I cant seem to get over 18 mpg - something wrong?
- Thread starter alexman
- Start date
I'm on my own with this, but I barely get over 18-21 either, depending on what I'm doing. Highest ever consistent was 30.3, but that was stupidly light throttle, but only from resetting it starting at about 50mph.
My last tank which was all pretty hard driving over a few spaced out journeys averaged 16.1mph..
Whenever I moan I get told it's a sportscar and I shouldn't care.. :lol:
My last tank which was all pretty hard driving over a few spaced out journeys averaged 16.1mph..
Whenever I moan I get told it's a sportscar and I shouldn't care.. :lol:
Z4coupebeaver
Member
No matter how hard I try, I can't get below 25mpg as an average. To be getting below 20, I imagine there must be an engine management issue. Does the exhaust smell rich when idling? Are the tailpipes black or grey. Mine are a lovely mid grey and the exhaust smells good. :wink:
Still getting 28.2MPG here over 10,000+ miles of driving, not that I'm trying to rub it in or anything 
.
Might have a fuelling problem. Would dodgy exhaust sensors (lambda or O2 sensors or whatever they're called), cause this kind of issue? I think I'd have to try pretty hard to get an average of 18-21mpg over a number of miles, unless doing 90% city driving or something silly like that.
.Might have a fuelling problem. Would dodgy exhaust sensors (lambda or O2 sensors or whatever they're called), cause this kind of issue? I think I'd have to try pretty hard to get an average of 18-21mpg over a number of miles, unless doing 90% city driving or something silly like that.
Liverpool
I 'can' get anywhere from 10mpg (day's out on some very twisty roads using mostly 2nd & 3rd gears) to 35mpg (driven very carefully in 50mph SPECs), but my overall average is over 25mpg so far over 20,000 miles at average 49.8mph (mainly because I've not been doing as many 'blasts' recently).
Hopefully my 4 day road trip later this month with bring that down a little :evil:
Hopefully my 4 day road trip later this month with bring that down a little :evil:
I get average 25.3 overall but the M6 at the moment from the Midlands North is all 50mph average camera stretches and the car returned 33.9mpg to Bolton and back recently. Below 18mpg average seems low unles you do a lot of city/town stop start work.
I'm with the OP and Andy on this, 18-20mpg is normal for me and there's no issue with the fuelling, engine management or anything else, the car is just being driven like it's designed to be. I know how you have to drive the car to get into the high 20's mpg and it's just not worth having it to use it like that IMO. Obviously resetting the OBC once the engine is warmed up and you're on a motorway is a totally inaccurate way of measuring the overall fuel consumption. Reset the mpg to zero, start off from cold and drive in moderate city traffic for 20 minutes and see what consumption you get. It's this kind of driving that really drags the consumption down and effects the overall figures.
At the moment with sub zero starts every morning, leaving the engine running for a couple of minutes until the frost is scraped off the windows and then an 8 mile journey to work along slow moving dual carriageway, I'm on 16mpg. Driving the length of Britain and France and back at a fairly brisk pace, I averaged between 24 and 25 mpg. I could have seen better figures but if I had I would have been better off buying a different sort of car.
Z4coupebeaver, you need to try harder.
At the moment with sub zero starts every morning, leaving the engine running for a couple of minutes until the frost is scraped off the windows and then an 8 mile journey to work along slow moving dual carriageway, I'm on 16mpg. Driving the length of Britain and France and back at a fairly brisk pace, I averaged between 24 and 25 mpg. I could have seen better figures but if I had I would have been better off buying a different sort of car.
Z4coupebeaver, you need to try harder.
26.9 here, averaged over last 2000 or so miles, mostly Mway (80ish) and A roads.....
Yep and the fuel computer is inaccurate too so one person comparing the OBC with another doing calculated MPG would explain some of the difference.dgm said:
Last tank (97ron) - 187miles - computer said 16.1mpg, tank was pretty bare (5-10m) when I filled it. DSC mostly off, lots of hooning including some snow drifting. Slightly exceptional, but 230 would still be average.
That's why I did the Range after a fill thread.. as that takes into account a fair bit of recent driving.
Also like I said before, & I agree with dgm, resetting the OBC at cold, before pulling off, I struggle to get more than 15mpg just gently getting to 40mph...
If I'm driving like it's supposed to be driven, & I usually am.. 18mpg is pretty much hitting the nail on the head. I don't commute and I don't do dual carriageways really, she barely sees motorways, which is the only time I'd get to 23+.
That's why I did the Range after a fill thread.. as that takes into account a fair bit of recent driving.
Also like I said before, & I agree with dgm, resetting the OBC at cold, before pulling off, I struggle to get more than 15mpg just gently getting to 40mph...
If I'm driving like it's supposed to be driven, & I usually am.. 18mpg is pretty much hitting the nail on the head. I don't commute and I don't do dual carriageways really, she barely sees motorways, which is the only time I'd get to 23+.
I drive from North Wales to Salford Quays every day, M56,M6, M62. I usually leave at 6am to avoid the traffic ,finish in the office at 15:30 and head back home. Shell V Power is my fuel of choice and the mpg i'm getting is 21.7. Although I did get 24.9 last week going to a meeting in Bury?
Beancounter1980
Active member
I know mine is not an "M", but if its any consolation, I cant seem to get above 25mpg in 3.0i.
The weekly M6 grind destroys my fuel economy. In stop/start each week it falls below 20mpg. Lowest I have seen it is 12mpg.
With increasing fuel prices, i'm beginning to feel the pinch. :thumbsdown:
The weekly M6 grind destroys my fuel economy. In stop/start each week it falls below 20mpg. Lowest I have seen it is 12mpg.
With increasing fuel prices, i'm beginning to feel the pinch. :thumbsdown:
This will make you feel better.....
Since buying the car nearly 1 year ago I have covered only 3000miles.
Most of this has been very small journeys (5-10) miles a time, from cold start to luke warm then engine off. Oh and mostly its in traffic.
Since owning the car I have averaged 17.4 mpg over these 3000miles with an average speed of 23mph.
When it was colder then this out a month ago or so, when cold I was getting around 15.4mpg on the same single short journey.
This is without ragging it.... its just cos the engine is cold....
Since buying the car nearly 1 year ago I have covered only 3000miles.
Most of this has been very small journeys (5-10) miles a time, from cold start to luke warm then engine off. Oh and mostly its in traffic.
Since owning the car I have averaged 17.4 mpg over these 3000miles with an average speed of 23mph.
When it was colder then this out a month ago or so, when cold I was getting around 15.4mpg on the same single short journey.
This is without ragging it.... its just cos the engine is cold....
I'm getting 21.2 mpg at an average speed of 31mph.I average 23.7mpg at the minute, average speed of 34.8mph.
Fuel light comes on at around 200 miles with the computer saying about 50 miles range remaining. I've noticed that I tend to get about 60 miles for each dot (quarter) on the fuel gauge.
I do a 9 mile commute along A & B roads, opening the taps when traffic/road allow!s
Fuel light comes on at around 200 miles with the computer saying about 50 miles range remaining. I've noticed that I tend to get about 60 miles for each dot (quarter) on the fuel gauge.
I do a 9 mile commute along A & B roads, opening the taps when traffic/road allow!s
All i can say is... ouch!! The combined book figure for the M is 23.3. Mine (3.0i) is very easy to get 10-20% over that on the OBC so anyone getting below 20's there maybe an issue.
If you do think theres a problem, check to see if the sparkplugs show rich running. I'd then look at refreshing the pre-cat lambda (known issue on the M's). Make sure you use High Octane fuel, it pays for itself.
One common misconception is that light throttle is the most efficient way of driving... It isn't. Accellerate purposefully at 2/3rds throttle with 1.5-2.5k rpm as it reduces pumping losses.
If you do think theres a problem, check to see if the sparkplugs show rich running. I'd then look at refreshing the pre-cat lambda (known issue on the M's). Make sure you use High Octane fuel, it pays for itself.
One common misconception is that light throttle is the most efficient way of driving... It isn't. Accellerate purposefully at 2/3rds throttle with 1.5-2.5k rpm as it reduces pumping losses.
Similar threads
