Just got a 2006 4WD Honda CRV. 16,000 miles on it. I’m only getting 16 mpg. It’s been very cold here, is that why my mpg are so low?
Yes, the cold and maybe the ethanol in the gas.
The temperature, the winter fuel, your driving style or area (mountains and back roads tend to give low mpg), an optimistic estimated mileage figure. What is the EPA estimate for your car (Auto or manual transmission)
Cold weather reduces gas mileage. If you drive in an urban/suburban environment 16 mpg isn’t bad for winter mileage. 16 mpg on the highway would be cause for concern, however.
In addition to the already mentioned cold weather causing richer running longer, thus reducing mileage, if it’s really cold your drivetrain resistance can be greater. When I lived in North Dakota, my manual tranny fluid would get so thick I literally could not feel my shift gates. And I could feel the added resistance of the thickened tranny and rear differential fluids when accelerating. That Differential fluid must have been as thick as cement mix. Especially when it dipped below -20 degrees ambient.
Here in NH the roads have also been poor much of the time, and rolling the car through snow and slush also adds rolling resistance.
And if you warm the car up before driving that uses additional gas also.
It could be the things others have mentioned, but it could just be that you are driving a 4WD SUV. What kind of fuel economy is it supposed to be getting?
The 4WD/AWD factor is actually something that the OP can probably rule out as a cause of poor gas mileage. Because of the way that the AWD (not 4WD) system on that vehicle is designed, the CR-V normally operates as a FWD vehicle, and power is transferred to the rear wheels only after the front wheels begin to lose traction.
Unless the OP has been continually driving in conditions that cause her front tires to spin, it has actually been running as a FWD vehicle for…probably something on the order of 99% of the time. While this system is certainly not the optimum for traction, it does maximize gas mileage.
Make certain that the tires are inflated to the correct pressure. The correct pressure is usually on a sticker on the left front door pillar. Also, check the temperature gauge after the car has been running to be certain that the engine is running in the normal range to rule out a thermostat that is stuck open. If you are getting heat in the car, the thermostat is probably o.k.
If these things check out and the Honda is running o.k., wait until the weather warms up and check the mileage again.
It is definitely the cold weather, but there is a reason to be optimistic. I just made a 204 mile trip on the highway from Ma. to Me. I filled up on the Mass Pike and when I got near home. My 2002 GMC Sierra ext. cab 4WD with auto trans got a reading of 18.46 MPG, so all is not lost in Hondaville. My gasoline was E-10, 10% ethanol. It was cold too. Life isn’t so bad. My tires are 245 by 16". They’re a version of Goodyear Wranglers from Sam’s Club which I don’t recommend for snow traction. I haven’t checked my air pressure since April. Some mechanic!
Too many factors to judge…you could be getting 16 mpg in the summer under certain conditions. Are you happy with the engine performance after warm up ?
Be more critical when warmer weather (above 30) is the norm.
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/findacar.htm
The EPA estimates are 20 city and 25 highway with auto transmission. You might get worse mileage because you sit in traffic longer than the EPA estimates or you take only short trips. Look at the above link to see for yourself.
I think the sticker said 22 city and 26 hwy.
Well what you reported vs the sticker does seem to be a big difference. It still could be the cold but...
How exactly did you measure the mileage?In that case, the usual suspects are:
- a clogged air filter.
- tire pressure.
- tire size. If your tires are larger (in diameter) than stock tires, you will be traveling farther than the odometer thinks you traveled. In that case, your fuel economy would better than you calculate.
- bad Oxygen sensors, although you should see a “check engine” light if this was the case.
- a heavy foot. Driving habits have a pretty big impact on fuel economy.
- cold weather, as already mentioned.
- old fouled spark plugs and/or spark plug wires.
I checked the mileage when I filled up and the next time I filled up, saw how many miles I’d gone on that much gas. It must be the cold weather. I just had it at a garage for an inspection before the warranty ran out and they said everything looked good.
If I understand you, you are dividing the miles since your last fill up by the number of gallons at the current fill up. This That is correct. Now do it at least two more times in a row to get three results and then average them. It is very easy to be well off with just one sample.