QuestionI've had my 1998 v70 for about two weeks now. The first week I
used up the gas in the tank that the dealer put in and I noticed
that I got around 22 to 23 mpg. Then the check engine light
came on and I took it back to the dealer. They said that it had to
do with the barometric sensor so they replaced it with a new
one. Then I refueled with mid-level octane grade fuel and
noticed that I am currenlty getting 13 to 15 mpg from mostly
city driving (New York City/Brooklyn). I've taken it to an
independent shop and they've told me that everything checks
out very well for the car (77k miles on it). My question is this: Is
there a chance that the new barometric sensor has anything to
do with the mpg change? Or could it REALLY be the difference
between driving a little more highway during the first week?
Or is there anything that I should check? Could the spark plugs
have gone bad? If so could they affect mpg so quickly?
AnswerWell there isn't much of anything that will affect the efficiency that much except for changes in driving style. I doubt the pressure sensor has anything to do with it. The only other thing that could mess up your MPG calculations is if you have a fuel leak, or if someone has been stealing from your tank. Watch it closely over a few tank fills, if it gets worse or stays the same take it back for another inspection. If it only happens once however, just chock it up to unexplainable events and let it go.
James
