gas mileage?

[hikeback9]

i have a 1992 paseo 5 speed with ~244,000 miles and i am wondering what the gas mileage should be? i am currently getting around 28 mpg. is there any way i could improve it. we have cleaned the throttle body using carb cleaner. What could i do to get better gas mileage?

also the exhaust down pipe was missing when i got the car in February but i finally got my license in October, so the car got driven only about 2,000 miles while i has it. I do not know how long it was loose before i got it. the old owner said that the mechanic said it had a bad oxygen sensor was bad, but once i tightened it the CEL didn't come back on once i cleared the codes. every time i was going to look at it i had some thing else to do. and i don't know how long it was loose or missing. now i got it tightened up and used some locktite to hold it in there. is there anything else i should do ?

[Dolanite]

You could try a new air filter, new spark plugs/wires, maybe some injector cleaner

[NickR]

City or highway driving? 28mpg City is good. 28mpg highway is not.

[hikeback9]

it is a combination of both most of the miles are at speeds around 55 mph
i have one more question that i could not seem to find, how many gallons can the gas tank hold?

[Donald]

28 mpg for mixed driving is not bad.

Tire pressure, wheel alignment, running your airconditioner, hilly roads, how much weight (stuff) you are carrying around in the car can affect your milage also. Last but not least, your driving style. Hard accelleration, and waiting till the last minute to brake can be bad for milage.

Try this: while you are on the express way, try to maintain a constant (safe) distance from the car ahead of you by modulating the gas pedal and using a minimum amount of brakes.

[thoughthard]

I average 34 lately in town. I used to average 40 when I lived in Phoenix.

Mods that could effect MPG: K&N drop-in and Dynomax Ultraflo. Tires filled to two pounds under max pressure.

Gas tank holds a bit over 11 gallons.

[thoughthard]

Do you have a 5 spd or auto?

[hikeback9]

i have a five spd. i usually have one passenger, a box for the 2 10" subs. i guess that with everything weighs a Maximum of 375 pounds. the tires say that they can be pumped up to 40 psi (44 in the fine print)but with the current temps i don't want to pump them up all of the way because the temp is fluctuating. as soon as the temps are more predictable i will put the maximum (40)psi in it.

[Donald]

What size tires do you have on? Wide tires will lower your mileage, that is one of the reasons that the manufacturers sell economy cars with those skinny tires (apart from the skinny tires being cheaper)

I run 195x50x15's on my Tercel at 37 psi front and 35 rear. I get 30 mpg, mixed highway and city driving, but because of my work hours and the fact that it is a small city, I rarely find myself in traffic.