Poor gas mileage

[jmpc]

I have a 96 MX-3 4Cyl. I have been getting terrible gas mileage. I have read on this bulletin board that a complete tune up should be done. I was wondering if a K&N air filter is really worth it as opposed to a stock filter given the difference in price.

Thanks,
Jean-Marc Poirier

[schwankesmx3]

go to your local auto part store and get some fuel injector cleaner and while your there buy a apc or any kind of round aftermarket air filter and just put it on your maf and clamp it down and that should give you better gm

[Freq2002]

A K&N will help it breathe better at high RPM's, hence a mild increase in milage. If you take the snorkel off the filter box it will help a little too as the intake of the snorkel is much smaller than the hole it goes into on the box.
As for injector cleaner, not a bad idea but a better idea is to goto a local shop like Jiffy Lube or whatever you have local to you & ask about a injection system cleaning. They actualy use a 3 step proceedure that forces hard detergent through the fuel system. HUGE difference if you have gummed up injectors.
But yeah, you need to start with a good tune up. Everything, disty cap & rotor, plugs (dont worry about wires unless they are damaged), oil, tranny oil/fluid, get the timing checked just in case & eyball all the vacum tubing.

[electronaut]

Í don´t think it would help you. A tune up could do a little difference. I´ve got a mx3 too, with a "horrible milage". I´ve changed plugs, filters, new EXPENSIVE oil and all the other stuff. Still thirsty though. Cleaned the fuelsystem too. Didn´t help either.

<small>[ December 28, 2003, 03:53 AM: Message edited by: electronaut ]</small>

[monty73741]

well i never really gotten bad gas milliage
but i go through more gas if i dont use premium

first thing
change the oil(or get it done @ jiffy lube or some place like that...i hate having to dispose of used oil)
also have em change the tranny fluid
then get a new cap & rotor
then get new plugs & wire...get good plugs..
change the air filter....
finally change the fuel filter...
then reset the ecu, by unhookin the battery & steping on the brakes till the tail lights go out...
then if u are still getting bad gas milliage..it something major in my opinion

[torpedan]

Only other thing i would like to bring up on gas milage is do you always buy your gas from the same place. If so try somewhere else my DOHC i4 was a bugger at times. I bought cheap gas from Race track and got 15mpg whereas texaco got me 28.. It pays to try somewhere else to see if its just the gas your running.