Just bought an old 1991 626 and it sucks fuel like it owns Kuwait. 10 MPG! Its sucking so much I can see the fuel guage moving! Starts easy from cold, but not always when warm. Sometimes stalls and then very reluctant to re-start. Ok, it's old, so would it make more sense to just pass it on or is it an easy fix?
Thanks
ET

 

kinda sounds like its outta timeing and thats an easy fix

 

The first question is, does the engine get up to normal operating temp? Does the temp gauge go up about half way? Im asking because the thermostat may not be operating properly, or just not installed. This is the most common problem with poor MPG because the PCM cannot go into closed loop. Another place to look is at the fuel pressure regulator on the fuel rail. The diaphragm can be broken allowing fuel into the engine. Then there is normal maintenance like a tune up.

 

Thanks for the suggestions. The operating temp seems fine, needle goes about 1/2 way. Just looking at exhaust suggests it's running rich, so a service might be the thing. Is it possible to turn off or disconnect the auto choke? Could that be contributing?

 

If the car is fuel injected, which it should be, it does not have any kind of a choke setup. The fuel mixture is controlled by the injectors. Another possibility is the coolant temp sensor. There is a seperate temp sensor for the cooling fan and one for the engine computer. If the PCM sensor is faulty the engine will run full rich. It would be best to have the car scanned.

 

The car definitely has a carb, not injectors. Will stick it on a computer manana.

 

This must not be a US model car. Since it has a carb, I would not be that familiar with this system.