Decreased mileage in high altitude

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Decreased mileage in high altitude

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Chevrolet >> Chevy Cars >> Cobalt >> Decreased mileage in high altitude

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Decreased mileage in high altitude - 1/7/2008 8:46:08 AM

dmiller76

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Joined: 1/7/2008
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I just moved from Pennsylvania to Colorado Springs (an altitude increase of about 5,000 feet)and have noticed that the mileage on my 2007 Cobalt has decreased by at least 2mpg and the estimated range on a full fuel tank has decreased by about 100 miles. Is there some sort of adjustment that can be made to the engine to reflect being in a high altitude? Nothing else has changed on the car either. Any info is appreciated.

Thanks

Dave

Post #: 1

RE: Decreased mileage in high altitude - 1/7/2008 2:58:46 PM

brainmuncher

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Joined: 1/4/2008
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Maybe you're going up and down more hills than you were before?

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RE: Decreased mileage in high altitude - 1/19/2008 7:29:29 PM

shawnvw

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Joined: 1/18/2008
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at higher altitudes, air pressure and air density goes down. long story short, your motor has to work a lttle bit harder to compensate for the loss of pressure and density.

Think of somoene who climbs mountains, eventually they climb so high, that it gets hard to breath, and eventually they need oxygen just to breath. same goes for your car, though not to that extreme, but enough that you notice a change in your MPG

(in reply to brainmuncher)

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RE: Decreased mileage in high altitude - 1/29/2008 3:59:42 PM

Chevy Mali 08

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the air/fuel mixture uses more fuel to compensate for the air lost because of the altitude your at it cant get as much air as it did

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RE: Decreased mileage in high altitude - 1/29/2008 4:43:38 PM

EuroGoldLS

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Joined: 7/12/2007
From: Princeton, NC, USA
Status: online

Definately agree ^^^ The MAF sensor will tell the computer that the air pressure is thinner, so in turn, the computer it will raise the ratio and increase the idling RPMs to compensate.

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RE: Decreased mileage in high altitude - 2/2/2008 4:32:29 AM

jerimiahy16

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Joined: 2/2/2008
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quote:

ORIGINAL: shawnvw

at higher altitudes, air pressure and air density goes down. long story short, your motor has to work a lttle bit harder to compensate for the loss of pressure and density.

Think of somoene who climbs mountains, eventually they climb so high, that it gets hard to breath, and eventually they need oxygen just to breath. same goes for your car, though not to that extreme, but enough that you notice a change in your MPG

Learn something new everyday.

(in reply to shawnvw)

Post #: 6

RE: Decreased mileage in high altitude - 2/2/2008 10:09:56 PM

OutlawFirebird

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Joined: 2/2/2008
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higher you go less oxygen/air, so the car has to work harder than if it was at sea level

(in reply to jerimiahy16)

Post #: 7

RE: Decreased mileage in high altitude - 2/2/2008 10:12:16 PM

OutlawFirebird

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Joined: 2/2/2008
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: shawnvw

at higher altitudes, air pressure and air density goes down. long story short, your motor has to work a lttle bit harder to compensate for the loss of pressure and density.

Think of somoene who climbs mountains, eventually they climb so high, that it gets hard to breath, and eventually they need oxygen just to breath. same goes for your car, though not to that extreme, but enough that you notice a change in your MPG

yeah like that, harder for it to breath in the air, just like if you were on mountain.

(in reply to shawnvw)

Post #: 8

RE: Decreased mileage in high altitude - 2/12/2008 1:45:09 PM

EricK

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Joined: 5/19/2007
Status: offline

I also live in the springs and drive an 01 cavalier, I think our bombed fuel economy is partially due to the thin air and also I would acredit it to the bumpy/hilly roads here in town. Not only that, being winter time i tend to let my car warm up atleast a few mins before i start driving which wastes a little bit of gas too.

(in reply to OutlawFirebird)

Post #: 9