Doesn't matter if the fuel gauge is accurate or not if you do it over
several fill ups, especially if you use the same gas pump.

Mike

On 4/21/08 1:50 PM, "Donna Skarloken" <dskarloken@GMAIL.COM> wrote:

> My 87 Wolfsburg 2wd has always got 18-20, very rarely 21, mountains, wind,
> whatever.  I will verify with my son, who now drives it, though he lives in
> the Bay Area and takes public transit when possible.  I'll ask him if he has
> noted his mileage when he has come to visit me/my mom, which is the most
> driving he has done in recent months.
>
> Donna
>
> On Mon, Apr 21, 2008 at 12:38 PM, mordo <helmut.blong@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Did the Syncro have the same fuel economy numbers as the 2WD? I also can't
>> imagine that you folks with your laden Westies are getting the same
>> efficiency as me with my virtually empty Carat.
>> I am sure in my case that experiences with 18+ mpg is delusional. It's a
>> delusion caused by a fuel sender and gauge that isn't remotely accurate.
>>
>>
>>
>> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
>> From: Max Wellhouse <dimwittedmoose@cfu.net>
>> Date: Mon, Apr 21, 2008 at 2:14 PM
>> Subject: Re: MPG redux
>> To: vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com
>>
>>
>> Possible, but are they running in a lean condition and doing more
>> harm than good?  A sort of false economy of sorts.  Shorter than
>> stock tires will generate more miles on the odometer than are really
>> traveled thereby skewing the mpg to the high side as well.  An
>> incomplete filling of the tank would skew to the upside as
>> well.  Filling the tank to the very top is wasteful anyway, so how do
>> we accurately document MPG?
>>
>> Driving at 55mph, although boring, is perhaps a way to get a 2 in the
>> tens column.  I've gotten 20+maybe 3 or 4 times in 11 years of
>> driving a Vanagon,but the norm is 15-17.  There's a good website on
>> how to drive economically called hypermiling or something like
>> that.  www.cleanmpg.com/forums  They're more into attacking the EPA
>> method of determining MPG ratings for new cars, but there's some
>> useful as well as unsafe practices as well.
>>
>> I guess I look at it this way;  if I'm not making $3-400 a month
>> payments on a vehicle I can't afford to fill the tank up with gas in
>> the first place, then driving a paid for Vanagon with "poor" mpg
>> ratings will just have to do for now.  Anybody done the math on how
>> long it will take for a Prius to pay for itself in gas savings?  I
>> guess if they ever start rationing gas again, maybe it will
>> matter.  Geeeeeee. Gas Rationing....there's something we haven't
>> heard in a while.  Wouldn't we be rationing it if it were in short
>> supply?   No, it's just costing more.
>>
>> Time to dismantle the soapbox.  I need the wood for burning in my stove.
>>
>> DM&FS
>>
>>
>> At 11:22 AM 4/21/2008, Mike Miller wrote:
>>
>>  What about them folks reporting 18-21`mpg?
>>>
>>> Delusional? diesel? deceptive?
>>>
>>> Mike
>>>
>>>
>>> On 4/20/08 6:52 PM, "Dennis Haynes" <d23haynes57@hotmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> The factory rating was only 15 mpg for both city and highway. You will
>>> not
>>>> get much more on a regular basis. My best on long trips is about 17 to
>>>> 17.5. With AC and 70+mph 15 is more likely.
>>>>
>>>> Maximum economy occurs around 45 mph on fairly level roads. I have
>> done
>>> as
>>>> well as 21 dong extended low speed tours such as New England or route
>> 1
>>> in
>>>> Florida.
>>>>
>>>> Dennis
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On
>> Behalf
>>> Of
>>>> Mike Miller
>>>> Sent: Sunday, April 20, 2008 9:40 PM
>>>> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>>>> Subject: MPG redux
>>>>
>>>> Van folk,
>>>>
>>>> Took the 87 syncro with the new O2 sensor on a trip up the California
>>>> coast,
>>>> Highway 1, mostly curves and ups and downs. Got 16 MPG which isn't
>> what
>>>> I'd
>>>> hoped for.
>>>>
>>>> Next step is to try a highway cruise. I'll post the results.
>>>>
>>>> Mike
>>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> mordo
>> 1990 Carat
>>