Shocking MPG ...

[Grinder]

Morning ,

Been keeping an eye on my MPG and Fuel usage on my newly aquired V40

Its a 2.0 Petrol N/A , W plate 1999 , 105K on the clock ( just for reference )

Ive given it some genuine new volvo plugs and new air filter just before this last fill up

I do very little milage ( usually about 3500 per year ) and i have to admit , most of it in slow moving traffic ( usual driving to and from work traffic ) and its about 6-7 miles one way to work

ANYWAYS ...

According to the fuel gauge , i have used about 10 gallons of fuel ( depends on accuracy of the gauge ) and done a whopping 223 miles

Thats 22 to the gallon .. is this right ?

I know i will get a better idea when i next fill it and work out the sums , but even so .. 22MPG !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Im trying to compare it with my previous 2.0 citreon C5 and that was getting aroung 30 MPG doing the same trip and even my old 1.6 S40 was getting around 29 MPG ( again doing the same trip ) , my old 520i BMW could at least hit 26-28 on the same trip ( although did average 24 MPG over the 2 yrs i had it )

But this V40 just seems to be drinking petrol for fun .. and im staying well away from the loud pedal .. i drive it a bit like a granny , doesnt often get above 3K RPM even on the open roads

Is it just that the car that thirsty , my driving style , tescos petrol or the time of year ( its cold out .. should improve slightly in summer ) ???

Even my RX7 can break into the 20's if i drive it "nice" ..

Any ideas and thoughts ??

I know this is just pointless extra info .. but the below cars is what i have used to drive to the same location of work , from the same starting point and this is how they have panned out :

1998 Rover 420 Derv : 45.46 MPG
1994 BMW 520i Petrol : 24.83 MPG
1999 S40 1.6 Petrol : 30.00 MPG
2000 Citreon C5 2.0 Petrol : 31.06 MPG

Thanks

Stu

[stephend]

Hard to say, if you've been sitting in traffic jams. But as a comparison, mine (2.0 n/a, X-plate) gave 32-33 mpg in everyday motoring, 38 mpg on a long motorway trip. That was not hooning around, but was driving briskly.

[310den]

Yes 32 to 33MPG combined should be expected. When I had a 2.0 low pressure turbo I was always getting 31.9MPG, a bit of spirited driving when overtaking and town pottering around. You should be getting low to mid thirties I would say.
The fuel gauge's are not the most reliable but that is all you can go by. Best check all your fuel lines to make sure none are weeping, even slightly, just in case.

[clarkey1984]

How's your running temperature after say 10 miles? If it's any less that pretty much spot on half way up the gauge then your thermostat is stuck open, a common ailment on these, my 2.0l NA did it at the end of last year, saw my low 30s mpg dive to barely over 20, Pop a new one in (they're about 15 quid or so from memory) and drain and flush the whole water system and renew the coolant/anti freeze while you're there, on a long run I'm getting nearly 40 now, weirdly after junking the standard airbox for an induction kit cone filter and replacing the nackered baffleless standard rear box for a stainless one it jumped up by 2 more mpg as well lol.

[baldmosher]

The most economic driving style with an ECU is always to get up to speed as quickly as possible and then coast, by flooring it in low revs, and letting the ECU calculate the optimum max fuel input. If you're in a turbo it's vital to change gear before the boost kicks in, but in a N/A you just need to get used to the power band in the rev range -- too low and you're wasting time and power efficiency, too high and you're wasting fuel.

[Grinder]

According to "torque" app , im getting to 80 degrees well before i get to work

Doesnt seem to go much above that though

Torque seems to alert me when i hit 70-72 degrees as an operating temp and that happens within 4 miles , so i think the thermostat is fine

I dont know what a running temp should be though .. i thought 80 is a tad low ?

In reference to the C5 i had .. that would sit around 87 ish

It might have a lower rated stat in it - but i dont know what it should have in it

Could this be causing a slightly lower MPG ?

[andyranger]

I travel 3 miles each way to work, about two miles of 30mph and a mile stretch of 60mph

With the cold snap recently I have left the car warming up in the drive for about 5mins

My average worked out at 23.9mpg, which is pretty much on the money for urban trips

I would say 22mpg is pretty low for a 2.0 non turbo

[DXMachina]

Originally Posted by Grinder

According to "torque" app , im getting to 80 degrees well before i get to work

Doesnt seem to go much above that though

Torque seems to alert me when i hit 70-72 degrees as an operating temp and that happens within 4 miles , so i think the thermostat is fine

A V40 should reach 86C within 3 miles and hold at 90 to 92

Thats your problem right there. Thermostat
Mine had the thermo go regularly (3 times in the 3 years I've owned it - the standard Volvo part is junk. In the half million miles I've driven in non-Volvos I have never had a thermostat fail) - if the temp is below 84C I get less than 26mpg

[Grinder]

OK .. more bloody work needed then

So what rated thermostat should i be looking for , a 86 or an 87

Or do i just buy one and worry later

Off to check eurocarparts

[Grinder]

So one of these then ?

http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/c/Vo...e32c63b&000325

That says its a 90-92 rated one