Gas mileage.

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Longinotti78
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Joined: Tue Jul 18, 2017 10:35 pm
Your car is a: 1978 Fiat spider

Gas mileage.

Postby Longinotti78 » Fri Jul 21, 2017 10:56 pm

I just picked up a 78 spider. My first one was 25 years ago my second about 20 years ago. It seems to be getting terrible gas mileage or the fuel gauge is not working properly. What is the average km you can drive before the red light turns on. How many litres of gas does it take to fill the tank. I am currently driving 200 when the low gas light comes on. Please advise.

PhillySpider
Posts: 325
Joined: Tue Apr 26, 2016 6:51 pm
Your car is a: 1980 Spider 2000
Location: New Hope, PA

Re: Gas mileage.

Postby PhillySpider » Sat Jul 22, 2017 2:55 am

Longinotti78 wrote:I just picked up a 78 spider. My first one was 25 years ago my second about 20 years ago. It seems to be getting terrible gas mileage or the fuel gauge is not working properly. What is the average km you can drive before the red light turns on. How many litres of gas does it take to fill the tank. I am currently driving 200 when the low gas light comes on. Please advise.


I'm betting the float on your fuel sending unit is saturated which will cause it to sink below the actual surface level of the fuel in the tank. This will result in your light coming on prematurely as it's essentially like the mechanical switch in your toilet. I've been thinking to replace mine for the same reason. When mine hits 1/2 a tank the light will start to flicker and needle drops up and down hills and over bumps. I think it's just heavy and bobbing at this time, causing false reads. Unless it starts acting up above 1/2 a tank I'll likely leave it alone and consider it part of Bella's personality :) .

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RRoller123
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Your car is a: 1980 FI SPIDER 2000
Location: SAGAMORE BEACH, MA USA

Re: Gas mileage.

Postby RRoller123 » Sat Jul 22, 2017 8:44 am

With a new float, I get the gas warning light very consistently after 8 gallons used, 200 miles, out of about 11-1/2 gallons total. 24MPG overall. '80 2L FI.
'80 FI Spider 2000
'74 and '79 X1/9 (past)
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klweimer
Posts: 550
Joined: Tue Mar 27, 2012 7:45 am
Your car is a: 1982 Spider 2000
Location: Arvada, Colorado

Re: Gas mileage.

Postby klweimer » Sat Jul 22, 2017 10:21 am

200 miles per tank sounds about right. I have an 82 FI and figure about 20-24 MPG. When I'm driving the spider, MPG is not my first priority. :-)

DieselSpider
Posts: 2130
Joined: Wed Dec 24, 2014 10:21 pm
Your car is a: 1978 124 Spider with Isuzu Turbo Diesel

Re: Gas mileage.

Postby DieselSpider » Sat Jul 22, 2017 9:43 pm

if you are only going 200 KM/124 M on 8 gallons/30 Liters then you are doing quite badly.

The Spider should get between 20 to 28 mpg depending on how its driven while your getting around 15.5 mpg/6.6 kpl when you should be getting closer to 323 kilometers and 11 kpl.

I loose track as with the Diesel mine gets between 36 mpg and 52 mpg depending on how its driven. I have gone as far as 523 miles on a tank when driving conservatively using 10 gallons of Diesel getting about 52 mpg.

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spidernut
Posts: 1905
Joined: Wed Jan 25, 2006 12:20 am
Your car is a: 1979 Fiat Spider Automatic
Location: Lincoln, CA

Re: Gas mileage.

Postby spidernut » Sun Jul 23, 2017 12:33 am

According to the 1978 United State EPA estimates, the Fiat 124 Sport Spider should get 20 mpg city, 28 mpg highway. Therefore, you should be getting about 45 kpg if the car is stock.
John G.
1979 Spider (Owned since 2000)
1971 124 Sport Spider (Owned since 2017)
1977 Spider (Sold 2017)
1979 Spider (Disposed of in 2017)
1979 Spider (Sold 2015)
1980 Spider (Sold in 2013)
1981 Spider (Sold in 1985)
2017 Spider (Owned since 2019)

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MrBlimp
Posts: 88
Joined: Thu Jun 15, 2017 12:03 am
Your car is a: 1978 Fiat 124 Spider
Location: Chichester, NY

Re: Gas mileage.

Postby MrBlimp » Mon Jul 31, 2017 2:39 pm

I am reading into this thread what may also be the cause/solution to my gas gauge issue. It seemed at first to be working. Then it seemed like it wasn't then it seemed like it was working like a tachometer instead of a gas gauge (fluxuating while driving). Then it seemed like it has stopped working all together.

The other day I was thinking that maybe I should gas up since I drove it about 60 miles or so since the last time I put any gas in the tank.

This time I filled it until the gas was just entering the fill tube. When I got back in the car the gauge read full.

I drove it 3 times since, approximately 60+ miles total, and the gauge started the fluxuation again.
69 Triumph Spitfire
70 MGB
78 Fiat 124 Spider
92 Mustang LX
00 Jeep Wrangler Sport 4.0L - Totaled
00 Ford Ranger XLT 3.0L
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phaetn
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Posts: 575
Joined: Thu Jan 02, 2014 7:42 pm
Your car is a: 1974 Fiat Spider 1800
Location: Ottawa, ON Canada

Re: Gas mileage.

Postby phaetn » Tue Aug 01, 2017 12:24 pm

Longinotti78 wrote:I just picked up a 78 spider. My first one was 25 years ago my second about 20 years ago. It seems to be getting terrible gas mileage or the fuel gauge is not working properly. What is the average km you can drive before the red light turns on. How many litres of gas does it take to fill the tank. I am currently driving 200 when the low gas light comes on. Please advise.


Is 200 km or miles? Is your speedo metric or imperial?

42 litres to fill the tank, according to the manual for my '74. I've put 40L into only once, most times less, and that was going from nearly dead empty to having gas up to the top of the fill tube.

Not sure if my mileage is good or not, but I've got a big carb and I suspect somewhat rich. I usually fill up after about 120-140 miles (192-224 km) of city driving and then it's somewhere below a quarter tank, but before the red light comes on. My gauge tends to be reliable at the top and bottom ends of the needle's travel, but hovers around the middle for too long. :)

If I'm highway driving I can get to 160 miles (256km) before filling up and that's way before it's empty -- more that I'm nervous about running out and not sure where the next gas station is. I THINK (but won't swear to it) that after a bunch of highway miles and them coming into a city so I wasn't worried, I once got 200 miles (320km) on a tank. The red light came on but the whole tank had been highway cruising.

Your mileage may vary. ;)

Cheers,
phaetn
1974 CS1
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spider2081
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Your car is a: 1981 Spider 2000
Location: Wallingford,CT
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Re: Gas mileage.

Postby spider2081 » Wed Aug 02, 2017 10:10 pm

My 81 FI gets about 25 MPG average with little highway driving mostly city and back roads. I would expect it to be better if I drove any distance on an interstate. I usually top the tank off after about 220 miles.

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DUCeditor
Posts: 490
Joined: Sun May 23, 2010 7:36 am
Your car is a: 1977 FIAT 124 Sport Spider
Location: Monadnock Area, New Hampshire USA
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Re: Gas mileage.

Postby DUCeditor » Thu Aug 03, 2017 8:16 am

Amazing consistency being seen here. My `77 with 122,000 miles on the odometer is still getting a pretty consistent 24 miles per gallon. That on two lane roads almost exclusively -- speed 40 to 60 mph.

I cannot remember the last time I saw the fuel warning light go on. With gas stations sometimes pretty far apart here in rural NH I rarely start a trip of any length with much less than a full tank, and if its below half full I top it off locally before hitting the back roads.

-don
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