hey guys, two days ago i just bought a 2004 v6 sedan. it had 27K on it and we paid $18K with a bumper to bumper 100K warranty. its a certifed car as well anyway, we put about 240 miles on it and the gas tank is at 3-4 bars from empty. i think this gas mileage is abismal, its basically the mileage that my 4400lb lincoln with a v8 gets.

1) is there something wrong with the car?

2) now there are 3 ppl who drove this car but we basically have the same driving style (not very heavy on the pedal, only really push down hard when accelarating onto a highway (total of 3 times so far), and you dont really have to try hard to get the car upto speed with the v6) will that have this much of a negative effect?

3) it seems that everytime i start the car, the gas gauge is a little bit lower than the last shut off, should i have this looked at, or is it just me?

4) do you guys think after a few fillups the mileage will increase (after computer gets used to new driving style/shift patterns?


btw: can you members with v6 engines post your gas mileage ratings so i have an idea of what i should be getting

the driving was about 60% city and 40% highway and i sat in traffic for about 20 min

any advice or info would really be appreciated

thanks alot

also, in order to get the key out, i have to tap the shift lever back a little bit, should i get this checkd out at the dealer. i figure since i paid for the warranty i might as use it

when the engine is idling in park it makes a faint ticking noise, is this normal as well

thanks again

 

i drive a lot in my 98 v6 coupe and my gas milage SUCKS. i feel like im driving a truck lol. i drive fast and floor it a lot. but i get almost 300 miles on a full tank

 

It's probably because the previous owners did a lot of short-distance travels. Just go on the freeway and let it go! Floor it, redline it! This should burn the excess carbon buildup induced over that time period. Redlining (once a month) burns the carbon due to friction.

This really works...at least it did for the van (Toyota Sienna) went from 15 to 21 mpg

EDIT- The clicking sound at P is not normal...get it all checked out at the dealership. Ask for service records, etc. and ask for them to give the car a tuneup.

 

alrite sleeper thanks for the advice, im going today or monday to have all the little problems taken care of (loose seat track, muffled sound from rear speakers, key getting stuck, idling engine noise) and ill ask the tech about gas mileage to. im gonna try flooring it tommorow when the highways are empty. by the way, i got 281 miles on the first tank of gas. i think your rite about the short distance driving b/c in 3 years it only had 27K on it.

any other advice would be helpful to

 

i also need to know what the stock tires are on the 2004 v6, maybe the first owner changed them and this could have reduced the gas mileage

 

alrite i found out that the stock tires are michelin 205/60 ($128 a piece), and replaced them with fusion hri 205/60 ($51 a piece), could using cheaper, non stock tires be the reason why mileage is so low. The sticker says 21 city and 30 highway, so i figured i would average 23-25 but right now its about 17 mpg

 

not likely on the tires if they are the same size.

 

The Fuzions won't change the mileage, but they do wear down faster. Check the treadwear number on the sidewall.

 

What do you mean when you say redline it? Do you mean go into the red zone of the tach or just up to it? If you mean go into the red zone then how much rpm is it safe to go up to? Also can I just floor it in first and redline it?

 

just go to the red zone...car has a rev limiter, and wont let you get into the red zone unless its a manual and you money shift it.