Bought a 2000 Carvan 2 weeks ago, filled up for the first time. EXTREMELY bad mpg.

[LostCause]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

ebacherville: that's called the "binary accelerator technique". My dad's an enthusiastic practitioner.

There's nothing wrong with that technique. It just needs a little PWM...

Imagine going down the freeway...brrrr...putt putt putt...brrrr.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZssR...eature=related

I'd buy a scangauge and stick it right in front of her eyes. At least she'll see the MPG go to zero as she "darts" around. Maybe something will click.

- LostCause

[Warhawk626]

We had a talk last night, wasn't very productive. She said " I am not *****footing around like you do now" , lol.

[johnpr]

get her one of those gauges that beeps at you when you drive like s**t they are pretty neat and for some people more effective than a scanguage would be.

and theres nothing wrong with z rated tires and 17" wheels, do you at least take the car to a track?

[Warhawk626]

I had planned on doing autocross this summer, may have to hook the power steering back up to be any good. I was lining up parts, had everything picked out. Eibach pro-kit springs, kyb gr2 struts, and a rear disc conversion from a v6 model. Strut tower bars and all that good stuff, but that took a back seat when the ac died. We have a 2.5 yr old and a 14 month old and the wife has been wanting a van, seemed like a good excuse.

[ebacherville]

Originally Posted by LostCause

There's nothing wrong with that technique. It just needs a little PWM...

Imagine going down the freeway...brrrr...putt putt putt...brrrr.

I'd buy a scangauge and stick it right in front of her eyes. At least she'll see the MPG go to zero as she "darts" around. Maybe something will click.

- LostCause

Nope the jeep has a real time MPG gauge.. she would rather change it over to the tempature than look at her MPG.. GRRRR.. She just don't care..

[johnpr]

^^ yep definately needs one of those beeping things, ill see if i cant find who makes it

warhawk, id give you the ac compresser out of my t/a but i doubt it would work for you, or was the van an excuse to not fix the a/c? i dont use a/c (not even when i lived in Florida) so it does nothing more than add weight. also how well does the car steer at low speed without p/s, i have been considering a manual steering setup for the t/a
-john

[Warhawk626]

Low speed isn't too bad, getting out of tight parking spaces is a PITA. May be easier for you in the T/A because your front wheels would just be turning the car. Higher speeds there is barely a difference. The reason we got the van is because here lately on that car seems like it's something else every couple weeks. I had to put it in the shop about two months ago because the clutch died and the cv joints were doing the clickety clack. I only carry liability on the mazda so when renting a car with tax it works out to about $90 a day. It was supposed to be in the shop for 6 hours, it was there 3 days. So when the ac crapped out I was pretty much about to set it on fire. I didn't have the money to fix it at the time because I had just bought ( ironically enough ) an air conditioner for my house. In the time I didn't have ac or ps ( because it's on the same belt ) my gas mileage went up from 25 to 34. So i figured I drive a LOT more than my wife so I would get her and the boys something and just drive the car since it was doing so well FE wise. If the car didn't have sentimental value and look so damn good..lol.. I would just get a Ford ****us. I haven't taken the compressor off yet, haven't had time. They make a PS only belt that I may put on in August when college starts back up, they find ways to park that makes it take 5 minutes to get out WITH ps.

[johnpr]

i understand what your going through, car repairs can be such an issue sometimes, that is something how much of a difference a/c and PS make. thanks for the advice on ps, i never put my car in tight spaces so i doubt it will make much of a difference, i will have to go for a while without it hooked up.