K-tron

On Mon, 09 Oct 2006 00:07:32 GMT, kevin.dooks@ns.sympatico.ca wrote:

>Hi all, after purchasing the '04 GC I posted about a few weeks back, I
>was initially thrilled with a combined fuel economy of 22 MPG !
>
>However now that the temperature is starting to drop here in the
>frozen north, I am somewhat distressed with the current 14 MPG.
>
>Nothing has changed, my driving habits, routes and distances are the
>same, the only change has been the outside temperature.
>
>I am thinking that I may have a sensor going a bit flakey.
>Anyone have any thoughts ?
>
>
>BTW 4.0L, 4 speed auto, 3.55 rear
>
>Kevin


Thanks for the input folks, here is some more info. Yes my area does
switch to a 'winter' blend but not for another month or so. No I do
not use an alcohol blend of fuel ( E85 is just WRONG!! ). The brand
and grade of fuel are the same. I calculate my MPG manually and
compare that figure with the on-board smarts, the difference is less
than 0.1 MPG so that doesn't account for an 8 MPG drop .

The engine temp when hot is 140 C or about 195 F, I wouldn't think
that this is too cold but I could be wrong. It is at temp after 4 or 5
minutes.

The only other thing I did was to change the plugs, the NGKs I took
out appeared to be running OKish ( #6 seemed a bit rich) but the gap
was over .060 ! . I have checked all electrical plugs and connectors
just in case I accidentally disconnected something but all were OK.



Kevin

Mike Romain

K-tron wrote:
>
> On Mon, 09 Oct 2006 00:07:32 GMT, kevin.dooks@ns.sympatico.ca wrote:
>
> >Hi all, after purchasing the '04 GC I posted about a few weeks back, I
> >was initially thrilled with a combined fuel economy of 22 MPG !
> >
> >However now that the temperature is starting to drop here in the
> >frozen north, I am somewhat distressed with the current 14 MPG.
> >
> >Nothing has changed, my driving habits, routes and distances are the
> >same, the only change has been the outside temperature.
> >
> >I am thinking that I may have a sensor going a bit flakey.
> >Anyone have any thoughts ?
> >
> >
> >BTW 4.0L, 4 speed auto, 3.55 rear
> >
> >Kevin
>
> Thanks for the input folks, here is some more info. Yes my area does
> switch to a 'winter' blend but not for another month or so. No I do
> not use an alcohol blend of fuel ( E85 is just WRONG!! ). The brand
> and grade of fuel are the same. I calculate my MPG manually and
> compare that figure with the on-board smarts, the difference is less
> than 0.1 MPG so that doesn't account for an 8 MPG drop .
>
> The engine temp when hot is 140 C or about 195 F, I wouldn't think
> that this is too cold but I could be wrong. It is at temp after 4 or 5
> minutes.
>
> The only other thing I did was to change the plugs, the NGKs I took
> out appeared to be running OKish ( #6 seemed a bit rich) but the gap
> was over .060 ! . I have checked all electrical plugs and connectors
> just in case I accidentally disconnected something but all were OK.
>
> Kevin

What kind of plugs did you put back in? Some Jeep engines won't run on
bosch plugs....

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pi...?id=2115147590
(More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)

Mike Romain

K-tron wrote:
>
> On Mon, 09 Oct 2006 00:07:32 GMT, kevin.dooks@ns.sympatico.ca wrote:
>
> >Hi all, after purchasing the '04 GC I posted about a few weeks back, I
> >was initially thrilled with a combined fuel economy of 22 MPG !
> >
> >However now that the temperature is starting to drop here in the
> >frozen north, I am somewhat distressed with the current 14 MPG.
> >
> >Nothing has changed, my driving habits, routes and distances are the
> >same, the only change has been the outside temperature.
> >
> >I am thinking that I may have a sensor going a bit flakey.
> >Anyone have any thoughts ?
> >
> >
> >BTW 4.0L, 4 speed auto, 3.55 rear
> >
> >Kevin
>
> Thanks for the input folks, here is some more info. Yes my area does
> switch to a 'winter' blend but not for another month or so. No I do
> not use an alcohol blend of fuel ( E85 is just WRONG!! ). The brand
> and grade of fuel are the same. I calculate my MPG manually and
> compare that figure with the on-board smarts, the difference is less
> than 0.1 MPG so that doesn't account for an 8 MPG drop .
>
> The engine temp when hot is 140 C or about 195 F, I wouldn't think
> that this is too cold but I could be wrong. It is at temp after 4 or 5
> minutes.
>
> The only other thing I did was to change the plugs, the NGKs I took
> out appeared to be running OKish ( #6 seemed a bit rich) but the gap
> was over .060 ! . I have checked all electrical plugs and connectors
> just in case I accidentally disconnected something but all were OK.
>
> Kevin

What kind of plugs did you put back in? Some Jeep engines won't run on
bosch plugs....

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pi...?id=2115147590
(More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)

Mike Romain

K-tron wrote:
>
> On Mon, 09 Oct 2006 00:07:32 GMT, kevin.dooks@ns.sympatico.ca wrote:
>
> >Hi all, after purchasing the '04 GC I posted about a few weeks back, I
> >was initially thrilled with a combined fuel economy of 22 MPG !
> >
> >However now that the temperature is starting to drop here in the
> >frozen north, I am somewhat distressed with the current 14 MPG.
> >
> >Nothing has changed, my driving habits, routes and distances are the
> >same, the only change has been the outside temperature.
> >
> >I am thinking that I may have a sensor going a bit flakey.
> >Anyone have any thoughts ?
> >
> >
> >BTW 4.0L, 4 speed auto, 3.55 rear
> >
> >Kevin
>
> Thanks for the input folks, here is some more info. Yes my area does
> switch to a 'winter' blend but not for another month or so. No I do
> not use an alcohol blend of fuel ( E85 is just WRONG!! ). The brand
> and grade of fuel are the same. I calculate my MPG manually and
> compare that figure with the on-board smarts, the difference is less
> than 0.1 MPG so that doesn't account for an 8 MPG drop .
>
> The engine temp when hot is 140 C or about 195 F, I wouldn't think
> that this is too cold but I could be wrong. It is at temp after 4 or 5
> minutes.
>
> The only other thing I did was to change the plugs, the NGKs I took
> out appeared to be running OKish ( #6 seemed a bit rich) but the gap
> was over .060 ! . I have checked all electrical plugs and connectors
> just in case I accidentally disconnected something but all were OK.
>
> Kevin

What kind of plugs did you put back in? Some Jeep engines won't run on
bosch plugs....

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pi...?id=2115147590
(More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)

archtopshop

I experienced a drop in gas mileage last year, albeit not as severe as
you are experiencing. It turned out the right rear brake caliper on the
ZJ was sticking and the brake was dragging. It's easy to check. A wheel
with a dragging brake will be too hot to touch with a bare hand.
Normally, the wheels will be just warm. In my case I just greased the
pins and the problem went away. My 96 ZJ gets 17-18 MPG in combined
driving and 22-23 MPG on trips. YMMV.

<kevin.dooks@ns.sympatico.ca> wrote:

> Hi all, after purchasing the '04 GC I posted about a few weeks back, I
> was initially thrilled with a combined fuel economy of 22 MPG !
>
> However now that the temperature is starting to drop here in the
> frozen north, I am somewhat distressed with the current 14 MPG.
>
> Nothing has changed, my driving habits, routes and distances are the
> same, the only change has been the outside temperature.
>
> I am thinking that I may have a sensor going a bit flakey.
> Anyone have any thoughts ?
>
>
> BTW 4.0L, 4 speed auto, 3.55 rear
>
> Kevin

archtopshop

I experienced a drop in gas mileage last year, albeit not as severe as
you are experiencing. It turned out the right rear brake caliper on the
ZJ was sticking and the brake was dragging. It's easy to check. A wheel
with a dragging brake will be too hot to touch with a bare hand.
Normally, the wheels will be just warm. In my case I just greased the
pins and the problem went away. My 96 ZJ gets 17-18 MPG in combined
driving and 22-23 MPG on trips. YMMV.

<kevin.dooks@ns.sympatico.ca> wrote:

> Hi all, after purchasing the '04 GC I posted about a few weeks back, I
> was initially thrilled with a combined fuel economy of 22 MPG !
>
> However now that the temperature is starting to drop here in the
> frozen north, I am somewhat distressed with the current 14 MPG.
>
> Nothing has changed, my driving habits, routes and distances are the
> same, the only change has been the outside temperature.
>
> I am thinking that I may have a sensor going a bit flakey.
> Anyone have any thoughts ?
>
>
> BTW 4.0L, 4 speed auto, 3.55 rear
>
> Kevin

archtopshop

I experienced a drop in gas mileage last year, albeit not as severe as
you are experiencing. It turned out the right rear brake caliper on the
ZJ was sticking and the brake was dragging. It's easy to check. A wheel
with a dragging brake will be too hot to touch with a bare hand.
Normally, the wheels will be just warm. In my case I just greased the
pins and the problem went away. My 96 ZJ gets 17-18 MPG in combined
driving and 22-23 MPG on trips. YMMV.

<kevin.dooks@ns.sympatico.ca> wrote:

> Hi all, after purchasing the '04 GC I posted about a few weeks back, I
> was initially thrilled with a combined fuel economy of 22 MPG !
>
> However now that the temperature is starting to drop here in the
> frozen north, I am somewhat distressed with the current 14 MPG.
>
> Nothing has changed, my driving habits, routes and distances are the
> same, the only change has been the outside temperature.
>
> I am thinking that I may have a sensor going a bit flakey.
> Anyone have any thoughts ?
>
>
> BTW 4.0L, 4 speed auto, 3.55 rear
>
> Kevin

Will Honea

On Mon, 9 Oct 2006 16:56:09 UTC K-tron <kdooks@supercity.ns.ca> wrote:

> On Mon, 09 Oct 2006 00:07:32 GMT, kevin.dooks@ns.sympatico.ca wrote:
>
> >Hi all, after purchasing the '04 GC I posted about a few weeks back, I
> >was initially thrilled with a combined fuel economy of 22 MPG !
> >
> >However now that the temperature is starting to drop here in the
> >frozen north, I am somewhat distressed with the current 14 MPG.
> >
> >Nothing has changed, my driving habits, routes and distances are the
> >same, the only change has been the outside temperature.
> >
> >I am thinking that I may have a sensor going a bit flakey.
> >Anyone have any thoughts ?
> >
> >
> >BTW 4.0L, 4 speed auto, 3.55 rear
> >
> >Kevin
>
>
> Thanks for the input folks, here is some more info. Yes my area does
> switch to a 'winter' blend but not for another month or so. No I do
> not use an alcohol blend of fuel ( E85 is just WRONG!! ). The brand
> and grade of fuel are the same. I calculate my MPG manually and
> compare that figure with the on-board smarts, the difference is less
> than 0.1 MPG so that doesn't account for an 8 MPG drop .
>
> The engine temp when hot is 140 C or about 195 F, I wouldn't think
> that this is too cold but I could be wrong. It is at temp after 4 or 5
> minutes.
>
> The only other thing I did was to change the plugs, the NGKs I took
> out appeared to be running OKish ( #6 seemed a bit rich) but the gap
> was over .060 ! . I have checked all electrical plugs and connectors
> just in case I accidentally disconnected something but all were OK.

I've had tires lose pressure with sudden temp changes. That usually
shows up as a gas hog, especially if I'm loaded up in the rear. A
vacuum leak can also make a big difference.

--
Will Honea

Will Honea

On Mon, 9 Oct 2006 16:56:09 UTC K-tron <kdooks@supercity.ns.ca> wrote:

> On Mon, 09 Oct 2006 00:07:32 GMT, kevin.dooks@ns.sympatico.ca wrote:
>
> >Hi all, after purchasing the '04 GC I posted about a few weeks back, I
> >was initially thrilled with a combined fuel economy of 22 MPG !
> >
> >However now that the temperature is starting to drop here in the
> >frozen north, I am somewhat distressed with the current 14 MPG.
> >
> >Nothing has changed, my driving habits, routes and distances are the
> >same, the only change has been the outside temperature.
> >
> >I am thinking that I may have a sensor going a bit flakey.
> >Anyone have any thoughts ?
> >
> >
> >BTW 4.0L, 4 speed auto, 3.55 rear
> >
> >Kevin
>
>
> Thanks for the input folks, here is some more info. Yes my area does
> switch to a 'winter' blend but not for another month or so. No I do
> not use an alcohol blend of fuel ( E85 is just WRONG!! ). The brand
> and grade of fuel are the same. I calculate my MPG manually and
> compare that figure with the on-board smarts, the difference is less
> than 0.1 MPG so that doesn't account for an 8 MPG drop .
>
> The engine temp when hot is 140 C or about 195 F, I wouldn't think
> that this is too cold but I could be wrong. It is at temp after 4 or 5
> minutes.
>
> The only other thing I did was to change the plugs, the NGKs I took
> out appeared to be running OKish ( #6 seemed a bit rich) but the gap
> was over .060 ! . I have checked all electrical plugs and connectors
> just in case I accidentally disconnected something but all were OK.

I've had tires lose pressure with sudden temp changes. That usually
shows up as a gas hog, especially if I'm loaded up in the rear. A
vacuum leak can also make a big difference.

--
Will Honea

Will Honea

On Mon, 9 Oct 2006 16:56:09 UTC K-tron <kdooks@supercity.ns.ca> wrote:

> On Mon, 09 Oct 2006 00:07:32 GMT, kevin.dooks@ns.sympatico.ca wrote:
>
> >Hi all, after purchasing the '04 GC I posted about a few weeks back, I
> >was initially thrilled with a combined fuel economy of 22 MPG !
> >
> >However now that the temperature is starting to drop here in the
> >frozen north, I am somewhat distressed with the current 14 MPG.
> >
> >Nothing has changed, my driving habits, routes and distances are the
> >same, the only change has been the outside temperature.
> >
> >I am thinking that I may have a sensor going a bit flakey.
> >Anyone have any thoughts ?
> >
> >
> >BTW 4.0L, 4 speed auto, 3.55 rear
> >
> >Kevin
>
>
> Thanks for the input folks, here is some more info. Yes my area does
> switch to a 'winter' blend but not for another month or so. No I do
> not use an alcohol blend of fuel ( E85 is just WRONG!! ). The brand
> and grade of fuel are the same. I calculate my MPG manually and
> compare that figure with the on-board smarts, the difference is less
> than 0.1 MPG so that doesn't account for an 8 MPG drop .
>
> The engine temp when hot is 140 C or about 195 F, I wouldn't think
> that this is too cold but I could be wrong. It is at temp after 4 or 5
> minutes.
>
> The only other thing I did was to change the plugs, the NGKs I took
> out appeared to be running OKish ( #6 seemed a bit rich) but the gap
> was over .060 ! . I have checked all electrical plugs and connectors
> just in case I accidentally disconnected something but all were OK.

I've had tires lose pressure with sudden temp changes. That usually
shows up as a gas hog, especially if I'm loaded up in the rear. A
vacuum leak can also make a big difference.

--
Will Honea