Low MPH??

[AntelopeSpyder]

Low MPG??

I purchased my 2010 RS on 7/08/2010. Rode it home about 120 miles. When I filled up I got 24.5 mpg which is about what I expected. My next two fill up were 15.8 mpg and 18.3 mpg :yikes:. It has been very cold blooded in the AM when I start it up. Sometimes it seems to be running on one cylinder. And you need to hold the throttle open to keep it running until it warms up. If you start it up in the garage ( with all the doors open ) the exhaust will burn your eyes in a matter of a few minutes.
I called the service department and they said I couldn’t get in until Tuesday next week. I asked him if it would be covered under warranty, but he said it depends on what the problem was. He suggested it might just be a fouled plug.
So my question is what do you guys think? How hard is it to pull the plugs and clean them? What other things could be causing the problem?

 

[NancysToy]

This could easily be due to a fouled plug. It should not have happened on a new Spyder. Even though plugs are not normally covered by the warranty, a good dealer will cover premature plug fouling...prior to the specified inspection/replacement interval. If you decide to change the plugs, I'd recommend replacement...even if you have a plug sandblaster to clean them. Cleaned plugs never last as long, and if one is bad, it will quickly foul again. Plugs are NGK DCPR9E. If it fouls a plug again, you probably have a problem with a bad plug wire, coil, or ECM, and you will need to visit the dealer. The front plug is a pain to change, as the airbox must be removed. Easier on the RS than the RT, though. If you are lucky, the rear plug will be the bad one, and you can just change that. I wouldn't ride much with a fouled plug. You could burn a hole in a piston that way, or even foul the O2 sensor.

 

[AntelopeSpyder]

Thanks for the advice, Scotty!

So, would you go ahead and purchase a new plug and replace the back one and see how it performs?

 

[bone crusher]

Scotty rocks!

 

[xpeschon]

I would go to the store and buy 2 new plugs, if your gonna do one of the plugs you'd just as well do them both.. I'm changing out my Plug wires and Plugs tonight,, its really not that hard to do,, be sure to put some di-electric grease on the tips of the plugs and also you will need to get some heat paste for the threats of the plug.. Scooty will charm in here in a minute and give you the proper name of it I can't remember what it's called .. Anyway you can buy it at Radio shack.. Good luck..

X-Joe

 

[NancysToy]

I would go to the store and buy 2 new plugs, if your gonna do one of the plugs you'd just as well do them both.. I'm changing out my Plug wires and Plugs tonight,, its really not that hard to do,, be sure to put some di-electric grease on the tips of the plugs and also you will need to get some heat paste for the threats of the plug.. Scooty will charm in here in a minute and give you the proper name of it I can't remember what it's called .. Anyway you can buy it at Radio shack.. Good luck..

X-Joe

Silicone base heat sink compound. Radio Shack P/N 276-1372A.

 

[AntelopeSpyder]

Thanks for the advice everyone!:2thumbs: I will be getting the plugs and installing them this weekend. I assume there is a spark plug socket in the tool kit, as I haven't even looked in there yet to see what is there.

 

[xpeschon]

Thanks for the advice everyone!:2thumbs: I will be getting the plugs and installing them this weekend. I assume there is a spark plug socket in the tool kit, as I haven't even looked in there yet to see what is there.

Yah theres one in there but its kind of a pain if you ask me.. I just use the normal spark plug socket... Oh and also,, Torque them to 168 INCHES PER SQUARE NOT POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH...

Again, good luck you will be just fine..

X-Joe

 

[Raptor]

Yah theres one in there but its kind of a pain if you ask me.. I just use the normal spark plug socket... Oh and also,, Torque them to 168 INCHES PER SQUARE NOT POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH...

Again, good luck you will be just fine..

X-Joe

I do mine just like I do my tires; 168 inch-pound in front and 167.5 inch-pounds in the rear... :shocked:

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! :roflblack: I just couldn't help myself! :roflblack: All kidding aside, I hope the new plugs do the trick for you. Keep us posted!opcorn:

 

[xpeschon]

:dontknow:

X-Joe

 

[AntelopeSpyder]

LOW MPG

OK, I finely got around to changing the plugs. My last two fill ups were 21.5 - 18.2 mpg. So last night I thought I would bite the bullet. The rear plug was no problem, but as most of you know the front one is really tucked away. The manual said if you couldn't get to it you would have to take the air cleaner off. I didn't have time to go through all of that.

Long story short I was able to get a socket and extension with a couple of wiggle-joints down to the front plug and get it out.

As you can see from the attached picture the plugs were very black which I assume means that the engine is running rich ( bad mpg ). I just hope changing them will improve my MPG. I am heading to Corbin tomorrow ( from Sacramento ) about a 332 mi trip to have a new seat and hard bags installed. I am hoping my MPG will improve.

 

[NancysToy]

Something is seriously wrong! I am assuming you have no JuiceBox or similar modification. A couple of possibilities are a bad O2 sensor, throttle body badly miscalibrated, a bad coil, or a bad ECM. Time to see the dealer.

 

[spydee owner]

mpg

The spyder should easily give you 35 -38 mpg. The mileage you are getting should, I would think, give some kind of error code. Spyders usually run very lean.

 

[IWN2RYD]

:agree: with both of those posts.. That is not good. Clearly one of those is running waaaaaaaaaaay richer than the other.. and they are both showing richness!!

Straight to the dealer for you :2thumbs:nojoke

 

[AntelopeSpyder]

Thanks for the advice. The dealer visit will have to wait until next week. Have the trip to Corbin tomorrow.

Was hoping the new plugs would solve the problem, as someone had suggested that a fouled plugs could account for the bad MPG.

 

[IWN2RYD]

Thanks for the advice. The dealer visit will have to wait until next week. Have the trip to Corbin tomorrow.

Was hoping the new plugs would solve the problem, as someone had suggested that a fouled plugs could account for the bad MPG.

They are correct.. New plugs will help, but maybe only one tank worth as it is clear something is sending or receiving a bad signal and is sending way to much fuel/air mixture into the cylinders...

I am a shade tree mechanic (Can re-assemble a small block 350 blindfolded- not to torq specs of course :roflblack and have seen and fought my fare share of mixture issues. Most of the time the plug was to cold (Needed a hotter firing one) or one of the sensors got out of whack. Of course this does not include my "Jet/Injector" changes and such hyea:

These engines are de-tuned racer engines with darn near bullet proof history. SO this is definitely a sensor type issue IMHO. Not mechanical... Good luck!

P.S. You might want to do a little looking around the air cleaner assembly/exhaust system and such. Just make sure all the wires are plugged in nice and tight and such. You never know... Heck... I have not looked at the RS yet... But I wonder if one of the sensors never got plugged into their wiring at assembly :dontknow:

 

[AntelopeSpyder]

Whatever it was it seemed to happen quickly. As stated above I got 24.5 MPG on my inital ride home after I purchased the :spyder2:. And I was happy with that because it only had about 1600 miles on it, and I figered the milage would get better as it got broke-in more. Then the very next tank the mileage was 15 MPG. Anyway to the dealer next week I will go.

 

[Erags]

MPG

The best I have got is 28 mpg and that was when I was lugging it. Now that I'm running it the way others say it should be driven, (keeping the rpm's about 5000) and now my milage is around 26 mpg. Will have to look at my plugs tonight.

 

[New Sharon Spyder]

Just to chime in on the fuel mileage thing. I am getting 35 mpg every tank full with my Spyder RT Manual trans. I have about 2000 miles on it and it has been very close to that from mile 1. We ride double just about all the time. It runs much smoother that my 08 RS did. No surge at 3500-400RPM. Great power when rolling into the throttle and will "get it" if you crank on it from a stop or on ramp. Hope they can get your problem taken care of.

 

[JJW SpyderRider]

MPG

I have never got less than 35 mpg in 2800 miles. It must not need fuel with all the backfiring and stumbling the engine does. Waiting for my 3000 mile check to look into it.