Fuel consumption - 2005 Tucson
 

I have a Tucson, 2005, automatic, 4WD, 6 cyl. Though I got a good deal when
I stumbled on a used one (3300 miles) and bought it at a good price. But
mileage has been awful. I've put 2000 miles on it so far, and mpg has
dropped off from 13 mpg to current 10 mpg... I had only one lengthy freeway
run, about 200 miles, and even then only did about 17 mpg.

Does anyone have any thoughts? I took it to dealer; mechanic says there is
nothing wrong with car, but I disagree. I don't know how to approach this
problem mechanically.

Judy

Re: Fuel consumption - 2005 Tucson
 

Chances are, the technician's right. The technician has the capability to
see the computer's data stream and make sure everything appears correct.


As to what you can do:

Drive the vehicle easily. If your in an urban area, this will be
difficult.

Make sure the vehicle engages all 4 forward gears and that the engine
seems to run well.

Re: Fuel consumption - 2005 Tucson
 

Chances are, the technician's right. The technician has the capability to
see the computer's data stream and make sure everything appears correct.


As to what you can do:

Drive the vehicle easily. If your in an urban area, this will be
difficult.

Make sure the vehicle engages all 4 forward gears and that the engine
seems to run well.

Re: Fuel consumption - 2005 Tucson
 

Chances are, the technician's right. The technician has the capability to
see the computer's data stream and make sure everything appears correct.


As to what you can do:

Drive the vehicle easily. If your in an urban area, this will be
difficult.

Make sure the vehicle engages all 4 forward gears and that the engine
seems to run well.

Re: Fuel consumption - 2005 Tucson
 

Judith Raskin wrote:
> I have a Tucson, 2005, automatic, 4WD, 6 cyl. Though I got a good deal when
> I stumbled on a used one (3300 miles) and bought it at a good price. But
> mileage has been awful. I've put 2000 miles on it so far, and mpg has
> dropped off from 13 mpg to current 10 mpg...

hyundaitech wrote:
> Chances are, the technician's right. The technician has the capability to
> see the computer's data stream and make sure everything appears correct.


Chances are, the technician is wrong. Just because he or she can read
the data doesn't guarantee the data is correct.

Your Tucson has an EPA rating of 17mpg city/22mpg highway. Real world
mileage is always a little less. But not 10 mpg. Carefully measure your
gas usage and odometer readings. If you really are getting only 10 mpg,
then there is something wrong. Me, I'd pull a spark plug or two to see
if its running rich -- maybe the onboard chip has got the air/fuel mix
wrong, or a fuel injector is bad, or ... you get the idea.

For the tech to read the data and shrug his or her shoulders and say
nothing is wrong is being a little lazy, IMHO.

Re: Fuel consumption - 2005 Tucson
 

Judith Raskin wrote:
> I have a Tucson, 2005, automatic, 4WD, 6 cyl. Though I got a good deal when
> I stumbled on a used one (3300 miles) and bought it at a good price. But
> mileage has been awful. I've put 2000 miles on it so far, and mpg has
> dropped off from 13 mpg to current 10 mpg...

hyundaitech wrote:
> Chances are, the technician's right. The technician has the capability to
> see the computer's data stream and make sure everything appears correct.


Chances are, the technician is wrong. Just because he or she can read
the data doesn't guarantee the data is correct.

Your Tucson has an EPA rating of 17mpg city/22mpg highway. Real world
mileage is always a little less. But not 10 mpg. Carefully measure your
gas usage and odometer readings. If you really are getting only 10 mpg,
then there is something wrong. Me, I'd pull a spark plug or two to see
if its running rich -- maybe the onboard chip has got the air/fuel mix
wrong, or a fuel injector is bad, or ... you get the idea.

For the tech to read the data and shrug his or her shoulders and say
nothing is wrong is being a little lazy, IMHO.

Re: Fuel consumption - 2005 Tucson
 

Judith Raskin wrote:
> I have a Tucson, 2005, automatic, 4WD, 6 cyl. Though I got a good deal when
> I stumbled on a used one (3300 miles) and bought it at a good price. But
> mileage has been awful. I've put 2000 miles on it so far, and mpg has
> dropped off from 13 mpg to current 10 mpg...

hyundaitech wrote:
> Chances are, the technician's right. The technician has the capability to
> see the computer's data stream and make sure everything appears correct.


Chances are, the technician is wrong. Just because he or she can read
the data doesn't guarantee the data is correct.

Your Tucson has an EPA rating of 17mpg city/22mpg highway. Real world
mileage is always a little less. But not 10 mpg. Carefully measure your
gas usage and odometer readings. If you really are getting only 10 mpg,
then there is something wrong. Me, I'd pull a spark plug or two to see
if its running rich -- maybe the onboard chip has got the air/fuel mix
wrong, or a fuel injector is bad, or ... you get the idea.

For the tech to read the data and shrug his or her shoulders and say
nothing is wrong is being a little lazy, IMHO.

Re: Fuel consumption - 2005 Tucson
 

Thanks, that's how I feel. The Hyundai tech may be treating this somewhat
cavalierly. I will have to go back to the shop. I do treat my car well,
although it is used mostly in city driving. But I don't have either a heavy
or a light foot on the pedal. I know how to drive.

Judy

"Folsom Inmate" <aintgotone@noway.net> wrote in message
news:cLF_f.58076$F_3.39287@newssvr29.news.prodigy. net...
> Judith Raskin wrote:
>> I have a Tucson, 2005, automatic, 4WD, 6 cyl. Though I got a good deal
>> when I stumbled on a used one (3300 miles) and bought it at a good price.
>> But mileage has been awful. I've put 2000 miles on it so far, and mpg
>> has dropped off from 13 mpg to current 10 mpg...
>
> hyundaitech wrote:
>> Chances are, the technician's right. The technician has the capability
>> to
>> see the computer's data stream and make sure everything appears correct.
>
>
> Chances are, the technician is wrong. Just because he or she can read the
> data doesn't guarantee the data is correct.
>
> Your Tucson has an EPA rating of 17mpg city/22mpg highway. Real world
> mileage is always a little less. But not 10 mpg. Carefully measure your
> gas usage and odometer readings. If you really are getting only 10 mpg,
> then there is something wrong. Me, I'd pull a spark plug or two to see if
> its running rich -- maybe the onboard chip has got the air/fuel mix wrong,
> or a fuel injector is bad, or ... you get the idea.
>
> For the tech to read the data and shrug his or her shoulders and say
> nothing is wrong is being a little lazy, IMHO.

Re: Fuel consumption - 2005 Tucson
 

Thanks, that's how I feel. The Hyundai tech may be treating this somewhat
cavalierly. I will have to go back to the shop. I do treat my car well,
although it is used mostly in city driving. But I don't have either a heavy
or a light foot on the pedal. I know how to drive.

Judy

"Folsom Inmate" <aintgotone@noway.net> wrote in message
news:cLF_f.58076$F_3.39287@newssvr29.news.prodigy. net...
> Judith Raskin wrote:
>> I have a Tucson, 2005, automatic, 4WD, 6 cyl. Though I got a good deal
>> when I stumbled on a used one (3300 miles) and bought it at a good price.
>> But mileage has been awful. I've put 2000 miles on it so far, and mpg
>> has dropped off from 13 mpg to current 10 mpg...
>
> hyundaitech wrote:
>> Chances are, the technician's right. The technician has the capability
>> to
>> see the computer's data stream and make sure everything appears correct.
>
>
> Chances are, the technician is wrong. Just because he or she can read the
> data doesn't guarantee the data is correct.
>
> Your Tucson has an EPA rating of 17mpg city/22mpg highway. Real world
> mileage is always a little less. But not 10 mpg. Carefully measure your
> gas usage and odometer readings. If you really are getting only 10 mpg,
> then there is something wrong. Me, I'd pull a spark plug or two to see if
> its running rich -- maybe the onboard chip has got the air/fuel mix wrong,
> or a fuel injector is bad, or ... you get the idea.
>
> For the tech to read the data and shrug his or her shoulders and say
> nothing is wrong is being a little lazy, IMHO.

Re: Fuel consumption - 2005 Tucson
 

Thanks, that's how I feel. The Hyundai tech may be treating this somewhat
cavalierly. I will have to go back to the shop. I do treat my car well,
although it is used mostly in city driving. But I don't have either a heavy
or a light foot on the pedal. I know how to drive.

Judy

"Folsom Inmate" <aintgotone@noway.net> wrote in message
news:cLF_f.58076$F_3.39287@newssvr29.news.prodigy. net...
> Judith Raskin wrote:
>> I have a Tucson, 2005, automatic, 4WD, 6 cyl. Though I got a good deal
>> when I stumbled on a used one (3300 miles) and bought it at a good price.
>> But mileage has been awful. I've put 2000 miles on it so far, and mpg
>> has dropped off from 13 mpg to current 10 mpg...
>
> hyundaitech wrote:
>> Chances are, the technician's right. The technician has the capability
>> to
>> see the computer's data stream and make sure everything appears correct.
>
>
> Chances are, the technician is wrong. Just because he or she can read the
> data doesn't guarantee the data is correct.
>
> Your Tucson has an EPA rating of 17mpg city/22mpg highway. Real world
> mileage is always a little less. But not 10 mpg. Carefully measure your
> gas usage and odometer readings. If you really are getting only 10 mpg,
> then there is something wrong. Me, I'd pull a spark plug or two to see if
> its running rich -- maybe the onboard chip has got the air/fuel mix wrong,
> or a fuel injector is bad, or ... you get the idea.
>
> For the tech to read the data and shrug his or her shoulders and say
> nothing is wrong is being a little lazy, IMHO.

Re: Fuel consumption - 2005 Tucson
 

Folsom said:

Me, I'd pull a spark plug or two to see
if its running rich -- maybe the onboard chip has got the air/fuel mix
wrong, or a fuel injector is bad, or ... you get the idea.

For the tech to read the data and shrug his or her shoulders and say
nothing is wrong is being a little lazy, IMHO.
-----------------------------------------

I think you fail to understand what the technician can see and interpret.


A good technician can drive the vehicle and tell whether it has the proper
amount of power, whether the transmission or clutch is slipping, and
whether the transmission shifts through all the gears properly.

A good technician can look at the data stream and see whether the vehicle
is running rich; he doesn't need to pull a spark plug to do that. In the
data stream, the technician will see values for the oxygen sensor readings
and the fuel trims. The oxygen sensors, combined with the programming of
the engine control module, control the fuel mixture. So, to determine if
the vehicle is controlling the mixture properly, the technician looks to
see if the front oxygen sensors cycle properly. The technician looks at
the fuel trims to see that the computer isn't unexpectedly providing
significantly more or less fuel than expected for the given operating
conditions.

Excessively large fuel trims (in either direction) indicate problems with
oxygen sensors, unexpected air or fuel leakage into the intake/combustion
chamber, or possibly other problems.

And this isn't the limit of the data the technician can see. A good
technician doesn't just read the data; he interprets the data to see
whether it appears correct. So, no it's not lazy. It's the technician
performing a task to approach a problem in a logical and efficient manner.
Suppose you were footing the bill? Would you want to continue paying the
technician to pull stuff apart until he found something? How much would
you spend without the technician finding anything before you were willing
to give up? Would your engine be in pieces on the floor? The reality is
that checking the data stream, combined with a test drive, *is* an
effective way to determine whether a vehicle is running properly.

I give some kudos to this customer. She actually knows her fuel economy.
Most of the customers who complain about their fuel economy have no idea
what it is and many are confused about how to compute it. It's sad,
really. And I agree this poster's fuel economy is low enough to give some
pause. But I know neither the customer's driving style nor driving
conditions. It's enough that I'd look pretty hard at all the data. I'd
also want some more information regarding what is involved in a typical
daily trip for this customer-- especially if I found nothing wrong. Does
she warm the vehicle prior to starting a trip? How short are the trips?
In what sort of traffic are the trips taken?

Just like any other problem, this one needs to be aproached logically in
order to find a resolution.

Re: Fuel consumption - 2005 Tucson
 

Folsom said:

Me, I'd pull a spark plug or two to see
if its running rich -- maybe the onboard chip has got the air/fuel mix
wrong, or a fuel injector is bad, or ... you get the idea.

For the tech to read the data and shrug his or her shoulders and say
nothing is wrong is being a little lazy, IMHO.
-----------------------------------------

I think you fail to understand what the technician can see and interpret.


A good technician can drive the vehicle and tell whether it has the proper
amount of power, whether the transmission or clutch is slipping, and
whether the transmission shifts through all the gears properly.

A good technician can look at the data stream and see whether the vehicle
is running rich; he doesn't need to pull a spark plug to do that. In the
data stream, the technician will see values for the oxygen sensor readings
and the fuel trims. The oxygen sensors, combined with the programming of
the engine control module, control the fuel mixture. So, to determine if
the vehicle is controlling the mixture properly, the technician looks to
see if the front oxygen sensors cycle properly. The technician looks at
the fuel trims to see that the computer isn't unexpectedly providing
significantly more or less fuel than expected for the given operating
conditions.

Excessively large fuel trims (in either direction) indicate problems with
oxygen sensors, unexpected air or fuel leakage into the intake/combustion
chamber, or possibly other problems.

And this isn't the limit of the data the technician can see. A good
technician doesn't just read the data; he interprets the data to see
whether it appears correct. So, no it's not lazy. It's the technician
performing a task to approach a problem in a logical and efficient manner.
Suppose you were footing the bill? Would you want to continue paying the
technician to pull stuff apart until he found something? How much would
you spend without the technician finding anything before you were willing
to give up? Would your engine be in pieces on the floor? The reality is
that checking the data stream, combined with a test drive, *is* an
effective way to determine whether a vehicle is running properly.

I give some kudos to this customer. She actually knows her fuel economy.
Most of the customers who complain about their fuel economy have no idea
what it is and many are confused about how to compute it. It's sad,
really. And I agree this poster's fuel economy is low enough to give some
pause. But I know neither the customer's driving style nor driving
conditions. It's enough that I'd look pretty hard at all the data. I'd
also want some more information regarding what is involved in a typical
daily trip for this customer-- especially if I found nothing wrong. Does
she warm the vehicle prior to starting a trip? How short are the trips?
In what sort of traffic are the trips taken?

Just like any other problem, this one needs to be aproached logically in
order to find a resolution.

Re: Fuel consumption - 2005 Tucson
 

Folsom said:

Me, I'd pull a spark plug or two to see
if its running rich -- maybe the onboard chip has got the air/fuel mix
wrong, or a fuel injector is bad, or ... you get the idea.

For the tech to read the data and shrug his or her shoulders and say
nothing is wrong is being a little lazy, IMHO.
-----------------------------------------

I think you fail to understand what the technician can see and interpret.


A good technician can drive the vehicle and tell whether it has the proper
amount of power, whether the transmission or clutch is slipping, and
whether the transmission shifts through all the gears properly.

A good technician can look at the data stream and see whether the vehicle
is running rich; he doesn't need to pull a spark plug to do that. In the
data stream, the technician will see values for the oxygen sensor readings
and the fuel trims. The oxygen sensors, combined with the programming of
the engine control module, control the fuel mixture. So, to determine if
the vehicle is controlling the mixture properly, the technician looks to
see if the front oxygen sensors cycle properly. The technician looks at
the fuel trims to see that the computer isn't unexpectedly providing
significantly more or less fuel than expected for the given operating
conditions.

Excessively large fuel trims (in either direction) indicate problems with
oxygen sensors, unexpected air or fuel leakage into the intake/combustion
chamber, or possibly other problems.

And this isn't the limit of the data the technician can see. A good
technician doesn't just read the data; he interprets the data to see
whether it appears correct. So, no it's not lazy. It's the technician
performing a task to approach a problem in a logical and efficient manner.
Suppose you were footing the bill? Would you want to continue paying the
technician to pull stuff apart until he found something? How much would
you spend without the technician finding anything before you were willing
to give up? Would your engine be in pieces on the floor? The reality is
that checking the data stream, combined with a test drive, *is* an
effective way to determine whether a vehicle is running properly.

I give some kudos to this customer. She actually knows her fuel economy.
Most of the customers who complain about their fuel economy have no idea
what it is and many are confused about how to compute it. It's sad,
really. And I agree this poster's fuel economy is low enough to give some
pause. But I know neither the customer's driving style nor driving
conditions. It's enough that I'd look pretty hard at all the data. I'd
also want some more information regarding what is involved in a typical
daily trip for this customer-- especially if I found nothing wrong. Does
she warm the vehicle prior to starting a trip? How short are the trips?
In what sort of traffic are the trips taken?

Just like any other problem, this one needs to be aproached logically in
order to find a resolution.

Re: Fuel consumption - 2005 Tucson
 

My 2002 Sante Fe was getting 13 mpg City. Turned out to be BP
gasoline! I switched to Marathon or Shell & get 22 City/ 30 Hwy & its
an automatic! SO good gas at 97 octane since high test isn't needed
wins.

I was also told by my tech never to fill up in the rain, and to run it
down to 1/8 of a tank to fill & that gives me correct mileage which 1/4
tank doesn't. So try all of this & let us know.

Re: Fuel consumption - 2005 Tucson
 

My 2002 Sante Fe was getting 13 mpg City. Turned out to be BP
gasoline! I switched to Marathon or Shell & get 22 City/ 30 Hwy & its
an automatic! SO good gas at 97 octane since high test isn't needed
wins.

I was also told by my tech never to fill up in the rain, and to run it
down to 1/8 of a tank to fill & that gives me correct mileage which 1/4
tank doesn't. So try all of this & let us know.