SynthAngel
Member
I have a 2007 Cobalt LS sedan. I'm getting about 200 miles to a tank....suggestions?
Gas Milage
- Thread starter SynthAngel
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donnkesterjr
Member
^^ What he said. When I drive, unless absolutely necessary (passing, getting on the interstate in the big city sometimes you just HAVE to gun it, etc), I barely ever even reach 3K on the tachometer. Drving like a jerk sucks your mileage down more than anything else.
Some people say using synthetic oil will increase your gas mileage by a little bit. I went from using a dino oil to a syn-blend and it did help, but by like 2 tenths of a mile per gallon. I have yet to use a full synthetic on mine.
Using the proper material (which I believe is the titanium for the Cobalt) spark plugs with the proper gap, and keeping up with changing them will also help.
Upgrading your suspension with a strut support bar & thicker front & rear sway bars will allow you to take more speed into turns & decrease the amount of reacceleration you have to do, which will improve your mileage.
Among other things, these will all give you a little bit of gain to your MPG. Without heavy modification, you won't be able to gain those 40 or 50 MPG's of the eco friendly cars, like the Jetta TDI diesel.
The SINGLE biggest way to improve your gas mileage is to improve the way you drive. A soft foot & a manual transmission will get your more MPGs than just about any mod you can do to the car.
Some people say using synthetic oil will increase your gas mileage by a little bit. I went from using a dino oil to a syn-blend and it did help, but by like 2 tenths of a mile per gallon. I have yet to use a full synthetic on mine.
Using the proper material (which I believe is the titanium for the Cobalt) spark plugs with the proper gap, and keeping up with changing them will also help.
Upgrading your suspension with a strut support bar & thicker front & rear sway bars will allow you to take more speed into turns & decrease the amount of reacceleration you have to do, which will improve your mileage.
Among other things, these will all give you a little bit of gain to your MPG. Without heavy modification, you won't be able to gain those 40 or 50 MPG's of the eco friendly cars, like the Jetta TDI diesel.
The SINGLE biggest way to improve your gas mileage is to improve the way you drive. A soft foot & a manual transmission will get your more MPGs than just about any mod you can do to the car.
SynthAngel
Member
I drive like an old lady on city streets. Highway is 70mph cause that's the speed limit. And my cobalt is an auto
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06RallySS
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Any check engine lights? How many miles since the last tune up?
SynthAngel
Member
no check engine lights at all. and i have no clue, i just got the car back a few weeks ago.
yeah now just gotta figure out what it is.....
06RallySS
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Better yet, has the cat ever been replaced?
Tuner923
Full Access Member
when you say "you just got it back" do you mean from service? if so what was done?
SynthAngel
Member
well I never replaced it....
when I moved to Florida back in May my car stayed up in Pennsylvania (it's a long story). Well supposedly my mum let her friend's 18 year old daughter borrow it one night and the girl never brought it back. When my boyfriend wrecked his car about a month ago, my mum tracked down my Cobalt, paid like 400$ in service to get it "running like new" (which it isn't) and I flew up to get it, driving back to Florida about a week or two ago.
Tuner923
Full Access Member
Some things that cause bad fuel mileage: Air filter, tire pressure, rims/tire size, alignment, fuel filter, spark plugs/wires, transmission drag, changes to exterior aerodynamics(to include rain guards), cargo, faulty O2 sensor(s), clogged cat, too large/small diameter aftermarket exhaust, faulty engine coolant sensor, maf sensor, combustion blow-by
list from the top of my head if i think of more i'll post
list from the top of my head if i think of more i'll post
You're doing something wrong
Im stumped myself. It has a clean air filter, tires at 30 psi, oil is at 85% life, I have it shift at 3000rpm (sometimes at 3500rpm but usually 3000rpm). The transmission fluid was changed at 35k and coolant flushed and fuel system pressure cleaned at 45k. I changed out the fuel filter at about 40k. I dont know what else I can do.
Something. I really want to get better mileage before these $5 a gallon prices hit like they are saying. I really hate not being able to drive to chicago anymore like I used to do all the time. I live in central illinois (peoria) and its about 180 miles to chicago one way.
donnkesterjr
Member
This.
The only time I reach 3000rpm is:
1) Up a decently steep hill
2) I HAVE to in order to get on the interstate safely (i.e. early morning traffic, you gotta get in when you can)
3) it's an emergency
I normally ease on the gas & the car will shift at 2000 to 25000 RPM. It also depends on your driving conditions. If you do more street driving than highway driving, your gas mileage will go down. If you have to stop every tenth of a mile for a redlight, that's a major drag on your MPGs.
Cobalt_07_LT_Chris
Full Access Member
i got almost 76k miles on my stock, automatic cobalt 07 LT, and i drive approximately 60 miles monday through thursday. I make 29 mpg with a full size spare tire, and about 100 pounds of tools for my class in the trunk. i barely hit the 3000 rpm. so my suggestion is to not drive over 3000 rpm. also, check the things tuner923 mentioned. that may solve your problem.
Cobalt714
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no that's perfectly fine lol, i dont even bother shifting im always on the freeway in first gear
shifting is overrated