"ToyotaGal" <coayone@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1162778661.882011.57560@m7g2000cwm.googlegrou ps.com...
>I used to get about 300 miles to a tank of gas - until recently (about
> 6wks ago)...now I'm getting about 150 miles to a tank. Has anyone else
> experienced this with their Celica - is this normal for the age/miles
> on the car (240K)? I have correct tire pressure, don't use the A/C,
> and don't let the car idle....haven't been able to take it to a
> mechanic....what if any simple things can I check myself to possibly
> improve the recent poor gas mileage? I know next to nothing about
> fixing cars so my apologies in advance!
>

A lot of things can cause a significant decrease in fuel economy. How does
the car run?

How long has it been since the car was serviced? When was the last time the
spark plugs were changed? Does the car have an automatic or a manual
transmission?

Possible causes are:
clogged air filter - you should be able to shine a light on the filter and
see light on the opposite side
obstruction in the exhaust system
transmission problem like slippage or not shifting properly - if it has an
automatic transmission, it should be translucent red and not brown or black.
vacuum leak - usually causes drivability problems
worn or bad ignition system (spark plugs, high tension wires, distributor
rotor, distributor cap)
incorrect ignition timing
dragging brakes
bad coolant temperature sensor or wiring between the coolant temp sensor and
computer
--

Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)