'96 Pathfinder - 16.9 mpg - Pathetic!

[SC Maintenance]

Bump the tire pressure up to 50 and I bet you get to 17.8


Btw my 06 3.0 Accord gets 21-23mpg. The only time it does well is on a straight highway trip. If I burn a full tank in one day non stop highway I see 31-33

Your accord is likely 18 inches lower, a whole lot more aerodynamic and approaching 1000 lbs lighter.

 

[Gasbuggy]

Your accord is likely 18 inches lower, a whole lot more aerodynamic and approaching 1000 lbs lighter.

Yeah, 21-23 MPG is on par with what he's getting from his 3.0 brick suv

 

[tmorris1]

That isn’t what you said. Your post had a different vowel, that got caught.

Sorry. I was using my phone and I bet it was the autocorrect that thought it knew better than me.

 

[dlundblad]

16.9 mpg is very reasonable for a 30 year old 4WD SUV.

As said, the mpg numbers are 15 city, 19 highway. Ironically, the average of those 2 numbers is 17mpg.

 

[tmorris1]

16.9 mpg is very reasonable for a 30 year old 4WD SUV.

As said, the mpg numbers are 15 city, 19 highway. Ironically, the average of those 2 numbers is 17mpg.

I agree. I don't think I ever got 15mpg with mine, but that was mostly short trips and a teenage driver. That is all you can expect from a 30 year old SUV.
Check your rear suspension bushings. Those things get crazy death wobble when they get loose.

 

[meep]

Again, in my 97, with synthetic driveline fluids, highway tires, and manual locking hubs on the front axle, I got mine up to 21-22. Warn made the hubs, and it allowed me to disengage the front axle. That was the big mover.

 

[Towncivilian]

I was getting ready to change out both the rear gear and transfer case when my lift decided it wanted an unscheduled hydraulic oil change.

Lift is back up with new seal kits in both 19 year old cylinders.

Any recs for syn gear oil?

Whatever 75W-90 you can find on sale. I was partial to Mobil 1 75W-90 from Advance Auto because of the considerable online coupons (20% off or something), not sure if that's still possible nowadays.

Do you know whether your rear differential is limited slip? There'll be a bright neon orange "LSD OIL ONLY" sticker on the pumpkin if it is.

You mentioned having a transfer case, so it sounds like this is a 4WD Pathfinder. The front differential will also benefit from fresh fluid.

+1 about the Warn hubs mentioned by @meep, I forgot that was a thing. That should net you a couple MPG.