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Huge Gas Milegae Problem

3K views 25 replies 9 participants last post by  jpdeuce 
#1 ·
hi guys,
this is great site ..i just got in to it...
i have 99 beetle 2.0 litre since last 6 months..i was having good gas mileage per gallon with it around 20-29 (city-hwy)....i went to europe for 1.5 months and car was parked in snow...i came back and got oil changed...my mileage right now is ONLY 10 MILES per gallon....it sucks!!!!!!!!

please help me out..can any body tell me whats going on..what is wrong with my little sweety????????????

sanchita
 
#4 ·
Lets start with the recent oil change. What oil was used?
What color is the smoke? Is it mostly white like water vapor, or black like soot?
When the oil was changed, did they do anything else?
Pop the hood. Just after turning off the motor. Do you smell gas or anything else out of place?
Can you go someplace dry like a parking garage?
 
#5 ·
hannaco said:
Lets start with the recent oil change. What oil was used?
What color is the smoke? Is it mostly white like water vapor, or black like soot?
When the oil was changed, did they do anything else?
Pop the hood. Just after turning off the motor. Do you smell gas or anything else out of place?
Can you go someplace dry like a parking garage?

hi there,
those guys at jiffy lube told me that it has been a while since i changed the oil...they said very little motor oil was left anf it conatineddebris...so they burned that oil completely before oil change..
i think smoke is white but lot...i think it was simple penziol oil....
please help me out
 
#6 ·
If the smoke is white, the "smoke" is most likely just water vapor. In warm weather, you just do not notice it. When cool outside, the water vapor condenses, and you can see it.
As a guess, you have a gas leak. The easy way to find it is to use your nose. Just park somewhere dry, turn off the motor, and start sniffing around the car.

Is the car working OK other than the poor fuel economy?
 
#7 ·
hannaco said:
If the smoke is white, the "smoke" is most likely just water vapor. In warm weather, you just do not notice it. When cool outside, the water vapor condenses, and you can see it.
As a guess, you have a gas leak. The easy way to find it is to use your nose. Just park somewhere dry, turn off the motor, and start sniffing around the car.

Is the car working OK other than the poor fuel economy?
hi there,
thanks for ur suggestion..but right now i donot have garage and dry surface here...but will try it as soon as i get a chance...
otherwise car is running ok...although when i push accelerator...it is making some noise as if there is pressure on engine..
should i call the guys who did oil change??????????

thanks
 
#8 ·
sanchita said:
hi there,
thanks for ur suggestion..but right now i donot have garage and dry surface here...but will try it as soon as i get a chance...
otherwise car is running ok...although when i push accelerator...it is making some noise as if there is pressure on engine..
should i call the guys who did oil change??????????

thanks
Is there any fliud or oil coming out of the exhaust?
Could be bad O2/MAF sensor causing it to run super rich...
 
#9 ·
hi guys thanks for ur reply,
i took the car to jiffy lube..since these guys changed my oil...they looked at the car and told me that there might be some leak some where whcih is not allowing the gas to reach engine to ignite...and due to that leak water might be getting mixed with gas and motor oil...told me all that kind of stuff and then he dip the the indicator rod into the engine oil and showed me that it had a smell of gas and gas is getting mixed with it....
he told me take it to dealer.....i went to dealer and he told me right away 90 bucks just for diagnostics..
i m at notre dame IN...does any body have any idea about VW mechanic around here....
any suggestions please????????????????????
 
#10 ·
Any check engine lights? I'd stay away from Jiffy Lube BUT I will admit, at least they told you to have the dealer check it out. Mileage does drop when it gets colder out (I forget why...cold air is more dense, hence more gas needed for combustion??? or maybe some simpler reason) but I don't think it should drop to 10mpg.
 
#11 ·
rcy said:
Any check engine lights? I'd stay away from Jiffy Lube BUT I will admit, at least they told you to have the dealer check it out. Mileage does drop when it gets colder out (I forget why...cold air is more dense, hence more gas needed for combustion??? or maybe some simpler reason) but I don't think it should drop to 10mpg.

YA ENGINE CHECK LIGHT ALSO CAME TODAY.....MILEAGE IS 10 OR LESS....ITS PAIN...
ANY RECEOMMENDATION FOR REPAIR SHOP EXCEPT DEALERS..
THANKS
 
#12 ·
First you need to know what caused the check engine light to turn on.
Most AutoZone auto parts stores will read the codes for free. Once you get the code, then you can start to find out the problem.
About how many miles has the car been driven?
 
#13 ·
hannaco said:
First you need to know what caused the check engine light to turn on.
Most AutoZone auto parts stores will read the codes for free. Once you get the code, then you can start to find out the problem.
About how many miles has the car been driven?
hi there,
car just have 39k...its 99 automatic gls...
i will try to find the check light code at auto zone..
thanks
 
#14 ·
Hmm, possibly the vacuum hose to the fuel pressure regulator might be cracked or fell off. That might cause the crappy mileage and the CEL (P0411, I think).

Bad plugs, bad wires, bad MAF, bad 02 sensor.......:confused:
 
#17 ·
hi every body,
today i took my car finally to dealer...and he made a bill of $1130..he said the vaccum hoze, starter are required to be replaced as well as the fuel injection system need to be cleaned and couple of other things...
did he ripped me off or this was supposed to be the charge...
please let me know

thanks

sanchita
 
#19 ·
I don't know but it sounded pretty bad...I was expecting a much bigger number when I came to the end of this. Fluids in the oil other than oil is usually a BAD thing. Anyway...is it running normal now? I'd say don't park it somewhere for a month where it's going to be exposed to freezing temps again. Or if you do, after you park it drain everything out of it before you leave it for that long and then add all new stuff when you get back before you drive it.

I don't know...but it can't be good for it. Hope it's fixed now...I'd say for a thousand bux you did alright. But that's just my opinion based on what you have said so far. And my opinion is prolly worth what you paid for it.
 
#20 ·
jpdeuce said:
I'd say don't park it somewhere for a month where it's going to be exposed to freezing temps again. Or if you do, after you park it drain everything out of it before you leave it for that long and then add all new stuff when you get back before you drive it.
Umm DO NOT DO THAT! You must leave the coolant in the vehicle or if its exposed to freezing temps your have a cracked block to worry about!
 
#22 ·
sanchita said:
hi there,
those guys at jiffy lube told me that it has been a while since i changed the oil...they said very little motor oil was left anf it conatineddebris...so they burned that oil completely before oil change..
i think smoke is white but lot...i think it was simple penziol oil....
please help me out
Hi everybody, first post here. I found out about this
site over at the TDI forum. My daughter has a '02 NB 2.0 gas.

I would not be surpised at all if Jiffy Lube didn't screw up something on the intake system. They have a habit of wanting to sell new air filters and the NB isn't all that easy to remove. Just a thought.
 
#23 ·
thanks every body for all ur suggestions...i really appreciate it...
dealer also changed my faulty oxygen sensor for free..coz it was under warranty...i have driven car for only 5-6 miles and i m seeing little difference in the way it is running...
i hope it will be fine....will check for gas mileage also and keep u guys posting...

thanks again for wonderful help and advice...
 
#24 ·
Xkontour98 said:
Umm DO NOT DO THAT! You must leave the coolant in the vehicle or if its exposed to freezing temps your have a cracked block to worry about!

hi Xkontour98,
mechanics at dealership did the full inspection and they found only the vaccum hose, spark plug, oxygen sensor faulty....
do u think these are the only thing which can go wrong due to low or no coolant..

thanks
 
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