Mpg Dropped From 51 To 48?

[MrSandman]

Hi

Well its been 3 weeks now and done about 600 miles in my 08 2.0D4D , it had 91k on clock FTSH. When I bought it had 51MPG on display recently it has dropped to 48, I do alot of local runs and the car has all motorway miles. Is this what its supposed to be showing, or is that a sign thats somethings not right and could get worse, everything is absolutely great, its fully loaded and buzz to drive.

Thanks

[dervdave]

Hi

Well its been 3 weeks now and done about 600 miles in my 08 2.0D4D , it had 91k on clock FTSH. When I bought it had 51MPG on display recently it has dropped to 48, I do alot of local runs and the car has all motorway miles. Is this what its supposed to be showing, or is that a sign thats somethings not right and could get worse, everything is absolutely great, its fully loaded and buzz to drive.

Thanks

Probably nothing more than a different driving style/conditions than the other owner.

[Daveyonthemove]

Don't worry about the computer readout, its not going to be that accurate.

Also, your MPG could drop for various reasons, and it may have nothing to do with the car itself.

I don't know what the weather has been like around your area lately, but its been quite windy near me for a while now, and any headwind will require a bit more fuel to overcome.

If you want to monitor your MPG accurately, you need to do it the old fashioned way by filling the car to the brim, resetting your trip mileage, and making a note of how many miles you have covered at the next fill up, and how many litres it takes to fill to the brim again. Its unlikely this number will match your computer readout, but it will be accurate

[Pat2u]

Never take any notice of the readout, you need to test it as the other post suggest even 48mpg sounds good to me.

[MrSandman]

Thanks for the quick response fellas!!!

Well I did 196miles on quarter tank in 6th gear at approx 80mph. And thats about 55mpg, I think. And about 200 local miles on half tack. The only thing that has disappointed me about this car is that it doesn't play dvds.lol.

[Cyker]

You get optimal mpg at about 60mph so that's probably why your computer's mpg has dropped

[t-spiritpete]

Hi

Well its been 3 weeks now and done about 600 miles in my 08 2.0D4D , it had 91k on clock FTSH. When I bought it had 51MPG on display recently it has dropped to 48, I do alot of local runs and the car has all motorway miles. Is this what its supposed to be showing, or is that a sign thats somethings not right and could get worse, everything is absolutely great, its fully loaded and buzz to drive.

Thanks

Hello, I think you answered the question yourself really, it's down to the difference between motorway and local driving and if you do all local driving for long enough the mpg will drop to below 40 mpg.

What you need to do is press the display button on your steering wheel and whilst on average mpg hold the button in for a few seconds, this will reset it to zero and from then on you will get your mpg figures rather than the average that has built up from the last owner or when it was last reset. When using the steering wheel display button you can actually watch the mpg in real time by scrolling down and using the momentary setting but remember to keep your eyes on the road whilst doing this .

I agree with Cyker that 60-65 mph in 6th on the motorway does give the best mpg and in my car that's around 62 mpg, not always easy with trucks around! I don't want to start a debate but my cars computer does compare very well with the fillup to fillup method, near enough spot on.

Good luck with your Avensis .... Pete.

[MrSandman]

Hi

Well its been 3 weeks now and done about 600 miles in my 08 2.0D4D , it had 91k on clock FTSH. When I bought it had 51MPG on display recently it has dropped to 48, I do alot of local runs and the car has all motorway miles. Is this what its supposed to be showing, or is that a sign thats somethings not right and could get worse, everything is absolutely great, its fully loaded and buzz to drive.

Thanks

Hello, I think you answered the question yourself really, it's down to the difference between motorway and local driving and if you do all local driving for long enough the mpg will drop to below 40 mpg.

What you need to do is press the display button on your steering wheel and whilst on average mpg hold the button in for a few seconds, this will reset it to zero and from then on you will get your mpg figures rather than the average that has built up from the last owner or when it was last reset. When using the steering wheel display button you can actually watch the mpg in real time by scrolling down and using the momentary setting but remember to keep your eyes on the road whilst doing this .

I agree with Cyker that 60-65 mph in 6th on the motorway does give the best mpg and in my car that's around 62 mpg, not always easy with trucks around! I don't want to start a debate but my cars computer does compare very well with the fillup to fillup method, near enough spot on.

Good luck with your Avensis .... Pete.

Thanks for the replies guys...so driving at 60-70 mph in sixth gear will give me optimal fuel consumption.

When should I change gear? I usually shift at about 2000-2200 revs,,,what should the revs be at 65mph in sixth gear? Wouldn't driving it in 6th gear under 2000revs consume more fuel than it should?

Sorry Im new to the 6th gear..lol

I just checked needle and its done 280miles and the needle is 1 line above quarter tack mark, and that's like 50/50 local and motorway.

Will reset it and see what reading it gives after a full tank.

cheers

Sandman

[Mistermena]

Hi

Well its been 3 weeks now and done about 600 miles in my 08 2.0D4D , it had 91k on clock FTSH. When I bought it had 51MPG on display recently it has dropped to 48, I do alot of local runs and the car has all motorway miles. Is this what its supposed to be showing, or is that a sign thats somethings not right and could get worse, everything is absolutely great, its fully loaded and buzz to drive.

Thanks

Hello, I think you answered the question yourself really, it's down to the difference between motorway and local driving and if you do all local driving for long enough the mpg will drop to below 40 mpg.

What you need to do is press the display button on your steering wheel and whilst on average mpg hold the button in for a few seconds, this will reset it to zero and from then on you will get your mpg figures rather than the average that has built up from the last owner or when it was last reset. When using the steering wheel display button you can actually watch the mpg in real time by scrolling down and using the momentary setting but remember to keep your eyes on the road whilst doing this .

I agree with Cyker that 60-65 mph in 6th on the motorway does give the best mpg and in my car that's around 62 mpg, not always easy with trucks around! I don't want to start a debate but my cars computer does compare very well with the fillup to fillup method, near enough spot on.

Good luck with your Avensis .... Pete.

Thanks for the replies guys...so driving at 60-70 mph in sixth gear will give me optimal fuel consumption.

When should I change gear? I usually shift at about 2000-2200 revs,,,what should the revs be at 65mph in sixth gear? Wouldn't driving it in 6th gear under 2000revs consume more fuel than it should?

Sorry Im new to the 6th gear..lol

I just checked needle and its done 280miles and the needle is 1 line above quarter tack mark, and that's like 50/50 local and motorway.

Will reset it and see what reading it gives after a full tank.

cheers

Sandman

I think you've got it bang on re rev's for changing gears. Thats what I do in my T-180 and I also teach my learner drivers to change at that rev to. Unless they are going up hill or entring a dual or motorway ect, when you need the rev's to be higher sometimes 50mph in 3rd then your away.

[MrSandman]

Well I'm glad my driving or rather gear shift got the approval from a driving Instructor.

what should the revs be in sixth gear for optimal fuel consumption theoretically?

Cheers

Sandman

[Daveyonthemove]

I keep mine at roughly 1900-2000 (there is a speed difference between the two) and it seems to average higher that way.

65mph is a good speed for economy I find (but my Auris is different aerodynamically).

[t-spiritpete]

Well I'm glad my driving or rather gear shift got the approval from a driving Instructor.

what should the revs be in sixth gear for optimal fuel consumption theoretically?

Cheers

Sandman

Hello again, I do change gear around the 2k-2.5k rpm for best economy but you really are on very light throttle at 65mph in 6th and the revs are around 1700, anything less you need to be in 5th gear as you are out of the optimum torque band.

One word of warning though, driving your Avensis diesel in this manner will clog up the EGR valve over time so a good blast now and then will help alleviate this problem.

Pete.

[Mistermena]

Yer as Pete said. You have to give it a bit of an "Italian tune up" every now and again the blow the :censor: out of the EGR and the cylinders. I'm glad that my VW Polo TDi doesn't have a EGR valve to worry about or I'd have to get them to red line it just to spook the examiners every now and again!

[MrSandman]

Yer as Pete said. You have to give it a bit of an "Italian tune up" every now and again the blow the :censor: out of the EGR and the cylinders. I'm glad that my VW Polo TDi doesn't have a EGR valve to worry about or I'd have to get them to red line it just to spook the examiners every now and again!

Hey Pete thank's for the advice,,,to be honest I do drive it with a little too much love and I tank up with the V Power diesel,,, i am familiar with the EGR and injector problems so I'd rather spend an extra couple pounds on quality fuel than a few hundred 6 months down the line. Am I right in assuming I will not need the fuel additive as the VPower already contains it. Also I don't know if it is me but the engine seems to run much quieter and smoother on Vpower don't know about the mileage.

Cheers

Sandman

[Mistermena]

Yer as Pete said. You have to give it a bit of an "Italian tune up" every now and again the blow the :censor: out of the EGR and the cylinders. I'm glad that my VW Polo TDi doesn't have a EGR valve to worry about or I'd have to get them to red line it just to spook the examiners every now and again!

Hey Pete thank's for the advice,,,to be honest I do drive it with a little too much love and I tank up with the V Power diesel,,, i am familiar with the EGR and injector problems so I'd rather spend an extra couple pounds on quality fuel than a few hundred 6 months down the line. Am I right in assuming I will not need the fuel additive as the VPower already contains it. Also I don't know if it is me but the engine seems to run much quieter and smoother on Vpower don't know about the mileage.

Cheers

Sandman

You dont have to use any fuel additive if you dont want to, as V-Power has double the additives of the normal derv. But you could always chuck a tin of BG244 in there every 10000 miles. Wont do any harm...

[Daveyonthemove]

Vpower does contain 'Additive packages' but its the chemical build up of the fuel that is the main difference.

As its made from gas, not crude oil, it burns cleaner and leaves less soot behind, so you should reduce any problems of a clogged EGR, as well as having the additives to help clean up existing soot.

(Some) People always complain about the cost at the pump when using Vpower, but my personal findings are that i get better MPG on it, and as a result it costs me the exact same per mile as the standard Shell fuel does.

So for me, its worthwhile because it costs the same in real terms, but i also get double loyalty points for being a Shell Vpower loyalty card holder. Double points means more money off vouchers. That makes it cheaper still.

[MrSandman]

Vpower does contain 'Additive packages' but its the chemical build up of the fuel that is the main difference.

As its made from gas, not crude oil, it burns cleaner and leaves less soot behind, so you should reduce any problems of a clogged EGR, as well as having the additives to help clean up existing soot.

(Some) People always complain about the cost at the pump when using Vpower, but my personal findings are that i get better MPG on it, and as a result it costs me the exact same per mile as the standard shell fuel does.

So for me, its worthwhile because it costs the same in real terms, but i also get double loyalty points for being a shell Vpower loyalty card holder. Double points means more money off vouchers. That makes it cheaper still.

Thanks for the feedback Dave,,,I'm due a fill up today,,,I always tank up to the brim when the needle hits quarter tank,,I reset the clock couple of days ago and started driving like I usually do and the Average MPG on display is reading 46mpg so far but I have only done like 60miles since resetting. Thats 50% 3rd gear in cruise control as much as I can and 50% motorway at 60 in 6th gear,,,I think I'll tank up and then wait till Im back to quarter tank and then do the maths and see how economical it really is and if the reading is accurate.

I used to own a Cav SRI 1994 model before I left in 2005,, (just come back from abroad after 6years) and that did 325-360 miles on full tank to reserve (55litres) local mileage. I tank up on this and it does approx 100miles per quarter tank 50/50 driving.

Oh yess!! I'm going to do same and get myself a loyalty card and earn double points,,,why didn't I think of that..lol.

Another reason I bought this car was its still under manufactures warranty with full TSH and has 90k on clock,,I'm planning on taking a 2 year unlimited mileage warranty before the original runs out. BTW I paid 6k for it 08 tr. Have I paid too much for it I think I got a good deal, coming back to uk after 6 years I am alittle behind lol.

Well Thanks guys for the advice and feedback, the atmosphere is very warm and the fellow members very friendly and helpful,,,WHAT A GOD SEND!!!

Cheers :)

Sandman

[Daveyonthemove]

I may have misunderstood your last post, but do you intend to fill up and then wait till you reach quarter full before doing the maths?

If so, then your results will vary quite a bit. The gauge might stay on quarter full for the duration of 3-5 litres, so you will never know how much is left in the tank, meaning you can be sure how much you have used.

If you drive it to the point where you feel you need to fill it up, brim it, reset the trip computer, and then drive as normal.

Next time you fill to the brim, take a note of how much fuel you put in and how far the trip computer says you have travelled.

That way you know EXACTLY how much fuel you used to cover that distance, and your MPG results will always be accurate.

[MrSandman]

I may have misunderstood your last post, but do you intend to fill up and then wait till you reach quarter full before doing the maths?

If so, then your results will vary quite a bit. The gauge might stay on quarter full for the duration of 3-5 litres, so you will never know how much is left in the tank, meaning you can be sure how much you have used.

If you drive it to the point where you feel you need to fill it up, brim it, reset the trip computer, and then drive as normal.

Next time you fill to the brim, take a note of how much fuel you put in and how far the trip computer says you have travelled.

That way you know EXACTLY how much fuel you used to cover that distance, and your MPG results will always be accurate.

Yep your right!! that's the best way. The reason I don't like going under the quarter mark is I don't want the dirt at the bottom to clog injectors up,,lol almost like a OCD lol.

Will do as you have suggested and see how to goes.

Thanks Dave :)

[Daveyonthemove]

You don't have to worry about the dirt at the bottom of the tank, because all that is a myth!

Don't forget, in order for your car to run the tank empty, it HAS to suck fuel from the bottom of the tank, otherwise it wouldn't run properly.

All water and debris is denser than fuel, so it will sink to the bottom of the tank if its in there, so you could have a full tank and still suck crap through.

These days the quality of fuel in the forecourts is very good, and it will have passed through several filters before it gets near your tank, and then it is filtered again by the fuel filter.

The only reason you should worry about running a tank low, is the issue of running out of fuel.

Just to clarify, i spent the best part of 7 years working with fuel, and that included many tests at the receipt point (tanker), the storage point (fuel tanks) and the delivery end (fuel nozzle) as well as testing for additives etc.

Apart from the colour, its as clear as drinking water, but not as good for you.

[t-spiritpete]

You don't have to worry about the dirt at the bottom of the tank, because all that is a myth!

Don't forget, in order for your car to run the tank empty, it HAS to suck fuel from the bottom of the tank, otherwise it wouldn't run properly.

All water and debris is denser than fuel, so it will sink to the bottom of the tank if its in there, so you could have a full tank and still suck crap through.

These days the quality of fuel in the forecourts is very good, and it will have passed through several filters before it gets near your tank, and then it is filtered again by the fuel filter.

The only reason you should worry about running a tank low, is the issue of running out of fuel.

Just to clarify, i spent the best part of 7 years working with fuel, and that included many tests at the receipt point (tanker), the storage point (fuel tanks) and the delivery end (fuel nozzle) as well as testing for additives etc.

Apart from the colour, its as clear as drinking water, but not as good for you.

Hi Davey, it's nice to know we have someone on the forum who actually knows something about fuel.:yes:

Sent you a PM,

Pete.

[Cyker]

On a slight tangent re. gunk in fuel, apparently there is a risk - A friend of mine who has an old Audi A3 had to have his fuel system cleaned out a few weeks back because it was clogged with bits of algae or something that had been growing and floating on the top of the fuel in the tank

Apparently, you shouldn't leave your tank near-empty in warm weather for long periods

[Daveyonthemove]

On a slight tangent re. gunk in fuel, apparently there is a risk - A friend of mine who has an old Audi A3 had to have his fuel system cleaned out a few weeks back because it was clogged with bits of algae or something that had been growing and floating on the top of the fuel in the tank

Apparently, you shouldn't leave your tank near-empty in warm weather for long periods

Yes, this is common when fuel and water settle for long periods of time.

Its formed on the interface, but takes a long time to form.

This is most likely down to condensation in the tank, and the more empty space there is, the more chance there is of getting the micro biological contamination.

It should NEVER form in any forecourt tank due to the water filters before it reaches your car, and the speed that tanks are filled and emptied.

That would have happened even if the car wasn't run to nearly empty, as any driving would have sloshed it around the tank, and any refills would have too.

[Cyker]

Well I guess there is something to be said for brimming the tank rather than doing half-tanks! :D

[Daveyonthemove]

If you are going to leave the car for long periods, either get a trusted friend to run it up the road every now and then, or fill it to the brim to prevent condensation.

I often used to spend months away from my car, and always left it full to the brim for two reasons.

Firstly to prevent that happening, but more importantly to make sure that when i get back, i have a full tank of fuel that cost less than it would by the time i got back and filled up. Probably saving a couple of pound