Hey there,

I think I may have noticed that my gas mileage is not as great as it was before the alternator swap... Could there be a connection?

I replaced it with an alternator from advanced auto parts, brand: wolrdwide, 70 amps.

Is this brand ok? What's the deal?

I averaged about 38 mpg highway before. And now, I may be getting as low as 30...

Thanks in advance for your input.

-Danny

 

in my non-professional opinion i would say... no.
how are you gauging your mpg?

 

Just having a full tank before I leave on a big (mostly highway trip). Then fill up my tank when I get back and divide total miles by the gallons it takes me to fill up my tank

 

This may be a silly question, but when you shopped for the replacement part, did you filter the parts to your exact engine? I usually shop Autozone online for my parts to compare before i make a purchase, and I've found that its car selection is a little more specific than the one I used for Advance.

If that questions was just outright silly I apologize but I find myself in ambiguous buying situations sometimes and end up unsure of what part fits my exact engine. Also, out of curiosity, whats the model and year of your ride? I can check a couple different sources that I have grown to trust and compare the results to your replacement part.

 

Thanks for the help. I really appreciate it.

It's a 1995 Honda Civic dx. AAP was pretty specific with their Make Model and Year. This was the only option. But I have read some mixed reviews on "Worldwide."

Any thing you can come up with would be great. Because I will go back and argue up and down if I have the ammo to prove that the refurbished alternator is negatively affecting my gas mileage.

Thanks again!

 

The specs for your alternator seem right. Regardless of VTEC, the 95 dx 1.5L uses a 12V, 70A 121mm diameter alternator. Did the refurbished come wit ha warranty? Any refurbished part that sees a lot of action like an alternator - even one that is professionally refurbished - has a chance of being faulty. Most places will offer a limited 1 or 2 year warranty with the unit, so if you can prove that your gas mileage has dropped after the replacement you should be able to get a replacement - probably another refurb unit but thats not necessarily a bad thing.

To show the comparative mpg drop, use your last fillup and marked odometer reading to show quantitatively your mpg after the unit swap. Try 1995 Honda Civic Specs and Features - MSN Autos
to get a bead on what the gas mileage should be for your model (the link will go to the DX hatchback, but the 'trim' dropdown will let you select any of the 1995 models)

Hope this helps

 

I don't know if it would effect the mpg but it could I guess, if you have the belt misadjusted too tight putting too much load on the crankshaft... A shot in the dark but other than replacing the part itself the belt tension is the only thing that changed.

 

instead of cross referencing parts, just think a little bit.

what would negatively affect the fuel mileage?
extra load on the motor.
what could cause this?

possibly the alternator, if it is seizing, causing the motor to have to work harder to turn it. to check this, just take off the alternator belt, and see if the alternator spins freely.

lots of other things could cause negative fuel mileage. clogged fuel filter, air filter, low tire pressure, sticking brakes...

 

Good Post. Always go back to the last thing you did before the problem. You missed heavy foot on lots of things. ha ha