| Author | Message | ||
     Whisperstealth |
My fuel mileage has dropped badly. I've gone from 155-160 till the gas light all the way down to 126. I have heard it could be the O2 sensor. Any others come across this problem? And was it the O2 sensor? Or was it some other problem? How hard is it to replace the O2 sensor? And does the engine have to be rotated? What tools are required? Thanks for any help!  | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
Check easy/free stuff first. Open airbox and look for mice. check your tire pressures. This one got me bad a few times. My X1 went from a solid mid-50s MPG to low 40's. My pressures were way low after winter. like 22 LBS! Winter blends of gas also take a small hit though not 20%. | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Whisperstealth, When my O2 sensor went bad it threw a code 13 and progressively got worse running until I had to replace it. Mine didn't go bad until close to 40,000 miles on my bike. When the time comes to change an O2 sensor make sure you don't buy it from a dealer because you can get the exact Bosch replacement from any auto parts store for only $20.00. To change it out you need to proceed exactly like you are replacing the fan. You don't need to unplug the fan, just rotate and move out of the way and then use a 7/8" crowsfoot socket wrench to easily remove the offending O2 sensor and then replace. Don't forget to anti-seize the threads because that rear pipe gets hot. Chances are that your O2 sensor is fine unless you are seeing the 13 code. My mpg has varied all over the place over the years and it probably has more to do with short trips and stop lights than anything else. | ||
| Froggy |
I would use TunerPro to investigate before dropping money on parts. If your O2 sensor is failing, it can skew the AFV causing the bike to enrichen the mixture excessively, so use TunerPro to check what your AFV is. That said, first thing I would check is the tire pressure like Nate says, low pressure will significantly increase rolling resistance killing fuel economy. | ||
| Shagg1970 |
I don't know what temps you have been riding in but cold air is denser and will require more fuell use to keep the air fuel ratio proper thus dropping fuel economy. | ||
| Whisperstealth |
EG, I'm at 48,000 miles, so I figure it is probably about time. I gather from what you said that I don't need to rotate the engine to replace the O2 sensor then? My Uly is an 09, and I don't have tuner pro or any other dianogistic tool to check for codes. I will check the tire pressures and make sure they are where they need to be. I've been riding in freezing and sub freezing temps, and was unaware the cold temps (denser air) can drop fuel mileage. All that said; I rode yesterday without stopping and going, all highway miles and averaged 45mpg. So maybe the cold, waiting for it to warm up, short trips, and stop and go riding, has killed my mileage more that I thought it could/would. But in the past I've gotten 50mpg on the highway, and 40 mpg in the 'city'. Like I said in another thread, I think my bike is at that point where things are really starting to wear out. My front isolator is bad, and things a rattling around quite a bit. |
