Just calculated my first MPG for the 88 festiva...

[jimdigs]

32.3 MPG. Not what I was expecting. Pretty poor. She really winds out in 4th gear when going around 65. I smell gas when idling and window down, so that has to be addressed. Probably needs a good tune up. How much should I expect outta the little 4 speed? I still think I should get close to 40. The clutch slips in 4th when trying to floor the things so thats not good. I have never messed with a transmission before.

[FestYboy]

The clutch fork should have 3/16-1/4" of play by hand before engaging the pressure plate. A 10mm wrench, vice grips and some penetrating oil are needed to make any adjustments.
Run the ignition at 4-6* advance base timing. Spark plug gap at .035". You should have over 21" vacuum at idle which should be steady at 600-650 RPM. Do a compression check. I suspect that there's some missing.

[harpon]

32.5 doesn't sound too far off for a four speed at 65 really- with stock 12 wheels

you'd probably be over 35 at 60, which a 70's Rabbit could do at 60, when the speed limit was 55.

My old 88 Festiva I figured roughly did 35 with a fair load from coast to coast, but I rarely got over 60 except down hill

The 5 speed Aspire with many miles less, can do over 42, but at 60, not 65.

[jimdigs]

The clutch fork should have 3/16-1/4" of play by hand before engaging the pressure plate. A 10mm wrench, vice grips and some penetrating oil are needed to make any adjustments.
Run the ignition at 4-6* advance base timing. Spark plug gap at .035". You should have over 21" vacuum at idle which should be steady at 600-650 RPM. Do a compression check. I suspect that there's some missing.

When doing a compression test on a carbed festi do I still keep the gas pedal floored while cranking over the engine or is there a different method? Thanks

[FestYboy]

Same procedure for bothering EFI and carb, throttle is to be held open and all plugs removed. If you have a 16gaw or larger jumper wire, you can forgo using the ignition switch by applying power from the positive terminal to the small blade terminal on the starter solenoid. Make sure the car is in neutral!!!!!

[UglyEd]

When i first got my "Steve" was running stock carb and 4 spd 12 inch tires would pull 38 to 40 at 55 would drop down to around 32 to 35 if i ran it at 60 to 65....now with my escort carb and a 5 spd at 55 and a bit of tuning i now get 46 to 49 on a regular basis...when these tires wear out i am going to switch to 13 inch 145x80x13 to drop that final drive rpm...all my driving is 2 lane highway at 55 so hopefully will push me over 50 mpg...have fun

Uglyed and the Steve

[reyestuninggarag]

I just got 39.5 all city mpg with full upper and lower grill block, fresh NGK plugs ( which i gapped at .044, what the factory requires if that helps) and aired my tires to 45 psi (stock 12 inchers). I also did lots of EOC, engine off coasting. That i think was my biggest help. A bit extreme but easy to get used to. Usually tho before i did all this, i was getting 28 city mpg with normal driving habits. For sure do a tune up! I hope this helps in any way.

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk

[jimdigs]

I just got 39.5 all city mpg with full upper and lower grill block, fresh NGK plugs ( which i gapped at .044, what the factory requires if that helps) and aired my tires to 45 psi (stock 12 inchers). I also did lots of EOC, engine off coasting. That i think was my biggest help. A bit extreme but easy to get used to. Usually tho before i did all this, i was getting 28 city mpg with normal driving habits. For sure do a tune up! I hope this helps in any way.

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk

What year is your festiva? I will do a full tune up come spring or the next warm enough weekend.

[reyestuninggarag]

What year is your festiva? I will do a full tune up come spring or the next warm enough weekend.

92 GL Sport. 5 speed. And 72k miles. Im telling ya bud, get a tune up done asap. Its cheap and easy. Plugs, wires, cap and rotor, pcv valve, air and fuel filter, oil change. Make sure ur alignment is right and tires inflated atleast to the required psi. I inflated mine way above the recommended. 45 psi. And trust me, that does make a difference. I noticed i rolled far longer on that psi than the required 32psi.

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk