Burning way too much gas

[amgarrety]

My car is burning much more fuel than normal. I'm burning a quarter tank on my way to work, and it's really not all that far of a drive.

Does it have anything to do with recently seafoaming my car? That seems to be about when it started.

I had my car in getting a wheel bearing and hub replaced today, and during that the shop did a routine inspection and saw nothing really wrong.

I've filled up 3 times in the past 3 days. Anyone have any ideas before I'm totally broke?

[httrdd]

Leak? Smell gas anywhere? Running too rich? Heavier foot?

[amgarrety]

No leak, I'm going down the tune up list and changing things one by one. Just did my spark plugs, which were terrible. Fuel filter is next. Now I have to admit, I might have been a little heavy on the pedal haha. But it's not that, I've been noticing my gas going bye bye on the highway too. I took a trip from York to Baltimore and back and emptied my entire tank. And I know that's not right. I've driven to Baltimore and back a few times.

[r3v_v3ng3]

It might of damaged your o2 sensors or maybe the converter too

[amgarrety]

O2 sensor is third on my list to change. I highly doubt it's my cat, but that's a last ditch effort.

I don't think it's my O2 sensor though. I feel like it would throw some codes, and it's not. I honestly think its my fuel filter because I don't know the last time that's been changed, and it could very well be clogged.

[harrymaneuvers]

I would think that a clogged fuel filter would make it harder for fuel to burn quicker than normal... right?

[Huffer]

Hold on, you seafoamed your car and didn't change your fuel filter? How did you "seafoam" it?

[amgarrety]

I did what other drivers told me they did, 1/3 in the vacuum line, 2/3 in gas tank. If I remember correctly, the can said 1 pint into the gas tank, so I figured less wouldn't hurt. I never heard anything about the fuel filter. The only thing I was told was if I mixed it in my oil lines, to change my oil after 100 miles. I didn't do my oil though.

[Garrison]

Seafoam in the tank takes a couple of uses to get the full effect, but into the PCV works awesome.
Try cleaning your injectors as well, (there's a DIY available)

[anothernord]

We need numbers here. What is your actual milage? Speed you travel at?

[amgarrety]

I'll try to give you my best estimate of a mileage tonight but until the next time I fill up I won't be completely certain.

And I don't know what to give you for speed. It varies. I might be doing 35 on a farm road, 70 on a highway. I drive 5MT so I know what I should be at in relation to RPM and I know I'm not driving any different than I was web I was getting over 20mpg.

[amgarrety]

A rough estimate show my round trip drive from York PA to Eldridge MD was 124 miles, ad using an entire take (16.9 gal) came to 7.3 MPG. That's a super rough estimate, but it's clearly nothing near 20.

[harrymaneuvers]

Whoa...


And when you car is running... can you smell gas from the tailpipe?


I am having a hard time imagining how your fuel system actually pumps gas that quick and where it goes.


No CEL is weird... you would think if the unburnt gas was going through the emmissions system it would pop a code... I would also think that an injector would cause a cel.


Injector stuck open? Is that possible? Seafoam might have loosened some debris in your gas tank which got sucked into your fuel system.


Our engines dont have any sort of a cold start valve do they?

I am just trying to think of where that much gas could go if it is not being burnt.


Seems like a stuck caliper is a common culprit too. Check to see if one wheel is much hotter than the rest after 10-15 minutes worth of driving.

[r3v_v3ng3]

A rough estimate show my round trip drive from York PA to Eldridge MD was 124 miles, ad using an entire take (16.9 gal) came to 7.3 MPG. That's a super rough estimate, but it's clearly nothing near 20.

I thought I have a crappy hwy mileage (18-20) but clearly you've beaten me. That car slurps gas like a v8.

[Huffer]

7.8MPG literally means the fuel gauge is dropping the moment you drive the car. There HAS to be a leak somewhere in the system, your car can't be dumping that much fuel into cylinders without modifying the ignition timing. If you had a stuck injector (open) then your car would buck and misfire. Same if you had one that was stuck closed or not opening all the way. How do the spark plugs look? If they aren't fouled, then you definitely have a leak pre-spark.

My guess is that you have a leak somewhere around the tank - like the filler pipe, and gas is sloshing out of that. Or, you have a leak post fuel pump, but pre-filter.

This is not something that a tune up will fix.

[amgarrety]

I just replaced my spark plugs last night. They were pretty crappy but I haven't changed them since I had the car.

7 mpg seems almost too extreme. Like I said, it was a very rough estimate. There are definitely a few miles left out and I may have only run 15 gal instead of 17. Regardless, yes, the needle is dropping almost immediately. And no, I don't smell gas anywhere.

Don't take that estimate too seriously right now. I know it's not that bad. Wait until I have a real calculated MPG.

[amgarrety]

Ok, I just calculated my actual MPG. Despite my fuel gauge being below 3/4 of a tank, I only put in 2.4 gallons and I'm at 21MPG. Maybe my gauge is off? I just filled up and the needle only went to 3/4 of a tank. How do I fix this?

[harrymaneuvers]

7mph... 21 mph... whos counting anyways right?



To answer your question about the slow gauge... sending units inside of your gas tank... they are part of the fuel pump assembly.

[httrdd]

Haha it may be the sender telling you the wrong level. I knew it had to be something not working right or leaking.

[amgarrety]

7mph... 21 mph... whos counting anyways right?

Haha well the 7mpg was based off of the fuel gauge and the 21mpg was based off of the gas pump and odometer. I'm fairly more confident in the 21mpg haha.

I'll give it a little to see if it is working right or not. Tonight was the first time the needle didn't hit full so I want to make sure the pump didn't just shut off early and I overflowed for another reason.

[r3v_v3ng3]

If its running that pig rich you should be able to smell it even when driving around town

[Grafton]

fuel gauges are semi useless anyways, mine behaves differently in the summer vs the winter, in the summer I fill up and it goes to full, drive for 5 mins it reads half tank and stays that way till I'm really at a half tank. in the winter it works normally

[Pop Alexandra]

Been there. I've had a motorbike that burned 300% more fuel than it should.
_________
Alexandra
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