[GURKHA17]

After I got my 1000+ km/ tank recently, its been easier now. This my second round and I'm heading towards 1010km according to the DTE. I did start to change my gears a little early (around 2000 rpm of below, thanks to Thumper, cheers m8 ) bfore this I would do it between 2000-2500. Well seems like it did make a difference.

Unlike Thumper I did only around 25-30 Kms after the DTE started to flash ---, lets see what happens in the next tank. Currently the avg economy sits at 5.3 lt/100km (aircon on at all times)
 
Cheers

[Tylenol]

Sad to say that after 2000km my CRDi manual is still only managing 7.7L/100km. Lowest i've ever seen on the trip computer was 6.0l/100km after a 5 hour high speed drive.

Needless to say I am quite disappointed. I don't think my car will ever make the 5L/100km mark or lower 

[GURKHA17]

Sad to say that after 2000km my CRDi manual is still only managing 7.7L/100km. Lowest i've ever seen on the trip computer was 6.0l/100km after a 5 hour high speed drive.

Needless to say I am quite disappointed. I don't think my car will ever make the 5L/100km mark or lower 
 

Don't lose hope yet... It was the same for me. I used to avg. 6-6.2 lt/100 but now after 11500 km I am finally topping 1000+ kms @ 5.3-5.5 lt/100. When do you change gears in terms of rpm? do it around 2-2.5 or below 2. You will have to wait until 5000 km or so for the avg. to drop considerably. I only used to manage arond 5.8 lt/100 km until recently i managed my first 1000+/ tank.
What bout tyre pressure? Dunna how much of a difference it makes but think it may help if you increase it.

Cheers:)

[davet]

My car also behaves like Bob's (light comes on way before dte starts flashing).  Yesterday when I filled up dte had just started flashing and the tank took 56 litres (had done 1365 kms on the tank - Ulladulla to Coffs Harbour, week of local driving around Coffs, Coffs to Murwillumbah, then filled in Ballina on way back to Coffs.).  Trip showed 4.0 l/100km, actual was 4.1 l/100km (and diesel was $1.299/l - would have been 1.259 if I'd had a docket..)

[Tylenol]

Don't lose hope yet... It was the same for me. I used to avg. 6-6.2 lt/100 but now after 11500 km I am finally topping 1000+ kms @ 5.3-5.5 lt/100. When do you change gears in terms of rpm? do it around 2-2.5 or below 2. You will have to wait until 5000 km or so for the avg. to drop considerably. I only used to manage arond 5.8 lt/100 km until recently i managed my first 1000+/ tank.
What bout tyre pressure? Dunna how much of a difference it makes but think it may help if you increase it.

Cheers:)

Hopefully my car will do the same

That is something that I am not sure about actually - tyre pressure.

The tyres are marked with max pressure at 44psi - they are the stock kumho tyres on the SLX.
Inside the drivers door jamb, the information panel says the tyres are rated at 32psi.

Which pressure should the tyres be filled to? I pumped them right up to 44psi a couple of days ago, they were around the 33psi mark from the factory and have been at that pressure until I filled them to 44psi.

I will be doing a lot of kms over the next couple of weeks, hopefully there will be some good economy results to post after that!

Cheers.

[Shambles]

34 all round on Fergie. I can't imagine how little grip you'd get with 44 psi

[GURKHA17]

Hi Tylenol
I keep mine about 36-38.
Here is a section if a site that talks all about tyre pressure and 44 psi is not meant to the air pressure its the maximum pressure that can taken by your tyres when the car under loaded conditions.

http://www.carbibles.com/tire_bible.html

hope that helps
cheers:)

Interesting link...

My long held rule-of-thumb has been max pressure = max rated pressure less 10% and, for the front at least (assuming front engine), never less than 35 PSI unless I'm going on really lumpy roads. 

For the standard slx tyres this means 40 PSI is the maximum to actually use.

I had mine at 38 PSI and took a trip over the Black Spur (of which Melburnians will know) and was frankly embarrassed with the near terminal understeer and the tailgate from one of those clumsy 4WD tanks that had no trouble keeping up at all through the corners, although I was able to make up some ground easily between corners on the uphill bits (it's nearly all uphill  ).

Now I'm not a Fangio (although I did race against Peter Brock once  another story  ) and the tyres did not let go but there was lots of noise from the front tyres.  I've since let the back ones down to 34 PSI but not had an opportunity since to see if it's any better.  Rolling around the suburbs is perfect and while I didn't buy it to excite when pushed the so-called Oz tuned suspension was obviously limited by its intrinsic ability or the brief.  My old Mitsubishi with same suspension of Ford front struts and rear multi-link did a much better job but I suspect also had a much closer to 50/50 weight distribution to assist!

In any case, I think 36/38 is a reasonable compromise for the front.

[Lakes]

Hi Pip, well m8 i tend to like a lot of tyre pressure. i have 42psi front 40psi rear 16"slx wheels, i used same pressure with 15"sx wheels it seemed to have more understeer  with sx wheels but not that much difference ( same tyre on both just one is 205 55profile the other 195 65 profile) i blow tyre pressure up as i get more k's from my tyres. i've had no trouble passing cars or 4WD's on the bell line road on the overtaking sections resonable bumpy and twisty, and i stayed with an ss comodore ute all the way down the south coast ( coast road) to within 100k of vic. also do the mudgee ( west NSW) road a lot and thats rough the suspention seemed underwellming at first but seems to wear in, could be the shocks, but i'm sure there is a mile of improvement that could be done if you wanted to spend the $. but for a car in this price range its exerlent value.

[Lakes]

thought i had better add, not many tyre pressure gauges are spot on, i use a digital gauge and once in a while get a friend with tyre service to check acuracy. i also check when tyres are cold. i have a large air compressor so can set them at home.

[Thumper]

*Coughs slightly*

27lt for 250km.

Four things have come out of this:

1) Have found the black smoke limit of the CRDi i30 1.6lt engine.

2) Clutch is not up to the task in 3rd, 4th and 5th.

3) The diesel i30 can produce amazing amounts of power and torque!

4) I need new tyres. 

[ozsnowman]

Finally hit the 1100km mark for a fuel figure of 4.94l/100km. Doesnt hurt that I did about 30-40km in nuetral between Bairnsdale and Bright lol (Mountains are good for that)

[Rubix]

The first 50km I did while burning in my engine I got 12.4 l/100km. After yesterday's drive it's down to 9.8, but then I am driving the Petrol Auto - worst possible economy to start with

[whitbomb07]

I filled up in Penrith on Saturday (day before the meet) and was doing some stopping and starting in Penrith, then went up the hill back home.

7.7l/100km

Then driving down to Panthers got down to 6.2l/100km.

Driving up to ZZR went up to 6.4

By the end of the trip I was down to 6.0l/100km

Coming back up to Newcastle I'm now currently sitting on 5.4l/100km

So she's slowly getting better. I think the best range I've got so far has been around 1030km.

I'd like to do a total highway economy run and see how she goes, but I don't think it will happen until at least March when I go down to Melb.

What I hate is when you crawl out of the petrol station the trip comp jumps up to 30 odd l/100km before dropping off.

Regards

Daniel

[Lakes]

i filled up friday, then went down the south coast for the weekend, did a lot of driving around while down there then came back sunday afternoon , was lot of traffic around Albion Rail, came home via Picton turn off them M5/M7 then drove to work filled up at same BP servo 875K traveled 41L to fill to the very top same as when i left. so happy with that.
will be traveling around the same distance this coming weekend, but will be west crossing the great divide. stock as a rock CRDi 5 speed 24,000k up SLX wheels stock SLX tyres 42psi front 40psi rear

[EymaTeapot]

I reset the trip computer on Sunday morning before heading from Canberra up to Penrith than on to the blue mountains. The fuel consumption figure got as low as 4.6Lp100 on the highway part of the trip than went up steadily to 5.1 when we hit the mountain. I was more than pleased with this given the nature of the terrain and the hard way in which the cars were driven serious fun :twisted
On the return journey to canberra, the number went back to 5Lp100. Drove a bit faster on the home leg. I started out at 5.15am and got home at 8.30, so was pretty stuffed by the time I got home. In total I travelled 785klm on 2/3 of a tank of fuel Very happy

[EymaTeapot]

I am on my way to my best fuel run thus far...touchwood.
Now I have done a few things different, so thinking this might have helped.
First thing I did was to Turf my Missus out of the car...really
We just bought my brothers 98 model Toyota Rav 4. My wife loves it and drives it now, so I now do 90% of the driving in the i30 and i noticed the fuel economy improve right away. She has been a bit of a lead foot and could never get used to the idea of changing gear at 2000rpm instead of 4000rpm.
The other thing I did was to up the air pressure in the Tyres from 33psi to 36psi. I didn't notice any adverse effect on ride or handling, actually handled pretty well around the windy mountains trip up to the zig zag railway.
I also added a diesel additive, Diesel power from Chemtech. I measured out about 45 ml as by the manufacturers instructions. (I didn't use the whole bottle Thumper ) This product is meant to clean the injectors as well as increase power and improve fuel economy. Big claims, Don't know if really works.
Anyway, I have now done 850klms with still 1/4 tank left. DTE reads 202klm and ave fuel fig is 5.1Lp100. These kilometre are made up mostly from our Trip up to Penrith than up the steep windy road to the zig zag railway in the blue mountains. As has been well documented on this site, we were really pushing those little cars along so I am really pleased with the economy achieved. The econ figure has raised a bit since returning to Canberra and the traffic that goes with it, but never the less, i am confident of passing my previous best of 1070 to a tank and am hopeful of passing 1100  klms. It will be touch and go, depends how much the wife drives it really

[Thumper]

(I didn't use the whole bottle Thumper )

Half a bottle, thank you very much! 

Worked in my older turbo diesel, yet the CRDi i30 does not like a more concentrated fuel cleaner mix! 

[EymaTeapot]

Well I didn't quiet get to my target of 1100k. I would of gone really close but chickened out at 1075k. Had gone 50 klms since it started flashing --- so didn't want to push my luck. I did just surpass my previous record of 1070 though. I am going interstate at the end of month so i will have another go at cracking 1100.

[whitbomb07]

Well I've done it now eyma! Cracked the 1100km (trip said 1108km, SG2 said 1101) According to car trip comp I got 5.2l/100km. When I filled up I got 57.7lt in, DTE was on 50km but had not started flashing. (the flashing has only happened once before)

This tank was also the one used for the meet! See above for what the figures were a week ago! (they were quite appalling)

For most of the tank I'd been trying to shift no higher than 2500, but there were times were I was having some fun and stretching it to 3000. This definitely wasn't a highway cycle only tank, a good combo of city/hard/harsh and highway

On this tank I also used alot less air con and tried using more outside air to keep me cool, I think this contributed quite a bit, as I normally always have the air con on.

Currently my odo is at 9500km.

I'm quite happy with these figures. I was at my folks place yesterday. Filled up in Penrith went back up the mountains the came back up to newie. Finished the trip with 4,7l/100km displaying. Unfortunately I had a bit of 'city' driving today and its now at 4.9.

Here's to getting 1200km!!!

Regards

Daniel

[EymaTeapot]

Well done Daniel.
We are still a bit short of the 1300-1400 that Thumper and lakes are nudging, but we're getting closer

[LuciferDarklord]

Just did a ~ 2000km return trip to Carnarvon.  Shocking economy - between 6.5 and 7.0 lt/100k  Aircon was on all the time, and I was sitting on about 120km/h most of the time, but in similar situations i've had 5.6 lt/100k  I was giving it a bootful tho, and had the boy + luggage + 50kg of Mangoes on the way home. I cant help but think it had something to do with using Gull Bio-D at one refuel.  I had about 3/8 of a tank left, filled it up with the Gull - then the economy went out the window.  Even the next tankfull was a shocker.  Hopefully it comes right in the next tankfull, time will tell.  Other than the economy, the car was otherwise fantastic.  9+ hours of driving and not a single sore muscle or ache.  Went well overtaking trucks / caravans / boats on trailers etc.  Aircon did run out of puff on the way up when it was 44 outside and the sun was shining straight on the dash around the 26th Parallel, aircon couldnt keep up even on recirc.

[Rubix]

9+ hours of driving and not a single sore muscle or ache.

Wow. I didn't even realise that, but same here - driving from the southern tip of Melbourne to Sydney (900km, 10 1/2 hours drive, not including stops) and ditto, I think I get more uncomfortable sitting at work in an office chair. Attributable to the smoothness of the ride I suppose...

Went well overtaking trucks / caravans / boats on trailers etc.  Aircon did run out of puff on the way up when it was 44 outside and the sun was shining straight on the dash around the 26th Parallel, aircon couldnt keep up even on recirc.

Didn't have a problem through the 40*C run through south NSW on Friday, I actually had to keep turning the air con off as it was too cold at times!

[Rubix]

My best fuel consumption in a Petrol Auto is 6.1L/100km - with another adult and luggage and my little 7kg baby. I went through 2 traffic lights, and reset it before I started the car up, so it might be a realistic figure if you lived on an 80km+ highway
I kept this up for about 30kms then got bored and rocketed off to the 100km/h speed limit, with my trip showing an average of 8.9 at the end of the 900km trip (max speeds of 130km are a lot less economical than the 80-ish km/h required to keep the revs around 2,000).

[LuciferDarklord]

Wow. I didn't even realise that, but same here - driving from the southern tip of Melbourne to Sydney (900km, 10 1/2 hours drive, not including stops) and ditto, I think I get more uncomfortable sitting at work in an office chair. Attributable to the smoothness of the ride I suppose...

Yeah it was great - personally I think its more to do with the seat and ergonomics, but whatever it was - it works!

[camerooney]

I averaged 5.2L per 100km in the Golf on a trip to Wollongong on Sunday.
Not driving sparingly either
 

Its amazing how much diesel engines free up once they have some km's on them.

[mlms]

30 000km avarage 5.7L/100km 1.6CRDiA

[Lakes]

I averaged 5.2L per 100km in the Golf on a trip to Wollongong on Sunday.
Not driving sparingly either
 

Its amazing how much diesel engines free up once they have some km's on them.

Hi Cam, is the Golf DSG or manuel?

[camerooney]

Hey Lakes,

I've got the manual.
 8)

[Lakes]

Hey thats good, my friend in USA has had a Jetta with only the 1.9 TDI with DSG, i was thinking most of them would be DSG. the 2.0 TDI puts out a lot more power and TQ than the 1.9 what changes does the 2.0 have over the 1.9?
also have you been to Freds page?
cheers