Horrible gas mileage
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Junior Member
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 15
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well mines a 1.5 which was basically meant for commuting from point A to B in a cheap way but not finding this cheap at all. Heck if im gonna suffer with the lack of power and mileage, whats the point of the car then lol
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 2,389
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From: Midwest
Guys, it is worth to think this through.
Just recently I had horrible gas mileage with an '98 LX 5 speed. It was not because of an engine issue but because of the rear drum brakes. They did not release after applying the parking brake. Essentially my son was driving with the parking brake pulled even though he released the lever.
You can feel this really easy with a manual gear box but an automatic makes that harder to notice. Some of what you are describing as erratic shifting may be caused by dragging brakes. To overcome the drag you will push harder on the pedal and the throttle position sensor tells the control module that the driver wants to go, therfore it shifts down. Without the drag the throttle would not be advanced as much and it would shift normally.
Of course, I could be wrong but it is worth checking.
Just recently I had horrible gas mileage with an '98 LX 5 speed. It was not because of an engine issue but because of the rear drum brakes. They did not release after applying the parking brake. Essentially my son was driving with the parking brake pulled even though he released the lever.
You can feel this really easy with a manual gear box but an automatic makes that harder to notice. Some of what you are describing as erratic shifting may be caused by dragging brakes. To overcome the drag you will push harder on the pedal and the throttle position sensor tells the control module that the driver wants to go, therfore it shifts down. Without the drag the throttle would not be advanced as much and it would shift normally.
Of course, I could be wrong but it is worth checking.
Last edited by tanprotege; Sep 9, 2011 at 10:26 PM. Reason: typos
Thread Starter
|
Junior Member
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
Guys, it is worth to think this through.
Just recently I had horrible gas mileage with an '98 LX 5 speed. It was not because of an engine issue but because of the rear drum brakes. They did not release after applying the parking brake. Essentially my son was driving with the parking brake pulled even though he released the lever.
You can feel this really easy with a manual gear box but an automatic makes that harder to notice. Some of what you are describing as erratic shifting may be caused by dragging brakes. To overcome the drag you will push harder on the pedal and the throttle position sensor tells the control module that the driver wants to go, therfore it shifts down. Without the drag the throttle would not be advanced as much and it would shift normally.
Of course, I could be wrong but it is worth checking.
Just recently I had horrible gas mileage with an '98 LX 5 speed. It was not because of an engine issue but because of the rear drum brakes. They did not release after applying the parking brake. Essentially my son was driving with the parking brake pulled even though he released the lever.
You can feel this really easy with a manual gear box but an automatic makes that harder to notice. Some of what you are describing as erratic shifting may be caused by dragging brakes. To overcome the drag you will push harder on the pedal and the throttle position sensor tells the control module that the driver wants to go, therfore it shifts down. Without the drag the throttle would not be advanced as much and it would shift normally.
Of course, I could be wrong but it is worth checking.
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 2,389
Likes: 0
From: Midwest
It's more than just adjusting.
You can do this check in a level parking lot: Put it in neutral, parking brake released, get out of the car and push it forward. It should move with little effort, no noise from the rear brakes. Push it backwards as well.
2nd check: raise the vehicle on jack stands, put it in neutral, release parking brake, turn each rear wheel: they should spin free, no noise (a tiny scratch will be o.k.)
If they don't turn, get a pair of pliers, look behind the wheel for the brake cable end. It sits on a fork like lever. Pull the brake cable end back and that lever should follow. If it doesn't follow pry it back with a screw driver. Check if the wheels turn now.
If they turn you need to take the brakes apart clean everything, take the adjuster plate out and free up the e-brake lever on it. Lube it up with white grease or graphite, NO MULTIPURPOSE OR SILICONE GREASE INSIDE THE DRUM!!! Put it back together.
Front brakes: Disks have a bit of drag always. You still should be able to move the wheels, but they won't spin.
If you can't move them with little effort then take the front wheels off, grab the calipers and push them in and out to see if the sliders are free.
If you can't slide the calipers by hand you need to take them off (Don't dangle them from the brake hoses, they will leak), look at the rubbers, and sliders and all. Sliders can have corrosion, the hole in the calipers can have rust. Everything needs to be cleaned, I even used sandpaper in the holes and on the corroded ends of the sliders. Lube everything with silicone caliper grease, DON'T GET IT ON THE DISK! The rubber parts may have been distorted and need replacing.
There are (maybe) anti-rattling tabs of stainless steel on the calipers. You see them when the pads are removed. My calipers had rust under the tabs and I filed the rust off and replaced the tabs.
If you don't want to do this yourself, I understand. Now you know what the mechanic gets paid for.
You can do this check in a level parking lot: Put it in neutral, parking brake released, get out of the car and push it forward. It should move with little effort, no noise from the rear brakes. Push it backwards as well.
2nd check: raise the vehicle on jack stands, put it in neutral, release parking brake, turn each rear wheel: they should spin free, no noise (a tiny scratch will be o.k.)
If they don't turn, get a pair of pliers, look behind the wheel for the brake cable end. It sits on a fork like lever. Pull the brake cable end back and that lever should follow. If it doesn't follow pry it back with a screw driver. Check if the wheels turn now.
If they turn you need to take the brakes apart clean everything, take the adjuster plate out and free up the e-brake lever on it. Lube it up with white grease or graphite, NO MULTIPURPOSE OR SILICONE GREASE INSIDE THE DRUM!!! Put it back together.
Front brakes: Disks have a bit of drag always. You still should be able to move the wheels, but they won't spin.
If you can't move them with little effort then take the front wheels off, grab the calipers and push them in and out to see if the sliders are free.
If you can't slide the calipers by hand you need to take them off (Don't dangle them from the brake hoses, they will leak), look at the rubbers, and sliders and all. Sliders can have corrosion, the hole in the calipers can have rust. Everything needs to be cleaned, I even used sandpaper in the holes and on the corroded ends of the sliders. Lube everything with silicone caliper grease, DON'T GET IT ON THE DISK! The rubber parts may have been distorted and need replacing.
There are (maybe) anti-rattling tabs of stainless steel on the calipers. You see them when the pads are removed. My calipers had rust under the tabs and I filed the rust off and replaced the tabs.
If you don't want to do this yourself, I understand. Now you know what the mechanic gets paid for.
Last edited by tanprotege; Sep 12, 2011 at 01:20 PM. Reason: clarification
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