[cakemix5]

i love my element --it just fits my life perfectly but i have never gotten good gas mileage. my "better get gas" light comes on after 250 miles. i don't know how much miles i have left at that point(anyone know?) that is city driving.
highway the light will go on in the late 280s.

i figure based on the size of the talk 15.9 gallons, that puts me about 15-16 miles to a gallon city and 18 highway.

the dealer just scratches his head. i brought it in to the dealer the first year he said let it break in and the mileage will go up. it never did

anyone else have this. i mean i always reset my odometer so this exact low gas mileage amount is consistant since i purchased the element.

here is my question.... does anyone use their odometer to get the exact number of miles before the gas light goes on? i'd really like to compare and see.

 

[ramblerdan]

Re: bad gas mileage

Cake,

Welcome to the EOC. If you spend some time reading threads here, you'll discover that fuel economy is an extensively discussed topic, with hundreds of posts dedicated to it. Also, you should calculate your mpg based on miles driven divided by actual gallons used (from fill-ups), rather than guessing by the size of the tank and when the fuel light comes on (which is very early). You'll get much more reliable data, and probably a higher mpg figure. I routinely average in the low 20s; YMMV.

As MKH says, "Using the gas guage to calculate mileage is about as accurate as caluclating wind speed by holding up a wet finger."

 

[Dom.five]

Re: bad gas mileage

When my lite comes on, I fill it. I'll put in just about 12 gal. If yours is the same, then 250 miles on 12 gal of gas is about 20 Mpg !! That's just about what you should get .


Use your trip, to take the number of miles you drive. Set it to 0 When you fill the car.

Then the next time you fill the car see how many Gal's it takes. Use those numbers, and only those numbers to compute your mileage! Then you will know what you are getting!

 

[Rooster]

I did not have time to read this entire thread so if someone has stated this I'm sorry. I have found out that when I fill my tank, after the pump automatic cut off kicks in my tank is far from full. If I slow down the flow speed of the gas pump I can get 2-3 gallons more gas into the tank. This may effect your mileage calculations if you are basing it on a full tank.

 

[lwclancers]

I have found out that when I fill my tank, after the pump automatic cut off kicks in my tank is far from full. If I slow down the flow speed of the gas pump I can get 2-3 gallons more gas into the tank. This may effect your mileage calculations if you are basing it on a full tank.

Either way that is still the wrong way to calculate it. Full tank or not, it all depends on how much you pump. So if you can pump more in you simply can travel further on that tank, but your MPGs would be roughly the same.

It still goes back to a number of people who still think you calculate MPGs by the same number of gallons each fill up which is incorrect.

 

[10734]

I did not have time to read this entire thread so if someone has stated this I'm sorry. I have found out that when I fill my tank, after the pump automatic cut off kicks in my tank is far from full. If I slow down the flow speed of the gas pump I can get 2-3 gallons more gas into the tank. This may effect your mileage calculations if you are basing it on a full tank.

that's why you need to keep a complete and accurate log

take an average of the last 3 or 4 tanks, then how much you "top off" or not, will not matter.

 

[allor]

miles/kilometers per tank fallacy

I got my new Element EX AT last week drove 189 miles and almost full tank of gas is gone. When I did calculation based on tank capacity I came to the conclusion that is my element have about 15 mpg.Air or heat was barely on.
Online specifications from Honda web site
showing:5-Speed Automatic 4WD (City/Highway) 21/26.
I just wonder what could be possibly cause of it or is any one have experience similar problem?

 

[HappyCamper]

I got my new Element EX AT last week drove 189 miles and almost full tank of gas is gone. When I did calculation based on tank capacity I came to the conclusion that is my element have about 15 mpg.Air or heat was barely on.
Online specifications from Honda web site
showing:5-Speed Automatic 4WD (City/Highway) 21/26.
I just wonder what could be possibly cause of it or is any one have experience similar problem?

If your calculation is based on "almost a full tank" and tank capacity, check the threads on "low fuel indicator." You might not have used as much gas so far as you thought.

 

[noogen]

First Fillup

Don't estimate. Fill up your tank and use the data for calculation. Here is the result of my first fill up. I got scared and fill up early. Only 11.55 gallon but I can still use the number to calculate my MPG. This is mostly highway driving, but I think my E did very well on the first tank.

http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=p8eVyS-thNnCkr23RcTMCOg

 

[allor]

First of all I'd like to thank you all who replied.
Little disappointed but still love the ride.
Last Sunday I filled up full tank of gas, before that I drove till yellow light was up.
Reseted trip down to 0.
After that drove for half of the day that was 125 miles, and exactly half of the tank was gone.
So, 125 mi/ 8gal (half of the tank) = 15.265 mpg .
I don't have a "heavy foot" always taking my time to start moving.
I've seen number of replies from people that driving SC and getting average of 19-20 mpg.
The SC is 2WD-mine is 4WD EX.
Just guessing maybe 4WD eats more gas cause structured differently then 2WD.
That has to be something.....Anyone any clue possibly? Thanks.

 

[soldierguy]

First of all I'd like to thank you all who replied.
Little disappointed but still love the ride.
Last Sunday I filled up full tank of gas, before that I drove till yellow light was up.
Reseted trip down to 0.
After that drove for half of the day that was 125 miles, and exactly half of the tank was gone.
So, 125 mi/ 8gal (half of the tank) = 15.265 mpg .
I don't have a "heavy foot" always taking my time to start moving.
I've seen number of replies from people that driving SC and getting average of 19-20 mpg.
The SC is 2WD-mine is 4WD EX.
Just guessing maybe 4WD eats more gas cause structured differently then 2WD.
That has to be something.....Anyone any clue possibly? Thanks.

If you're looking at the gas gauge to figure out that half the tank is gone, that's the problem right there. I routinely fill up when the gauge reaches 1/4 remaining...if the gauge were exactly accurate, I'd have to put in 12 gallons to bring it back up to full, but it end up being about 9-9.5 gallons. The gauge reads pessimistic...all gas gauges in every car I've ever driven read pessimistic...helps prevent people from running out of gas by making them think there is less gas in the tank than there actually is.

Ya gotta figure gas mileage by dividing the number of miles you drive by how much you put in the tank the next time you fill up. That's the only way you'll ever know what your gas mileage is.

 

[elementpd]

Miles per tank

hey element owners, i recently purchased a 2008 element sc, and have been getting a little under 300 miles per tank. Is that normal, or should I be getting more. My old ford ranger got the same gas mileage and it was a v-6..

 

[ramblerdan]

Welcome, Elementpd.

Miles-per-tank is meaningless. Calculate your mileage per gallon over eight or ten tanksful, and you'll be onto something.

 

[Sir_Undertow]

miles/kilometers per tank fallacy

Looking for some advice or help here.

I have a 2003 AWD Element, and I have been having issues with my fuel milage. I believe the Element has a 15 gallon tank under it, and most of the research that I have been doing says that the AWD will get 20-22 mpg. I'm getting about half of that. I filled up my car yesterday and drove it 36 miles and im at 3/4 tank already. Are there sensors that can fail without setting off the engine light? I have snow tires on the car.. not sure if that would affect the milage like that.. but in South Dakota you have to have snow tires.

Any help would be wonderful.

Thanks

 

[Brawsie]

What kind of range are you getting from a full tank? If what you are describing is true you should be getting about 150 miles out of a tank (I avg 275 or so). Any CELs? Stoplight Mario Andretti? Tires properly infated? Dragging a house behind you? I hope your doing your math wrong.:twisted:

Like said above ignore your gague. Fill up after the light comes on and take your readings from the pump and odometer.

 

[ramblerdan]

take your readings from the pump and odometer.

Quoted for truth. "Miles per gauge position" is meaningless.

 

[Sir_Undertow]

Ok, first let's make sure you're using the right information to calculate fuel mileage. I would not use the fuel gage...

You use the miles driven since the last fill-up and the amount of fuel you needed to fill up. Miles/gals used

Now... I usually squeak out about 180 miles at the half tank line, but I have a different final drive and live in a warmer climate than you... So your mileage may be less.

Driving style comes into play as well.

I was watching the fuel gauge drop like crazy and that is what caught my attention. The way I came up with my figures.. the car has a 15.9 gallon fuel cell under it, and the majority of people on this forum are getting 20-22 mpg with the AWD unit. My tires are not underinflated.. I think I would notice that. I will figure my milage at the next fill up, that is something I haven't done. I have been watching the odometer on the car, and im at 72 miles and my gas gauge shows me under 3/4 tank. Something is definetly wrong I just5 havent found it yet.

 

[mkh]

I was watching the fuel gauge drop like crazy and that is what caught my attention. The way I came up with my figures.. the car has a 15.9 gallon fuel cell under it, and the majority of people on this forum are getting 20-22 mpg with the AWD unit. My tires are not underinflated.. I think I would notice that. I will figure my milage at the next fill up, that is something I haven't done. I have been watching the odometer on the car, and im at 72 miles and my gas gauge shows me under 3/4 tank. Something is definetly wrong I just5 havent found it yet.

Yes something is definetly wrong - your using a totally inacurate tool to judge your gas mileage with.

Using the gas guage to calculate mileage is about as accurate as caluclating wind speed by holding up a wet finger.

Some gas guages are semi-accurate, others way off.

1. Fill the tank and write down your mileage.
2. Drive.
3. Fill the tank and write down the amount of gas put in, and your mileage.
4. Compare the miles driven to the gas used.

 

[Elemen-O-P]

the car has a 15.9 gallon fuel cell under it

this is true...however...unless you're running your E until it stalls out from lack of fuel...THEN fill up the tank until gas pours out the spout, you're NEVER going to put 15.9 gallons in.

If you're brave enough, you might be able to run your E until it requires 14 gallons...but at that point, most E's fuel gauges are scarily deep into the far left side. That being said, my average fill up is approximately 13 gallons and this is determined by the gas pump...not by the tick marks on the gas guage.

So take down all the info from the pump and your odometer the next time you fill up.... do some simple math and hopefully everything in the universe will correct itself.

 

[Sir_Undertow]

Well i did some more homework because I was missing alot of information. At my last fill up I have putting about 10-11 gallons in the tank on a fill up. It figured out to be 16.7 mpg. That's strickly in town driving. But after reading some of the topincs on here for a 2004 Element 4wd thats what I'm supposed to get.. at least it sounds that way. According to my odometer I got 210 miles on my tank.. but I had around 4 gallons of fuel to go.

Is there anything you can do to a vehicle as far as adjusting the float on the fuel pump so you can get a more accurate reading inside the car on the fuel gauge?