Anyone else notice decreased MPG with vehicle age
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Senior Member
Joined: 02-15-2010
Posts: 1,706
From: Minneapolis, MN
Anyone else notice decreased MPG with vehicle age
So I have a 2008 Chevy HHR 2LT with the 2.4 L engine. If I remember correctly, I used to be able to get anywhere from 29-32mpg on the highway. Now lately it seems like it just doesn't get as good as it used to. Sometimes as low as 25mpg highway. I have recently changed the air filter and cleaned the throttle body. It has only 92,000 miles on it. I use synthetic oil and change between 5-7k miles. The biggest thing I notice now, after having owned newer vehicles with a 6 speed transmission, one with a 8 speed transmission, and one with the CVT transmission, is that the engine is running really hard on the highway, between 2500-3000 rpm to maintain 70-75 mph. If I were to go 80, it runs 3,000 rpm minimum. It's the 4 speed transmission seems so outdated now 10 years later. Just doesn't have the guts on the highway, it could have used a 6 speed lol. 4 cylinder and 4 speed isn't a good combination I guess. I guess back then I never thought anything of it. City mpg is acceptable to me, I can usually get 24 avg minimum.
Senior Member
Joined: 03-22-2010
Posts: 2,108
From: Russia Ekaterinburg
You're right - it seems ...
These are subjective feelings.
When my Hippo starts to seem slow to me, I take my woman's car. 10 - 15 minutes by her car, and my tomboy again seems to me nimble and unstoppable.
These are subjective feelings.
When my Hippo starts to seem slow to me, I take my woman's car. 10 - 15 minutes by her car, and my tomboy again seems to me nimble and unstoppable.
Senior Member
Joined: 04-07-2008
Posts: 1,051
From: Wisconsin
167k miles here, 2.4l. I have owned it since it had only 7800 miles. I haven't seen any noticeable difference in over all power, but I have noticed about a 10% drop in mileage over time. Where we used to get 27 in the city pretty consistently, we now see 24 mg. I haven't cleaned the throttle body in a long time so that may account for some of that. My RPMs are about 2600 at 75 mph. My wife's 1.4 L turbo Encore with 6 speed is about the same.
Administrator
Joined: 10-13-2011
Posts: 40,082
From: Welland,Ont Canada
And with age, there’s maintenance, like a slightly stretched timing chain, an accumulation of oil burnt into the top piston rings, a little clogging in the catalytic converter, a dirt build up on the MAF. Little things that add up over time.
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