Member Since: 10 Mar 2007
Location: High Salvington
Posts: 41
How To Increase MPG
Hi All
Probably on here somewhere else but can't find it other than various posts on people hitting 30MPG. Any ideas on how to increase the MPG in the real world - handbook states run at 2 - 3000 RPM, is this correct. Is it better to run through the gears or keep it high in the stated range, anything else appreciated?
Parking it on top of a steep hill at present, its just killing my back pushing it up there every night!!!
8th May 2007 8:40 am
SPOTTER
Member Since: 06 Dec 2006
Location: Adrift........
Posts: 3095
roll it down from the top end of an era ....... maybe a Defender when it appears.......
8th May 2007 8:45 am
simon
Member Since: 11 Jan 2005
Location: Shropshire
Posts: 18296
Just drive it to enjoy it... a couple of miles per gallon either way will not make a lot of difference.
But if you have to worry about it... use the torque and don't over rev / labour the engine.
8th May 2007 8:53 am
al cope
Member Since: 08 Nov 2005
Location: Oldbury, WM
Posts: 10336
On odd days when I've tried to be lean and mean, and had a couple of hundred mile motorway jorney to cover without being in a hurry, staying at approx 65, in 5th rather than 6th gear returns 33mpg. 6th gear at this speed makes the engine work a bit harder, so mpg drops a touch.
No fun though 8)
AlVolvo XC90 B5 Plus Dark
Gone - MY18 D5 HSE - Corris on 22's with Black Pack
Now gone - MY16 D4 SE Tech, Loire Blue, Almond Leather, Privacy, plus some other goodies.
Old - MY12 D4 SDV6 XS Auto - Ipanema Sand with Almond Leather - Plus other niceties, and D4.com sticker
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8th May 2007 8:59 am
Baben
Member Since: 15 Feb 2006
Location: Kyalami
Posts: 2059
What the others said, plus:
remove all accessories that are not in use-
Offroad tyres - more rolling resistance means more fuel
Correct tyre pressures, or slightly harder
Correct grade of fuel
Roof rack - more wind resistance
Snorkel - ditto
Driving style has even more to do with economy:
Don't race away from the lights (wish Mrs. Baben would listen to this)
Anticipate traffic movement - don't accelerate if you are going to have to stop in 200m
Use manual gear selection if you are towing - this way you can use the torque of the engine best, as opposed to changing gears all the time, and also change gears before you need to instead of needing to press the throttle down further.
Drive at 120 instead of 140 (km/h) - wind resistance increases almost exponentially with speed, and the D3 is more macho than slippery.
I found that if you try drive slower than 120, you somehow don't get the benefit of 6th gear, then economy worsens, as per above
but you know this already...
It's much more fun to drive it like you stole it
8th May 2007 9:13 am
Bodsy Site Sponsor
Member Since: 06 Nov 2006
Location: In the Clubhouse
Posts: 21361
I find a small peice of black insulation tape to cover the MPG figures on the dash works for me..........
If you can't see it, you can't worry about it....... Just us the fuel guage to let you knwo when you're mepty. That reminds me, time to throw another £80 at the petrol pumps....... reminds me again, not to use Tesco's quick pay pumps as they stop at £60......! Bodsys Brake Bible
Clock/ SNOTM /3Flash / 4x4Info /BT Update /Service Reset/Error Codes / Gearbox Reset See It Here
8th May 2007 10:05 am
Mossy
Member Since: 01 Jul 2005
Location: Hollyoaks, UK
Posts: 2683
simon wrote:
Just drive it to enjoy it... a couple of miles per gallon either way will not make a lot of difference.
Oh but to me it does... makes a hell of of a difference. D3 HSE V8...
8th May 2007 11:37 am
simon
Member Since: 11 Jan 2005
Location: Shropshire
Posts: 18296
There is always an exception to any rule mate
8th May 2007 11:43 am
Wex
Member Since: 16 Apr 2007
Location: Knackeragua
Posts: 5173
Running at 1900-2000 rpm in 6th ( approx 100 kmph ? ) seems to do the trick for me . Returns at about 34 mpg average.Heater off etc etc. Mine has been chipped/remapped and would receommend it if you are fuel conscious
11th May 2007 12:41 pm
simkna
Member Since: 21 Feb 2006
Location: Leicester
Posts: 806
Discowex wrote:
Mine has been chipped/remapped and would receommend it if you are fuel conscious
Depends whose map you have.
Si.Pat's Van
D3 TDV6 S Auto
Rimini Red / Alpacca Leather
11th May 2007 12:44 pm
bkehoe
Member Since: 25 Feb 2006
Location: Wexford
Posts: 1481
Any difference with me (TC) was so small I didn't notice - if anything it was slightly better before.IE - 05 D3 TDV6 HSE - Zambezi Silver
SA - 07 VW Golf TDI - White - Sold!
11th May 2007 12:51 pm
pdes
Member Since: 09 Jan 2007
Location: Cambridgeshire
Posts: 338
simkna wrote:
Discowex wrote:
Mine has been chipped/remapped and would receommend it if you are fuel conscious
Depends whose map you have.
Si.
Mmm can you qualify this? I had mine re-mapped from new so have nothing to compare with. (Other than my D2 ) I can't even tell if the re-map has been successful! Have there been any tests to see which re-map is best?
Mine goes really well but the fuel economy is nothing to write home about. I drive "normally" and get around 23mpg (on a seven mile each-way journey so I suppose I need to make allowances for the warm-up and when I hit the M-ways I don't hang around!).
A couple of months ago, when it was new, I drove really carefully and got 24.5 max!D4 HSE MY2015
8 Speed
Causeway Grey
Towpack
Surround cameras (joke!)
Vision assist
Extended roof rails
Rear Ladder
Remote heat
Prospeed sliders with steps
15th May 2007 9:10 am
yawlboy
Member Since: 23 Feb 2007
Location: Dubai
Posts: 509
I do an 80km commute most days, National roads, two villages, 15km of dual carrigeway and then a really bad twisty road with lots of road works and lots of traffic. Youghal to Cobh for those of you who know Cork
In my Feb 2007 D3 manual I did the first 7000 km averaging 28.4 MPG and for the last 1500kms I have been averaging 31.2MPG I reset the MPG after every fill up - approx every 500km as I don't like to leave the fuel get too low.
Have to admit though that I tend to probably average 90km/hr might hit 110 but thats it. Thats due to traffic.
I did a trip to Dublin recently and on the motorway was doing 120/130kms and I still got around 30MPG on the return trip.1993 Defender 110 300tdi - many mods
Last edited by yawlboy on 21st Jun 2007 11:05 pm. Edited 1 time in total
16th May 2007 9:38 pm
10forcash
Member Since: 09 Jun 2005
Location: Ubique
Posts: 16534
simkna wrote:
Discowex wrote:
Mine has been chipped/remapped and would receommend it if you are fuel conscious
Depends whose map you have.
Si.
yer, would be interesting to know....
16th May 2007 9:48 pm
simkna
Member Since: 21 Feb 2006
Location: Leicester
Posts: 806
Me?, I've got JE's map.
Si.Pat's Van
D3 TDV6 S Auto
Rimini Red / Alpacca Leather
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