2004 alero loosing gas really fast

[nowlight]

My 2004 alero sucks alot of gas, I only drive it about 10k a day and I will need to fill it up almost once a week. It seems that every time that I start, the gase guage goes lower and lower.

V6 model.

Anyone know whats up with it, love this car to death and really want to know whats happing with it.

[JTrujillo86]

I think you meant to say 10 miles a day...

Anyway, if you're only driving so few of miles, then they're probably city miles, right? My car isn't the greatest in the city, either. I have a 2002 Alero V6. If I drive stricktly city, then I get usually 20 MPG. Highway is very good, however, at around 31 MPG.

Some things to check out would be the air filter and fuel filter. I'm not sure how many miles you have on your car, but if you're nearing 30K miles, it wouldn't kill to change the fuel filter. The air filter should be changed about every 10-15K miles.

Also, how hard do you accelerate from a stop? How hard do you brake? These things have a huge impact on your MPG.

- Jeremy

[JohnGTP]

At start up and before a car warms up is when your gas consumption is at it's worst..... but if you're only getting 50-70miles to a tank of gas then you have a serious issue somewhere. Does it smell like gas around your car??

[dunit1017]

I'm so glad I found someone who thinks the same thing...my dad thinks I'm an idiot for saying that...My 2004 Alero is also a V6 and is terrible on gas...I can't say I get that few MPG, but its very close...I love the car to death as well, but that is one thing I can't stand about it. One possible way to find out your real MPG would be to fill the gas tank completley and set your trip to zero...then, let the tank get as low as possible, and before you fill it back up, check the trip and see how many miles you have gotten...thats just one way I have heard of doing it. Hope it helps.

[nowlight]

No I ment k, I live in canada. I really dont understand it I have good mpg driving but for my its when I start my car is when I go through alot of gas?

[JTrujillo86]

Keep an eye on the gauge. Sometimes when I start my car, the gauge reads lower than when I shut my car off, but once the car gets going and gets warmed up, the gauge will move up a little bit. Like the previous post said, every time you get a new tank of gas, zero out your tripometer and see how far you go on a tank.

- Jeremy

[nowlight]

I will do that next time, and will post back. But is this "normal" for a 04?

[dunit1017]

Just for the record, my Alero also does what Jeremy's does. When the car is off, the guage says the gas tank is lower than it actually is. When the car gets warmed up, it gradually goes higher.

[JTrujillo86]

For my 2002 V6, which is the same engine you have, I USUALLY get 24 MPG with mixed mileage if I drive normally. All city driving, I usually get 20 MPG. All highway, I have gotten 33, almost 34 MPG, but normally get about 30. What kills the city driving, especially for you since you drive short trips, is the constant shutting on and shutting off of the engine. A vehicle uses as much fuel at start up as it does sitting in traffic for 2 minutes.

- Jeremy

P.S. - Normally, I go about 290-300 miles before I fill up...that's with mostly highway driving, with a little city mixed in there.

[JTrujillo86]

One last thing - keep in mind you're driving an American 12 valve V6 pushrod engine...they're not necessarily known for they're great gas mileage. Don't expect the same MPG as say a 2004 Honda Accord with a 24 valve V6 DOHC/SOHC engine.

- Jeremy

[vamc]

What kind of oct. are you using? If I use 87 oct. i get about, give or take, 3 mile less then when i use 94 oct. This is my experence with the gas.

[JTrujillo86]

Umm....I didn't think you could safely use 94 octane with these engines...I thought the highest octane you can use is 91. Am I wrong?

- Jeremy

[vamc]

Well, you can safely run up to 100oct. but you run the risk of kiling your o2 sencer. I never heard of 94 not being safe. we run 93-94 oct in all of our cars and no prob.94 is completely safe.

[nowlight]

I dont know what octane 91 is but in canada i use the the cheapest verson of gas.

[JohnGTP]

You can run the highest octane that you want and it won't damage your O2's. Your performance may suffer but you will only damage your O2's if you run leaded high octane fuel.