Poor highway mileage on '09 Vibe, 1.8L auto

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peter826
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu Dec 04, 2008 12:32 am

Poor highway mileage on '09 Vibe, 1.8L auto

Post by peter826 »

Hi all,First time poster, long time reader -- love all the Vibe talk here. My new '09 Vibe has about 1500 miles on it. I'm getting great city mileage....27-28 mpg, with the 1.8L auto (base model).On the other hand, a recent highway trip saw mpg of 22 (BP 87), 22 (BP 87), and 24 (Texaco 89) between three tanks. The 24mpg tank was the higher octane, which may have made the difference. Typical highway speed is 70-75 mph, drive was in Illinois/Indiana, not many hills, outside temp in 30-40 degree range.Any ideas why I might be seeing such poor highway mileage, while getting good city mileage? I'm stumped!
michaelgt
Posts: 507
Joined: Wed May 07, 2003 12:07 am

Re: Poor highway mileage on '09 Vibe, 1.8L auto (peter826)

Post by michaelgt »

What were your RPMs? Is there a chance that you were not in overdrive?
Silversn95
Posts: 153
Joined: Wed Oct 29, 2008 9:18 am

Re: Poor highway mileage on '09 Vibe, 1.8L auto (michaelgt)

Post by Silversn95 »

Quote, originally posted by michaelgt »What were your RPMs? Is there a chance that you were not in overdrive?+1, are you sure you had it in the proper gear? Only reason I ask is that the Vibe 4 speed has the same shifter gate set-up as my mom's Rav4. On one occasion my sister actually had it in 3rd instead of Drive but didn't notice at all until minutes later when she noticed the tach was indicating a much higher rpm than normal. There is only a lateral movement between 3 and D which in my mind is a mistake. A simple bump of the handle could knock you in 3.
2009 Pontiac Vibe - 1.8L 5-speed 1SB Carbon Gray Metallic with 20% tint
peter826
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu Dec 04, 2008 12:32 am

Re: Poor highway mileage on '09 Vibe, 1.8L auto (michaelgt)

Post by peter826 »

Good God...am I an idiot or what? Yes, the RPMS were high.The car has 3-D, 2, L. Is it possible I've been in 3rd this whole time? You bump the lever to the right to get into D instead of 3? I assumed it meant 3=D, and there's nothing in the owner's manual to suggest otherwise. Holy cow.
ned23
Posts: 422
Joined: Mon Dec 01, 2008 2:09 am

Re: Poor highway mileage on '09 Vibe, 1.8L auto (peter826)

Post by ned23 »

Quote, originally posted by peter826 »Good God...am I an idiot or what? Yes, the RPMS were high.The car has 3-D, 2, L. Is it possible I've been in 3rd this whole time? You bump the lever to the right to get into D instead of 3? I assumed it meant 3=D, and there's nothing in the owner's manual to suggest otherwise. Holy cow.That will do it. It's happened to me in my old 1.8. i accidentally turned off OD and yep, the car got about 25mpg on the highway. Add that to the premium which usually caused my mileage to drop by about 2 and that would make the difference. Premium gas in the 1.8L made a little (even noticeable) difference in smoothness and power going up steep slopes through mountains but otherwise it was less fuel efficient.
bull77
Posts: 1976
Joined: Wed Mar 08, 2006 2:27 am
Location: Ottawa

Re: Poor highway mileage on '09 Vibe, 1.8L auto (peter826)

Post by bull77 »

don't feel bad --- when i test drove the new matrix i noticed the rpms were at 4000+ on the hwy. I asked the sales guy wth was going on and said I thought they had improved the engine for the 09... btw welcome to genvibe!
Wolfman213
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Joined: Fri Sep 05, 2008 12:58 am
Location: Anderson, IN

Post by Wolfman213 »

gratned, not the 09, an 06, but I was on a kick for a while that some how some way I was always hitting the O/D button and driving in 3rd instead of O/D. I bet if you polled the genvibers that 95%+ has done that at one time or another.
April 2010 Co-MOTM * Custom LED Gauge Cluster swap * LED dome, HVAC, and shifter * Retrofit projector w/ blue halo * Kenwood KDC-HD942U * Herculined cargo area * Debadged *Wolfman's Garage
5speed4
Posts: 73
Joined: Fri Oct 10, 2008 11:16 am

Re: (Wolfman213)

Post by 5speed4 »

Don't feel bad. I've done this two or three times now, albeit for only a few minutes, with my manual tranny Vibe too. The 1.8L is very quiet and smooth, so it's easier to forget to shift up than in other 4-cyls I've owned.
peter826
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu Dec 04, 2008 12:32 am

Re: (Wolfman213)

Post by peter826 »

Quote, originally posted by Wolfman213 »gratned, not the 09, an 06, but I was on a kick for a while that some how some way I was always hitting the O/D button and driving in 3rd instead of O/D. I bet if you polled the genvibers that 95%+ has done that at one time or another.That's kind of funny, because I did two test drives and neither salesman noticed my error, either!Hey, thanks everyone! The bad highway mileage had made me second guess the car, which I otherwise love -- so it's all good now!Peter
lencurrie
Posts: 12
Joined: Wed May 20, 2009 1:00 pm

Re: (peter826)

Post by lencurrie »

That's hilarious.. I did the exact same thing when I took one out for a test drive.. This is going to be my first automatic in a LONG time.. so it's nice to know I wasn't the only one .. I'll know when I get on the road though!!
headcold
Posts: 58
Joined: Sun May 31, 2009 5:16 am

Post by headcold »

Just a quick overview. The Vibe has a 4 speed automatic, with overdrive (O/D, the little button on the shifter), providing a psuedo-5th gear for highway driving. You almost never want to turn O/D off or use 3rd gear for regular driving.Using 3, you restrict the car to only use 3rd gear, which would be desirable for hill climbing or when you are towing something.Same thing for turning overdrive off, you max out at 4th gear.The idea is that you might know, in certain situations, better than the tranny what your gear ratio needs are for a specific activity or stretch of road.If i'm off, someone please correct me.
08 Base Platinum/Grey.Injen CAI. 10" sub & amp. Ground wire kit. Scangauge II. Honk on lock kit. Siren & PA. Fog light protectors. Insulated AC line. Double-height console lid. 12v outlet in console.
Caretaker

Re: Poor highway mileage on '09 Vibe, 1.8L auto (bull77)

Post by Caretaker »

----don't feel bad --- when i test drove the new matrix i noticed the rpms were at 4000+ on the hwy.------My RPMs are always 4000 on the highway
Caretaker

Re: (headcold)

Post by Caretaker »

--------Just a quick overview. The Vibe has a 4 speed automatic, with overdrive (O/D, the little button on the shifter), If i'm off, someone please correct me----------Yep, you are off. The Vibe 03-08 has the overdrive on/off button on the shifter, not the 2009 nor 2010 models.
Old Tele man
Posts: 668
Joined: Sat May 02, 2009 6:15 am

Post by Old Tele man »

...samething happened when my wife took the new 2009 Vibe on a trip and didn't notice that she'd been "clicking" the gear selector quantrant into "3rd" instead of "D" all the time....but the highway 25-27 mpg results SURE 'clued' me that something wasn't kosher in the pickle farm!
...and the Devil said: "...yes, but it's a DRY heat!"
• 2014 Prius 1.8L eCVT
• 2009 Vibe 1.8L 4A
• 2004 Vibe 1.8L 4A
Mariachi
Posts: 620
Joined: Fri Jan 18, 2008 12:03 pm

Post by Mariachi »

welcome! the rpm's do play a big part on your gas mileage. everyone that posted above me is correct in every way.
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raz
Posts: 25
Joined: Thu Jun 04, 2009 3:34 am

Re: mileage

Post by raz »

Brand new viber here -- good to know this as I'm sure I'd inadvertently try it sometime!I've been poking around the site to try to find general recommendations on optimizing gas mileage. Is there an existing thread or sticky somewhere I should look at?thanks!
2003 Fiesta Red
Tubaryan12
Posts: 410
Joined: Tue Jul 25, 2006 4:14 am

Re: mileage (raz)

Post by Tubaryan12 »

The overdrive button is great to use while passing as an instant down shift.Just make sure you push it again when you're done.
ex Vibe: 2005 Abyss 2 tone base, auto, power package (33.24 mpg combined)2008 Kia Rondo EX V6 7 passenger Volcanic Red w/ tan cloth interior (26.7 mpg combined) Finally got 30 mpg combined on the Rondo V-6 (10.24.09) Smith Driving
ClunkClunk
Posts: 257
Joined: Fri Jul 20, 2007 12:52 am

Post by ClunkClunk »

A few months back, I got a call from my girl. She was driving her Vibe on the freeway, and was concerned something was wrong because it was revving too high. Turns out she had accidentally clicked the O/D button. It took me a few minutes to explain where that button is, and what it meant :-)But hey, I give her credit for knowing something was wrong, and contacting me before it became an issue.
2008 Frosty two tone (and 3 other Vibes)
kroot10105
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Apr 13, 2009 4:24 am

Re: mileage (Tubaryan12)

Post by kroot10105 »

I do not have tips but would like some for myself also. My 09 vibe 1.8 auto is not getting the kind mpg that my 04 does. My 09 has 7,000 mile and I can not break 29 mpg no mater how I drive or what gas I use. My 04 regularly gets 30 city 34 to 36 highway. I have noticed the 09 runs at 3000 RPMs at 70 mph but my 04 only runs at about 2800 RPMs at the same speed. Does any body have comperable No.s for their 09 vibes. Yes I have it in overdrive. The only way I can have the car checked for MPG problems at the dealer is to pay $110.00 up front and hope they find something or I am out the money.Also does anybody have info on the 09 trans. Has it been changed from 04?
Old Tele man
Posts: 668
Joined: Sat May 02, 2009 6:15 am

Re: mileage (kroot10105)

Post by Old Tele man »

...my 'base' 2009 Vibe with 1.8L 4-speed automatic and original P205/55R16 Goodyear "Eagle" tires (840 rev/mile) has the following calculated MPH-vs-RPM values:35mph @ 1,453 rpm45mph @ 1,869 rpm55mph @ 2,284 rpm65mph @ 2,699 rpm75mph @ 3,114 rpm85mph @ 3,529 rpm...however, the tachometer isn't graduated with the resolution needed to actually "read" those numbers; but, I can say that at 35 mph in 4th gear, the tach does indicate approximately 1.45K rpm...and, likewise, at 75 mph in 4th, the tach is showing approximately 3.11K rpm....it looks like the tire-diameter and gear/axle ratios (0.700:1 in 4th and 4.237:1 axle) yield 24.08 mph per each 1K engine rpm....also, I just had the speedometer tested today, and it has a constant offset of 2 mph (typical of most GM products with computer driven analog gauges):10mph actual indicates 12mph20mph actual indicates 22mph30mph actual indicates 32mph40mph actual indicates 42mph50mph actual indicates 52mph60mph actual indicates 62mph70mph actual indicates 72mph80mph actual indicates 82mph...and the place that did these tests also certifies and tests the Arizona Highway Patrol speedometers. She said most new GM speedos have the same 2-3mph offset...(computer reads wheel revolutions, calculates the MPH, adds "2", and sends the MPH+2 signal to the speedometer gauge)...assumed to be for differences in tire diameters, air-pressure values and loads....according to the Pontiac literature, the 2004 and 2009 transmission and axle ratios are the same, only the tire/wheel diameters are different: 2004 = 15" and 2009 = 16" (or 17" or 18")
...and the Devil said: "...yes, but it's a DRY heat!"
• 2014 Prius 1.8L eCVT
• 2009 Vibe 1.8L 4A
• 2004 Vibe 1.8L 4A
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