Fuel Consumption For A Celica 140 Vtti Gen 7

[paulmurray33]

Hi All

Just wondering if anyone has any tips on how to get the most out of petrol for the celica gen 7? Ive just accepted a new job in blackburn which will be approx 100 miles a day roundtrip - sounds crazy i guess but was a really good job offer. Ive looked into how much itll cost me based on what i get out of my celica now (roughly 35mpg) and im looking at 3k a year just on petrol, not to mention wear and tear on the car etc.

I looked into an LPG conversion but read some horror stories of the engine melting or something after 40k miles, and even the cost was a shocker upfront - was quoted 2k for the conversion!!

I may move closer to blackburn eventually - but could still be looking at 70miles a day roundtrip so am just wondering if anyone has any simple / great ideas for how i, or anyone who has a similar issue, can save on the massive petrol spend...?

Thanks

Paul

[GazChap]

I'd say 35mpg is pretty much near the upper limit of what you're going to get out of it anyway, no matter how you drive.

Is the train an option? I have a 60 mile round trip two days a week and it's cheaper to get a return train ticket and walk to the station/office at each end than it is to drive every day.

[edwardio]

I've just finished doing a 8 week testing spree in my Celica using normal petrol, Super Unleaded & an Acetone mix of both fuels.

see the link for the info & results:

Acetone testing

I travel 80 miles per day, to and from work. So I know what you'd be going through.

I'd say the easiest thing to do, would be to use Super Unleaded & drive carefully. You should get at least 38 MPG (check the acetone results to see how) or about 462 miles to a full tank.

[celica140sport]

air con off, pumped up tyres, dont brake drive slow. and keep your clutch in as much as possible lol if all else fails desiel mondeo will do the trick

[gordypix]

air con off, pumped up tyres, dont brake drive slow. and keep your clutch in as much as possible lol if all else fails desiel mondeo will do the trick

Err, what will keeping the Clutch in do?

[celica140sport]

not use any fuel? well maybe alittle just to keep the engine running

[gordypix]

not use any fuel? well maybe alittle just to keep the engine running

Thought you might say that. Well, technically thats not really correct as with a modern fuel injected engine, fuel will still be used even when coasting so the most fuel effective way is to use the gears properly.

[edwardio]

Free wheeling in gear uses less fuel that coasting with the clutch in.

[celica140sport]

does it? well u learn sumut new everyday lol. ive always thought right ill coast up to this roundabout save a few pennys. so what about engine braking? is it cheaper to brake to a stop or engine brake?

[GazChap]

does it? well u learn sumut new everyday lol. ive always thought right ill coast up to this roundabout save a few pennys. so what about engine braking? is it cheaper to brake to a stop or engine brake?

Probably about the same, fuel-wise. The only time that an engine really doesn't get any fuel injected to it is when you lift the throttle off when going downhill, and the forward momentum of the car is enough to keep the engine going.

I'd prefer footbraking to engine braking though - finer control, and arguably it's cheaper to replace worn brake pads than a worn engine. Obviously wear-and-tear on the engine is going to be minimal from engine braking but it still adds up.

[edwardio]

I don't know the whole science about the using less fuel while free wheeling in gear, but it's probably something to do with using the stored power in the flywheel.

Engine braking is a very good thing, IF done correctly. You need to be going at the right speed and you use the right gears, for it to work correctly without damage being done.

Manaul braking is the better option as you do have better control, though controlling your breaking will use less fuel.

[celica140sport]

i normaly engine brake down the gears 5th 4th ect down to 2nd as well as footpedal braking. you can always tell when youve gone down to fast you get that lunge forward lol ive never thought the 140 to be too bad on fuel any way i used to have 2l petrol vectra and the celica is much cheaper even with these high prices

[kramrle]

I drive a 2001 Gen7 192 HP Celica with an average of 38 to 43 mpg summer and winter. Mainly 30% City 20% highway 50% over land - here in Switzerland.

How to achieve it?

- Overinflate your tires by 0.2 to 0.4 bar E.g. I have mine inflated to 1.9 bar

- Look ahead and anticipate what is going to happen. Prevent stop and go situations. E.g. When driving towards a trafiic light, step off the accelerator and let the engine do the braking. (fuel flow shuts off) Assist with breakes as necessary

-Drive steady - dont break too hard befor turns. The more speed you've got in the turn the less you have to accelerate after the turn. (Thats fun with the Celica but be cautious)

- Accelerate at nearly full throttle => 80% of pedal travel thus keeping the throttle valve almost fully open and allowing for a less restricted intake airflow while still operating the engine outside of the full load enrichment.

- Drive in 6th gear as early and as often as possible. At 50 km/h you can shove in 6th (5th) and leave it there. The engine has enough torque to cope with it easily.

- Change gears early when up shifting. E.g. at 2500 rpm max. With the Celica you can change gears at 2000rpm easily

- Downshift as late as possible (let rpm drop to 1500 rpm then change) and use the engine to brake. Keep the foot off the accelerator if not needed.

- Turn off engine when standing at a traffic light for more than a minute.

This methodology is taught at Eco Driving courses of our Swiss Touring Club. By using it, you safe fuel, wear, and you're still fast on the road and it makes fun.

Driving in a straight line is easy - cornering is harder - but you have the right car for quick cornering.

[Mistermena]

You could also look at using a K&N air filter to improve the breath of the engine as well as a engine oil like a double ester synth. I'd avoid this costing lark as it could become unsafe if anything were to happen! Well I would say that as a driving instructor now wouldn't I :D