Please help.

I just bought a 2003 Dodge Neon SXT, it was getting horrible gas mileage. I took it to the dealer and they said that plug 2 was fouled, and the wire was arcing, even though the car did not run rough and the check engine light was not on. After that it seemed to get a little better, then a little worse then worse still. Last night when I filled up and did the quick calculations I was at 23 MPG, I drive a lot of highway so I KNOW it should be a LOT better than that. Does anyone have any ideas? Also other 03 sxt owners what kind of miles do you get out of a tank? My 97 used to get 320+ per tank and average 30 mpg (the main reason I bought another neon) After having this car a few days I decided to see how the fuel light worked (bet you are already startign to laugh) SO at like 180 miles the thing comes on, I keep driving, finally it starts blinking at me. I figure well maybe it is serious now LOL, so I kept driving. I went up a big hill and it did not like that at all, going down the big hill it liked better, stopping at the stop light on the way to get gas it gave up. I had 302 miles on the trip. NO WAY at all my little 97 would have done that to me. Is this normal??? Do I need to have something checked out on it? Is there anything I can do?

The gas gauge still weirds me out, I used to get 65-70 miles into a tank before I even noticed my needle move on teh older neon, now it has moved after 15. Any input will be greatly appreiated.

thanks.

 

Well, running your car until it runs out of gas will only do bad things to your car. Whatever deposits you had in your gas tank were sucked into your fuel injectors and now your mileage may be worse. Sorry.

 

Well my intentions were not to run it completely out of gas. I was thinking that with a 12.5 gallon tank and at the minimum mileage posted of 26 MPG I should at least get 325 miles on a tank. So I should have had plenty of gas left to make it the extra 3 blocks to a gas station. That being the case, are there any injector cleaners that actually work and are they even worth it? Is there anything else I can try? Thanks.

 

Techron (available at Chevron stations and many auto parts stores) was recommended to me by a Dodge certified mechanic. He even admitted to using it for expensive fuel injector cleanings performed at the dealership. It's been around for years, and won't hurt anything.....

 

thanks man, I will try that tonight

I used to use chevron gas(with tecron) all the time, it was the only gas card I had, maybe that helped my other car.


thanks.

 

Not a problem, glad to help. Chevron (93 octane) is the only fuel I use other than an ounce and a half of Amsoil's P.i. fuel additive once a month. When the Big 3 automakers do their emissions testing thay actually have Chevron gas trucked in to the testing site to fuel the cars.

 

what is this Amsoil's you talk about? Where do you get it and what does it do for you? A simple ounce.5 huh? do you add it to a full tank ?

thanks again.

 

It's a concentrated liquid that cleans injectors and intake valves, reduces emissions, prevents corrosion, and improves overall engine performance. It comes in a 16 ounce bottle and you use 6-8 ounces for the initial treatment and an ounce and a half (for cars like yours and mine) after that. It's around $7.55 a bottle, so it's cheaper than virtually all other cleaners. You can get it from any Amsoil dealer on the internet. Just type in "Amsoil" in your search engine.

Try the Techron first, though. See how it works before going any further. You shouldn't need to use it more than once or twice a year.

 

Is online the only place to get Amsoil? I tend to get impatient when waiting for things I ordered on the net.

 

They ship FAST. 2-3 working days. That's why I deal with them.