High fuel consumption, and Idle problem...

jeremywe · Post by **jeremywe** » Thu Feb 26, 2004 7:45 pm

Hi guys, I just got myself a Tip GR.

I am getting like about 7 - 7.5km per litres(25% highway and i dont drag the car much). I have also noticed that my idle speed is about 1500 in neutral and about 600-800 in Drive. Is the idle extreamly high in neutral, or is this normal for an FTO?

I have this feeling that my high fuel consumption has something to do with the high idling speed.

By the way, the car is fitted with an aftermarket exhaust and and air intake, I dont suppose this results in such low fuel consumption... Or is an FTO supposed to drink fuel like this?

Hope someone can help me here... Thanks!

GPXXX · Post by **GPXXX** » Thu Feb 26, 2004 10:45 pm

450km seems pretty low-average, esp for a 60litre tank... how many litres were there left in the tank when you fill up?

i'm getting about 580kms max per fill (approx 57litres) but i do fang my manual GPX every now and then during the week and i only have basic breathing mods like exhaust and air filter so far.

the idle should be less than 1500rpm (unless you have aircon turned on). i'd get the stepper motor checked or get it serviced...

FTO338 · Post by **FTO338** » Thu Feb 26, 2004 11:19 pm

I get around 450km per tank as well, but i think that because the head was ported with adjustable fuel regulator.

From experinece air filter & exhaust shouldn't have much effect on your fuel consumption, unless your car is in really bad shape, e.g haven't done a tune up for a while.

Jono · Post by **Jono** » Fri Feb 27, 2004 10:53 am

With tune ups.... is this when they plug in their computer into the ECU of the car?

sorry bout the dumb question

Jono

GPXXX · Post by **GPXXX** » Fri Feb 27, 2004 1:10 pm

Jono wrote:With tune ups.... is this when they plug in their computer into the ECU of the car?

sorry bout the dumb question

Jono

I believe up the term 'tuneup' is loosely based on another word for 'servicing'...

rxboy · Post by **rxboy** » Fri Feb 27, 2004 1:17 pm

7.5 km/L sounds about right. I get about 8 km/L with little or no freeway driving and no mods other than UAS pipe.

ruchi · Post by **ruchi** » Fri Feb 27, 2004 1:58 pm

I think you get such good mileage Mikey coz you're a country bumpkin

Not like us city folks with peak hour and lots of traffic lights.

When I checked today, my idle is the same in neutral and drive, both around 800rpm.

GPXXX · Post by **GPXXX** » Fri Feb 27, 2004 2:29 pm

ruchi wrote:I think you get such good mileage Mikey coz you're a country bumpkin Not like us city folks with peak hour and lots of traffic lights.

hey i may be living out in the sticks but i only use 1/3 of my tank for hwy driving to and from Melb ok... the rest is just like normal day to day traffic when I'm in Melbourne, and when I'm not it's still the same where I live except with MUCH LESS traffic lights!

:P

...in terms of fuel consumption, what we lack for in traffic lights here, i make up for it during my regular trips to the MIVEC zone!

jeremywe · Post by **jeremywe** » Fri Feb 27, 2004 3:12 pm

Hmm. Thanks for all the advice guys. Its not really 1500rpm when i re checked. Its about 1400 without the aircon on in neutral. with the aircon on, it drops about 300. Oh, and i just had it serviced (engine oil and filter changed)

Anyway, are there any good workshops in queensland that anyone could recommend me? I'm pretty new here so i'm not familiar with the pratices of the workshops. I don't wanna get ripped off or anything like that. What should i tell the workshop to check? Or should i just tell them about the problem and have them diagnose it for me?

Thanks !

Radium · Post by **Radium** » Fri Mar 05, 2004 2:16 pm

about 7km/L seems right to me! I'd be lucky to get more than that - mostly city driving though. I usually fill up about 50L after doing 350km.

mrdj1234 · Post by **mrdj1234** » Fri Mar 05, 2004 7:14 pm

(does some mental maths n stuff - I always used to work out economy in L/100km)

glad to see I'm not the only one stressing about how much fuel they drink... I get 450 ish to a tank

at 102c/l it's an exxy tank of Optimax every time though

the missus gets nearly 15-20km/l in her car

(then again, hers is an echo

)

ruchi · Post by **ruchi** » Fri Mar 05, 2004 9:53 pm

Have you tried the BP & Mobil equivilants to Optimax? Personally I have found it better, especially the BP one, and from some of the things I seen about Optimax I'll be staying away from it.

Teania · Post by **Teania** » Fri Mar 05, 2004 10:17 pm

Am I game to ask what you have heard/seen about Optimax? Working almost right on top of a petrol station, I run mine pretty much exclusively on it???

Have found Synergy 8000 pretty good - but didn;t have good run with the BP version...

Cheers
Tanya

ruchi · Post by **ruchi** » Fri Mar 05, 2004 10:39 pm

When I first got my FTO I used to use Optimax as I could get the 4c discount with the Coles deal, but after having tried both the BP and Mobil equivilants, I wouldn't go back. I personally didn't think they'd be any difference, and was quite surprised when I tried them.

Without going into too much detail (trying to keep message short

) I have heard the same information from a number of different sources that all the additives that Shell puts in the Optimax to supposedly clean your engine actually end up having a detrimental effect on it.

Someone on the FTO cruise last weekend also mentioned that the formula had changed, and the petrol is not the same as what they had when they did all the heavy advertising a few years back.

Like most things with cars, especially petrols, oils, treatments etc. I suggest you give it a go and see if you notice the difference. If you do great, if you don't then don't change. Personally I'll only use Optimax if I can't find a BP or Mobil, but the BP one is definitely my first choice.

dannyboyau · Post by **dannyboyau** » Sat Mar 06, 2004 12:44 am

i am getting between 7.6 and 8 ks to the litre depending on how i drive it.
That is a 6A13T

anyone getting less than 8 ks with the 6A12 motor has a problem. one option is to get into a mitsi dealer who will be able to hook up to you computer and use there diagnostic computer to read what problems there are.

FTO338 · Post by **FTO338** » Sat Mar 06, 2004 12:05 pm

ruchi wrote: Without going into too much detail (trying to keep message short ) I have heard the same information from a number of different sources that all the additives that Shell puts in the Optimax to supposedly clean your engine actually end up having a detrimental effect on it.

Yeah Theremin had posted this info on the forum before

Theremin wrote: Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2004 1:31 pm Post subject:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Just while we're on the subject, there is a discussion on another forum about the merits of BP Ultimate vs Shell Optimax...

http://board.performanceforums.com/foru ... d=67170167

ruchi · Post by **ruchi** » Sat Mar 06, 2004 1:03 pm

Thanks Kev, I hadn't seen that other forum, but it basically matches what I've heard from some mechanical mates.

kaveman · Post by **kaveman** » Sun Mar 07, 2004 7:33 pm

well, i use a mix of mobil 8000 and normal unleaded and can get about the same kilometers

good highway is 6.5l/100km

around city to and from work 9l/100km

and pushing it hard 12-13l/100km

i think it all come down to how you drive

robert

Adriano · Post by **Adriano** » Mon Mar 08, 2004 10:15 am

my car seem to run better on BP ultimate than optimax... and i seem to be getting more ks out of it... i have used optimax for almost 1.5 years, and just recently moved to BP...
optimax has this very strong smell too, and can smell it when i have my windows down (though could be something wrong with my fuel lines

).. but didnt smell anything when using BP....
so personally i'd use BP ultimate even though its a little bit pricier than optimax....

TheSentry · Post by **TheSentry** » Mon Mar 08, 2004 11:03 am

I switch between Optimax and Synergy based on pricing at the time, but I do believe my car feels better when running under Synergy. Feels slightly smoother and seems more eager to put the power down.