What??

I'm an electrical enginner and would love to learn something new, please explain.

 

Old thread sticky'd


I have a 2000 RX300

I do mostly city driving but occasionally highway drives occur.

I was averaging around 18+ per tank in the summer and sometimes getting nearly 300 off a full tank

Now with winter hitting, I am closer to 17 avg and filling the tank around 250

This thing just has a small tank in general. On the highway, I get approx what I expected. At 65mph, It shows around 23-24 mpg.

 

My 2002 has a huge (19.5-or-so) gallon tank.

I usually go around 300 miles between refills. I've been trying to get up to 400 miles, but usually chicken out when the gas light has been on for awhile... I think the max I can remember going is 385 miles.

A lot of it is highway driving, and yes, it is common to have poorer fuel economy with colder weather.

 

My 2000 tank only fills to about 13 gallons, 14.5 gallons if i really push it.

 

My 2001 AWD gets pretty consistent 19mpg combined city/hwy. Has a 19.5 gallon tank.

 

'99 AWD gets 22-23 mpg hwy, 16 or so in city. It dropped down to 14 over the past few months and I changed the front rotors and pads and wire brushed everything thoroughly. Also, cleaned and lubed the caliper slide pin bolts. Finally, I put in Sea Foam in a full tank of gas (about 1/2 can). Now it's getting 16-17 city again on regular.

 

do you think it is the Sea Foam that make the difference?
what kind of sea foam did you use?

 

I wish I knew for sure... but I think my thorough brushing, cleaning, replacing of the rotors & pads, lubing the slide pins, etc. really helped the most.

I should have done the SeaFoam separately, to be sure. I think after about 130k on the original rotors they were beginning to warp & rust internally. You could feel shimmying when I braked. Now it's smooth braking!

I have used SeaFoam on other vehicles and it really cleans the engine nicely. Seemed to run smoother. I just put about a half can in the fuel with a full tank. But read the directions... to be sure.

Here is the type. Most auto stores as well as Walmart have it.

I do have a drop in K&N Air Filter... which I think lets the engine breathe better.

Next on the agenda would be to replace the plug wires. Not that it's not running smoothly, but they are old.

 

I think seafoam is most effective when done through the brake booster line. Well atleast that's what i've heard, i haven't done it yet to the rx300, i figure why fix something that's not broken.

 

Yes, ideally one puts 1/3 can in the fuel tank, 1/3 sucked through the brake booster line into the intake, and 1/3 in the oil. When sucked in through the booster line in other cars, it really cleans the intake well of the accumulated gunk in them. Nice white smoke plumes come out of the exhaust for 5 minutes or so. Burns it right out.

1. It seems reviews are mixed on doing the booster line on these RX's. Do a search on this and you'll find it. So I also have hesitated to try it on these cars.

2. The 1/3 can in a full tank of fuel is easy and I think does a fine job.

3. The 1/3 can in the oil may be an option, but you only leave it in for a drive and then change the oil. ... they say. I haven't tried it on any car, yet.

One can Youtube "Seafoam" and see a bunch of smoking vehicles being cleaned out of carbon deposits.

 

Another thing that greatly affects mileage is just your driving style. I know that when I drive my '01, I usually get about 18 city and 22 highway, but when I let one of my friends drive it, he usually likes to open the throttle a bit more than I do, and it usually averages about 12-13 when he drives it. It all just depends on how you like to drive that really has the biggest affect on the MPG

 

Your friend is beating the **** out of your car if it only get's 12mpgs when he drives it. If you want the car to last, I would refrain from letting him borrow it.

 

Haha, he likes to really use the accelerator. I usually don't let him drive it unless really necessary.

 

My RX300 got about 24mpg on the highway a couple of years ago. I noticed that the mpg dropped off. I did the same things: spark plugs, oil, air filter. My mileage improved after using some injector cleaner and changing out the ignition coils. Hold on to your wallet though, because those coils are expensive!

 

I've got a 2002 2WD RX 300 that's currently averaging 20.3 on regular. I do not use premium even though it is recommended. When I first bought the RX, the display read 19.4, but then again, I curb my lead foot tendencies and drive it like a senior citizen and stay out of the passing lane.