# Gas **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** pontiac, montana\ **Created:** [March 31, 2011, 5:51pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas/63218 "2011-03-31T17:51:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![doolie92](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@doolie92](https://community.cartalk.com/u/doolie92)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 5:51pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas/63218/1 "2011-03-31T17:51:33Z")
does the gas co.put other things in gas to make it burn faster.my gas mileage is shot.it feels likeallthe gas i buy goes a lot less further,can they put filler additives in gas to make it burn faster or just add something to gas to dilute it but still burn all right. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 5:53pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas/63218/2 "2011-03-31T17:53:20Z")
Only thing in the gas that affects economy is ethanol, you’ll lose a little mpgs with the 10%. Other than that, winter driving hurts economy, or there’s something wrong with your Montana. ---
**Author:** ![shadowfax](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/shadowfax/32/13026_2.png) [@shadowfax](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shadowfax)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 6:00pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas/63218/3 "2011-03-31T18:00:27Z")
you should give us some specifics. What mileage were you experiencing before? What mileage are you getting now? How are you measuring your mileage? ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 6:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas/63218/4 "2011-03-31T18:17:50Z")
In addition to providing us with your previous and current mileage, giving us aome idea of how many miles are on the car, what the maintenance history is like, what you’ve checked (tire pressure or whatever), and any other detaiuls may help. ---
**Author:** ![\_Deleted\_User1111116](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/ac91a4/32.png) [@\_Deleted\_User1111116](https://community.cartalk.com/u/_Deleted_User1111116)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 6:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas/63218/5 "2011-03-31T18:25:43Z")
Your Montana is sick. Time for a check-up ---
**Author:** ![doolie92](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@doolie92](https://community.cartalk.com/u/doolie92)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 7:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas/63218/6 "2011-03-31T19:25:42Z")
right now I am getting between 25 or 26 MPG.But the gas doesn’t seem to be going to far.As far as up keep i change plugs at least once a year,change oil every 5K.Itry to keep it running like new.It has 114k on it .As far as how i keep up with miles i check every fillup how many miles i put on it an how much gas it takes. ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 7:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas/63218/7 "2011-03-31T19:37:11Z")
Sounds like pretty decent mileage for a Montana. What were you getting before? By the way, what year, engine, and how many miles are on it? Are you sure it isn’t just the money that’s not going as far? ---
**Author:** ![doolie92](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@doolie92](https://community.cartalk.com/u/doolie92)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 7:39pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas/63218/8 "2011-03-31T19:39:57Z")
2004 I DON’T really know i bought it used and it’ a 3.4 liter ---
**Author:** ![shadowfax](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/shadowfax/32/13026_2.png) [@shadowfax](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shadowfax)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 7:45pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas/63218/9 "2011-03-31T19:45:38Z")
Perhaps you’re driving a lot and so you’re having to fill up more often? If you don’t know what mileage you were getting, you can’t know if your mileage has decreased. At any rate, you’re getting pretty freaking incredible mileage for a Montana. Some of them are rated less than that on the highway, much less around town. I don’t see that there’s a problem here. ---
**Author:** ![cigroller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c68b51/32.png) [@cigroller](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cigroller)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 8:10pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas/63218/10 "2011-03-31T20:10:53Z")
25-26mpg in a Montana is about as good as it gets. If that’s what you’re getting then you have no gas mileage problem. ---
**Author:** ![circuitsmith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/circuitsmith/32/40376_2.png) [@circuitsmith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/circuitsmith)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 8:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas/63218/11 "2011-03-31T20:17:26Z")
Change the thermostat if it’s over 5 years old. ---
**Author:** ![doolie92](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@doolie92](https://community.cartalk.com/u/doolie92)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 8:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas/63218/12 "2011-03-31T20:21:57Z")
I guess with a 25 gallon gas tank it just seems like the tank gets empty too fast ---
**Author:** ![AL5000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a8b319/32.png) [@AL5000](https://community.cartalk.com/u/AL5000)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 8:26pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas/63218/13 "2011-03-31T20:26:22Z")
You are kiddng, right? ---
**Author:** ![shadowfax](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/shadowfax/32/13026_2.png) [@shadowfax](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shadowfax)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 8:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas/63218/14 "2011-03-31T20:30:53Z")
You have a 20 gallon tank. ---
**Author:** ![Wha-Who](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9f8e36/32.png) [@Wha-Who](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Wha-Who)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 8:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas/63218/15 "2011-03-31T20:54:42Z")
If you are buying gas at the same pump, the pump calibration may be defective. I had this situation once for only a short while when one particular pump did a better than expected job of filling my 5 gallon container. Your pump could be pumping less than indicated. Also, winter gas has less energy density than summer gas. For another thing, gas pump lack of product temperature compensation is one of the dirty secrets of the gas station business. I saw, on the internet, a story about a gas station that routed gasoline through an overhead run of pipes to warm the gas to daytime ambient air temp before the pump measured the gas volume. ---
**Author:** ![cigroller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c68b51/32.png) [@cigroller](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cigroller)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 8:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas/63218/16 "2011-03-31T20:59:01Z")
No - its probably 25. My '00 Silo has a 25g tank. I suppose they could have changed it but its pretty much the same van. ---
**Author:** ![shadowfax](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/shadowfax/32/13026_2.png) [@shadowfax](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shadowfax)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2011, 9:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas/63218/17 "2011-03-31T21:27:44Z")
Unless it’s the extended version, which the OP did not say it was, it’s a 20 gallon tank. ---
**Author:** ![cigroller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c68b51/32.png) [@cigroller](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cigroller)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2011, 3:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas/63218/18 "2011-04-01T15:21:04Z")
The extended version is the the norm. Very few of them aren’t. So the assumption is better the other way - assume it is extended unless stated otherwise since its the otherwise that would be odd. It would also be odd for someone to conjure a 25g tank out of thin air. ---
**Author:** ![mark9207](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71c47a/32.png) [@mark9207](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mark9207)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2011, 4:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/gas/63218/19 "2011-04-01T16:41:34Z")
25 to 26 mpg is pretty darn good for a minivan. What were you getting before? I have an old Windstar, which is a comparable size to your Montana, that I get low 20s out of and am happy with it. For the record, my personal best for gas mileage out of a minivan was 28 mpg a couple summers ago on a cross country trip. The van was a Dodge Grand Caravan with a 3.3L V6, and the six of us in it were running the air conditioning. I recorded that figure on one tank of gas, but most of the trip we were getting 24-25 mpg. You’re doing all right.