Based on your experiences, how far can you go on a tank of gas. I have an 88 with a 2.5l. Still on my first tank, and i dont trust the gauge yet. I am at about 180 and just under 1/ 2 tank. No ac either. I know we are just spitballin here, but I would just like an educated guess.
I did not think the mileage on these things was that good. 25 tops.
Depends on the tranny ....I once had an 86 SE Duke with a 5-speed....I would get upper to mid 30's with blended driving. Once got 38 on a trip to Reno ...all hyway
About 10.5 gallons is the most I have ever been able to add to the 88 tank at a gas station I drove to. All interstate my 88/125C has seen 30-31 mpg and it drops to about 24-26 in town.
I have an 84 duke/auto. I have done 240...but that was on a long trip when I wasn't paying attention. I rarely let it get much below half a tank. I do a lot of twisty mountain roads where you never know how far the next gas station is, and the climbs kill the mileage....so I just fill up each time I leave the house on a run.
Also, keep in mind that I have the 8.4 gallon tank (10.4 gallons, but you can't use the bottom gallon, and can't fill the top gallon)...the 88 has significantly more usable tank space. Regardless, on my first few tanks I would fill early to verify the gauge and mileage. Running the pump dry is a quick way to kill it.
86 kitcar body. 3.1 turbocharged 4 spd. I was very lucky to get 180 miles to a tank. You will never get out the last gallon or so that sits on the bottom of the tank. Depending on how your pickup is placed, it might even leave more.
How many miles are others getting with a stock 2.8L and 5 speed? I'm getting about 200.
That's about what I got with mostly city on my 87 I think (it's not drivable right now, so couldn't tell you more exactly). But 17-20 MPG, 11 gallons is 187-220 miles. Pure highway, it's around 300 (28 MPG, 11 gallons is 308 miles).
I got down to a quarter tank indicated, put 8 gallons in. I got 205 miles on that. I'm doing about 25 mpg. No A/C, but its an automatic. No hills here either, just a bridge. Not alot of stop and go either. My commute is about 7 miles each way.
I made it to 392 miles once in an '88 Formula 5-sp. before I stopped to fill up. I could have broken the 400 mile mark, but the next gas station was too far away and I did not want to risk running out of gas in the middle of Kansas!
Generally speaking, your coupe should get 30-35MPG pretty regularly, so 300-350 miles per tank is easily achievable (over 400 on the highway). I would highly recommend bringing a gas can with you (filled with exactly 1-gallon) and drive until you run out of gas. This will do several things.....first, it will tell you how accurate your gas gauge is (good info to know) and it will tell you how many miles you can drive before you run out (generally speaking). When you fill up, add that extra 1-gallon and get an accurate MPG reading from that tank and you can now extrapolate how far you can go at any particular mileage given that data (assuming you fill up each time and not just add a gallon here or there).
Originally posted by mrfiero: I would highly recommend bringing a gas can with you (filled with exactly 1-gallon) and drive until you run out of gas.
Bring a fuel pump, jack stands, jack, and tool box, too. The gas lubricates the pump, so running it dry can cause damage to the pump, as it runs out of lubrication. If you have a new pump, then you might be OK to do it once. But on a 25-30 year old car, that you don't know the history of (if you aren't the original owner), could have the pump burn out the first time you run it out of gas.
Drive it as you normally would, calculate your mileage, and multiply that by 10 if you've got the larger tank (87-88), or 8.5 if not. That's as far as you'll want to drive, before filling up, driving as you normally do. Pure highway driving will let you drive further, and pure city will let you drive less. But you really don't want to run the tank out of gas to see how far you can drive it. Stop and buy more gas before you run out.
Because if you can't afford to buy the gas, you're probably not going to be able to afford to fix what can happen if you do run it dry.
I actually have all the records of service since the previous owner bought it. The fuel pump was replaced in 2008 at 96496. In May 2010, he put new tires on it. The mileage was 97156. Currently the mileage is 97556. I put about 240 of those miles on it since I go tit in early July. So, from 2008 to present, it has been driven just over a thousand miles. Since 2010 it has been driven only 400 miles, and 240 of those in the last 30 days.
I get scared to go above 240 miles on a tank but usually have about a gallon or two left when I fill up. I'm averaging 25 mpg on my 88 GT 5 speed driving roads with a 35-45 mph speed limit.
How many miles are others getting with a stock 2.8L and 5 speed? I'm getting about 200.
87 GT/5-speed, stock with about 150,xxx miles on the clock.
Spirited or city driving: about 200 miles until I'm scared and fill up.
Normal highway cruising (majority of how I drive it): 280 I believe was my best. Didn't mean to run it that long and it was THIRSTY when I finally got to a gas station but it was still running when I pulled up to the pump.
Heck, it's sitting in the shed right now at about half a tank with 220 miles on the trip odometer.
Easiest way to me is to top off the tank, put something easy to figure on it, like 100 miles, and top it back off. You will see how much gas you used up to go that 100 miles. Simple division tells you the mileage. If your not sure, repeat it several times and figure the average.
I'm very bad about running the car almost out of gas... a lot. I know, I know, it is bad for the fuel pump. Eventually, I'll have to replace the pump and then maybe I'll change my habits, but for now, I routinely end up sputtering my way into the gas station. I've discovered (due to experience) that my can can be restarted at least twice after stalling due to low fuel. I have a 1988 GT 2.8 with 5 speed and I go almost 250 miles on a tank. It very much depends on your driving (MPG), but after about 200, you should probably find yourself a gas station. * The 4 cylinder *should* get better mpg than I do, so perhaps this could be higher for the original poster.
I know it is simple, but I'll put this here for anyone who needs it. 11.7gal total tank size ~10.5 or so useable volume 10.5 g * X mpg = Y miles per tank Fill in X with your calculated mpg and solve for Y (multiply 10.5 by X)
You can calculate X for your car, driving style, etc. by filling the tank all the way up and recording the odometer reading (ODO1). Then drive the car normally for a few days. Then fill the tank all the way up again and record the odometer reading again (ODO2) and how many gallons it took to fill the tank (GAL). Now use the following formula: (ODO2 - ODO1) / GAL = X where ODO1 and ODO2 are in miles and X is in miles per gallon (mpg)
If you have a working trip meter, you can save yourself from having to record the odometer readings by resetting the trip meter at each fillup. Before you reset it, use the trip meter reading to calculate your miles per gallon like this: (Trip meter reading) / GAL = X
------------------ 1988 Fiero GT Custom Corvette / MR2 electro-hydraulic power steering Staggered 16" & 17" rims over 11.25" rotors with Cadillac Calipers & drop spindles
