Is it me...OR is my vehicle drinking like a bat from hell

[SAM LOVERS HER TOYOTAS]

Hi All,

I recently filled up a full tank of Shell V Power Nitro like i always do, into our 2.0 diesel 2010 T27 model, i have done 145miles so far, shortish runs averaging say 25miles a day, and im already 5 notches down to half a tank on my dashboard, normally i average 245 miles im sure.

I havent changed my driving style although my other half does tell me that i have a heavy foot...so could it be the cold weather recent???

Its making me think...clean your egr...do this do that...it does feel a bit lacking at times...especially the gears 1st and 2nd getting so notchy its annoying. Ive grinded 3rd a few times this week already yet im changing like i always have done.

Any help appreciated guys.

Sammy

[fordulike]

3 hours ago, SAM LOVERS HER TOYOTAS said:

Hi All,

I recently filled up a full tank of Shell V Power Nitro like i always do, into our 2.0 diesel 2010 T27 model, i have done 145miles so far, shortish runs averaging say 25miles a day, and im already 5 notches down to half a tank on my dashboard, normally i average 245 miles im sure.

I havent changed my driving style although my other half does tell me that i have a heavy foot...so could it be the cold weather recent???

Its making me think...clean your egr...do this do that...it does feel a bit lacking at times...especially the gears 1st and 2nd getting so notchy its annoying. Ive grinded 3rd a few times this week already yet im changing like i always have done.

Any help appreciated guys.

Sammy

Might be binding brakes. Try driving the car to a slight slope where you know it will usually roll with the handbrake off and in neutral. You will be able to tell if the brakes are binding.

[Heidfirst]

I noticed the other morning how much further I had driven before the engine started to warm up so the change in the weather is having an effect. if you are only doing a couple of miles at a time it will never reach optimum temp. - this series of engines is known to be slow to warm up.

[Konrad C]

13 hours ago, SAM LOVERS HER TOYOTAS said:

Hi All,

I recently filled up a full tank of Shell V Power Nitro like i always do, into our 2.0 diesel 2010 T27 model, i have done 145miles so far, shortish runs averaging say 25miles a day, and im already 5 notches down to half a tank on my dashboard, normally i average 245 miles im sure.

I havent changed my driving style although my other half does tell me that i have a heavy foot...so could it be the cold weather recent???

Its making me think...clean your egr...do this do that...it does feel a bit lacking at times...especially the gears 1st and 2nd getting so notchy its annoying. Ive grinded 3rd a few times this week already yet im changing like i always have done.

Any help appreciated guys.

Sammy

Your car is doing worse than my 1.8 Valvematic on fuel consumption! Even taken into account the colder weather, the change is far worse than expected. I read what Scott says about Toyota diesels taking long to warm up. I am still getting mid to upper 30's driving in London at less than 20 mph - Most of the inner London boroughs, have reduced speed limits to 20 mph on many roads, where as outer London boroughs have not done so. My borough which is almost into Kent, is being sensible. This can effect fuel consumption and warm up. That is why I may consider hybrid when I next change my car.  

I think you are correct to be concerned though as I get to 200+ miles on by half mark.

Have you tried/though about changing the gearbox oil? A couple of times I have got 5th instead of 3rd, and yesterday when slowing to about 15 mph, got 1st instead of the 3rd but dipped the clutch and selected the correct gear. No gear crunching though.

My main problem is the engine nearly stalls, if I revert to my Mk1 leanburn habit of letting the torque pull the car from 1000 rpm when moving off in 1st gear.

Sam, how do you find the EPB? I find it useful especially on hill starts. I wish it had the later auto engage when the engine is switched off, but I now always press it on.

Let's hope you get to the bottom of the high fuel consumption.  

[Heidfirst]

at this time of year with temps overnight down to low single figs or below 0C it's going to take ~5-7 miles for an AD to warm up from cold.

& of course for those first few miles until the gearbox has warmed up too we also have an obstructive 2nd gear (I don't find 1st quite as bad).

[Cyker]

Us DERV'ers get hit pretty hard when it gets cold. My dad's old Focus once did 145 miles on a tank that normally gets 550 on a long run just because it was only being run 5 miles out and 5 miles back in coldest winter 

I would also recommend avoiding V-Power in winter; The fuel has less energy in it than normal diesel and I find it can get worse mileage than even supermarket diesel in winter when they add all the anti-gelling agents in on top of the already fairly high amount of cleaning additives!

I find driving with a heavy foot can actually help with the mpg in winter as it helps warm the engine up faster, but it won't do the engine any favours if you're giving it the revs while the oil is still stone-cold. (Might be worth using some 0W30 or 0W40 to mitigate that!)

TBH the only engines that don't get hit too hard are petrol engines as they generate so much waste heat they still warm up pretty quick; Hybrids and diesels take a huge hit to mpg in the winter when they're only use for short journeys because they don't generate anywhere near as much waste heat!