If, as we all know it should be but often isn't, the engine is tuned
properly, and has new points, plugs, O2 sensor is in good operating
order, idle stabilizer system functioning properly, tires properly
inflated with good tread, as mileage should be pretty good - except
maybe for short trips in winter, when the engine doesn't have a chance
to warm up properly. At those times, it spends most of it's time running
rich. But if you stretch the distance a bit, the more you go the better
the average mileage gets. With one exception. If you are running that
cursed 10% alcohol fuel blend, your mileage will be off a bit, because
the fuel per gallon doesn't have the BTU's the straight gasoline has per
gallon.  The alcohol in the fuel is a complicated  issue,  and I'm agin'
it from many reasons, not the least of which is that I don't think we
the public are getting an appropriate price break on the alcohol fuel
blend. We are still paying the price of a full gallon of gasoline and
only getting 90% of what we are paying for. It's "the butcher's thumb"
sort of measuring.and is a particularly sore point with me. There are a
lot of other issues I have with the corn thing, and it would take up a
lot of band width for me to get into it here - and it is inappropriate.
So, I leave it there.

If your mileage is off a bit, give it a good tune-up. That's probably
the very best thing you can do to deal with a mileage issue.

Regards,

John Rodgers
88 GL Driver

Keith Ovregaard wrote:
> Here's a question for the sage Vanagon mechanical volks out there:
>
> Anyone experience lower mileage after installing a new 87 degree
> (stock) thermostat? The average hwy MPG over the same 1300 mile trip
> went from 18.5 down to less than 16 since the new thermo was
> installed. The engine is running great and just passed smog with
> flying colors (with the new thermo). The temp gauge reads just above
> the LED with the new thermo (the old 80 degree thermo (lower than
> stock, but seems to be a common choice here in CA) ran just below the
> LED before it failed). The engine heats up really fast and the heater
> works much better (hotter & quicker). I would have thought these
> conditions would bode well for better mpg and a cleaner burning
> engine, but now I am skeptical. Does a hotter-running engine use more
> gas or could there be another cause that happened at the same time?
>
> Thanks in advance...
>
> Keith
> 90 Syncro westy VikingWagen
>
>