Fuel mileage

monkeyy337 · Post by **monkeyy337** » 09 Jan 2010, 23:01

I have a 1993 Volvo 850 sedan with the 5 cylinder motor and auto transmission that runs fine but was wondering what fuel mileage I should expect. I have never checked it in town but it gets about 23-24 miles per gallon on the highway at 65mph. It this pretty much normal or not? Thanks for any replys.

monkeyy337 · Post by **monkeyy337** » 09 Jan 2010, 23:19

monkeyy337 wrote:I have a 1993 Volvo 850 sedan with the 5 cylinder motor and auto transmission that runs fine but was wondering what fuel mileage I should expect. I have never checked it in town but it gets about 23-24 miles per gallon on the highway at 65mph. It this pretty much normal or not? Thanks for any replys.

I forgot to add that I run 87 octane fuel even though I think the owners hand book recommends 91.

wdckwrth · Post by **wdckwrth** » 10 Jan 2010, 07:54

23 - 24 is what my 1995 automatic 850 wagon gets running 87 octane. Has it gotten better mileage in the past? If so might be time for a tune up. Also you might want to read up on K&N air filters threads. Most folks report an increase in horsepower with the K&N but some folks mention an increase in gas mileage.

Post by **jblackburn** » 10 Jan 2010, 09:06

That seems a bit low for 65 mph. I get ~26-27 going 70-75, and it's pretty hilly here. Recently, there have been very strong winds and I can't seem to get anything over 23 though, so that may be a factor in yours.

There are several things you can do to increase mileage. First, run 89 or better octane. You'll appreciate the increase in power too. I tried 87 in mine one time when gas was $4/gallon, and my car hated me. A K&N filter could help as well. New spark plugs (everyone recommends the Bosch Copper, but I found my mileage dropped when I switched from Autolite Platinum - which worked great by the way - to the copper's.) The 3-prong Volvo plugs work great as well, but they're expensive.

If you're so inclined, run a can of Seafoam through your car to help clean everything - 1/3 in the gas tank, 1/3 in the oil, and suck 1/3 in through a vacuum hose. Make sure you change your oil.

Post by **polskamafia mjl** » 10 Jan 2010, 09:11

Check alignment and tire pressure as well.

_HighVoltage_ · Post by **_HighVoltage_** » 10 Jan 2010, 13:23

It depends a lot on your area...here in the Appalachian mountains I get about the same as yours - 23/24mpg.
When I east to VA I get as much as 30/31mpg, because of the flat surface.