I just had the same code thrown and I did a search and found that my fuse #39 was blown as stated and the light went off after replaced. Now from what I understand, there is a trough that ices up in the winter under the fan, would there be a way to drill a hole in said trough to alleviate the buildup?

 

idk i read that also on another forum.. it said drill a hole at tht bottom... but how would the trough ice up if it didnt get that cold here in houston.. this weather is stupid!

 

good point, didn't notice ur location.

 

I dunno about your problem but I vote for a close-up of that avatar pic

 

The bad fan clutch that is not releasing will definitely cause a big drop in mileage. It puts alot of drag on the engine.

A broken front swaybar end link can make noises too. Just something to check while looking.
I don't know about out there, but the local Sears store here will check the front end for free if you take it in for an alignment and will tell you if you need something replaced. They are quite honest here. They don't even charge for hooking up all of the equipment if they find a problem and don't align it.
Might try a local Sears shop if you have one.