Any tips...
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Loose excess weight, drive more economically, so less harsh accelerating and braking, although still use the gears, cruising at 30mph in 4th is ok, but its better to come back down to 3rd when you get out of a 30 into a 60, as although it'll do 30-60 in 4th it labours the engine and uses more fuel that way.
Then thers the BMW drivers favourite, slipstreaming, sit so close to the car in front you get into his slipstream, and therefore use less fuel as your engines not working as hard as I don't need to cut through the air. At least thats why I think BMW drivers do that...
Also a few engine mods can increase mpg is driver right. Especially mods that increase low/mid-range power, as you'll find that when cruising along at a steady speed, 70 on a dual carriageway for example, the engine sits at constant revs, the constant rpm will be lower with more low/mid-range power.
Then thers the BMW drivers favourite, slipstreaming, sit so close to the car in front you get into his slipstream, and therefore use less fuel as your engines not working as hard as I don't need to cut through the air. At least thats why I think BMW drivers do that...
Also a few engine mods can increase mpg is driver right. Especially mods that increase low/mid-range power, as you'll find that when cruising along at a steady speed, 70 on a dual carriageway for example, the engine sits at constant revs, the constant rpm will be lower with more low/mid-range power.
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take no notice of that readout on the centre dash.its crap anyway
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Another idea, but as its expensive to do you'd probably never break even, but re-mapping is not just about power, you can get it mapped so that it runs more economically.
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mines terrible.mine used to say 125 mile left and fuel light came on.ignore it
cheers lads, its still more economic than my firesta (yeah i know) and thanks for the positve replys, every other time i've asked questions like that on other forums i've always got the "cant you search" and "buy more petrol" answers. only had her 2 weeks and loving it, although leather seats are cold in the mornings
What mods would make it sit a mid range revs?
What mods would make it sit a mid range revs?
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modify your foot to press pedal less hard lol
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yeah the centre fuel readout is crap, i ran out of fuel the other day because it said i had 40 miles left! next thing i know its coughing n spluttering and i'm making some embarrassing phone calls lol.
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dont use it at all
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yeah ive always thought that, surely if it can calculate how many miles u have until u need to fill up it could give u ur MPG.
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The ony time I relied on mine (just after I'd bought the car) it counted down to about 35 miles range left, then went blank!
Really usefull. Just when you NEED to know how much fuel you have all it tells you is you ain't got much!
Really usefull. Just when you NEED to know how much fuel you have all it tells you is you ain't got much!
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The display or fuel?thedupleman said:
Calculate your own mpg and compare it to the cars readout.
Reset the trip everytime you refill, then take the milage since you last refilled, divide by how much it takes to fill the tank then multiply by 4.545. This is only accurate if you filled to the brim both times.
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Use fuelly.com to log your mileage and fuel purchases (works best if you always fill to the brim). You can also compare stats with other owners. OK no-one should buy a Coupe if they really want economy but I don't think there's any harm comparing to other owners to see if you're doing as well as you could reasonably expect.
Also, the fuel needle gauge is pretty rubbish. There's a lot less fuel in the bottom half of the gauge than the top in my experience! :shock:
Also, the fuel needle gauge is pretty rubbish. There's a lot less fuel in the bottom half of the gauge than the top in my experience! :shock:
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its the biggest factor though
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A good service should help, although that depends entirely on how the car has been cared for previously (i.e. regularly serviced won't show much difference). Check tyre pressures and condition too, as too low a tyre pressure results in more fuel being used. Same with weight, don't carry any unnecessary luggage/stuff.
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70 Posts
Depends on what distances you are driving and on what roads. Mythbusters did a program which involved "Drafting" (or "Tailgating" for us UK people) a "Big Rig" ... they noticed a huge percentage fuel economy gain as distance decrerased ... 20 feet spacing @55 MPH (Lorries in the UK are limited to 56 MPH) = 27% fuel economy increase (but also equals more risk to you if they breask hard).
I have tried this on a trip to my Girlfriend's, which is 126 miles away on mostly dual carriageways. I also increased my tyre pressure from the recommended 28 PSI to 30 PSI (another "fuel saving" tip). On the way there I drove very calmly, and only overtook a lorry when a big van went past, or even better, stuck myself behind a coach (they are limited to 65 MPH).
On the way home a few days later, I tried to stay clear of lorries and drive the same way (slow acceleration), but avoided tailgating lorries and stuck to the speed limits. The tyres were still at 30 PSI and it was chucking it down with rain most of the way home (which was quite scarey in some places as higher tyre pressure = less grip!!!).
After I got home I figured out that my fuel usage on the way down compared to the way home was practically identical ... kind of throwing a spanner in the works of the Mythbusters findings
You can watch the American version of the Mythbusters clip here:
(took me a while to find it)
However, I would suggest chucking a couple of doses of Redex into your system and avoid supermarket fuels, as that did help my first Hyundai's fuel usage change from about 230 miles to a tank upto a maximum of 320 miles per tank (only had a 45 litre tank - and was rated in distance from full until the empty light stayed on all the time).
I have tried this on a trip to my Girlfriend's, which is 126 miles away on mostly dual carriageways. I also increased my tyre pressure from the recommended 28 PSI to 30 PSI (another "fuel saving" tip). On the way there I drove very calmly, and only overtook a lorry when a big van went past, or even better, stuck myself behind a coach (they are limited to 65 MPH).
On the way home a few days later, I tried to stay clear of lorries and drive the same way (slow acceleration), but avoided tailgating lorries and stuck to the speed limits. The tyres were still at 30 PSI and it was chucking it down with rain most of the way home (which was quite scarey in some places as higher tyre pressure = less grip!!!).
After I got home I figured out that my fuel usage on the way down compared to the way home was practically identical ... kind of throwing a spanner in the works of the Mythbusters findings
You can watch the American version of the Mythbusters clip here:
However, I would suggest chucking a couple of doses of Redex into your system and avoid supermarket fuels, as that did help my first Hyundai's fuel usage change from about 230 miles to a tank upto a maximum of 320 miles per tank (only had a 45 litre tank - and was rated in distance from full until the empty light stayed on all the time).
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