hey bricksters,

Just trying to figure out why my brick is gulping down the gas and sluggish-

at one point, was getting ~160 miles per tank (11.5 gallon tank = ~14 mpg)
so what i did was:

1) changed O2 sensor
2) changed fuel pressure regulator

Restored SOME pep and get ~200 miles per tank (~17 mpg), this seems a bit excessive since I'm not drag racing and drive half city, half highway. I've checked for vacuum leaks and all seems good. Maybe I'll try checking the EEC hoses for plugs and the air control valve? BTW, what does the air control valve do? help this thirsty brick before she drinks me dry!

Volvo 240 tank holds 60 litres (15.9 USgal, 13.2Imperial) from totally full until the pump sucks air. That's what the owner's book says and that's what it actually does on both our 240's.

Standard tune-up advice: install new spark plugs (NGK BP6ES would be my choice), new air filter, check valve clearances. If valve clearances are greater than .016 and you have an LH-Jet car with the knock sensor, the valve "impacts" due to the excessive clearances can trigger the knock sensor (per Volvo service bulletin), which will hurt fuel economy. Check tire pressures and compare to the door jamb placard or owner's book, and examine the fronts for excessive wear to the outside edges which means you need a wheel alignment. Jack up the front wheels and spin by hand checking for brake drag.

Make sure thermostat is OK - temp gauge should rise to the 9:00 to 9:30 position fairly quickly after startup (and stay there). Slow or low means bad stat = cold engine = poor fuel efficiency.

Cost of checking stuff = $0, cost of plugs, filter and new cam cover gasket = $20 or so.
--
Bob (81-244GL B21F, 83-244DL B23F, 94-944 B230FD plus grocery-getter Dodge minivan, MGB, and numerous old motorcycles)

What year is the car? Is it a standard transmission or a automatic?

Quoting an earlier post of mine:

"I have a '77 244 that guzzles gas compared to my '80 mentioned below. The '77 is a 3 speed auto though, while the '80 is a standard transmission (M-46). Not sure of the gas mileage in my '77 since the odometer doesn't work, but I know it's not as good as the '80.

I get just over 30 mpg on the highway in my '80 245 (M-46 transmission).

No AC (only because it doesn't work), I never exceed 55 mph (rarely do), and I hardly ever redline the tach.

Plus, after running tests to see which local gas station brands gave me better mileage, I found that Cheveron (here in Portland), although being the most expensive, gave me better gas mileage then the other gases for what ever reason. It was enough of a difference for me to notice anyway.

Do you use a cheap brand of gas?

Do you do a lot of city driving?

Do you drive with a lead foot?

Did you son just get his drivers license?

All these things can equal horrible gas mileage."

You might also try cleaning the throttle body, or running a bottle of Techron through there.

hi there my 86 244 gets 21 mpg no matter what road i am on.it should be better. also my gas guage shows empty at about 11 gallons but the tank is 15.8 gallons. sorry i cant help you. what year is your car.