2004 Pontiac Vibe MPG suddenly way down

2004 PONTIAC VIBE
26,190 MILES • 4 CYL • 2WD • AUTOMATIC
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DM-YANKEE
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  • 1 POST
My 2004 Vibe suddenly began getting very poor gas mileage around last September. Previously it had gotten 30 or better on the highway and at least 25 in town (most of my driving is in town). It now gets well under 25 on the highway, sometimes much less, and 16 - 18 in town at best. I have not changed where I get gas or the grade (basic). Others getting gas at the same place have not experienced this problem. I have always taken it to the dealership for routine maintenance. They could not find a problem, replaced the air filter and put an additive in the tank. That was good for a maybe 1 - 2 mpg improvement. I am not certain what else to do. I took it to the Toyota dealer today and they said it was the mass airflow sensor and corrected that, as well as the air filter not being installed correctly. Could these be causing the extreme drop in mileage? Are there other possibilities? Thanks for any information you may have.
Apr 7, 2009 at 12:51 PM
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MMPRINCE4000
  • ASE Certified Mechanic
  • 8,548 POSTS
  • ASE Certified Mechanic
A bad Mass Air Flow will cause a significant drop in mileage, if MAF is out of normal range, PCM will default to a rich mixture to protect engine from a lean mixture.
Jul 30, 2009 at 9:13 AM
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