I have a 2001 Civic EX sedan and I'm only getting ~16MPG. Yes, just 16.

Just a little background.

After I bought this car new, I ended up living in a very urban area where driving wasn't that necessary. First few years I only put on like 6k miles. After moving and putting on around another 10k (I don't drive much since I work in Manhattan and commute via bus). I used my car for basic errands and such. I used it so little, I ended up parking it at my friends place where it literally sat for 5 years. So now I have a 2001 Civic with 17k miles on it. After finally deciding I needed my car again, I took it into service and got a full workup. Replaced all fluids, filters, etc. Tires had dry rot, so replaced them as well. Only thing I passed on was belt replacement which I'll be scheduling shortly.

I still don't drive much, maybe 5-10 miles a day at most. Pretty much all city driving. I didn't pay attention to my first few refuels, but my last two have pretty much been the same...16MPG

I'll be taking the car in for an oil change and the belt replacement soon, but is there something different I should be doing to improve the mileage or ask for the service team to look at?

 

tuneup is the most important thing if you want good mpg.. have you change ur plugs? clean ur injectors too... cuz thats strange you should be getting over 28mpg

 

A lot of things can cause the mileage to drop of course. Alignment issues, tire pressure, bad plugs, clogged fuel filter/injectors, but it sounds like you replaced a lot of those things.

Maybe a bad fuel pump, or dying pump? Any check engine lights on? What is your driving style like? Is the car manual or auto?

 

I'll have to go over the last maintenance record to recall everything that was done.

No lights are on. Its an automatic.

Driving style is normal I guess. I don't do anything crazy. In the mornings, I have to move my car to the street and when I get home from work, I usually run an errand or two and then park overnight. I don't really like driving (if you can't tell by my mileage).

 

Change your oil ($15), get double platinum-tipped spark plugs ($9), get a new air filter or upgrade to a performance air filter ($7-$35), inflate your tires to proper PSI, remove excess weight from the car (toolboxes, extra junk in the trunk, etc.,), put lucas fuel injector cleaner in it on a full tank ($7), clean or replace PCV valve with soap and water and allow to dry ($0-$5), clean your intake (not filter, just hoses, attachments and choke)with carb cleaner and allow to dry) and use 87 Octane instead of 93 octane or something similar. You will see a dramatic difference. Set up a cold air RAM air intake if you can.

 

If you're talking about fighting through Manhattan traffic at an average of 7 mph, I'd say 16 mpg is pretty good. This is where hybrid cars really excel.

 

yeah, i have this same problem.