bad mpg

[chasgood_in_okc]

For the GT I think DC has the air pressure for the front tires to low. Likely for ride and comfort reasons. Aired up my front tires to 42psi and fuel mileage average went up 1 mpg. 20 instead of 19. Didn't see a improvement going from 38 to 40. 42psi seemed to do it. It handles better too.

FWD cars have 60 percent or more of the weight on the front wheels. So why use the same air pressure front and back? Did the same thing with my last car, a FWD Acura Integra. That cars sticker said 29 psi front and back. got the best mileage (and handling) with the front tires at 34.
I think the car companys come up with one pressure for front and back just to make it easy for people that don't know much about car maintance. Keep it simple.
Under infation waists lots of gas. I see cars all the time with at least one tire that looks to low. The Goodyear tires on the GT I have found don't hold air as good as other tires.

Pump up those tires and let it roll.

[Squid]

Interesting point about mileage. Most of the people I talk about the mileage problem come up with the same poor mileage with the automatic. All the five speed owners get better mileage; 26 and up! I drive the same route everyday to work. My intent was not to bash the PT crusier just how to improve the mileage. From what has been said is that the k&N filter plus different spark plugs seem to be the way to go. Oh, my 2001 PT just when over 17,000 miles. It is a low mileage vehicle. I work for one of the big three in the design field. I have to say the interior quaility of the PT beats the other two american car companies hands down.

Any other suggestions? What type of plugs work the best? I have tried the air pressure in the tire also. What about going to a snythnic transmission fluid? VW has been running a snythnic fluid for about 10years in their automatic. Thanks

[MichaelDay]

Squid,

Increasing the tire pressure may help some. Some folks swear that changing to Mobil 1 or other synthetic oil increased their mileage while others claim it won't. Some have indicated that DC has a burr up their hinny if you put synthetic in the transmission. One dyno test I saw on another board indicated that at least the turbo has a fuel air mixture that gets way to rich at about 3000-3500 rpm. That obviously wouldn't help fuel economy. Trying to stay below 3000 rpm would help if that is the case in any other PT's. It appears that for the NA PT's, increasing the octane will not change the spark advance so I wouldn't think that mileage would be changed based on grade of gasoline. A good aftermarket air filter should help. Many folks claim increases in fuel mileage following installation of after market exhaust systems.


2003 Almond GT

[chasgood_in_okc]

I plan to use synthetic oil in my turbo but not for fuel mileage reasons. If it improves mpg well that will be a bonus.
Maybe we should be on the lookout for a firmware upgrade from DC for the rich fuel mixture.
As soon as the snowy weather is over I plan to run a little test. Check my mpg with the traction control off. I will have to switch it off every time I start the car to do it. It works by aplying the brake to the wheel it senses spinning. Could be creating drag by working to much lowering mileage. I think only automatics have this.

[MichaelDay]

I think that Traction Control is available with both the auto's and the 5 speeds. It would be an interesting test. If there is a difference, I would think that there is a problem with the Traction Control OR you are really spinning your tires alot. I really have to get on the throttle to get the Traction Control to kick in.

I plan on changing to Mobil 1 at either the 6000 or 9000 mile oil change.


2003 Almond GT, body colored rear splash guards, hood struts and front license plate frame, rear MOPAR door sills

[teves09]

I put a Borla dual exhaust system on my 2001 and went from 16 mpg in the city to 20. I went from 20 hwy to 26.5.




Big Ern-
The Loan PT
http://www.thelonept.com

Edited by - teves09 on 02/27/2003 11:06:38

[Cal Cruzer]

My GT 5 speed has traction control. I have experienced a slight hesitation as I accelerate though 4000 RPMs. It lasts only for about 200 rpms then kicks in again. Seems when I turn the traction control off it doesn't do this. I am still testing.

[OurPTGT]

off topice

quote:
my old Avenger often hit 39 MPG. For the record, most of my driving (85% or better) is at 70 MPH or higher.

Cool, a X Avenger owner. My daily driver is a '95 Avenger w/224K on it now. Rarily less than 33mpg.
Back on topic now.
I can't seem to get more than 230 miles out of 11-11.5 gals in our GT. That's with the cruise on and no AC. Still, the looks makes it worth it all!

Kevin & Donna's Elec Blue GT

http://www.dreamcruisers.org/index/Page_1x.html

[Mean Green]

With a combination of town, country and freeway driving I am getting 22-24 mpg in my 5-speed GT. If you are getting around 10 mpg in a nonturbo or Turbo then something is wrong. I'm no choirboy either as I get on my GT as often as I like. Driving my wife's auto '01 (used to be mine) on the same roads and I got 22-26 mpg. The '01 PT does have a JBA header, Airaid Ram intake, Dynomax Super Turbo exhaust and an Airaid throttle body spacer. Now the throttle body spacer promised 3-5 extra HP and 2-4 extra mpg. Don't know about the extra HP, but I do know I got an extra 2-3 mpg after installing the throttle body spacer. The '01 PT has 33,000 miles on it now. When I bought it I got around 17-19 mpg. After I installed my mods my mpg went up.

'03 Onyx Green GT 5 speed

[Jeff V]

Last two tankfuls I recorded 18.7 and 19.5 mpg in mixed driving, about 40% city. Using Exxon 93.

Next tankful I'm going to turn the trac control off every time I start the car.