Very Poor MPG

[W@NDER]

HI ! I got a really poor mpg on my bug. One tank of gas could run for about 170 miles. Are there something wrong on my bug? I had my bug for daily drive. A 2 mile short trip between school and home. That's it.

Is it the reason for my poor mpg?
PS. It is a 2000 bug which will park outside

[iScott]

170 miles on a tank is very bad for a 2.0.
You should be getting at least a good 350 miles per tank.

Lots of things you can do:
-replace spark plugs and plug wires
-new air filter or cold air intake
-new fuel filter
-injector cleaner
-don't use the A/C as much

[Smileybug]

I'd say a good place to start is get your car scanned for codes. The CEL may not be on but there still may be some codes thrown that may tell you whats up. You can go to Autozone and get that done.

[digitalputty]

I'd start taking it on longer rides for a while see if that helps. Get the bug up to speeds higher than 55. Yup. Then start checking for codes and the what not. :P

[silverspoiler]

There is probably nothing wrong with your beetle, its just that you are only driving it for 2 miles at a time. Your engine won't even warm up enough to start working efficiently, and if you are just driving stop-and-go traffic in the city you will get very low fuel milage. City driving always gives you the worst mileage possible.

[Smileybug]

Thats true but it seems like that mileage is awfully low. When I first got my car, I was only driving about 2 or so miles everytime I drove it (since I was learning stick on it). I still never got lower than 21mpg on a tank.

[spdnbeetle01]

I had nearly the same thing happen to me. I changed the fuel filter, spark plugs, and cleaned the throttle body ALSO cleaned the MASS AIR FLOW sensor. Bought the $8 dollar can of CRT MASS AIR FLOW METER cleaner and sprayed the MAF sensor and BAM....got all my mileage gain back. Shes pushing 400ish to the tank if im not too hard on the throttle, and I'm not using the a/c too much.

[W@NDER]

oh! Thank ! Is it hard to do it by myself? I have no idea about my bug

[hannaco]

Not hard at all if you can use a screw driver.

[W@NDER]

Originally Posted by hannaco

Not hard at all if you can use a screw driver.

do u hv any pic to show me?

[hannaco]

Sorry, no. But there should be a how to do it article to help you out.
To change the MAF, just unscrew the two phillips screws that hold it to the air box. Then Pull it free from the air box, and remove the air tube. You can then clean it, or replace with a new one. Again, there should be a how to do it on cleaning the MAF. Or, buy the $8 dollar can of CRT MASS AIR FLOW METER cleaner from AutoZone, and spray the MAF sensor with the cleaner.

[noR]

I've never heard of CRT Mass Airflow Meter Cleaner; but I imagine it's probably okay.

I hear our MAF sensor's are pretty fragile; and the only other method I'd ever heard for cleaning them was to use a baggy and some isopropyl alcohol. Directions were to place the sensor in the baggy w/the fluid, and swish around lightly. Not to pour on it directly, etc etc.

Nice to know someone came out w/a cleaning solution.

[gilligan]

If none of that helps you might want to look into an o2 sensor because if it fails it will set the fuel mixture to rich so the motor doesn't burn up, that means dumping more gas into the motor than it needs. good luck figuring it out.

[Smileybug]

Codes should tell you if its the MAF or 02 sensor. So try getting it scanned before you do any work with it, I'd say.

[BUGSTUFF]

Check and probably replace the vacuum hose that runs from the manifold to the fuel pressure regulator, especially if your vacuum hoses have never been replaced.

Just my .02 cents.....

[W@NDER]

i had checked for the code. No code found and the guy told me my car was good. He said MPG depend on my driving habit.
less than 2 mile drive with 3-4 stop really cause that much?

[Smileybug]

On my car, driving like that didnt kill the mileage that badly. When I first got my car, I had to learn stick so for a few months I only did very local driving (to the grocery store which was a little over a mile away and my boyfriend's house which was like 2 miles away) and that was pretty much all it got the first little bit. I still got 21 mpg and thats the lowest mileage I've ever gotten.

I'd be willing to bet something else is up.

[spdnbeetle01]

Sorry all...I meant CRC Mass Air Cleaner...here's a pic! It works very well....I have sprayed 6 cars with this, and it truley works. I just sprayed my friends Kia Sephia which we averaged 276 to the tank, total of 4 days running at the most. After this was performed, the car now does 366 to the tank, and he doesn't have to fill up till 7 days later....just a thought!

[SilverSportNOLA]

I drive about 17 miles to and from work. I work on a base and have to make several short trips playing computer god to the various buildings on the base. I usually get 19-20 MPG and have for the year that I have been at this base. That is all city and expressway and work driving, no real highway. I had to train a new employee last month and on the days I drove the beetle I had her drive her vehicle to learn where everything was ... the other days I would drive my truck, after 4 weeks of leaving my car parked at work ... and just the 34 mile commute, my MPG went up to 22.5-23 MPG. During my commute I rely on my PassPort S2 ... so I don't take it easy. On base the max speed limit is 30MPH for most of those short trips. That kind of difference .... 3.5-4MPG with no other changes is huge, that means I get about 10-12MPG max during the 5 - 10 miles of short trips I make a day. Hell ... My F150 gets 14-15MPG all the time. I say the short trips are probably killing your MPG and probably engine also. Take a nice 150mile trip this weekend and see what your mpg is.

[W@NDER]

What is the first step to remove the MAF?
Need to take the air box away and get the MAF?
I saw one screw hold the air box and MAF!
and I cannot remove the cable connect to the MAF