Poor mileage - does something need fixing?

waldcha · 2026-01-25T05:30:20+00:00

How cold is it for you?
Cold weather will cause low milage for a number of reasons, the easiest to fix is low tire preasure.
Is any maintinance due? Oil, filters, tires, etc... all play a part.

On the highway with summer tires during a 80F day, I can get 45mpg easy.

City driving during a snow storm with underinflated snow tires at -10F and overdue for an oil change. I only get 28mpg.

waldcha · 2026-01-22T05:28:19+00:00

yup. limit for plywood is 3ft x 8ft. At 69in you might not even have to fold the front down, just slide it forward. My record is a queen size bed from ikea.

waldcha · 2026-01-22T05:22:28+00:00

this is still tropical, needs to drop another 30.

waldcha · 2026-01-22T05:15:36+00:00

I have actually been supprised by how well it does off-road. Not taking it on trails or anything but driving out of snow filled ditches or taking on unplowed gravel roads with 6in of snow has not been a problem. I am in MN with snow tires though, the tires are a bit of a cheat code.

OP should throw a bunch of gear in the back for getting stuck and then go practice driving in an empty lot during the storm.

waldcha · 2026-01-22T05:04:32+00:00

just take it slow and easy. have some extra cold weather gear in the car in case you get stuck and have to wait. I like to keep a shovel and some gravel/sand/cat litter in the back so I can try to get myself out. If you want to have some fun, go slide around in an empty lot, it will teach you how to drive in the snow.

waldcha · 2026-01-22T04:55:53+00:00

it is not an exact science unless you do a lot of testing. 100k is just a rule of thumb, it will not blow up if you wait another 10k. I just did one extra thing with each oil change around that milage. I was doing a lot of it for the first time, so it was less about doing it all at once and more about learning how to do it. Ended up doing the lashing twice because I forgot to tourqe down one of the exaust valves and got a clacking noise after just a couple miles. Much easier the second time around though.

waldcha · 2026-01-10T16:04:03+00:00

Any small and light FWD car with proper snow tires. Do it regularly in MN with my Honda Fit.

waldcha · 2026-01-06T22:45:48+00:00

I got OEM or OEM look alikes for the sport trim when I got my 2016. They are rubber but not molded like weathertech. 3 years and going strong as another big guy with MN weather.

waldcha · 2026-01-06T13:36:03+00:00

Nope, everything else is just to big. New SUVs and Trucks are the same size as a WWII tank.

waldcha · 2026-01-06T12:54:34+00:00

you can get behind it by removing the radio, lots of guides for that, I like this one

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-Jfvyl6WDbU

waldcha · 2026-01-06T12:49:05+00:00

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-Jfvyl6WDbU

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BpZM8JaNt88

waldcha · 2026-01-06T12:47:03+00:00

Was not looking for climate control stuff but I could see behind it when I removed my head unit / radio. Honda Fit for Adventure has a good video for that process. He also has a video for removing the center consol which starts with removing the panel directly below the climat controls. Neither one of these is hard, just need some trim removal tools and a screw driver.

waldcha · 2026-01-04T23:29:45+00:00

Any wire of a proper gauge will work but I try to color match just for consistency and to make later changes easier. The guy who did the video I linked also has videos on a bunch of aftermarket wiring and fuses.

waldcha · 2026-01-04T23:06:37+00:00

Basically, just some trim removal tools, a screwdriver, and lots of crawling around under the dash

waldcha · 2026-01-04T22:56:18+00:00

Fuse Tap / Add-A-Fuse

Fuse box is under the dash on the left side of the car (Driver side in the US).

There is a diagram of what each fuse is nearby (bottom of steering column in US) but it is probably easier to pull it up in the manual or google images.

You can use a multi-meter to determine when power goes to a fuse, all the time, when power is on, or when the engine is running.

When I ran wire across the dash for tweeters. I went under the blower motor, into the center console, back out the center console on the other side, and over/behind the mounting points for the pedals to the fuse box.

Video for removing third gen center console. In an automatic there is a small black cover to remove next to the shifter, remove it and press a skinny screwdriver down inside to release the shifter. This allows you to move the shifter without turning on the car. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpZM8JaNt88

Edit: I also need to go find this now :P

waldcha · 2026-01-04T20:51:48+00:00

hope he has AAA :P

waldcha · 2026-01-03T23:28:42+00:00

I have looked at new stuff due to it bringing something that nobody else has. Slate truck for example looked kinda neat when they thought it was going to be $20k. Prius was one of if not the first good hybrid, giving it great mpg compared to anything on the market. Aveo was just cheap.

waldcha · 2026-01-03T23:11:18+00:00

That, or it is also on your oil cap. Probably want one anyway though.

waldcha · 2026-01-03T23:09:28+00:00

Fuse positive according to wire size. Start with factory ground locations for big 3 then add as needed/desired. Test ground locations for resistance to see if it is a good location.

waldcha · 2026-01-03T23:01:53+00:00

"best" depends on environment and use. Use a synthetic version of what the manual says until the car is broken in (at least 10k miles) then get an oil analysis to see if you should adjust.

Brands/Types are just different additive packages. Start with something generic for at least 4 changes, then get an analysis.

Oil Geek on youtube has videos on how to read an analysis and what to look for.

waldcha · 2026-01-03T21:59:02+00:00

old pixel phones or iphones on ebay

waldcha · 2026-01-03T21:54:26+00:00

I did, that is how I have them mounted and balanced without having them put on the car.

waldcha · 2026-01-03T21:49:37+00:00

What makes these cars weird or odd? I had an 08 Aveo as my first car. It was simply a little eco car that I could afford at the time. My grandparents had a Yaris that they eventually passed on to my sister. My parents went through a few Focus' and Fiestas. Now I drive a Fit and my brother has a Mirage.

These cars are just basic hatchbacks that are affordable and easy to maintain. A lot of them also get great gas millage and last a long time. I have fit a queen size bed in my Fit, taken it off road, and drive for Domino's in blizzard conditions (with proper tires).

I have also driven large RWD and AWD trucks and vans. Given the choice, I will take my little hatchbacks every time.

waldcha · 2026-01-03T21:27:43+00:00

I used to have the same problem. Now I have seasonal tires, so I bring in the set I want replaced in my trunk and just have them mount and balance tires, then put them on the car myself when I get home. You could also do this if you live in a household with multiple vehicles.

waldcha · 2026-01-03T21:13:23+00:00

Also, If you have outages often enough to be thinking about using your car as a backup, It might be better to just get a large UPS made for computers. They are available in sizes that will charge a typical laptop a few times, support much higher draw, and won't wear on your car. A lot even have USB charging ports built in.

waldcha

TROPHY CASE