I bought a 2007 Honda Odyssey which its fuel mileage is rated at 26 MPG on the highway, but I am only getting 20 MPG. I was able to get 24 to 26 MPG with my former car, a 2004 Honda Odyssey….. So I took my newer Honda to a mechanic and he replaced the 2 Oxygen Sensors, because he said the old ones were not opening, replaced coil on plug boot, replaced spark plugs, did a fuel system tune up, put on brand new tires, did a 4 wheel alignment and balanced the tires, and did an oil change. All at a cost of $1700. So I took the Honda on some trips on the highway and got the same… 20 MPG. I really thought that Big O Tires ripped me off, but my wife suggested that our new Honda was just sensitive to higher speeds so instead of going 65 miles per hour, I toned it down to 60 MPH and used the cruise control. Then my MPG went up to 22.5 MPG, but I still think that something is wrong. Thanks for any help on this issue. -Arnie
RESPONSE
The air filter wasn’t replaced? Is the check engine light on? Any existing codes would be helpful to know. The fuel you put in the tank can also have a big impact on fuel mileage. Once this tank of fuel is run out try switching to a different fueling station. A problem I see often is the same fuel tanker that transports diesel fuel will transport a batch of unleaded without flushing the remnants. This causes the octane level to drop and will cause the engine to reduce ignition timing to avoid engine knock and damage to the engine. When this occurs your fuel mileage and performance suffer.