D5 (2005 on) Fuel economy

[Fibre]

I have a December 2006 -- S60 D5 and have completed 14000 miles.. It went in for its first 12 month service just before Christmas at my Volvo agent---

Up until that time I had been recording a good 40+ mpg on the trip computer -- and when touring in France during the summer in France on the long motorways -- higher quality fuel I was getting ~43 mpg -- I have always managed good mpg even with my old 850 -- but thought that this car was even better than I had hoped --

Now -- on return from service --I am bearly getting 32 mpg..

I was wondering if when they connected it to the diagnostic they might have downloaded a software "upgrade" for the EMU.. which has made it run less efficiently..

do Volvo do upgrades like this..

I went to an electronic tuning workshop and they told me to ask the questions ....

any Ideas ... is there any thing I can do??

Maurice

[oilburner]

It could be something simple like a hose has been disconnected and forgotten about. Or maybe something more left field like the brakes have been interfered with and are now sticking?

Best to get it checked out and see if any fault codes have been stored.

And yes, it could be a software "upgrade", but I wouldn't put that first on my list of potential issues.
If they have re-loaded the cars main software then there is a small possibility that they have set the trip computer to report US gallons. 32mpg US = 38.5mpg British gallons.

Unlikely, but you never know. Have you done a brim to brim test on the tank to check the trip computer read-out?

[Fibre]

Thanks -- for those good pointers..
will get brakes checked
will see if any pipes or hoses are loose
will do a brim to brim check against miles..

Have checked with Volvo agent and they said that they did no software up grades..
They have asked me to go in and have the faults codes checked
I did mention about the US gallon --they said "very unlikely but will check.."

Thanks again..

I will report back..

Maurice

[oilburner]

Good luck. Hopefully will be something simple to sort out in the end.

[Fibre]

Just got in and she is humming!!!

I went to Volvo and told them the things from here etc..
They checked the diagnostics -- not even a ghost
No vacuum pipes or any others off..

Then the checked the handbrake -- it was binding -- not a lot -- but enough..
so they adjusted it "correctly" (the Master technician was doing it - new term for foreman I think) This is now recorded in the log file so that if I need new shoes at the next service they will replace the FOC,,, thats what they said !!

I drove home and noticed the difference -- I kept on checking that I was in the right gear!!

Now the "average" is up to 45.7 just in this short time -- from ~31 when going over..

I will do a brim to brim check..

Oh yes they didn't think much of the idea that they might have inadvertently changed it to US galls... -- Impossible they said !! we would know on the print out !!

Oh well it seems to be OK now..

Maurice

[oilburner]

Excellent! Result!

I hoped it would be something simple like the brakes.

Oh yes they didn't think much of the idea that they might have inadvertently changed it to US galls... -- Impossible they said !! we would know on the print out !!

LOL! And yet I've seen such silly things done before, not by a Volvo dealer mind...