# Horrible fuel milage



## matt_s (May 30, 2007)

What can I do to get better fuel mileage in my 2007 Rabbit. The car has 173xxx Kms (107xxx miles) the only mods to the car are a Magnaflow catback exhaust. Right now I am lucky if I get 450km (280miles) on a tank of fuel. From what I have read online and from what the dealership and people I have talked to I should be getting close to 600-650kn (375-400miles) per tank. I did spark plugs about 1200km ago and an oil change about 500km ago. Any insight would be great

Thanks
Matt


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## TylerO28 (Jul 7, 2008)

I don't think 400 is very accurate. I used to get around 300 to 320 miles per tank if I was careful. The 2.5 isn't the greatest with fuel consumption.


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## prenne5050 (Jun 22, 2008)

TylerO28 said:


> I don't think 400 is very accurate. I used to get around 300 to 320 miles per tank if I was careful. The 2.5 isn't the greatest with fuel consumption.


what tyler said haha


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## stef 4x4 (Jan 8, 2012)

matt_s said:


> What can I do to get better fuel mileage in my 2007 Rabbit. The car has 173xxx Kms (107xxx miles) the only mods to the car are a Magnaflow catback exhaust. Right now I am lucky if I get 450km (280miles) on a tank of fuel. From what I have read online and from what the dealership and people I have talked to I should be getting close to 600-650kn (375-400miles) per tank. I did spark plugs about 1200km ago and an oil change about 500km ago. Any insight would be great
> 
> Thanks
> Matt


Fuel mileage depends of 2 things: one, the shape of your car and engine and second the driving circumstances.
Is for exemple a brake just a little hanging on or has the car very big tires with not enough pressure in.
Is the engine in a good condition (compression test!) or not.
Are you driving only very short ditances or not and with wich outside temperatures.
Do you change gears quick or is the engine always put to the end of the revs.

You should at least check: lambda sensors, thermostaat, tire pressure, compression and intake vacuum.
Good luck!


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## thygreyt (Jun 7, 2009)

milage depends on MANY things, as others have said.

but YOUR driving style is the most important.

On the same routes, around the same conditions (temp, humidity, traffic) i can get either 30 mpgs or 21, depending on how i'm driving.


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## einsteingarage (Feb 13, 2011)

thygreyt said:


> milage depends on MANY things, as others have said.
> 
> but YOUR driving style is the most important.
> 
> On the same routes, around the same conditions (temp, humidity, traffic) i can get either 30 mpgs or 21, depending on how i'm driving.



Very true... If yours is a standard, ride around in 5th more often. The lower you keep the RPM's the better the mileage will be. I have test this on my way to work. If I drive the way I normally do 300 to 325 on a tank. If I prematurely shift to 5th and keep it there. 350 - 375 a tank


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## prenne5050 (Jun 22, 2008)

Man I'm lucky to get 300


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## itskohler (Jan 7, 2011)

einsteingarage said:


> Very true... If yours is a standard, ride around in 5th more often. The lower you keep the RPM's the better the mileage will be. I have test this on my way to work. If I drive the way I normally do 300 to 325 on a tank. If I prematurely shift to 5th and keep it there. 350 - 375 a tank


This.

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## Brabbit32 (Apr 13, 2009)

i went 380 miles on my turbo rabbit before the low fuel light came on  and thats with 550cc injectors, and laying into it once and a while. Granted it was all highway mileage with a TDI 5th gear, still damn impressive....

Before going turbo i was in the same boat. anywhere from 280-320 miles per tank, depending on driving style.


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## TylerO28 (Jul 7, 2008)

einsteingarage said:


> Very true... If yours is a standard, ride around in 5th more often. The lower you keep the RPM's the better the mileage will be. I have test this on my way to work. If I drive the way I normally do 300 to 325 on a tank. If I prematurely shift to 5th and keep it there. 350 - 375 a tank


There is a fine line though because your motor will be more efficient when rev'd out to around 3k to 4k rpm bogging the motor in 5th isn't always the best. It really boils down to driver. I've noticed an increase in mpg with the turbo as well. Only if I stay out of it. But the beauty of boost Is there is no need to down shift. Just throw it in gear and go


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## berfles (Oct 29, 2011)

I've logged every single fuel up since I bought my 2007 Rabbit about a year ago. It had 50k miles when I bought it, now it's at about 69400.

http://www.fuelly.com/driver/berfles/rabbit

I've been quite annoyed at how ****ty mileage is in the Winter with whatever they do to the damn fuel. At best this time of year I can get 27MPG, and that's with shifting at 2k and driving 69MPH on the highway 30 miles a day. Come Spring and Summer I'll probably be closer to 30 again.


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## shiva916 (Apr 18, 2011)

I have usually gotten around 350 miles per tank on average and I don't usually wait till the gas light comes on. I usually fill up with around 13 gallons. I have averaged a high of 32 mpg on a fill up in a mix of city and highway driving. Winter def takes a bit of a toll on mpg's though. I have only gotten 26-28 on the past few tanks due to cold temps, winter blend gas and letting the car warm up a bit more. 
I try and shift between 2-3k and usually skip 4th and go from 3rd - 5th. Also try and dip into the gas less. I have found this a bit harder which may also explain my lower mpg's since i put my exhaust on.


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## TeamZleep (Aug 28, 2007)

Have you tried replacing your fuel filter? My mileage drooped to 25-26mpg from 32mpg at about 96k... Realized I hadn't changed it at all... $20ish bucks and 15min. later... I was back to 32-33... (on the highway, of course).


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## stupakjim (Sep 17, 2005)

Change out your fuel filter, clean your throttle body, replace the purge valve (fuel vapor recovery $18), worked for my 06 jetta 2.5


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## seanmcd72 (May 14, 2008)

matt_s said:


> What can I do to get better fuel mileage in my 2007 Rabbit. The car has 173xxx Kms (107xxx miles) the only mods to the car are a Magnaflow catback exhaust. Right now I am lucky if I get 450km (280miles) on a tank of fuel. From what I have read online and from what the dealership and people I have talked to I should be getting close to 600-650kn (375-400miles) per tank. I did spark plugs about 1200km ago and an oil change about 500km ago. Any insight would be great
> 
> Thanks
> Matt


 Take your foot off the gas. Shift at 2k or lower. Don't go over 60mph.


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## matt_s (May 30, 2007)

Well I ran a tank of mid grade and got way better mileage. Got 495km on a tank. Best ive ever gotten!


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## thygreyt (Jun 7, 2009)

Then run some 93 and check

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## seanmcd72 (May 14, 2008)

matt_s said:


> Well I ran a tank of mid grade and got way better mileage. Got 495km on a tank. Best ive ever gotten!
> 
> 
> Sent from my Toolbox using Pliers and a Hammer.


Not sure what the norm is in BC but if you are always using gas with Ethanol, try to find it without for better MPG.


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## DUSlider (Nov 15, 2007)

OP is in canada, it is cold there now. You don't tell us your driving habits. All highway? All city? How long are your average trips? A per tank is usually a bad way of calculating your mileage. Reset your tripometer every time you fill up, divide the miles/kms by the number of gallons/liters you put in. This is your mileage.

In the winter, if you are driving less than 5 miles to work and back or to wherever you are going, you are going to get 19-21mpg. The engine hasn't had a chance to even warm up all the way.

Go on a long trip with just highway driving around 60-70mph when it's warmed up a little outside, if your mileage is still bad.

Do you let your car idle more than 30 seconds in the morning to warm up? If you do you are wasting gas.


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## matt_s (May 30, 2007)

It hasn't been to cold here. Always above 0c. Normally I get in my car and start driving right away. Most of my trips are 5-10km but in the evenings I usually go for random drives through town and some buddies and I usually do a highway cruise to the next town over every week or so. 


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## seanmcd72 (May 14, 2008)

matt_s said:


> Well I ran a tank of mid grade and got way better mileage. Got 495km on a tank. Best ive ever gotten!
> 
> 
> Sent from my Toolbox using Pliers and a Hammer.


Just did my best tank after 62K miles. Went 405.7 miles. I filled up with 13.547 gallons. MFD stated 29.4 mpg average. Shell 87 Octane (Ethanol Free). Basically shifted at 1500 rpm (so hard to do) and drove 55-65 on the interstate. Didn't go crazy just tried to do the basics like take the foot off gas well before the stoplight/sign, and pull from a stop slowly.


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## tbaeastcoast (Nov 9, 2008)

could need a tune up the car is prob running rich.


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## matt_s (May 30, 2007)

When you say tune up other then plugs witch where done not to long ago what else should I change?


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## zevion (Oct 23, 2009)

thygreyt said:


> milage depends on MANY things, as others have said.
> 
> but YOUR driving style is the most important.
> 
> On the same routes, around the same conditions (temp, humidity, traffic) i can get either 30 mpgs or 21, depending on how i'm driving.


 x2 

And the thing with the 2.5, there's not much in between. If you baby it, you're 30+. If you're even remotely on the gas pedal you're down at 21. :thumbup:


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