Mileage distance indicator after filling tank

[~tc~]

Well, duh - you're burning gas and not going anywhere ... Wouldn't you expect the average mileage to go down?

[TheHolyGhost]

Starting today, while sitting at the light... I have been shutting my car off... and my MPG is moving up to 25.0 MPG so far...

The problem with doing this is there's potential to significantly shorten the life of your starter, because you're likely starting the car 10-20 times more frequently than you would under normal conditions.

[naviguy]

Well, duh - you're burning gas and not going anywhere ... Wouldn't you expect the average mileage to go down?

Well, of course.. HOWEVER, the Kizashi, is my 16th car, since I was 16 years old... and by FAR... only 1 out 2 that gets waaay worse mileage when the car idles.
(The other car was a 1968 MBZ that got horrible mileage if i let it idle too long.)

I believe there is something majorly 'worse' about our car's idle, than most other cars out there.

Example, my last car, was a heavy 2009 Toyota Camry, which is supposed to get about 21 City and 31 HWY MPG, and REPEATEDLY went 420 miles, per 18 gallon tank (23.33 mpg), which I found pretty impressive. AND, I let the car idle EVERY morning, without FAIL for 10 minutes, to 'warm up' and it would still hit 380 miles, BEFORE the gas light came on.

All of my other cars, I did the same thing... idle in the morning, and did NOT see any significant mileage reduction.

This car, however, when idled, has a serious reduction of miles per tank and MPG.
(The rating on the Suzuki Website is 30HWY, and 23City, however, when idling daily, I am getting around 13.7MPG average per tank, and as i mentioned in the other posts... I drive it carefully, no jack rabbit starts, and use cruise control everywhere to keep the instant mpg meter at 60 most of the time.)

I expect some reduction... but not this bad. (20mpg->13mpg for idling 7 minutes per day!?) Note: That doesn't even count traffic light idles...

I truly think, my experience of bad mileage on MY Kizzy, was related to idle time...

It seems to use an excessive amount of fuel in idle in my opinion while idling.

AND, it seems there are only a few of us complaining about mileage on this forum... my guess is, all of us are idling too much.

The problem with doing this is there's potential to significantly shorten the life of your starter, because you're likely starting the car 10-20 times more frequently than you would under normal conditions.

1. I was just 'testing' this theory to see if i get significantly better mileage... if NOT, I wasn't planning on doing it forever.
2. Especially, since I just looked it up on the Suzuki Parts website, and the cost is $589.66 on the Suzuki Parts Website! Ouch... definitely don't want to do it forever... but if i can prove that the idle uses too much gas, maybe Suzuki will find the root cause, and offer an improvement for us 'idlers.'


Sorry for the long post, but I am passionate about this one, because i truly feel there is something wrong, not just ranting...

[~tc~]

ROCK said the ECU is set up to run quite rich, and their piggyback leans it out.

That said, is this the first car with an instant MPG readout? How do you have it setup - to reset every tank? Obviously, any time idling is going to have a HUGE effect at the beginning of a tank because it's averaging that 5 mins at 0 MPG directly with 5 minutes at 30 MPG. As you go through the tank (or better yet, successive tanks) you will see that effect decrease.

I reset the average MPG with every oil change.

[naviguy]

ROCK said the ECU is set up to run quite rich, and their piggyback leans it out.

That said, is this the first car with an instant MPG readout? How do you have it setup - to reset every tank? Obviously, any time idling is going to have a HUGE effect at the beginning of a tank because it's averaging that 5 mins at 0 MPG directly with 5 minutes at 30 MPG. As you go through the tank (or better yet, successive tanks) you will see that effect decrease.

I reset the average MPG with every oil change.

No other car had the insta meter... so I just manually divided gallons by miles in the past... The problem is, I have now put 5 tanks of gas, and just before fill up, im between 13-16mpg on all five tanks...I have it set to reset on Trip A...

[hocaspocas]

ROCK said the ECU is set up to run quite rich, and their piggyback leans it out.

That said, is this the first car with an instant MPG readout? How do you have it setup - to reset every tank? Obviously, any time idling is going to have a HUGE effect at the beginning of a tank because it's averaging that 5 mins at 0 MPG directly with 5 minutes at 30 MPG. As you go through the tank (or better yet, successive tanks) you will see that effect decrease.

I reset the average MPG with every oil change.

To set the MPG readout to reset automatically you have to start your car on "ON" , I don't have my manual with me now. But there is a procedure to do this, it will show you a menu where you can set up the screen and the computer very easy. Each time you fill up the tank it will reset by it self.

[naviguy]

ROCK said the ECU is set up to run quite rich, and their piggyback leans it out.

That said, is this the first car with an instant MPG readout? How do you have it setup - to reset every tank? Obviously, any time idling is going to have a HUGE effect at the beginning of a tank because it's averaging that 5 mins at 0 MPG directly with 5 minutes at 30 MPG. As you go through the tank (or better yet, successive tanks) you will see that effect decrease.

I reset the average MPG with every oil change.

You know, you are correct about this one: Obviously, any time idling is going to have a HUGE effect at the beginning of a tank because it's averaging that 5 mins at 0 MPG directly with 5 minutes at 30 MPG

Because I just tested it again, when the tank is half full, and of course, it doesn't move as fast... however, my MPG is still 16MPG average

I also stopped turning the car off at every light, due to the cost of that starter!

[naviguy]

To set the MPG readout to reset automatically you have to start your car on "ON" , I don't have my manual with me now. But there is a procedure to do this, it will show you a menu where you can set up the screen and the computer very easy. Each time you fill up the tank it will reset by it self.[/quote]

I knew how to do that... Here is how for everyone else:
1. Turn Car ON, in Park, with no door open (or any other error message in the Dash Display or you cannot enter this mode.)
2. Hold the DISP button on the steering wheel (The upper of the two buttons.)
3. Press the TRIP button to move through the menu to FUEL Reset (The lower of the two buttons.)
4. Press the DISP button again to enter that mode.
5. Press the Trip computer to HIGHLIGHT which Fuel Reset mode you want. (Ex. Manually, each fuel refill, or with Trip A.)
6. Press the DISP button to select that mode.
7. Go to BACK, then BACK again.

[WESHOOT2]

I maintain a healthy distrust of electronic measurement of my actual mileage.
I trust dividing the miles I've driven by the gallons I've refilled with.
Using THAT method, my mileage varies between 24.5 up to 29 MPG.

My Kizashi is rarely at idle......