The car was in storage 28 months and I've been only driving it again since mid-July. I've only put 1K mi. since July but I'm really looking to improve my mileage any way I can. Thanks Rusty

[eflyguy]

I've got a K&N in there. Guess I need to look at plugs and wires.

Just for it to be *that* low, I thought something must be wrong. There's no gas smell, however..
..a

[quicksilverdon]

Stop-n-go traffic will really eat into mileage. While you're stopped, you're getting zero MPG.

[03GTCruiser]

I get about 13-16 mpg with my gt. I've learned it's just not gonna be much more with my heavy foot. I did get 21mpg hwy once going accross aligator alley once with the cruise set at 78-80 and no traffic.

[geronimo]

Originally Posted by RustysTouring

It is a fifteen gallon tank.

Rusty,

This may be a dumb questions, and I don't mean any disrespect, but are you using 15 gallons as your divider? While the pt specs say its a 15 gallon tank, I've never filled up past 13 gallons.

Also, I was getting 13-14 mpg over the summer and found a large vacuum leak in my manifold and valve gaskets. I ended up changing out all of the gaskets and mpg shot up to 20-22. Worth looking into

[RustysTouring]

I always head to station when gas pump icon lights up. At that point its actually reading quarter tank. 15 gallon tank means 3 3/4 gallons per quarter tank. I calculate mileage in notebook religiously kept under seat. I'm driving 160-170 mi. before adding 13 or so gallons at 1/8 tank, not bone dry and not like back in the day when I could drive at 1/16 UNDER 'E' or even 1/8 until I'd pull in for a quarter tank or so in my '71 351C Mach I. It's 12-14 mpg unless its totally highway then it shoots up to 30. I recently had the PT Touring
put through a free 23 point Chrysler Dealer diagnostic and they presumedly would have found any vaacum leaks or timing woes, right? I'm just getting used to it. Thanks, Rusty.

[Mean Green]

Originally Posted by RustysTouring

Hey there, I thought I was the only sub 20MPG PT owner on the planet. I'm getting 12mpg in city driving. It does jump to 30 on the highway but I'm driving 160 mi. before the yellow gas pump icon lights up. I guess that the light flashes at 2 gal. left since it always takes 13. whatever to top off. It is a fifteen gallon tank. Being in NYC I don't really do alot of highway driving but to say I'm looking at new iridium plugs, wires, coils, K&N filter, and a dyno-tune is not an understatement. I have an '05 PT Touring Convertible auto purchased Nov. 06 w10K mi. The car was in storage 28 months and I've been only driving it again since mid-July. I've only put 1K mi. since July but I'm really looking to improve my mileage any way I can. Thanks Rusty

You keep going under 1/4 of a tank and then fill up and eventually you will be replacing your fuel pump. It is not recommend constantly running any vehicle with an electric fuel pump low on fuel. Most vehicles with an electric fuel pump have the pump submerged in the fuel inside the tank. The purpose of this is to cool and lubricate the pump. The reserve fuel is there to keep the pump from self destructing from overheating. Although some vehicles have a well that the pump sits inside of, this type of pump is a modular unit,and if the well runs dry the pump could be damaged. These types of pumps cost close to 1000 dollars to have repaired.
Also topping off the tank can ruin the charcol (sp?) canister by filling it with gas and not just the gas fumes it's supposed to collect. Not a cheap fix, either.

Some people getting really poor mpg in the PT has been going on since the PT came out. All are automatics. There is no magic mushroom fix to increase mpg. A good tune, properly inflated tires and driving sensibly is about all you can do. Not all automatics are getting really poor mpg. Our two auto PTs get 22-24 combo driving and 30+ on the freeway. Both cars are stock so go figure.

[cdynaco]

Originally Posted by Mean Green

Not all automatics are getting really poor mpg. Our two auto PTs get 22-24 combo driving and 30+ on the freeway. Both cars are stock so go figure.

Finally, some positive news!

I've only had my PT a week and after reading numerous threads I'm having second thoughts about trying my first Chrysler product with the number of recurring problems on the PT - especially the auto trans problems. And I've not read where Chrysler bothered with any improvements from 01 - 09.

Geez I just got rid of my old winter car - an AMC Jeep Eagle because its auto tranny was going after 110k. With the PT as my new winter car and only 18k, I'm hoping the tranny lasts at least as long. I tried hard for a 5 spd within my numbers, but couldn't get a deal done. So I settled for the auto. Hope that decision doesn't bite me.

[cruserdad1976]

we need to remember the PT is just a car if it is not maintained it will break down like any other

i drive about 200 per day and i run between 70-80mph on the interstate and i get right at 23mpg
keep the tires in good condition that will help some not much else will do any thing for power or mpg

The cruiser is a cool looking car it is not a high gas millage car nor is it a Hi performance car (some do pretty good in the quarter)


The tranny is weak but we all now that, keep it flushed and filled and don't abuse it--- it will take a lot of abuse but then nether will many other auto trannys

it takes a mile to turn but that is just how it is

this car weighs in at like 3100 pounds is is built like a brick so just love it as it is---cause with out spending a ton of cash you wont really change much



The biggest issue to me is that 100,000 timing belt change and the $1000. bill that goes with it