got a used 2002 blazer for my daughter....burns gas like crazy. Is this common for this year or what should I look for to increase mileage?

 

well what mileage are we talking about? if its anything less then 12 mpg then i would suspect a fuel problem. but 13-20 is normal for theese trucks. they are gas hogs. simple ways to increase mileage is check your tire inflation and inflate to the correct psi (can be found on the driver door jamb), dont inflate to the max psi rated on the tire. check your air filter and if its dirty, replace it. also things like the "tornado" and gas line magnets dont work, so dont waste your money. when ever your driving pay attention to the RPM's try to keep them as low as possible (1000-2000 RPM's will save alot of gas). you can remove any excess weight from the truck like the spare tire (but i wouldnt recomed this unless you have roadside assistance). Reduce drag by removing a bike or ski rack when not inuse. dont idle, Turn off your engine if you’ll be idling for more than a minute or two. Starting your vehicle does use a burst of fuel, but not as much as allowing the engine to idle too long. and personally i unplug my ac compressor clutch in the winter so that it doesnt cycle on and off. just be careful, because if you leave it unplugged too long your ac compressor can sieze up. you could also change your fluids (engine oil, transmission fluid, and gear oil) to synthetic fluids. synthetic fluids have been proven to reduce drag and that allows less friction between moving parts.

 

Compare whatever mileage you are getting here:
Official MPG Poll

 

Hey! I find anything less than 19mpg unsaitisfactory, considering the weight of the unit and the relatively small motor(mine weighs 4400 full fluids+ driver) the economy will suffer dependant upon terrain & traffic. In summer I attained a high of 24.7 (GU6 rear)
and am now running 17.8 (I live in flat terrain)but even in the White Mountains of NH at a low of-14* in Dec I was still getting 16.5 with the unit loaded to perhaps 5000 GVW.
Ryanmatt135 is right on with his suggestions as well!

 

well step66, i sure hope you always get @ least 19mpg. personally, i think that's asking too much from these trucks.


unless you drive like a little old lady & never go past 1/4 throttle, i don't see it happening religiously.

like Ryan said anywhere from 13 to 20 i sabout average. personally, i see 15 to 18mpg. had a couple of 20+ tanks, but those were on a long haul. strictly highway.

 

I get between 12 and 13.5 but thats all city all stop and go. The most I ever got was 15.4 but that was all 100% freeway about 80 miles. I've only had it about a month I know its 4x4 bit I was hoping for at least than 15 in city. I usually never even hit 3000 rpm, I know I'm not hot ******* it or lead-footing it at all and this week the intake gasket went out. I'm suspecting its the dex-cool and bad gasket combo, so I haven't driven it lately. I do plan on putting on a Spectre cai and doing a good tune up along with fuel filter along with the intake. should be proceeding next week. If there is a significant difference in mpg I will update.

 

If the intake is weak it may not be running at peak operating temperature. Replace intake, wires, plgs, distro cap and rotor, and thermostat, but you see a nice little rise in your mpg.

You bought it with intake gaskets problem, shows it was not maintained. DO the basics, you might should do better on your mpg.