New 1.4L Turbo Break-in, MPG and Emissions Questions

[ChicksHateMe]

I have a new 2013 Sonic with 1.4L Turbo, Auto. It's only got a little over 400 miles on it. I have a few questions......

1. MPG

I'm only on my 2nd tank of gas, but the display has climbed to 29.2 MPG. I was wondering if that's normal? And, will it will get any better as the engine breaks in? At what point would I see changes?

2. Emissions

I had to return the dealer 4 times just to get a sticker. I didn't see them testing it, but I guess if failed, or failed to be ready, to do the emissions test. On the 4th trip I got a sticker. I didn't see it though, so I can't be sure they weren't sick of me and just tested another car. What would be the best way to have it tested again without waiting a full year? Another $29.00 sticker test?

3. Engine Break-in

I didn't really read anything about breaking in the engine until I had 300 miles on it. I've 400 now, with about 300 going back and forth to the dealer at between 55 and 70 miles per hour. Not the best I guess, considering some places say to vary speeds for first 500 or 1,000 miles. What is recommended for the Sonic 1.4L Turbo? Should I be concerned I didn't exactly vary the speeds? What would I see as issues if it isn't broken in right?


I don't beat on it, but have punched it a few times to feel the power

I'd like to have another emissions test, to be sure it's running right, and also follow break-in recommendations until I am at the correct break-in point.

Thanks in advance...

 

[TrippinGearz]

1. Mpg would depend on your commute. I get around 32 and thats about 30miles round trip mostly highway (not exactly driveing economically).
2. I cant really help you on sorry
3. This is a bit of a debate some say "baby it while breaking it in and itll be good to you" and some say "you treat it like a b*** itll run like a b***, you gotta run it hard and itll work hard" but in my opinion it wouldnt hurt to baby it till 1k or so miles.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

 

[Blue hedgehog]

1. My milage is still getting better at 20k. If I remember correctly I started out at 28mpg combined 30% city 70% highway. That was winter. My best tank ever so far was 34mpg same %s in the summer. My current mpg is 32 again same %s.
2. Here in NY the 1st 2 years on a new car are safety only. No emissions.
3. From the 2013 owners manual
New Vehicle Break-In
Notice: The vehicle does not need an elaborate break-in. But it will perform better in the long run
if you follow these guidelines:
. Do not drive at any one constant speed, fast or slow, for the first 805 km (500 mi). Do not make full-throttle starts. Avoid downshifting to brake or slow the vehicle.
. Avoid making hard stops for the first 322 km (200 mi) or so. During this time the new brake linings are not yet broken in. Hard stops with new linings can mean premature wear and earlier replacement. Follow this breaking-in guideline every time you get new brake linings.
Following break‐in, engine speed and load can be gradually
increased.

I personally believe in driving easy (not like a little old lady but not beating on it) for the 1st couple hundred miles, change the oil, then drive normal. By normal I mean whatever is normal for you.

 

[ChicksHateMe]

Thanks for the replies.

Seems the 29 I am getting isn't so bad then. It's still new, so I need to learn how to reset the MPG and check a few variables that I read about, and can control, like octane %. I'll also check the MPG's manually. Plus it's getting warmer, and I heard that will help. I don't drive economically either, but I might try for a tank, and see how much it affects me. Either way, this car gets a heck of a lot better than the MPG's my 1993 Jeep with 2x the cylinders got. Really the only reason I got rid of it.

I have a friend who's a good distance away and runs a garage. I think I will see if he can check the emissions for me. It'll be good to take some back roads through New Hampshire to vary the speed and put on some more of the <1000 miles. I think I've done too many miles highway, too close to a consistent speed, so I want to try and equal that out.

I am driving it kind of normal to hard. Not granny style. I do 70-80 a lot. I am a believer in the theory you will save by getting up to speed fast rather than slow and gradual, but not punching it. I think there's a point where there's a perfect fuel to power transfer, and it's not by going slow and steady. Nor by flooring it to get to speed either.

I like the idea of changing the oil soon, before the engine tells me to. I don't want any little pieces scratching up the guts. I wish I knew what they used for oil to start with. I am going to go search for oil recommendations now. I get first change free, so I may see if they'll do it early. Like at 500.

Thanks again!

 

[Blue hedgehog]

To reset the mpg on the dic or any of the dic info, select the info you want to reset by rotating the turn signal switch. Once the info is displayed pres and hold the button on the end of the turn signal switch till it beeps and resets.

 

[ChicksHateMe]

To reset the mpg on the dic or any of the dic info, select the info you want to reset by rotating the turn signal switch. Once the info is displayed pres and hold the button on the end of the turn signal switch till it beeps and resets.

Ah, thanks. I was wondering how. I didn't even know it could be reset at first. I thought they were just running averages. I will try it on my next fill-up.

 

[sx sonic]

#1 check the link in my Sig for answers there.

#2 did they just plug a scanner into the OBDII port to check emissions? If so you probably did not meet the drive criteria to set one of the readiness monitors. They're a self test the ECM performs to check sensor/emission operations. Some monitors get set right away, some require a certain drive cycle before checking off, with the low miles you might not have done a drive that set all the readiness monitors.

If one doesn't set you automatically fail OBDII emission scans. Doesn't mean there's anything wrong just that the computer hasn't self tested and verified everythings working.

 

[ChicksHateMe]

I did find your master thread and read it. Thanks!

As far as emissions, I am going to son-in-laws garage tomorrow. He said he'd test it. It's how the service department wrote up the receipt that confused me. There was an error code P0161 that came up, and I read that's related to an oxygen heater or sensor. But the way they wrote up the receipt, that's what they saw to make them reset the brakes, so the system would re-learn braking. I never saw a "Check Engine" light or a code on the display, so I am wondering if it's still there.

I do know they did something because the brake light hasn't come back on, and it's actually driving better. Less banging into lower gears when I slow down.

I just worry they used another car to pass me because I had been there 4 times and they didn't want to see me a 5th. Plus, whereas I am driving 80-90% highway, I was expecting better MPG's and wondering if the error code points to why I am getting under 30.

While I am there, I am also considering having him change the oil. I have 500 miles on it. I'm not sure if that's a good idea or not because I've read on some cars the manufacturers put in some things to help with break in, and I am afraid if there is anything like that in the engine, I may be removing it too early. On the other had, I don't want to leave fine shards of metal floating around either. Although I guess that's what the filters for...

Side note - Dang, I like that color you have.....

 

[Swordsmith]

The car keeps a running average of your mpg since last reset. This isn't particularly informative on a new car, because not only does it take around 1000 miles for the Sonic to really settle in and give you its best mpg, but the miles the dealership put on it were the worst kind, short trips, mostly at low speeds, lots of idling, running around cold and so forth. You could easily have an initial mpg figure of 12 with that kind of behavior. So say you've got 100 miles of 12mpg driving, and you drive it for 100 more miles where it's getting 36mpg, at the end of that your displayed mpg is still only 24... the average of the two.

If you reset, then you'll be looking at just the mpg you personally are getting. The longer you leave it between resets, the more accurate the overall figure will be, but if you want to see what you are getting on the highway, for example, you could reset it just before going onto the onramp, and take a look after you've gone a good ways in just that one driving condition.

Even better would be to get an aftermarket gauge that plugs into the OBDII port, a nice simple cheap one is Ultragauge, or you can get something that sends a bluetooth signal to your smartphone and run Torque, and there are other options as well. They do a much better job of monitoring and displaying mpg and a lot of other information about the car.

Or (and most accurate of all) you can fill up the tank, zero out the trip display, drive around and write down the totals when you fill up again, and do the math manually. No sensors no screwy computer (the on board system regularly reports a number off by 2 or 3 mpg) just good old this is how far I got on this many gallons.

Its hard to say what mpg you will be getting; you have the best combo for mpg, manual turbo, but you will get your best mileage driving gently at steady speeds around 60 mph. Everything you do that isn't that, stop and go traffic, gunning it hard, driving at higher speeds, will shave something off that total. I can get 44 mpg under optimal conditions... and regularly see closer to 33 mpg or worse. Winter weather also brings the numbers down, things may improve with spring coming on, if MA weather has been anything like the weather PA has been getting this winter (and I assume it is, only colder)

 

[Blue hedgehog]

The dealer couldn't do the emissions inspection on a different car if they have to plug into the OBD II port. The ECM tells the inspection machine the vin# of the car plugged in.

It is possible that all the tests weren't run and passed and that's why you had to go back. Also having the PO161 code would cause you to fail. Here in NY all but 2 test have to run and pass. The other 2 don't have to be run yet, if they do run and fail, you fail. By taking 2 parameters off the list its possible to be ready for the inspection within 50 miles.

 

[ChicksHateMe]

The car keeps a running average of your mpg since last reset. This isn't particularly informative on a new car, because not only does it take around 1000 miles for the Sonic to really settle in and give you its best mpg, but the miles the dealership put on it were the worst kind, short trips, mostly at low speeds, lots of idling, running around cold and so forth. You could easily have an initial mpg figure of 12 with that kind of behavior. So say you've got 100 miles of 12mpg driving, and you drive it for 100 more miles where it's getting 36mpg, at the end of that your displayed mpg is still only 24... the average of the two.

If you reset, then you'll be looking at just the mpg you personally are getting. The longer you leave it between resets, the more accurate the overall figure will be, but if you want to see what you are getting on the highway, for example, you could reset it just before going onto the onramp, and take a look after you've gone a good ways in just that one driving condition.

Even better would be to get an aftermarket gauge that plugs into the OBDII port, a nice simple cheap one is Ultragauge, or you can get something that sends a bluetooth signal to your smartphone and run Torque, and there are other options as well. They do a much better job of monitoring and displaying mpg and a lot of other information about the car.

Or (and most accurate of all) you can fill up the tank, zero out the trip display, drive around and write down the totals when you fill up again, and do the math manually. No sensors no screwy computer (the on board system regularly reports a number off by 2 or 3 mpg) just good old this is how far I got on this many gallons.

Its hard to say what mpg you will be getting; you have the best combo for mpg, manual turbo, but you will get your best mileage driving gently at steady speeds around 60 mph. Everything you do that isn't that, stop and go traffic, gunning it hard, driving at higher speeds, will shave something off that total. I can get 44 mpg under optimal conditions... and regularly see closer to 33 mpg or worse. Winter weather also brings the numbers down, things may improve with spring coming on, if MA weather has been anything like the weather PA has been getting this winter (and I assume it is, only colder)

Ah, I understand better now. For some reason, I was thinking I had to wait to reset the MPG's when I filled up. As if it was doing it my way. Manually. Doh!!! I will reset it tomorrow. I do remember the mileage being poor when I got it and liked seeing it climb, but I understand what you are saying now. Those poor MPG's are still affecting my total MPG's, keeping it down. I will reset it tomorrow, and still do it manually.

I read in another thread where someone mentioned the Ultra-Gauge. Damn, I want one NOW. I still have the page up and REALLY want to pull the trigger, but I've spent so much already this month

I have turbo, but Auto. I LOVED driving the standard when I tested them. I hadn't had that much fun since my 67 Firebird convertible.

As for the weather, I think we usually get it worse than you, but from watching the patterns, I think you might have got it worse than me this year. We got a lot, but where I was, we seemed to get less than Boston and the coast. Just glad it's nearly over. Can't wait to see the MPG's climb.

 

[ChicksHateMe]

The dealer couldn't do the emissions inspection on a different car if they have to plug into the OBD II port. The ECM tells the inspection machine the vin# of the car plugged in.

It is possible that all the tests weren't run and passed and that's why you had to go back. Also having the PO161 code would cause you to fail. Here in NY all but 2 test have to run and pass. The other 2 don't have to be run yet, if they do run and fail, you fail. By taking 2 parameters off the list its possible to be ready for the inspection within 50 miles.

Ah, OK! Old Jeep was 21 years old. I don't even think they tested it, and had to manually punch the VIN in. I was just paranoid.

I REALLY want one of those Untra-Gauges now that I read about them. New one just out says it also shows emissions ready state. It's a sign I need to spend more on toys

 

[Blue hedgehog]

Yeah, I know what you mean. I just got my tax return, and will be starting a new job in April. With my tax return and the extra money from the new job I can finally afford to do some mods. I'll be ordering my ultra gauge tomorrow, and hopfully getting the RS steering program done next weekend. Trifecta tune will be next.

If you want the RS steering program check out this thread.

http://www.sonicownersforum.com/forum/north-east/12743-rs-steering-programming.html