A Cars forum. AutoBanter

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Go Back   Home » AutoBanter forum » Auto makers » Saturn
Site Map Home Register Authors List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Web Partners

99 SL2--35 mpg!



 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old August 22nd 05, 04:15 AM
Tim & Jackie
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default 99 SL2--35 mpg!

How can this be??? I am the original owner of a 99 SL2 w/auto transmission.
It has 55,000 miles. I use Mobile 1 and change the oil once a year or
approximately every 8-10,000 miles. It uses about 1 qt between changes.
When we first got the car, it got about 21 city and 25 hwy. I haven't
checked the mileage for 4 or 5 years, but went on a long trip this weekend
and was shocked to only have to put in 10.5 gallons with 355 miles on the
odometer. The return trip was 8.5 gallons for 297 miles. That's darn
close to 35 mpg. I always use the cheap gas at the pump and everything is
100% stock.
Does anyone else get this kind of mileage with older Saturns?
Cheers from Fairbanks, Alaska
Tim


Ads
  #2  
Old August 22nd 05, 08:51 AM
RKHenry
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

"Tim & Jackie" > wrote in message
...
> How can this be??? I am the original owner of a 99 SL2 w/auto
> transmission.
> It has 55,000 miles. I use Mobile 1 and change the oil once a year or
> approximately every 8-10,000 miles. It uses about 1 qt between changes.
> When we first got the car, it got about 21 city and 25 hwy. I haven't
> checked the mileage for 4 or 5 years, but went on a long trip this weekend
> and was shocked to only have to put in 10.5 gallons with 355 miles on the
> odometer. The return trip was 8.5 gallons for 297 miles. That's darn
> close to 35 mpg. I always use the cheap gas at the pump and everything is
> 100% stock.
> Does anyone else get this kind of mileage with older Saturns?


Sounds about right to me. I'm using Mobil-1 in my 97, changing it when it
gets down a quart at around 5,000 miles. Current mileage 99,000. On my daily
commute, consisting of a 25 mile mix of city and highway driving, I've
routinely been averaging 33 with a standard deviation of about 2. On a
couple of long trips it got 38. Who needs a hybrid?

Two critical factors: trip length and inactivity. I figure that the short
trips don't let the engine warm up. Changing the engine temp sensor and
thermostat helped that a little, though it's still running a bit cool. When
the car sits for extended periods, like it has lately, the gas mileage goes
down significantly. One possibility is gas evaporating out of the tank,
though that's not supposed to be possible. Could also be injectors gumming
up due to sitting, as a bottle of injector cleaner seems to make a
difference. I've been avoiding gas with alcohol in it since that seems to
gum things up.

Bob Henry


  #3  
Old August 22nd 05, 09:44 AM
Roy
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Yeah, 98 SL1 manual and I get about 32 with a combination of city and
highway. My girlfriend's 98 SL1 auto gets about 28MPG with roughly the same
driving patterns (but her transmission acts funny)
"RKHenry" > wrote in message
t...
> "Tim & Jackie" > wrote in message
> ...
> > How can this be??? I am the original owner of a 99 SL2 w/auto
> > transmission.
> > It has 55,000 miles. I use Mobile 1 and change the oil once a year or
> > approximately every 8-10,000 miles. It uses about 1 qt between changes.
> > When we first got the car, it got about 21 city and 25 hwy. I haven't
> > checked the mileage for 4 or 5 years, but went on a long trip this

weekend
> > and was shocked to only have to put in 10.5 gallons with 355 miles on

the
> > odometer. The return trip was 8.5 gallons for 297 miles. That's darn
> > close to 35 mpg. I always use the cheap gas at the pump and everything

is
> > 100% stock.
> > Does anyone else get this kind of mileage with older Saturns?

>
> Sounds about right to me. I'm using Mobil-1 in my 97, changing it when it
> gets down a quart at around 5,000 miles. Current mileage 99,000. On my

daily
> commute, consisting of a 25 mile mix of city and highway driving, I've
> routinely been averaging 33 with a standard deviation of about 2. On a
> couple of long trips it got 38. Who needs a hybrid?
>
> Two critical factors: trip length and inactivity. I figure that the short
> trips don't let the engine warm up. Changing the engine temp sensor and
> thermostat helped that a little, though it's still running a bit cool.

When
> the car sits for extended periods, like it has lately, the gas mileage

goes
> down significantly. One possibility is gas evaporating out of the tank,
> though that's not supposed to be possible. Could also be injectors gumming
> up due to sitting, as a bottle of injector cleaner seems to make a
> difference. I've been avoiding gas with alcohol in it since that seems to
> gum things up.
>
> Bob Henry
>
>



  #4  
Old August 22nd 05, 11:33 AM
Randall
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

35mpg is nothing unusual for my 2000 SC2.

It's 5 spd, 90K, 70% Hwy/30% City and gets about 15 km/L without even
trying. Converted to the US equivalent at
http://www.sciencemadesimple.net/fuel_economy.php, that's 35.3 mpg.

If I baby it, I can get >17 km/L (about >40 mpg).

It markedly decreases in winter though to about 11-13 km/L (26-31 mpg).




"Tim & Jackie" > wrote in message
...
> How can this be??? I am the original owner of a 99 SL2 w/auto
> transmission.
> It has 55,000 miles. I use Mobile 1 and change the oil once a year or
> approximately every 8-10,000 miles. It uses about 1 qt between changes.
> When we first got the car, it got about 21 city and 25 hwy. I haven't
> checked the mileage for 4 or 5 years, but went on a long trip this weekend
> and was shocked to only have to put in 10.5 gallons with 355 miles on the
> odometer. The return trip was 8.5 gallons for 297 miles. That's darn
> close to 35 mpg. I always use the cheap gas at the pump and everything is
> 100% stock.
> Does anyone else get this kind of mileage with older Saturns?
> Cheers from Fairbanks, Alaska
> Tim
>
>



  #5  
Old August 22nd 05, 12:49 PM
Skip
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Tim & Jackie wrote:
> How can this be??? I am the original owner of a 99 SL2 w/auto transmission.
> It has 55,000 miles. I use Mobile 1 and change the oil once a year or
> approximately every 8-10,000 miles. It uses about 1 qt between changes.
> When we first got the car, it got about 21 city and 25 hwy. I haven't
> checked the mileage for 4 or 5 years, but went on a long trip this weekend
> and was shocked to only have to put in 10.5 gallons with 355 miles on the
> odometer. The return trip was 8.5 gallons for 297 miles. That's darn
> close to 35 mpg. I always use the cheap gas at the pump and everything is
> 100% stock.
> Does anyone else get this kind of mileage with older Saturns?
> Cheers from Fairbanks, Alaska
> Tim
>
>


I have 2k SL2(Sleek Blue Bueaty)w/ manuel transmission and I get around
40+ mpg rural. Of course I do have the factory spoiler installed

--
They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.
Benjamin Franklin
  #6  
Old August 22nd 05, 01:03 PM
marx404
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

With the current price of gas, isnt it great to own a saturn? 35 mpg is
quite the status quo for us. I have an '02 with an intake and I average
25-30 mpg, stock I will do 35. Our family SL1's average 35-40 mpg.

marx404


  #8  
Old August 22nd 05, 11:56 PM
Lane
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

> I use Mobile 1 and change the oil once a year or approximately every
8-10,000 miles.

That makes me cringe - especially if you don't change the filter more often.
While using synth oil is commendable, it still picks up the same
contaminants that regular oil does, both particle and chemical (and
recirculates them). Do the longevity of your motor a favor and stick to the
recommended interval of 3000 miles.

Lane [ lane (at) evilplastic.com ]
---
Visit my Saturn Car Audio and Performance Page at http://www.evilplastic.com



"Tim & Jackie" > wrote in message
...
> How can this be??? I am the original owner of a 99 SL2 w/auto

transmission.
> It has 55,000 miles. I use Mobile 1 and change the oil once a year or
> approximately every 8-10,000 miles. It uses about 1 qt between changes.
> When we first got the car, it got about 21 city and 25 hwy. I haven't
> checked the mileage for 4 or 5 years, but went on a long trip this weekend
> and was shocked to only have to put in 10.5 gallons with 355 miles on the
> odometer. The return trip was 8.5 gallons for 297 miles. That's darn
> close to 35 mpg. I always use the cheap gas at the pump and everything is
> 100% stock.
> Does anyone else get this kind of mileage with older Saturns?
> Cheers from Fairbanks, Alaska
> Tim
>
>



  #9  
Old August 23rd 05, 04:12 PM
marx404
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Amen to Blah blah and Lane. I am asked frequently about going longer using
synth oils, especially the newer Mobil 1 products. My motor lives on Mobil
1 and expensive K&N gold oil filters, even though I don't need the more
expensive stuff. I have exceeded 3K intervals by 1 or 200 miles, but any
longer than that and that is just plain foolish IMHO when contaminates are a
serious factor.

I wish I could get one of the techs to cut an oil filter in half thats been
changed at 3K miles and one at 50K or more so ppl could see how dirty the
filter gets and what junk the oil has to flow through as it passes thru the
filter every time they crank up the engine.

Back to the topic at hand, if/when the price of gas goes up to $3. a gallon,
I am 86'ing my AEM intake and putting the oem back on!

marx404


  #10  
Old August 29th 05, 06:40 PM
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

"marx404" > wrote:

>I wish I could get one of the techs to cut an oil filter in half thats been
>changed at 3K miles and one at 50K or more so ppl could see how dirty the
>filter gets and what junk the oil has to flow through as it passes thru the
>filter every time they crank up the engine.


A pipe cutter you roll around a pipe will cut it really nice. A&P
mechanics commonly inspect the filter guts on piston air craft when
they do an oil change.

Wes
--
Reply to:
Whiskey Echo Sierra Sierra AT Alpha Charlie Echo Golf Romeo Oscar Paul dot Charlie Charlie
Lycos address is a spam trap.
 




Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 01:37 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 AutoBanter.
The comments are property of their posters.