Horrible Fuel Economy

General Discussion forum for Versa Owners
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srellim234
Posts: 2710
Joined: Sun Jul 15, 2007 8:12 am
Car: 2007 silver Versa SL
hatchback w/CVT
(sold 08/2011)
2008 red Toyota Prius
(purchased 04/2016)
Location: Laughlin, NV

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Paranoia not necessary.

It appears, based on many threads on this forum over the last 1 3/4 years that I've had the car and multiple fuel-tracking sites like fueleconomy.gov, truedelta.com and fuelly.com, is that there is some inconsistency somewhere in the manufacturing or assembly process that is causing a low gas mileage problem in a very limited number of Versas. Likewise, there are a very limited number of Versas that are benefitting at the other end, resulting in way above-average gas mileage. By and large, the vast majority of Versas are getting in the expected 28-29 mpg. range.

It's always a good idea to track the mileage anyway. I track it in the car, keeping one of those little Dome business mileage and expense booklets in the console. The booklets are very cheap and can be picked up at any office supply store or places like Target. It fits perfectly in that center console on the SL. I enter it in the book, then bring the book in the house to key it into the websites. Then it's back in the console, waiting for the next entry.

If your mileage strays from normal (for your individual car) for a couple of tanks it will alert you to a problem. An added benefit is that you have a hard-copy history of your car, including fuel, maintenance and repairs, in case you ever decide to trade or sell the Versa.


longo
Posts: 276
Joined: Wed Jan 24, 2007 12:38 pm
Car: 2007 Versa SL, CVT

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All our concerns over the Versa mpgs will all seem pretty mundane in a year or 2 as new high mpg cars are on the horizon.

Cars that get in the low 30's will be the new gas guzzlers when models like this 65 mpg concept hits the showrooms.[IMG][/IMG]

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frankoV
Posts: 943
Joined: Tue Jan 01, 2008 2:36 pm
Car: 2008 SL Sedan, Magnetic Grey, CVT

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forgive my cynicism, but I'll wait:

1. for it to hit the road, and2. show positive real-world results3. at a decent price.

For all the hoopla, as long as there are cheaper cars available [ie Versa] people will gravitate to them instead of a car that is twice as much [or more] -- unless they have money to burn [initially and for replacement batteries] or a green image to uphold.

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robj80
Posts: 149
Joined: Mon Sep 02, 2002 5:02 am
Car: 2014 Frontier
2011 Rogue

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Sorry to get a little off topic again on this thread but a $20k+ turbo deisel getting 65mpg is no more efficient then my $10k versa getting in the 30's. Diesel at least in my area is $1.00 more per gallon. You weigh in the price difference of the car and gas then there is probably zero savings over the life of the car.

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rtillaree
Posts: 6
Joined: Mon Apr 13, 2009 10:54 am
Car: 2009 Nissan Versa SL Hatch

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well, I got 271 miles on this last tank, about 8 miles better than I had gotten before...I feel like I just won some major award...

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srellim234
Posts: 2710
Joined: Sun Jul 15, 2007 8:12 am
Car: 2007 silver Versa SL
hatchback w/CVT
(sold 08/2011)
2008 red Toyota Prius
(purchased 04/2016)
Location: Laughlin, NV

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I understand you're frustrated, rtillaree, but miles per tank is totally meaningless for any of us interested in trying to help. Depending on how many gallons you actually put in, 271 miles could be anywhere from 20.85 mpg (13 gallons) to 271 mpg (1 gallon). How many gallons did you put in?

grogman
Posts: 234
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2008 4:36 am
Car: 2007 versa s hb at onyx blue

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i remember when i was getting 20 mpg with the subaru outback. awd is awesome but this versa sips gas. i haven't watched too closely but if you putz around like an old man as i am, then you get good results. if you are worried all the time that someone is constantly pimping your squeeze (my bad) then you are always gonna lose gas mileage. if you are in the hills or mountains you will notice that the mileage drops. i don't care if you have cvt, it's all about driving habits. i'm pretty sure you checked your air filter. try driving w/o the air filter. might be you are choking your engine somehow. out.

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srellim234
Posts: 2710
Joined: Sun Jul 15, 2007 8:12 am
Car: 2007 silver Versa SL
hatchback w/CVT
(sold 08/2011)
2008 red Toyota Prius
(purchased 04/2016)
Location: Laughlin, NV

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The vast majority of the time it's driving habits, but not always in the case of the Versa. No matter how it's driven our Versa doesn't deliver a +30 mpg combined average. Before you 100% blame driving habits, consider that I have achieved an average gas mileage that exceeded the older EPA standards for city driving in about 4 dozen different makes and models over the years. Our Versa is the only vehicle I've ever been in that I can't get to an average of at least the city mileage rating (it was rated 30/36 when we bought it). That includes getting 63 mpg in two different Toyota Prius' I rented for 5 weeks in 2006.

We've tried babying it up to speed on various tanks in 100 rpm increments from 1400 up to 2200 rpms and while the mileage is best around 1850, it still doesn't crack that 28 mpg barrier on 50/50 city/highway driving.

All Versas do not perform identically under the same conditions.

pbrady12
Posts: 17
Joined: Wed Mar 11, 2009 4:10 pm
Car: 2007 Nissan Versa SL Hatchback

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Nissan has checked the air filter several times, but I guess I should check it myself. I would love to get 28mpg. I get 24mpg on strait flat highway conditions. What is weird about my Versa is that it gets 24mpg on Hwy and city. It does get less if I have a heavy foot. I post how the air intake and filter look.

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srellim234
Posts: 2710
Joined: Sun Jul 15, 2007 8:12 am
Car: 2007 silver Versa SL
hatchback w/CVT
(sold 08/2011)
2008 red Toyota Prius
(purchased 04/2016)
Location: Laughlin, NV

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I still think your computer is reading something incorrectly and doesn't know it. If the software doesn't have the right info going in it's not going to throw an error code. It doesn't know the info is wrong.

I remember reading about a couple of computer resets last year on this forum. If your dealer says it can't be done they're probably just being lazy and don't want to mess with it. Keep pushing.

pbrady12
Posts: 17
Joined: Wed Mar 11, 2009 4:10 pm
Car: 2007 Nissan Versa SL Hatchback

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Air filter is clean and no obstructions anywhere in the intake. I was puzzled as to what the box that branches off to the right is for. It's a sealed box other than a drain hole in the bottom. I looked on autozone.com and found that the only unobvious reasons for poor fuel economy are caused by cams and rockers being slightly off. Next time I get a chance to take the car back to the dealership I'll see if I can have them check the timing and press the issue of getting the computer reflashed or reprogramed. I don't know how it is on newer cars, but there are markings to verify all parts are in the right location while putting a strobe on the timing belt. hopefully this is something that is still done, and not just replace by another computer and sensor.

longo
Posts: 276
Joined: Wed Jan 24, 2007 12:38 pm
Car: 2007 Versa SL, CVT

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"I was puzzled as to what the box that branches off to the right"

I too wondered what possible effect all that plastic piping and odd shaped box might have on the performance of the engine. I first took off the box and ran it for a few hundred miles to see if it had any effect on mpg...it didn't so then I took off the cold air ductwork right back to the air filter box to see if that would help any....that didn't either.

My thinking was this...everyone knows that cold air into the engine creates more power as the computor is programmed to add more gas as it's warming up, and warmer air into the engine would give you sligtly less horse power, but better mpg.

(thoretically) As the air the engine is breathing is now coming from right next to the motor in the warmer engine compartment, that might help increase the mpg. Turned out it didn't help. Seems all that plastic plumbing is there to deaden the sound of the air intake and on or off, the mpg's stay the same. .

.(I have a scangauge permanetly mounted in the dash to keep track of such things)

I found out about the increased noise when the Versa started roaring (more than usuall) going up hills at 3500 to 4000 rpm.

End of story.
Modified by longo at 10:14 PM 4/27/2009

grogman
Posts: 234
Joined: Sat Sep 06, 2008 4:36 am
Car: 2007 versa s hb at onyx blue

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anyone know if catalytic converters can be faulty? i am pretty sure we have one. just trying to think of ways the engine could be choking itself. can a muffler be faulty and cause poor exhaust ventilation? just a thought. i'm thinking like the show house here. think of ideas that are being missed when diagnosed. i'm pretty sure your electric ignition is fine. the techs don't want to see repeat servicing on the same vehicle. they want your car fixed also. talk to an exhaust specialist. maybe they can find out if your car is choking on itself.

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robj80
Posts: 149
Joined: Mon Sep 02, 2002 5:02 am
Car: 2014 Frontier
2011 Rogue

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A cat I assume could affect MPG's. I would assume though it would affect performance and that would be noticable. Not to mention the rear O2 monitors cat function and in my experience it does that well. So I would assume if no CEL or SES (not sure which the versa has) the cat is good.

By any chance does your car feel sluggish? If so then possibly cat but I'm thinking mabye timing. Was that ever checked? I would assume just a few degrees off would make a difference in mpgs but not so much in the performance area.

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rtillaree
Posts: 6
Joined: Mon Apr 13, 2009 10:54 am
Car: 2009 Nissan Versa SL Hatch

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for my last 3 fill ups I have put in exactly 12 gallons each time (assuming that the fuel pumps are reading accurately)...

so my calculations put it at just about 22.5mpg with this last tank, where as I got 19.6 with my previous and 18.5 with the 2nd fill up...I have waived off the initial tank as I have no idea how much was actually in the tank upon delivery...

I have used the Hess gas station next to my house exclusively, the only change here was I used premium on my 2nd fill up which only saw a slight increase by a few miles overall...this last fill up was 87...

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robj80
Posts: 149
Joined: Mon Sep 02, 2002 5:02 am
Car: 2014 Frontier
2011 Rogue

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wow you pumped 12 gallons. I would have thought the fuel pump would have shut off at about that being only a 13.2 gallon tank.

Maybe you can try a different brand gasoline. I have noticed that hess got me less mpgs then brands like shell or citgo. My best tanks of gas are with sunoco. I don't know why but sunoco is conistantly higher then all other brands. I know this may sound like BS but trust me. I was driving 40k miles a year and I calculated my MPG's every single fill up.

If you have gas without ethanol in your area then pump that. You will see at least a 2mpg increase.

Also do not let your car idle for more then 20 seconds in the morning. 20 seconds is more then enough time for oil to get where it needs to go. Then just drive her like a baby until the blue light turns off. I use to let my cars warm up fully before driving and it killed my mpgs.

longo
Posts: 276
Joined: Wed Jan 24, 2007 12:38 pm
Car: 2007 Versa SL, CVT

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One of the suggestions from the Nissan Service Mngr was to use a "Mid-Grade" gasoline in the Versa to get better mpg.

Tried that and it made no difference but it got me thinking of all the different gas fill ups we use for our 2 to 4 thousand mile road trips, so I started trying different brands to see if that made any difference, and it did.

There are consitently crappy gas brands out there that you can tell in the first 20 miles of driving away from the pumps. The motor is sluggish, the revs are up higher than they are at the same speeds, and so on. It's not an exact science, more of a seat of the pants test.

Then of course the mpg numbers come in at the next stop, and WOW, that really was bad gas!

Bottom line was this (for me) Chevron regular got the best mpg's and the car performed dramatiacally better than the other brands.

What really gets me the best mpg in the Versa tho' is a good 'Tail Wind'. The cars mpg numbers will jump 10 to 12 mpg (up or down) depending on the wind direction. (Scangauge mpg readings)

Heading straight west into a gusty head wind on the Interstate in New Mexico best I could get was 21 mpg. Going North with a strong tail wind the next day, driving 60 mph (posted speed limit, flat road) from Flagstaff Az to Lake Powell I got 34 with Chevron regular.

One time we filled up with gas at a Safeway Store in Boulder Colorado and drove to Grand Junction and got amazing mpg's (for me)...so who knows....

"Gas brands in the Versa" would make a good new Thread.


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fjwagner
Posts: 403
Joined: Fri Nov 23, 2007 7:33 pm
Car: 2008 Nissan Versa S et al

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longo wrote:
"Gas brands in the Versa" would make a good new Thread.
good idea, but problematic. An ExxonMobil refinery in Baytown, Tx will provide gas for multiple marketers in the area which means that a Valero, Chevron, Texaco may actually be getting their gas from ExxonMobil and visa versa. However, each station will typically have their own additive package but those are typically cleaning additives. Bottom line is that you really do not know where your gas is coming from.

pbrady12
Posts: 17
Joined: Wed Mar 11, 2009 4:10 pm
Car: 2007 Nissan Versa SL Hatchback

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I have tried various gas stations and grades of fuel. I consistantly get 24mpg. A sensor or the computer seems to be more and more like the problem because of the consistancy of the 24mpg. The performance is great, but then again I have never driven another Versa. Maybe I should go test drive one. If the engine was running rich it would get worse fuel economy and run cooler (yes, cooler because of inadequate amouts of air to allow all of the fuel to burn) which wouldn't throw any warning indicators. The excess fuel would be burned in the Cat. Unless the Cat has an overtemp sensor I would never know of an issue unless it started melting/burning stuff. So Now the possible solutions are 1. Computer too smart for it's self (running rich) 2. Engine's Timing being off

VersaToo
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Mar 11, 2013 12:38 pm
Car: 2012 Versa Hatchback SL 1.8 CVT

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We have a 2012 Versa Hatchback, 1.8 SL. It was rated for 34 mpg hwy, and most of our miles are highway miles. It began with a low mpg, around 28, and steadily increased for the first few months to about 30 - 32 mpg. We got 33 mpg a couple of times with very careful driving and a higher octane fuel. Then it began to decrease. It was at 29 mpg late last fall. The local dealer couldn't determine a problem. The dealer where we purchased it did a more thorough evaluation, but with no codes being stored and no emissions testing equipment, they couldn't identify a problem. It has declined to 26 mpg, and there is a strong odor of unburned fuel when it is running. Still, no codes have been stored and Nissan representatives have said there is nothing they can do except refer me to fueleconomy.gov to learn [how to drive more efficiently.] I had a mid-size car in the 80s that got 36.6 mpg. Why is this such an impossibility? A tiny car purchased specifically for fuel economy, after doing our homework, that can't even reach 30 mpg?! (btw, our data was submitted to fueleconomy.gov last year)

The next time I "do homework", I will remember to search as I did to find this forum with "poor fuel economy" instead of "fuel economy". This is an older thread, but the issue appears to be the same.

Any suggestions?

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versanewb
Posts: 31
Joined: Mon Jun 21, 2010 7:06 pm
Car: Versa SL

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I have to agree about the terrible mileage. I have a 2010 Versa S with 1.8L and 4 speed automatic. I get about the same mileage as a Lexas RX330 which weighs 4000lbs and has a V-6, which is around 22mpg. And the Lexus has a lot more power than the ssssllllooooowwww Versa. For a car that is as pathetically lacking of power, you better get something in return, and that something is killer mpg. The Versa is a major fail in this regard. I shall never buy another Nissan again. And please don't tell me about some 10K break-in period. Cars are broken in within 3K. The only thing that should effect mileage is the gradual accumulation of varnish in the fuel injectors which will slowly reduce your mpg. Nissan needs to buy a few Mazda's with Skyactiv and reverse engineer them, then build their cars exactly like them because what they are doing now sucks.

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kc5f
Posts: 888
Joined: Sun Sep 03, 2006 11:00 am
Car: Versa SL HB CVTs - 2008 (daughter), 2007's (both RIP). I'm now in a silver 2012, my son a silver 2015 Note, my wife a bright yellow 2016 Juke.
Location: East Flat Rock, NC

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I'm on my third Versa HB with CVT (2007, 2008 and 2012), and they're remarkably consistent for me. When I was driving 115 miles per day, mostly highway, I'd get 34-36 mpg in the summer and 31-33 in the winter. Now that my commute is 5 miles each way, I get 31-34 in the summer and 29-31 in the winter. Neither is as good as I used to get with smaller cars with manual transmissions, but they're well within the EPA rating. 22 mpg indicates a problem with either the car or driving style/environment.

Craporion
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Dec 17, 2013 9:18 pm
Car: 2013 Nissan Versa

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2013 Nissan Versa here. Had the car 6 months, and over the last month, gas mileage dropped from 38 mpg down to 31 mpg (and I am a real careful granny-driver, and I drive very consistently). After several phone calls where they kept telling me it was "cold weather" and "my driving style," I finally dropped off my Versa for them to run tests.

Turns out 2 of my cylinders had lost compression. Which means I use gas like a 4 cylinder car, but get power like a 2 cylinder car.

The solution? They are replacing "the short block." I had to look it up, but "the short block" means "the engine."

If I wasn't at 12K miles, and still under warranty, this would be a very expensive repair. My Nissan dealer is nice about it, though, and they are fixing it.

The way they talked about it, I think this might be something they've seen before.

the key words for other people with gas mileage loss:
Poor gas mileage
Low engine power
Leak down test (the test that identified the problem)(requires leaving the car with them for a few days)
Small Block replacement

docswitzer
Posts: 11
Joined: Sat Jul 05, 2014 7:33 am
Car: 2014 Versa Note SL
2014 Altima 2.5l SV
Location: Sarasota, FL

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I just joined and posted this earlier today.

Is anyone experiencing low fuel mileage on their Note? Best I can get on my 2014 Note SL is 33 mpg with 80-90% highway. Further mystery is a loose (12-pin) connector hanging in the active grille shutter area. Dealer insist no problems. Not sure how to supply picture here to illustrate what the connector looks like.

Maybe this will work?

https://plus.google.com/u/0/11616503659 ... 5184972051

als14versa
Posts: 8
Joined: Sun Nov 12, 2017 9:36 am
Car: 2014 Nissan Versa Sedan w 5 spd trans

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My Versa goes normally about a range of 440 miles . The car is a sedan 2014 5 spd
So it averages 44 miles per gallon . I guy at a Chinese restaurant told me he got 40 mpg , he asked if I had a hybrid .
I told him no . He was utterly surprised . I am an expert driving a manual trans
Al

als14versa
Posts: 8
Joined: Sun Nov 12, 2017 9:36 am
Car: 2014 Nissan Versa Sedan w 5 spd trans

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The other guy had a Toyota Prius

amc49
Posts: 1183
Joined: Mon Jun 19, 2017 7:24 pm
Car: '11 Nissan Versa
'17 Nissan Altima

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If they use ethanol in your local fuel then the mileage can be all over the map when they tilt the ethanol to different percentages like they do here. The 10% can range all the way up to 20% in actuality and you have no idea what it really is. The dealers check for it when people complain about new car mileage and fuel issues to void warranty if the check is over the 10% by any decent amount. TV news story on it from time to time.

sw99
Posts: 10
Joined: Sun Feb 05, 2017 8:06 am
Car: Versa

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35.3 average on Fuelly @ 24 fuel logs to date. I switched to Fuelly a short time back and on the previous fuel tracker one I was three times the fill ups @ around the same average. My best MPG tank to date was 42.5. My worst was 28.7 during the winter cold / snow snap with studded snow tires. My 2016 has 24,321 miles to date.I also must add that these numbers are based on Denver's altitude.

BeastVersa07
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed Mar 07, 2018 12:27 am
Car: 2007 Nissan Versa

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I average 40 to 43 when I baby the throttle & go slow up mountains where I never let the rpms go above 2. That’s with me driving 50-60.

When I drive like a mad man with the pedal to the floor doing 75-80 on the highway. I still get 30mpg. If I just go 60-65 I still average about 35. The gas mpg on this car is great. I get about 350-375 Miles on a full tank. I never let it get low . Usually fill up when I am around 275. This car is great & sometimes I feel like I am driving one of those Prius’s with out the 💰 I save at the pump.

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srellim234
Posts: 2710
Joined: Sun Jul 15, 2007 8:12 am
Car: 2007 silver Versa SL
hatchback w/CVT
(sold 08/2011)
2008 red Toyota Prius
(purchased 04/2016)
Location: Laughlin, NV

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Sounds like you wound up with a good car. You are right about the money. The Prius is incredibly reliable and a great car but if you ever do need a repair it's ridiculously expensive so what they don't make on number of repairs they make up in price. Also, I love our Prius but there's no way I'd spend the money for a new one with the other cars that are available now. Used, yes. New, no.


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