so from what i was told this car has a 17 gallon tank but i have only ever put up to 13 gallons roughly . i only get 270 miles to a tank but i never let it go to empty i dont even let the light come on as the one time i pushed it , it ran out of gas and i had to get a new fuel pump . i have also had a new water pump , timing belt , tune up all oil changes on time new motor mounts as well so i am stumped at what could be causing this dismal mileage of only 20 to mabey 22 mpg at the best overall any ideas would be appreaciated.

 

There could be a couple of items. The EGR ports may need to be cleaned.

Check your tire pressure. I think that is should be 32 on all four tires, but check the sticker on the driver's door jamb.

Check that your brakes aren't sticking.

How many miles are on the car? Did the drop in gas mileage happen suddenly?

 

I get apx 525 miles between fill ups with my 97

 

ok idk about the egr ports but tire pressure is good i dont have stock tires so mine are at 34 as far as brakes sticking what would be the sign for that , i can tell u that when i first start the car and drive off that the first few stops they make a weird squealling sound and then it stops and i only have 137k on it and no its been the same for the year and few months i have owned it. and wow crispin i wish i could get close to that is that mostly highway or a mix

 

I live out in the country, closest traffic light is around 22 miles from the house.

Plus I have a 5 speed and drive it very mildly. MPGs are very important to me.

My car is in good mechanical condition and I check my tire pressure weekly (cause my wheels seem to leak air)

As for brakes dragging, well if the car coasts easily then you are most likely not dragging the brakes.

 

I've put in 16 gallons once, so that much is useable at least.

some mileage issues look to the way car is driven, and you haven't said.

Where do you live/drive? New Orleans or Wyoming
Are you aggressive driver? ... people pass you or vice versa?


non stock tires - what size tires do you have?

 

I also forgot to mention I fill up with NO Ethanol gas.

It makes a big difference

You should look for stations that do not put Ethanol in the gas

 

i live in florida and i only drive aggressive in passing situations normaly ii dont speed ever more than 5 over the limit and its a highway but lots of lights to stop which could be it but even some report getting 24 or 25 combined . and tires are 16 all season i believe dont have exact numbers on them

 

You may want to remove the slide pins on the calipers, clean up the old grease, then use some silicone paste on the slide pins to ensure they are not stuck. Inspect the brake pads for signs of uneven wear.

One way to check for dragging brakes is to get on a deserted road. Get to 45 mph, then coast to a stop. Using an IR thermometer, you can measure the temperature of the rotors to see if one is much hotter than the other. I think that you can pick them up at harbor freight for pretty cheap.

Another way would be to jack up each tires and see if it spins freely.