How Do You Drive Your Diesels?

[OldSkoO1]

I'm addicted to planting my foot, esp. in 3rd right up to 4krpm.

I have to stop doing that or my injection, engine or turbo might wear out sooner rather than later.

[DominicPriestley]

I love 3rd gear aswell. Nothing wrong with planting your foot, Turbo's are built to spin. Only thing that is starting to grate on me a little, and its not the car at all, or the fuel it uses, its the constant rise in price of that Fuel. However, it makes me smile when I think of what an R32 golf driver must be paying in fuel costs, when im having just as much fun at 42-45 to the gallon!

[OldSkoO1]

tell me about it

i fuel only with v-power diesel; 124p a ltr!

Daylight robery but no matter how much i scream i can't change a thing.

Still i know exactly what you mean. From my old cars, this t180 is cheap to run! Cheap service, my road tax is only 140 quid! and insurance is cheap as too. AND my monthly fuel bill is less than when i had my petrol cars.

Cars feels very good at the moment, just had its 1st year service, just given it a good wash + wax... so in black looks and feels great.

All this after a year - v.happy.

[DominicPriestley]

Yep 124p for a fill up yesterday of BP's finest ulitimate Diesel, which is the only fuel I run mine on. Still love pulling into a carpark and looking around to see no other Auris in there, but loads and loads of Golf GTTDI 140's that no-one gives a second glance.

[Sales King]

I drive an SR180. I suppose its fair to say I drive it to its capabilities, it terms of performance and handling. So I dont know if I should be happy getting around 31MPG out of it.

So how do you get over 40MPG out of your 180, OldSkoO1. Plus others with 180's ,I have read getting well over the MPG's that I can achieve.

The cost of Fuel seems to be rising on a daily basis, I have never known such a frequent rise in fuel costs. It is getting a joke. Hence I pay for the cheapest Diesel at the pumps, Does paying extra for BP ultimate and the like really make a difference? If you think it does, in what way?

[DominicPriestley]

There was a tyhread on this sometime ago sales-king. I notice the difference if I fill up with say Morrisons Diesel against BP Ultimate in the following ways....

Engine is quieter and smoother.

It Revs further, power seems to tail off at around 3400-3600 with morrisons but keeps going to around 4000 with BP

Less Smoke

Better MPG by about 2-3 mpg

Also, this is the most I ahve spent on a car in a long time and I want to use the best of everything I can to keep it in top condition.

I base my normal driving which is short journeys and town driving on getting 450miles to a tank. I am used to using tank capacity and usage flying planes rather then believeing gauges. I filled up yesterday and had 447 miles on the clock, the trip computer had me on 0 miles at 357, I filled to first 'click' and put 51 litres in that gives me 37 to the gallon town driving. I did a run to the south and back the other day and filled up when getting back to leeds, I had 430 on the clock and put 44 litres in, thats 44.7 to the gallon so id be good for 536 miles to a tank on that, but only on a long run of course which I tend to stick cruise on at 70 and leave it at that.

[Sales King]

There was a tyhread on this sometime ago sales-king. I notice the difference if I fill up with say Morrisons Diesel against BP Ultimate in the following ways....

Engine is quieter and smoother.

It Revs further, power seems to tail off at around 3400-3600 with morrisons but keeps going to around 4000 with BP

Less Smoke

Better MPG by about 2-3 mpg

Also, this is the most I ahve spent on a car in a long time and I want to use the best of everything I can to keep it in top condition.

I base my normal driving which is short journeys and town driving on getting 450miles to a tank. I am used to using tank capacity and usage flying planes rather then believeing gauges. I filled up yesterday and had 447 miles on the clock, the trip computer had me on 0 miles at 357, I filled to first 'click' and put 51 litres in that gives me 37 to the gallon town driving. I did a run to the south and back the other day and filled up when getting back to leeds, I had 430 on the clock and put 44 litres in, thats 44.7 to the gallon so id be good for 536 miles to a tank on that, but only on a long run of course which I tend to stick cruise on at 70 and leave it at that.

i think i will give the more expensive fuel a try. anything that helps my performance and fuel economy is worth a try.

[OldSkoO1]

I'm the same as dominic here

The premium fuel does cost a lot but i use it because it is more likely to keep your fuel injection system and valve cleaner. In a car costing nearly 20k and having a very expensive fuel injection, common rail system with a 5th injector i am more than willing to pay £3-5 extra per fillup for premium fuel. This fuel has the additives in it to break down the deposites and to stop the fuel injection system and DPF filter from clogging up. Or at least it helps.

The money i save each month over petrol is more than the extra i pay. The car was paid for outright so i dont worry about that and the v-power fuel does have some bonuses; as mentioned, revs higher and is quieter.

When i first got my t180 i only used Shell diesel extra (always use shell). For 3 or 4 months i was using that then v=power came out. WHen i first started using vpower i noticed an increase in black smoke for about 2 or 3 fillups. I reckon this was the fuel burning off the deposites that had built up in the time i was using Shell extra.

MPG - well i'm sure i loose 1 or 2mpg with vpower. I can achieve 52mpg by trying really hard on Shell extra. On vpower its about 49mpg. AVeraged extra can be 43-45mpg and vpower is more like 40-42mpg.

ANd yes, giving it then beans i am more likely to see 36-38mpg. NEVER been lower than 36 i'm positive.

[tdleon]

Hi

First let me say I have a 2.0l D4d, but was interested in the V-power VS Extra comments, I get through 3 full tanks every two weeks and agree that i get better MPG on the extra, I also find that the car is noiser on V-power....Given the rising cost of fuel Im know back on Sainsburys finest which beats the extra by 1-2 mpg

[Johan007]

First let me say I have a 2.0l D4d, but was interested in the V-power VS Extra comments, I get through 3 full tanks every two weeks and agree that i get better MPG on the extra, I also find that the car is noisier on V-power....Given the rising cost of fuel Im know back on Sainsburys finest which beats the extra by 1-2 mpg

I too find the premium fuel noisier on 2.0. I am not convinced it makes any difference in mpg or performance yet but will continue to alternate. Smoke is however reduced to non existent and I use Total's premium equivalent vs Sainsburys (rather expensive round here).

As for driving I change gear as early as possible without laboring the engine and indicating a down shift on the dash and easily get 53mpg motor way trips and 45+ mpg in traffic driving. Alway keep a large gap from the car in front especially if they are break happy and anticipate road conditions, red light etc... by easing off.

For performance driving pre-getting tuning box, I really had to change gear around the torque band at 3100 revs otherwise the horse power is a little pathetic.

[Sales King]

Just put in my 1st tank of BP Ultimate yesterday, and was suprised to notice as stated on here that the engine now peaks at around 4300 revs where before i noticed a power was running out at around 3800 revs. Dont know if this really has anything to do with different fuel though, will have to see if i notice further improvements

[Johan007]

Yes I am sure the 180 models like all sporty cars will have engine timing tuned for premium fuel.

[DominicPriestley]

Just put in my 1st tank of BP Ultimate yesterday, and was suprised to notice as stated on here that the engine now peaks at around 4300 revs where before i noticed a power was running out at around 3800 revs. Dont know if this really has anything to do with different fuel though, will have to see if i notice further improvements

Do you think the extra 500 Revs came from something else? You'll have to fill up 3 or 4 times with the good stuff to see continued improvement. Might also be worth a try of Shell V-Power Diesel as OldSkool seems to get good results from this.

[Sales King]

Just put in my 1st tank of BP Ultimate yesterday, and was suprised to notice as stated on here that the engine now peaks at around 4300 revs where before i noticed a power was running out at around 3800 revs. Dont know if this really has anything to do with different fuel though, will have to see if i notice further improvements

Do you think the extra 500 Revs came from something else? You'll have to fill up 3 or 4 times with the good stuff to see continued improvement. Might also be worth a try of Shell V-Power Diesel as OldSkool seems to get good results from this.

Yeah now you come to mention it, it was a pretty daft comment of mine to question the fuel being responsible for the extra 500 revs of power. Like you say, what else could it have been. Just surprised to see the improvement after just one tank. Its impossible to use Shell fuel locally as BP seem to have a monopoly around here, cant even remember the last time I saw a Shell petrol station. So that could be another debate, which do people think is better, Shell or BP fuel??

[OldSkoO1]

So that could be another debate, which do people think is better, Shell or BP fuel??

The fuel is defiantly responsible for the extra 500revs as the same happened here.

BP v Shell well im like you but the opposite, i will have to find a BP garage first to try their fuel. There are Shells everywhere here.

[T Sport 1978]

So that could be another debate, which do people think is better, Shell or BP fuel??

The fuel is defiantly responsible for the extra 500revs as the same happened here.

BP v Shell well im like you but the opposite, i will have to find a BP garage first to try their fuel. There are Shells everywhere here.

Last tank of diesel returned 463 miles on 49.6l of fuel...roughly 42 and a bit MPG... It was normal sainsbury's city diesel.

Am increasingly happier with the car, and now fully use to the characteristics.

I actually found slightly worst MPG with V Power, but yes it does provide better surge of power.

[rcflyer]

So that could be another debate, which do people think is better, Shell or BP fuel??

The fuel is defiantly responsible for the extra 500revs as the same happened here.

BP v Shell well im like you but the opposite, i will have to find a BP garage first to try their fuel. There are Shells everywhere here.

Last tank of diesel returned 463 miles on 49.6l of fuel...roughly 42 and a bit MPG... It was normal sainsbury's city diesel.

Am increasingly happier with the car, and now fully use to the characteristics.

I actually found slightly worst MPG with V Power, but yes it does provide better surge of power.

[rcflyer]

So that could be another debate, which do people think is better, Shell or BP fuel??

The fuel is defiantly responsible for the extra 500revs as the same happened here.

BP v Shell well im like you but the opposite, i will have to find a BP garage first to try their fuel. There are Shells everywhere here.

Last tank of diesel returned 463 miles on 49.6l of fuel...roughly 42 and a bit MPG... It was normal sainsbury's city diesel.

Am increasingly happier with the car, and now fully use to the characteristics.

I actually found slightly worst MPG with V Power, but yes it does provide better surge of power.

[gabell]

Just put in my 1st tank of BP Ultimate yesterday, and was suprised to notice as stated on here that the engine now peaks at around 4300 revs where before i noticed a power was running out at around 3800 revs. Dont know if this really has anything to do with different fuel though, will have to see if i notice further improvements

I just buy supermarket diesel and add some Millers Diesel Sport 4 fuel additive. It works out much cheaper then the premium diesels and does more, especially if you double dose it.

In my last diesel I used to run a couple of tank fulls at double dose, then reduced it to only half dose just to maintain a clean injector system.

I was running at an average of 41mpg, now i am doing 45mpg and the engine feels smoother, more responsive and less smoke when you floor it.