[vineethvazhayil]

Originally Posted by Ananthang

What else can I do. My last option is try to check if he is willing to let me change to some other vehicle. But in that case, he will a upper hand, will not negotiate and also I should get in my budget. When I checked his inventory, it did not have anything in my budget.

Looking at the carfax alone, I feel there is a very high chance of clerical error, because of the consistency of the service and registration renewal records . But hold out to get the DMV record, and insist on the mechanic check. All the best.

[Jomz]

Originally Posted by amitoj

Yeah mine is 2012 model. Any idea how to disable AWD there, short of pulling a couple of fuses?
I read somewhere that if through Trinity, you disable traction control, it disables AWD too, along with ABS. That, i dont want disabled.

the key trick is mentioned in this thread also to disable RWD. But i haven't seen a post in which somebody tried that and seen whether it works

http://www.chargerforumz.com/showthr...=124625&page=2

[Ananthang]

Originally Posted by vineethvazhayil

Looking at the carfax alone, I feel there is a very high chance of clerical error, because of the consistency of the service and registration renewal records . But hold out to get the DMV record, and insist on the mechanic check. All the best.

Thanks Vineeth.

My other friends are also asking me to take it writing from the dealer that they have used some scientific method and confirm that there are no Odometer fraud.

[aah78]

Originally Posted by NinadJoshi

(2) Cold temps = higher fluid viscosity, more work required to overcome friction in the engine, transmission and other drive-train modules, at least until the engine and drive-train warms up (by which time your tiny commute is almost over).
(3) Cold temps = tire pressures drop = fractionally that much more effort on the engine to roll the vehicle, at least until the tires warm up (by which time your tiny commute is almost over).

Ninad, fluids used are not viscous enough to cause resistance to movement of mechanical parts. Their job is to provide lubrication & reduce friction. Yes, they work best when warmed upto operating temperature.

If they did resist movement, engines, transmissions & diffs would wear out quickly.

Tire pressures do make a difference but since the commute is negligible, they wont be a major contributing factor.

Originally Posted by Ananthang

My other friends are also asking me to take it writing from the dealer that they have used some scientific method and confirm that there are no Odometer fraud.

You probably won't get anything from them in writing.
If they don't work with you, go to the BBB. If that doesn't work, then get an attorney to send them a notice.

[infotech58]

If you end up buying that Camry, there are still chances that when you sell it the prospective buyer will look at the CarFax report and ask you about this inconsistancy in mileage. How are you going to handle that situation?

Selling a Camry at 120-130k miles is not a difficult task, but the one which has been recorded to have done 169k miles stands to fetch a very low price and your loss probably in that case would be more than this 1000$ deposit.

Originally Posted by Ananthang

Finally I also asked him about refund, which blatantly refused. He agreed only if DMV gives something inconsistent, he is ready to give a complete Refund.

[amitoj]

Originally Posted by Jomz

the key trick is mentioned in this thread also to disable RWD. But i haven't seen a post in which somebody tried that and seen whether it works

http://www.chargerforumz.com/showthr...=124625&page=2

I have to admit i did not fully understand the key trick either, given that i have a keyless start/stop system (the push button kinds)

Anyway, in other news, I saw today that some refineries are going to switch to the summer blend to offset the increasing cost of gas.

EDIT: Oh and another thing that has taken a toll on mileage in the winters is the pre heating practice. I used to start the car and let it heat up for 5 minutes or so, before driving off. Now i just wait for the rpm needle to come down to the 800 mark before driving off. That happens in 30 seconds or less.

[aah78]

Originally Posted by amitoj

EDIT: Oh and another thing that has taken a toll on mileage in the winters is the pre heating practice. I used to start the car and let it heat up for 5 minutes or so, before driving off. Now i just wait for the rpm needle to come down to the 800 mark before driving off. That happens in 30 seconds or less.

Also, you won't be seeing huge savings if you run only RWD. Maybe a gain of 1 or 2 mpg.
It also doesn't make total sense to me to pay more for AWD & then run the car in RWD .

[amitoj]

Originally Posted by aah78

Also, you won't be seeing huge savings if you run only RWD. Maybe a gain of 1 or 2 mpg.
It also doesn't make total sense to me to pay more for AWD & then run the car in RWD .

LOL. Whats the point in running the car in AWD when there is no snow/slush/rain/dirt on the road?

[vivekiny2k]

Originally Posted by aah78

Tire pressures do make a difference but since the commute is negligible, they wont be a major contributing factor.

Besides, the tire pressue is measured when cold. In winter the cold pressure drops by about 5 PSI and I end up topping it up. Usually lasts till next winter. afer driving about 20 mins it rises by 5-7 PSI regardless of the weather.

I have a digital reading for each wheel as a part of my TPMS so I can see the pressure in real time when driving.

[NinadJoshi]

Originally Posted by aah78

Ninad, fluids used are not viscous enough to cause resistance to movement of mechanical parts. Their job is to provide lubrication & reduce friction. Yes, they work best when warmed upto operating temperature.

If they did resist movement, engines, transmissions & diffs would wear out quickly.

Tire pressures do make a difference but since the commute is negligible, they wont be a major contributing factor.
.

Made my day. It would be rather hilarious if one claims that oil resists movement. The purpose of oil is lubrication, but how well it lubricates/flows/moves depends on its viscosity, which depends on the temperature it operates under.

The protagonist has a tiny commute, which may mean that on cold winter mornings most of this commute is already over by the time the stuff 'warms' to its optimal levels and begins to 'work best'. In other words, given the length of the commute and the ambient temperature during the commute (cold, in winter), his car is being driven in an inefficient zone for a good part of his commute, which may well be one of the reasons for the drop in his mpg numbers.

Cold weather commute also means a richer air-fuel ratio at least for some time after the engine starts up, which, due to the short distance of the commute, may mean a good portion of his commute is being driven rich.

Cold weather also means possible drops in cold tire pressure. A 2.5 mile drive with 33 psi v/s 30 psi will increase your fuel consumption marginally for sure. Again, just a 2.5 mile commute may not be enough for the tires to warm up and regain their lost air pressure.

In any case, I give up. You guys carry on with your advice

Message to the Mazda dude, do not worry, most of what you are seeing is expected and ok. Things will brighten up in Summer, hang in there.

[Technocrat]

While we are on this topic, I too saw my city Mileage drop from 21-22 to 18-19 but I attribute following -

- new Tires, the old probably had less grip & resistance
- Winter, as more idling is required

Oh & my car too sees very little driving(about 5k in 7.5 months as its not my daily driver) as well & mostly its city too. Hopefully it should be more in Summer

Got my oil changed from Pep Boys last weekend with the regular Pennzoil 5W-20, as the computer showed 30% & I found the oil to be slightly low level when I checked manually, although the shop guy said that the drained oil showed no significant loss.

Btw does it makes sense to check the Air Filter(for mileage) which I have not checked so far.

Also any suggestion on changing with stock vs K&N Stock replacement?

I am not too sure about the Short Intake from K&N because as it is my V6 makes a little growl when pushed

Also ordered & received LED bulbs for interiors from Amazon but yet to put them in.

[ToroRosso]

Phew, So I am back from Chicago (Geomy,sorry bro couldnt ring you up) and the mileage was 33mpg. YaY and all's well with world. Thanks everyone and this is why the forum rocks.

[Jomz]

Originally Posted by ToroRosso

Phew, So I am back from Chicago (Geomy,sorry bro couldnt ring you up) and the mileage was 33mpg. YaY and all's well with world. Thanks everyone and this is why the forum rocks.

Oh, I thought you had a weekend plan.

[vivekiny2k]

Originally Posted by Technocrat

Btw does it makes sense to check the Air Filter(for mileage) which I have not checked so far.

Definitely, clogged air filter means your engine is struggling to breath. I noticed substantial improvement in MPG after changing mine. The other two things that helped were transmission flush and getting new tires (michelin eco).

No experience with performance filters though.

EDIT: I park in garage, temp probably above freezing, and I never idle. Even when I start from work on freezing evenings I don't, I thought modern cars were free from starting rituals.

[carfreak77]

Originally Posted by vivekiny2k

EDIT: I park in garage, temp probably above freezing, and I never idle. Even when I start from work on freezing evenings I don't, I thought modern cars were free from starting rituals.

You should always idle when it is very cold, particularly below freezing. This allows the engine oil to warm up. The engine oil can get quite thick (viscous) due to cold temperatures, and it is unable to flow smoothly through engine parts. This can cause long-term engine damage. So, you should wait for it to warm up and thin down so that it can lubricate all engine areas properly.
Even after you idle for a few minutes, it is preferred you drive with a light foot and not revv the engine too much. After you have driven a bit, you can revv all you want!