[AlanHo]

We set off yesterday for the first leg of our journey to Scotland driving from home in Solihull up to to a village near the magnificent Humber Estuary Bridge to stay with friends overnight.

The route was 114 miles of motorway (M42, M1, M18, M189, M181) with about 4 miles of urban rods at the front and 11 miles at the end of the journey. Total 129 miles which took us 2 hours 20 minutes – average speed 55 mph (87 kph).

I had brimmed the car a few days before we set off and reset the economy recorder and odometer Trip A to zero at that time.

When we set off the trip odo read 198 miles (319 km) and the trip economy was 58.6 mpg (4.82 l/100 km).
On arrival the trip odo read 327 miles (526 km) and the trip economy read 59.7mpg (4.73 L/100 km)

However – about 40 miles into the journey I noticed that the trip economy was steadily falling – even though I was cruising at between 58 and 64 mph on a level motorway in 6th gear. It steadily fell over a distance of 25 miles – reaching a low of 55.3 mpg (5.11 L/100 km. Afterwards it very gradually climbed to 59.7 mpg (4.73 l/100 km) when we stopped for the night.
I can think of no other cause for this behaviour – other than premature DPF regeneration - despite there being no indication in the instruments -  so my curiosity was primed for the following day.

*****************************************

Today we drove up to a hotel near Berwick on Tweed – a total distance of 207 miles (365 km) which we completed in 3 hours 56 minutes – average speed thus 53 mph (85 kph). The route was about 170 miles of motorway class roads plus 37 miles of country roads across the Northumberland National Park.

When we set off the trip odo. read 327 miles (526 km) and the trip economy was 59.7mpg (4.73 L/100 km)
On arrival the trip odo. read 534 miles (860 km) and the trip economy read 61.0 mpg (4.63 L/100 km)

I kept glancing at the trip economy reading throughout the trip and was happy to see it steadily climb to 62.5 mpg (4.52 L/100 km) after 70 miles. I glanced at it again a short while later and was amazed to see it reading 72.5 mpg (3.89 l/100 km) and that this reading was steadily increasing decimal by decimal until it reached 74.8 mpg (3.77 l/100 km) in a distance of about 3 miles. I was aware that just at that time the motorway had changed from being dead level to a very slight decline which might explain a small steady increase - but I could not understand how it got to the high figure in the first place and the rate it was changing.

It hovered at round about this high figure for the next 5 miles before starting to fall steadily to a low of 56.1 mpg (5.04 l/100 km) over the next 25 miles of flat motorway class road where I  maintained a fairly constant cruising speed of 58 to 62 mph. It then climbed gradually over the remainder of the journey – with a few ups and downs caused by hills – to reach 61.0 mpg (4.63 l/100 km) when we reached the hotel.


So I am totally perplexed. On each occasion that the trip average economy was changing rapidly I switched the display to the instant economy bar graph. This showed that when the average was falling the car was achieving only about 35 to 40 mpg on the instant display – but because the bar graph maximum is only 50 mpg you cannot see what is happening when the average is increasing.

The only way I can think that the trip economy jumped up so dramatically is if the trip reset itself to zero and then displayed a new calculation whilst the car was cruising on a very slight decline and when I wasn’t looking . But why would it do that?  The only possible clue is that a few weeks ago I saw it reset to zero but assumed it was because I was coasting in neutral down a hill at the time. This time coasting is not a factor – perhaps it wasn’t then.

This was followed by a steady worsening of economy over the next 21 miles – but why?. Is it conceivable that the DPF would regenerate yet again.

There are at least 1000 miles yet to travel during this holiday and I suspect I will have a phobia about the trip economy reading, or the DPF, or both – before the holiday is over

More anon.

[asathorny]

enigmatic indeed.............   will sit here awaiting the next episode 

[Phil №❶]

No answer to this, except a serious enquiry to the dealer to see what instantaneous fuel economy means.

Maybe all of us have assumed the calculation is based on the normal parameters but could it be a calculation based on time eg each hour of driving, or a certain quantity of fuel e.g. each litre. Clearly, the previous miles traveled were not in the calculation where the car was traveling downhill.

In our car, if the trip isn't reset, I can't get the l/100 to move no matter how the the car is driven. This is because of the large km base in the calculation. 

[Dazzler]

Will be interesting to see how your manual fuel calculations pan out Alan 

[Doggie 1]

 
Yes, my breath is bated while I wait. 

[AlanHo]

It is Saturday 26th May and today we drove from our hotel near Berwick on Tweed to the final destination of Drumdadrochit – a total distance of 227 miles (which took us through Coldstream (the home of the famous Coldstream Guards regiment) up to Edingburgh and across the Forth Bridge and then north via Perth, Kinross, Pitlochry, and Inverness. Spectacular scenery all the way – enhanced by cloudless blue skies, an afternoon temperature which reached 26*C and very quiet roads which allowed me to cruise at a comfortable 55 to 65 mph.

With 62 miles left to reach our destination the fuel warning light came on. The trip computer showed that the tank would empty in 80 miles so I refuelled in Inverness which was 16 miles from our destination. The car had done 744 miles (1197 km) on the tank and the trip showed that there was 49 miles left in the tank when it was refuelled. Afterwards the display showed that the miles to empty would be 505 – despite the fact that both the last two fills have exceeded 700 miles. So much for the computer having a learning capability.

I brimmed the tank – as before – and this time the tank took 58.59 litres. (Yes - you read it correctly - more than 58 litres)Hence the average fuel economy on this tank has been 58.8 mpg (4.8 l/100 km). 
This calculation allows for a proven under reading by the odometer by 1.8%. (For every 100 miles shown on the odometer the car actually travels 101.8 miles - checked against my sat-nav and the distance boards on the UK motorways)

After the problems with the trip economy recorder the previous day I kept an eye on it regularly. 140 miles into the journey it was reading 59.7 mpg and I saw it suddenly flash to showing 3 bars then within 5 seconds return to show 40.5 mpg. I was climbing an incline in 5th gear at the time and assumed the trip had reset itself to zero and had started to calculate afresh because it gradually went down to 37.8 mpg as the hill continued. However, as soon as I got onto level ground the trip suddenly changed to 64.5 mpg then slowly dropped decimal by decimal to 53.1 mpg even though I was cruising gently in 6th gear. It then gradually increased during the rest of the journey (with ups and downs reflecting the terrain) and read 64.6 mpg at the time I refuelled. A figure I find difficult to believe.

I might have a problem demonstrating this problem at to the dealership.

I will try and keep a more accurate record of any future "incidents" during the holiday and the long drive(s) back home to try and peg down just when and why the trip is resetting itself - is it distance or time or whatever?

[Dazzler]

The re-setting is odd Alan but I'm guessing you are pleased with the 4.8 LPH (and around 1200kms from a tank full) 

P.S. What does your wife think of the new i30 so far? is she impressed 

[Phil №❶]

It's going to be difficult to trap without a trip engineer on board to monitor all these activities. But it is either a set distance or a set time, to me. Perhaps, those few owners of 2012 models can check theirs too. 

[Shambles]

Alan, try to spend more time enjoying your new car 

[Doggie 1]

It's going to be difficult to trap without a trip engineer on board to monitor all these activities.

I've heard that young, attractive Swedish Au Pairs are quite often skilled in this area too, so it might be worth considering acquiring one of those Alan and seeing if there's anything she can do to help. They are good at multi-tasking apparently   

[AlanHo]

We are staying in a cabin on the side of a hill above the village of Drumnadrochit which is on the North West bank of Loch Ness – about half way down (16 miles) from Inverness.

There are several cabins in the holiday complex scattered apart on the hillside and accessed by a winding steep track just wide enough for one car. Our cabin is 580 feet above the village and the track climbs at an average gradient of 1 in 8 for a distance of 0.7 miles to our cabin. Parts of the track are much steeper requiring the use of first gear and plenty of revs. One of the holiday makers in a cabin lower down than us cannot get his VW golf up the track – it is a 1.4 petrol and lacks enough oomph to climb the hill. They are having to leave the car at the bottom and walk up to their cabin each day. When I went for my morning paper I saw the couple trudging up the hill carrying bags of shopping – so I stopped to give them a lift. Even my car resented doing a hill start with 3 up – it is the first time I have truly appreciated the hill start (anti roll-back) feature on my car.

Other than the problems I have had with the trip economy recorder – the car has performed well.  It is a delight to drive and both my wife and I find the seats very comfortable on a 200 mile plus journey when the temperature outside has exceeded 26*C. Parts of Scotland saw temperatures of 28*C yesterday – hotter than most parts of the Mediterranean.  I have had plenty of opportunity to play with the 3 steering modes and find the middle (normal) mode the most useful when cruising and the lightest (Comfort) mode ideal for about town and for getting up the track to the cabin which is a series of sharp hairpin bends up the side of the mountain.

I have mentioned before that the car lacks the eagerness of my previous i30 – that car seemed to be always poised for quick acceleration – the new car has a relaxed air and if you want to feel any fire in its belly you must drop one or two gears to get rapid response. Having said that – get it into the right  gear for 2100 rpm and it will accelerate as quickly as the previous car, but uses higher revs. You could be forgiven for thinking there was a petrol engine under the bonnet and there is a lack of diesel noise to give the game away. I am having to use the gearbox much more. It’s a good job the gear change is so slick and light to operate.  My car has done only 2000 miles so the engine is probably still tight – but I suspect that the engine mapping has been tuned to give lazy throttle response at revs below 2100 and thus encourage economic driving.

Before setting out for this holiday I took the advice regularly given by members of the forum to use a higher tyre pressure. I pumped all the tyres up to 38 psi and the car feels somewhat more assured when pushed without any noticeable effect on ride quality or road noise.  I think I will standardise on this pressure.

[Shambles]

So, this one's a keeper

[eye30]

I brimmed the tank – as before – and this time the tank took 58.59 litres. (Yes - you read it correctly - more than 58 litres)

Where are you?  ----- Ahhhh yes of course Scotland  ----  The land of tightness.

So don't forget that you'll probably find that a scottish litre is 0.9 of an english litre     

[eye30]

One of the holiday makers in a cabin lower down than us cannot get his VW golf up the track – it is a 1.4 petrol and lacks enough oomph to climb the hill. They are having to leave the car at the bottom and walk up to their cabin each day.

Suggest to him that as his car is front wheel drive then he should try reversing up the hill.

i.e. traction at the rear so it will be pushed up rather than being pulled.

[Asterix]

Interesting read, Alan. 

It's allways nice to follow your observations, and I must say I share your wonder regarding the trip computer.

[Dazzler]

Thanks for the latest feedback Alan .. I like the sound of everything but the fact you have to use the gears more 

[Phil №❶]

Good read Alan, sounds like you're having fun. What improvements are being done to your home while you're away, you've set a precedent now 

[Doggie 1]

Thanks for the latest feedback Alan .. I like the sound of everything but the fact you have to use the gears more 

 
I am really pleased that we all have the "heads up" on the new model and know what to look for.

[baroudeur]

When I went fo26*C. Parts of Scotland saw temperatures of 28*C yesterday –

Alan,
Knowing your penchant for accuracy the following may interest you.

alt 0176 = ° (degrees)
alt 0177 = ±
alt 0178 = ² (squared)
alt 0179 = ³ (cubed)
alt 0188 = ¼
alt 0189 = ½
alt 0190 = ¾
alt 0247 = ÷


There are others for eighths etc
The numbers must be entered via the number pad.  These do not work with some keyboards.

[Dazzler]

Thanks Baradeur .. Just testing .. it is only 6°c here after a light frost 

[AlanHo]

Yesterday was fairly uneventful. The unusually hot summer weather (25*C) for the Highlands continued for another day but the forecast for the rest of the week is that the temperature will fall and the skies will cloud over.

We drove to Cromarty yesterday – a round trip of 90 miles - to visit some old friends of mine I had not seen since 2004 at my late wife’s funeral. It was a splendid reunion for me and a chance for my wife to meet and be greeted by friends from my past who live 500 miles away from our home and who I can normally only communicate with by phone and Email. There was much wine consumed but my wife kindly kept dry so that one of us was OK to drive back to our lodge. It was the first time she had driven my car for any distance and she found it as easy to drive as her i10 and offered to swap cars when we return home.  I graciously declined her kind offer.

Some have noticed that I post to the forum at some strange hours – this is because for many years  I have averaged only 4 to 5 hours sleep per day - so find myself up and about either very late into the night or very early in the morning. My early rising paid dividends this morning because I went out onto the cabin veranda and disturbed a small herd of deer grazing on the grass verge alongside the cabin. The herd included a stag with magnificent antlers but they saw me and ran off down the hill before I could get my camera. My wife – who for many years has been in training to sleep for England – will be disappointed that she missed them.

The trip recorder is still behaving itself since I reset the distance and fuel economy trips to zero when I refuelled 212 miles ago. It is currently showing an average fuel economy of 51.2 mpg (5.5 l/100 km). The steep climb 500 feet up the mountainside to the cabin and the hilly terrain we travel each time we go out is such that I cannot expect any better.  In truth, I am delighted because my previous car would only achieve that sort of economy on long smooth motorway runs.

Today – if the mist clears – we will give the car a rest and take a coast to coast return train trip across the highlands from Beauly near Inverness to the Kyle of Lochalsh. It takes  just over 2 hours in each direction and we will have a couple of hours at Kyle to browse and walk across the bridge to the Isle of Sky so that we can claim to have been there.  It is claimed to be one of the top 10 scenic rail trips in the UK and we are hoping it lives up to the hype. It is 5.15 am as I pen these words and too early to tell whether it will be possible because the cabin is swathed in mist.

There is no broadband available where we are staying so I brought with me a pay-as-you-go 3G dongle which should have worked here according to the network coverage map. It doesn’t. Hence to get onto the internet I have to connect when in Inverness which I sometimes go to early in the morning to buy the English version of the Daily Mail newspaper.  If I don’t post on any day it will be because we have headed off in another direction.

Oh, I nearly forgot – we have to take our recycling rubbish to the local collection point which is located behind a tourist information centre in the village car park. We did this on our way out to Cromarty and found the car park full of bikers – I have never seen so many motor bikes and bikers congregated in one place in my life. It was a riot of chrome and colour. This seems to be a favourite area for bikers – you see them on the roads all the time. However – I digress – the thing I wanted to mention was that on the car park was parked a blue 2012 i30 CRDI Style with a Manchester registration. I waited for about 10 minutes in the hope the driver would appear from the local post office but no-one turned up for a chat. Blow me down – 5 minutes later and just a mile up the road my wife spotted a silver 2012 i30 pass us from the opposite direction. Later that evening on the way home my wife pulled up behind a new blue i30 at a junction – but I have no idea whether it was the same car we saw 9 hours earlier.

I am able to confirm that both the blue cars had colour coded reversing sensors Lester. 

It seems strange that in the 7 weeks I have owned my car and the 2300 miles I have travelled, I have previously seen only 2 other new i30’s on the road, I then drive 500 miles up to Scotland and I see 3 in just one day.

(Thanks for the tips baradeur - but it doesn't work on my laptop. As soon as I press Alt -0 the browser closes down this forum and opens up my home internet page. If I try to do it in Word - the display changes from landscape to portrait)

PS
I have just noticed after posting this that my post to the thread yesterday has been lost in a server crash. I have no idea what I blathered on about yesterday other than to reply that the guy with the Golf cannot get up the hill because of lack of power not wheel slip. Reverse will be worse anyway because it is a higher gear ratio than 1st.

[bumpkin]

Hi Alan, glad you are enjoying our fine country!!

As with the Series One i30, we canny Scots seem to have picked up on the extreme value for money these vehicles offer, Lester and Steve couldn't believe how many of those I reported seeing back in 2008 and Lester even suggested to Steve that they come up to Aberdeen pronto so they could report they had seen another.

Are you going to be anywhere near Aberdeen Alan??

[Shambles]

Becoming a really good read - thanks


And just in case Lester missed it...

I am able to confirm that both the blue cars had colour coded reversing sensors Lester. 

[neptune]

It's going to be difficult to trap without a trip engineer on board to monitor all these activities. But it is either a set distance or a set time, to me. Perhaps, those few owners of 2012 models can check theirs too. 

I wonder if Alan could put one of those in car video cameras in that is directed onto the dash, so it records what he his talking about and then he can show it to the hyundai boys...

[Shambles]

I feel sorry for poor Alan - his latest holiday is being mostly spent for our benefit 


So thanks, Alan 

[asathorny]

I'm enjoying you little holiday Alan, thank you 

[Phil №❶]

I feel sorry for poor Alan - his latest holiday is being mostly spent for our benefit 


So thanks, Alan 

I think he gets a kick out of it too.

I thought of that too neptune, a camera focused on the instrument with a time display would give us some clues. 

[AlanHo]

It looks as though we will be kept indoors this morning - the mist is not clearing and there is little point in going out sightseeing because we won't be able to see any. I went down into the village to get a newspaper and looked on the carpark for the blue i30 - but it wasn't there.

Having some time on my hands whilst my wife continues with her beauty sleep (it is 09:30), I have been re-trying the computer in the cabin to try and get an internet connection with my 3G dongle plugged into the laptop. But without success.

However I found a USB extension lead in my travel bag - so I ventured into the woods and found a long tree branch. I hooked the dongle on the end of the branch and cantilevered it from the veranda railing 2.5 metres out into space. Lo and behold, eureka and gadzooks - it works - and I can access the internet. My wife will be happy because she can now communicate with her daughters and Email them some pictures.

I am by no means sacrificing any of my holiday with these posts - I can now use the computer when we are in the lodge to fill in the spare time. The alternative would be to watch TV but I am not a TV fan.
 

[bumpkin]

At last Alan has figured out our rural 3-Tree connection!!   

[Doggie 1]

 
I love the ingenuity. Priceless.