Not so horrible fuel economy now!

[dangene]

I drove to Miami Int'l Airport from Fort Myers today. Fort Myers is on the west coast and Miami on the opposite coast. I took I 75 there and came back on US 41. I did between 70 and 80 on the way there and had the cruise control on 60 on the way back on US 41. The AC was on the entire time. As soon as I returned I filled up and checked mileage: 30.98 mpg! I'll take that and not complain! The fuel regulator has been acting up in this hot (90 degree F) weather but the run to Miami seems to have cured the starting problem and I even cancelled my appointment with the dealer to have it replaced. So far so good. It sure feels good to post some good news about my Versa. I now have 4500 miles on the car. It seems the engine is running a lot smoother and quieter since the first oil change. Revs freer also. Is Nissan putting in some special formula oil to aid brake-in that is causing higher friction and poor mileage before the first change? What had me worried is the more miles I put on the car the worse the fuel economy until the first oil change, as if the oil kept increasing in friction even more than regular oils.

[frankoV]

welcome to the discovery zone.

it's a grand feeling, ain't it.

[Ginsu]

I got through my break-in period about a month ago now, and I've noticed a definite improvement in fuel economy as well. Even though they give you a heads up when you buy the car, its still somewhat disappointing to experience below average numbers. Feels much better now.

As to what causes the poor mileage, it could be little resistances from many different areas adding up to one big noticeable drag on the vehicle.

[Red Devil]

I drove to Miami Int'l Airport from Fort Myers today. Fort Myers is on the west coast and Miami on the opposite coast. I took I 75 there and came back on US 41. I did between 70 and 80 on the way there and had the cruise control on 60 on the way back on US 41. The AC was on the entire time. As soon as I returned I filled up and checked mileage: 30.98 mpg! I'll take that and not complain! The fuel regulator has been acting up in this hot (90 degree F) weather but the run to Miami seems to have cured the starting problem and I even cancelled my appointment with the dealer to have it replaced. So far so good. It sure feels good to post some good news about my Versa. I now have 4500 miles on the car. It seems the engine is running a lot smoother and quieter since the first oil change. Revs freer also. Is Nissan putting in some special formula oil to aid brake-in that is causing higher friction and poor mileage before the first change? What had me worried is the more miles I put on the car the worse the fuel economy until the first oil change, as if the oil kept increasing in friction even more than regular oils.

Congrats. I usually average 35-38mpg myself.

[mdamatas]

That's good to know... It actually encourages me to keep waiting a little bit more for improvement. I'm currently with an average of 9.4 L/100Km (25 MPG), which is not making me very happy.

I am being positive and thinking is not the car, as it's manual transmission and it's my first experience driving manual t. since I got my license 2 years ago... So I'm thinking it might be driving skills right now... Oh, and my car is 1.6L

I also spend a lot of time in traffic, unfortunately, so that's why I keep thinking it might not be the car after all... Any suggestions are welcome...

[kc5f]

I don't know if Florida and Panama change the fuel mix during the winter like they do here and farther north, but that makes a big difference right now, too, as they're back to the summer blends.

[grogman]

I don't know if Florida and Panama change the fuel mix during the winter like they do here and farther north, but that makes a big difference right now, too, as they're back to the summer blends.

good info...........the rpms are lower now than wintertime........probably what you say...maybe a reason gas goes up this time of year because the product is more pure.............better quality.just my theory.