# Lossing mpg

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/lossing-mpg/28016>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** fuel-economy\
**Created:** [March 20, 2009, 11:48am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/lossing-mpg/28016 "2009-03-20T11:48:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![sallymh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb8c5e/32.png) [@sallymh](https://community.cartalk.com/u/sallymh)\
**Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 11:48am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/lossing-mpg/28016/1 "2009-03-20T11:48:10Z")

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honda fit 2007  
  
 decreased from 38mpg  
  
 to 28 mpg  
  
 honda dealer says it’s the maryland gas  
  
 moved from nm to tn, shortly  
  
 and then md in nov,  
  
 dropped in jan.  
  
 driving me nuts!

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**Author:** ![common-sense-answer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/common-sense-answer/32/716_2.png) [@common-sense-answer](https://community.cartalk.com/u/common-sense-answer)\
**Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 12:01pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/lossing-mpg/28016/2 "2009-03-20T12:01:22Z")

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Duplicate Post

See:  
sudden gas/mile change

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**Author:** ![UncleTurbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9a140/32.png) [@UncleTurbo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/UncleTurbo)\
**Post date:** [March 20, 2009, 2:09pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/lossing-mpg/28016/3 "2009-03-20T14:09:01Z")

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guess Sally is still searching for answers. You lived in NM and TN both states with large rural areas and a few moderate cities. Now you live in Maryland. Gas is blended by refineries differently for different regions of the country. Perhaps the gas you bought in NM and TN is different than the gas in MD, in fact it very likely is different.

The Maryland gas sold in the winter around the major cities is oxyenated gas because anti pollution requirements are more stringent in MD than NM and TN. Why? In MD you have a number of big cities with higher air pollution issues than exist in NM and TN, Baltimore, and DC Metro area.

In addition to different gas you are driving in a much more congested area. Freeway traffic often is stop and go on Maryland interstates. I95 and all the I495’s, 695’s, 895’s etc. are busy, busy, busy, even in non rush hour periods. These two factors can explain a lot of your gas mpg issues.

Take the car to an independant (less $$ than dealer) and get new plugs, change the air filter, and have your fuel injection system cleaned. If you have over 30K miles on the car since these services were done this will also get back a couple of mpg.

It is not one thing that is impacting your mpg, it is a combo of factors. You can’t change the gas available at the service stations. If you live in a rural area of Maryland you may be able to buy non oxygenated gas. Buy gas in the country if you commute to the city. If you can arrange the timing when you are on the road to do to avoid stop and go driving. Keep your car in top shape. Drive with a light foot on the gas. That’s about all, or any of us, can do.