PT Cruiser BAD Gas Milage

[iriegnome]

Ok. I love the car and it is extremely functional for me. Mine is a 5 speed manual transmission with nothing else on it. I even put my own radio in it because I bought it without one.
So, I only get about 22 miles to the gallon. My Ford Aspire got 36 mpg until the transmission blew up at 150,000 miles and I was forced to get a new car.
HELP!!! I know the basic stuff, tire pressure, slow down and all of that, but there has got to be a better mechanical way to get even semi-decent gas milage. I mean really, I drive a small car that gets the same milage as my friends Cadillac.

[Hateful]

Originally Posted by iriegnome

Ok. I love the car and it is extremely functional for me. Mine is a 5 speed manual transmission with nothing else on it. I even put my own radio in it because I bought it without one.
So, I only get about 22 miles to the gallon. My Ford Aspire got 36 mpg until the transmission blew up at 150,000 miles and I was forced to get a new car.
HELP!!! I know the basic stuff, tire pressure, slow down and all of that, but there has got to be a better mechanical way to get even semi-decent gas milage. I mean really, I drive a small car that gets the same milage as my friends Cadillac.

Can you operate a cutting torch?

[Three6Eight]

Clean the MAF sensor and change the O2 sensor.

Those are great MPG re-adders =)

[R.I.D.E.]

I thought the PT was really a great idea until I saw the mileage ratings. Wifes 06 Murano gets the same mileage.

regards
gary

[GasSavers_ALS]

I have heard for years that the PT Cruisers mileage was not that great.
The Calibers seem to have the same MPG problem.

[jadziasman]

No wonder the Caliber is aptly named "Dodge"

Honda power!!!

[Big Dave]

Another mechanical thing to try.

Jack up the wheels and see if they spin freely. You'll know it immediately if they don't.

Metallic brake pads rust at the edges and swell up, causing the brakes to drag. This is very common in pickups. One guy couldn't even spin his at all by hand.

[JanGeo]

When I went looking for a new car a few years ago I looked at the PT's . . . cast iron block . . . old engine technology . . . not a lot of room inside from what I can see when people drive by with them with their arm hangin out the window. That's why I bought the Scion xB.

How many miles on the engine so far?

[GasSavers_RoadWarrior]

Shouldn't be that terrible, it's got a slightly better drag co-efficient than my minivan, .39 vs .43, less frontal area, less weight by ~400lb, 3spd auto vs 5spd manual, presumably a more efficient motor, but the 3.0 and 2.4 about tied for economy and power output when they were in the minivans in the same years.

Might need to find the "happy" acceleration range for that motor, gut feeling would be 2500-4000 RPM, bit of a mashup really, a DOHC that might almost be called a stroker.

[GasSavers_RoadWarrior]

Just thinking a full upper grille block above the bumper line might be a good start though.