gbstang Posted August 2, 2009 Report Share Posted August 2, 2009 Hello everyone... This has me a bit perplexed.. I have had many muscle cars, 1969 mustang X3 1972 Mustang X2 1970 Cutlass Supreme Convert (I was weak) 1970 Torino Cobra 1971 Torino GT 1971 Torino pro street 1970 Mercury Cougar Eliminator 1970 Cougar Convert 1968 Cougar 1966 Fairlane 390 OK, Now I have this Shelby GT, my fuel economy is about 13- 14mpg on a good day.. My 1971 Torino's would get 25 Mpg (No Sh&t) I drove from San diego to NY 2 times and did the math.. My 1971 pro street torino had a 351CJ (pulled and rebuilt from a Mustang "Q" code) This car would beat out late "80's" cars at the smog station.. Why are the newer cars so fuel inefficient? My driving style has not changed, the cars are very simliar in setup (tranny, gearing) yet the newer SGT has a smaller more technology driven motor too. Here is another tidbit that will get you thinking, the Model T saw over 20mpg... Whats your take on this? GNB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redlinetoys Posted August 2, 2009 Report Share Posted August 2, 2009 "OK, Now I have this Shelby GT, my fuel economy is about 13- 14mpg on a good day.." "My 1971 Torino's would get 25 Mpg (No Sh&t) I drove from San diego to NY 2 times and did the math.." Are you comparing city driving your Shelby to over the road driving on your Torino??? 13-14 mpg on a good day?? I think maybe you better take your car in for service. We get 18mpg in town and 25-27 on the highway with ours and are very happy with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARMORINE Posted August 2, 2009 Report Share Posted August 2, 2009 "OK, Now I have this Shelby GT, my fuel economy is about 13- 14mpg on a good day.." "My 1971 Torino's would get 25 Mpg (No Sh&t) I drove from San diego to NY 2 times and did the math.." Are you comparing city driving your Shelby to over the road driving on your Torino??? 13-14 mpg on a good day?? I think maybe you better take your car in for service. We get 18mpg in town and 25-27 on the highway with ours and are very happy with it. agreed somethings not right there. i hot rod the crap out of my car and i still manage to average 16 mpg in town(and thats with my foot in it most of the time!) when i do baby it i still see as high as 26-28 on the highway Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motorjock205 Posted August 2, 2009 Report Share Posted August 2, 2009 agreed somethings not right there. i hot rod the crap out of my car and i still manage to average 16 mpg in town(and thats with my foot in it most of the time!) when i do baby it i still see as high as 26-28 on the highway +1000...We just got back from a Colorado trip and averaged 28 MPG going over 11,000 foot passes numerous times and cuting switch backs...and I was NOT babying the car at all....In town I average around 15-16 depending on how much I stomp on it....Get it checked out...perhaps a new set of plugs will get your mileage back up there...clean the air filter too... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azmartin Posted August 3, 2009 Report Share Posted August 3, 2009 Same here for my SGT, 18-20 in town, 25-28 highway. I had to fill my Fairlane GT 390 car when I left for Tucson and fill it to get home. Maybe 13 MPG. Better get your SGT checked., Sounds like a bad sensor. or maybe the above mentioned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilmor Posted August 3, 2009 Report Share Posted August 3, 2009 If you got 25 mpg out of a '71 Torino, it was a miracle. I had a '70 Torino and never got anywhere near that, and it was a base 302. I might have seen 18 on the highway if lucky. As for the SGT, I've never seen less that 19 mpg, and have seen 28 mpg on the highway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeCMM Posted August 3, 2009 Report Share Posted August 3, 2009 I'm with everyone on this. Something is not right. Our engine on the SGT is hardly broke in and we get 26 easily on the highway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkGT08 Posted August 4, 2009 Report Share Posted August 4, 2009 I'm with everyone on this. Something is not right. Our engine on the SGT is hardly broke in and we get 26 easily on the highway. I just drove from Chino Hills, CA to Richardson Texas, 1375 miles. My average speed was 77 MPH and I got 26.1 miles per gallon, confirmed by both the trip computer and my fillups. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gbstang Posted August 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2009 Back again, here are some things I left out, the car has an automatic (sucks) the rear gears are 3:55 There is some city driving here but then there is alot of open roads.. The speed limit is 80kph most places (50mph) I do not hot rod the car,,,,,,,,that often :burnout: but I do occasionally.. I have noticed that with this automatic, it seems the transmission does not lock up in the gears, meaning when I am driving the engine will rpms will seem higher than normal, holding steady, then I tap the accel and then the tranny will seem to engage.. acts like the fluid level is low if you guys know what I mean.. All you guys with an auto, does your tranny seem to do this? The problem seems to exist at the lower mph, below 30mph.. Thanks GNB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoDakMac Posted August 4, 2009 Report Share Posted August 4, 2009 Yup, I with the rest of the folks on mileage. My car’s computer says 26 MPG and it has never been reset since the day I picked it up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucky 2 Posted August 4, 2009 Report Share Posted August 4, 2009 My GT, gets 18-22 mpg in Orlando traffic, a lot of stop & go and low speeds. I am a old time Hot rodder, lots of drag cars, early Torino,s 70, 69, 68 (two at once) mustang's 96, 92, 71 Boss, Corvetts 62,65, Chevy 55, 56, 57 Fords 31,32, 34, three 40's ,48 ,one rail , three altereds and a ton of street cars. It is my opinion that your car needs to be looked at, find a good shop with a Dyno like VMP Tuning in orlando, Justin Starkey can tune it "Right". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billltoole Posted August 4, 2009 Report Share Posted August 4, 2009 Just drove the car from Indiana to Rocheter, NY. 27 mpg the whole way. Didn't go crazy, but I didn't baby it either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ledfoot73 Posted August 6, 2009 Report Share Posted August 6, 2009 Well, let's see. I have a 65 GTO tri power with 390 gears. I,m not really sure if I can ever truly keep my foot out of it but I seem too average about 11.5 to 12 mpg. I put 4:10's in the SGT and never get below 20, but usually around 21 or so, going back and forth to work. That's calculated and not using the tripometer which is about 1.5 mpg optimistic. The difference between the 2 going down the road at 70, considerable. I can enjoy the stereo in the Shelby, let's just say that the radio in the gto at 70 is pointless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gbstang Posted August 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 6, 2009 Well, Taking my car to a "tuner" is out of the question, don't know of any reputable ones in Korea! Guess I will have to wait until I get stateside.. I truely beleive that its the Automatic, but thus far I have not heard from anyone with an automatic.. It does act like the tranny is low on fluid, but the transmissions are supposedly full from the factory and you just cant check the fluid...Guess I will take it to the garage and "pop" off the fill connection and see where the fluid is.. GNB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blown Away Posted August 7, 2009 Report Share Posted August 7, 2009 Well, Taking my car to a "tuner" is out of the question, don't know of any reputable ones in Korea! Guess I will have to wait until I get stateside.. I truely beleive that its the Automatic, but thus far I have not heard from anyone with an automatic.. It does act like the tranny is low on fluid, but the transmissions are supposedly full from the factory and you just cant check the fluid...Guess I will take it to the garage and "pop" off the fill connection and see where the fluid is.. GNB Mine is an auto. I took it on a trip to Northern California (500 miles each way) for the 4th of July and got 25-26 mpg's averaging 75 mph. Those calculations are mine and not the trip computer, like previously mentioned the car's computer is a little generous on calculating mpg's. Driving to and from work 13 miles each way, a mix of highway and street, about 17-19 depending on my mood... So I would say something is amiss with yours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
07SGT4578 Posted August 7, 2009 Report Share Posted August 7, 2009 Could it be crappy gas in Korea by chance? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gbstang Posted August 7, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 7, 2009 Regarding the gas,,,,, Was thinking about that too.. I do beleive I am having issues with the tranny.. You guys with Autos, if you are going 30mph or less, with a constant pressure on the pedddle, does your car at times not seem like it wants to go? My car will hover at say 1000rpm at 25, I will steadily apply the gas until it hits about 14-1600 rpm's, it is then that it seems the transmission will engage and accelerate (speed) Does this happen to you guys? I have never owned a newer generation auto matic, mine have been C6, C4 FMX in the past, none ever did this,,its like the transmission is low if you know what I mean,,,or the torque converter is not "Flashing" Let me know how your acts... Thanks GNB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kahmann Posted August 7, 2009 Report Share Posted August 7, 2009 Drop Justin at vmptuning.com a line. He'll get you hooked up with a solid, safe, and awesome tune. We're comparing apples to oranges here. Yes the engines are the same, but the tunes and mods determine fuel efficiency. He has an E-Force blower and who knows what tune. Everyone else chiming in seems to be running NA with factory tune. Big difference. I average 16 mpg combined and do most of my driving on the highway. If you want power, you'll pay for it at the pump, no question. Good luck. Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gth0007 Posted August 8, 2009 Report Share Posted August 8, 2009 Regarding the gas,,,,, Was thinking about that too.. I do beleive I am having issues with the tranny.. You guys with Autos, if you are going 30mph or less, with a constant pressure on the pedddle, does your car at times not seem like it wants to go? My car will hover at say 1000rpm at 25, I will steadily apply the gas until it hits about 14-1600 rpm's, it is then that it seems the transmission will engage and accelerate (speed) Does this happen to you guys? I have never owned a newer generation auto matic, mine have been C6, C4 FMX in the past, none ever did this,,its like the transmission is low if you know what I mean,,,or the torque converter is not "Flashing" Let me know how your acts... Thanks GNB My SGT has the automatic and all of the shifts, both up and down, are firm and crisp with no hesitation at all. I have noticed a sluggish engine when I use 87 octane gas so it's possible that your problem is the octane rating on the gas you are using. I would suggest an additive, then see if you notice improvement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffIsHereToo Posted August 8, 2009 Report Share Posted August 8, 2009 The single greatest factor in gas milage are driving habits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EL SHELBY Posted August 8, 2009 Report Share Posted August 8, 2009 My SGT has the automatic and all of the shifts, both up and down, are firm and crisp with no hesitation at all. I have noticed a sluggish engine when I use 87 octane gas so it's possible that your problem is the octane rating on the gas you are using. I would suggest an additive, then see if you notice improvement. Why would you be using anything less than 91? Have you changed the tune to run safely on 87? I would stay away from additives or octane boosters. Someone here used an octane booster when they couldn't find 91 during a road trip. It resulted a weeks worth of down time while the dealer sorted out the issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARMORINE Posted August 8, 2009 Report Share Posted August 8, 2009 Why would you be using anything less than 91? Have you changed the tune to run safely on 87? I would stay away from additives or octane boosters. Someone here used an octane booster when they couldn't find 91 during a road trip. It resulted a weeks worth of down time while the dealer sorted out the issues. if you use octane booster with cats be prepared to buy new catalytic converters. further more you can foul your plus and clog injectors Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motorjock205 Posted August 13, 2009 Report Share Posted August 13, 2009 Well, It does act like the tranny is low on fluid, but the transmissions are supposedly full from the factory and you just cant check the fluid...Guess I will take it to the garage and "pop" off the fill connection and see where the fluid is.. GNB Am I missing something here? If you have an Automatic Transmission in your SGT, there should be a dip stick on the passenger side near the firewall of the car that will allow you to check the transmission fluid level...be sure the car is warmed up, and engine running to check the fluid level...if it is low, it could cause issues like you are describing. If there is not a dipstick on the passenger side near the rear firewall, I'd be concerned...Yes, they should be full from the factory, but things do happen and someone may have not checked yours at 5:00 PM on a Friday afternoon...you know, when it's Miller time... Good Luck and keep us posted... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kahmann Posted August 13, 2009 Report Share Posted August 13, 2009 Why would you be using anything less than 91? Have you changed the tune to run safely on 87? I would stay away from additives or octane boosters. Someone here used an octane booster when they couldn't find 91 during a road trip. It resulted a weeks worth of down time while the dealer sorted out the issues. Sounds like Torco to me. I've used Lucas Oil octane booster for awhile with no issues. Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gbstang Posted August 13, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 13, 2009 Am I missing something here? If you have an Automatic Transmission in your SGT, there should be a dip stick on the passenger side near the firewall of the car that will allow you to check the transmission fluid level...be sure the car is warmed up, and engine running to check the fluid level...if it is low, it could cause issues like you are describing. If there is not a dipstick on the passenger side near the rear firewall, I'd be concerned...Yes, they should be full from the factory, but things do happen and someone may have not checked yours at 5:00 PM on a Friday afternoon...you know, when it's Miller time... Good Luck and keep us posted... 2005-2009 mustangs with an automatic do not have a dipstick, as I mentioned earlier... As far as shifting, again I said it shifts fine, good solid shifts. Octane, 95 here, thats midgrade too.. The lowest I can get is 91.. Funny too,,,All other countries have great fuel,,in the states were left with garbage octane!! Before you chime in,, Yes they use the same calculations for rating the octane, same here in Korea, same in Germany,,,its just the American people are so used to accepting whatever is thrown at them.. Like I said before here are the symptoms.. driving the car, 30mph, I will hold the gas pedel steady, rpms =1200,,,,,, I slowly accelrate (that means increasing the RPM's) up and to 1600, during that time the car will not speed up, the rpms climb until I get the 1600rpms then it seems like the transmission grabs.. Almost feels like either A: fluid level is low B. Bands failing to engage C. this is normal and I should forget about it.. Since I have built plenty of trannies (olderones) I would assume this behavior as bad.. But then this is the first newer transmission I have driven other than all sticks.. This is why I was looking for input from other automatic owners.. For the etification of all who are reading this: the engine is friggin fine,,, runs like a raped ape.. GNB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARMORINE Posted August 13, 2009 Report Share Posted August 13, 2009 2005-2009 mustangs with an automatic do not have a dipstick, as I mentioned earlier...As far as shifting, again I said it shifts fine, good solid shifts. Octane, 95 here, thats midgrade too.. The lowest I can get is 91.. Funny too,,,All other countries have great fuel,,in the states were left with garbage octane!! Before you chime in,, Yes they use the same calculations for rating the octane, same here in Korea, same in Germany,,,its just the American people are so used to accepting whatever is thrown at them.. Like I said before here are the symptoms.. driving the car, 30mph, I will hold the gas pedel steady, rpms =1200,,,,,, I slowly accelrate (that means increasing the RPM's) up and to 1600, during that time the car will not speed up, the rpms climb until I get the 1600rpms then it seems like the transmission grabs.. Almost feels like either A: fluid level is low B. Bands failing to engage C. this is normal and I should forget about it.. Since I have built plenty of trannies (olderones) I would assume this behavior as bad.. But then this is the first newer transmission I have driven other than all sticks.. This is why I was looking for input from other automatic owners.. For the etification of all who are reading this: the engine is friggin fine,,, runs like a raped ape.. GNB what your describing is not normal i had a auto before i got my manual. i never encountered any problems like this. i'd say its time to visit your local ford dealer for some warranty work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kahmann Posted August 13, 2009 Report Share Posted August 13, 2009 what your describing is not normal i had a auto before i got my manual. i never encountered any problems like this. i'd say its time to visit your local ford dealer for some warranty work. Every other car I've owned since 2000 (except for my 66) has been an auto. I've never experienced anything similar to what's described above, regardless of trans, engine, or car make. I'd definitely make a warranty appointment. Good luck Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gbstang Posted August 13, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 13, 2009 Yep, I will schedule a visit to the shop... Since I am in Korea I may just put it on the lift myself.. I just wanted guys wiith newer cars with automatics to chime in, make sure I wasn't chasing the "White rabbit" I kinda figured it wasn't normal.. Thanks all who chimed in and replied, I appreciate it.. BTW, Took off the Edlebrock "engine covers" today.. Not sure what they are called, but I got rid of them today, will install my SuperSnake Heat extractors tomorrow! Cannot wait! GNB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motorjock205 Posted August 13, 2009 Report Share Posted August 13, 2009 2005-2009 mustangs with an automatic do not have a dipstick, as I mentioned earlier...As far as shifting, again I said it shifts fine, good solid shifts. GNB Holy Crap Bat Man!!! I was NOT AWARE OF THAT!!! Why would FORD do that? Nevermind, they can charge you a crap load more money when THEY have to check your fluid level instead of giving you a dip stick so you can check it yourself....GEEZZZZZZ What will they think of next? No oil fill spout? Oil change requires pulling engine and dropping oil pan in order to change oil? Guess I'd better not say that too loud...might give them a new idea... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gbstang Posted August 14, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2009 Holy Crap Bat Man!!! I was NOT AWARE OF THAT!!! Why would FORD do that? Nevermind, they can charge you a crap load more money when THEY have to check your fluid level instead of giving you a dip stick so you can check it yourself....GEEZZZZZZ What will they think of next? No oil fill spout? Oil change requires pulling engine and dropping oil pan in order to change oil? Guess I'd better not say that too loud...might give them a new idea... Trust me,, I was as shocked as you when I went looking for the dipstick,, I thought it was just well hidden, climbing all over the engine scratching my head,,,I must have been a sight.. Even my wife was wondering why I was so annoyed (at not being able to see what should be in plain sight) Then I crawled all over the drivers side! well,,,it all came down to Google, why you ask? Because Google is my friend, the all knowing and seeing.. well actually I contacted Ford Service and was cheerfully informed that little item was removed from our trannies!! Yep your right, the only option is to check the fill like a stick shift, which is also the only way to check the health of your fluid! well I am likely to upgrade my pan anyway, might as well get in there and get the hands dirty checking things out, servo engagement, bands etc etc.. Man I am too old for this S%it..But I still love it,,,whats wrong with me? GNB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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