What are you guys getting?

[GoLfMan]

Hi guys,
just filled the polo up for the first time. Dad and i worked it out we got an economy of 5.67L/100km around town and thats on a tight engine.
what are you guys getting economy wise?

[brackie]

Mixed

TDI: 5.3L/100 on mixed running, 5.0L/100 on highway.
Silver Mk1 GLD: 4.7L/100 on mixed running, 5.0L/100 on highway.
Red Mk1 GLD: 5.0L/100km on mixed running, 5.2L/100 on highway. (Has additional weight of sump guard, aircon and sound proofing.)

[Seano]

2.5 Tdi in a Transporter Dual Cab with syncro.....routinely hitting 8L/100km round the town blowing out to 12L/100km on the open road....it's all about revs for me

[LS1 Cobra]

7.1L so far 1/3 of the way thru it's first tank. Mostly round town stuff. I'll do the sums when I fill up and get an accurate figure.

[GoLfMan]

TDI: 5.3L/100 on mixed running, 5.0L/100 on highway.
Silver Mk1 GLD: 4.7L/100 on mixed running, 5.0L/100 on highway.
Red Mk1 GLD: 5.0L/100km on mixed running, 5.2L/100 on highway. (Has additional weight of sump guard, aircon and sound proofing.)

they are some impressive figures brackie!
did you get my PM mate?

[brackie]

Yeah.... Sorry

I got your pm and replied. Been distracted a bit by other forum issues. Kinda dampens your enthusiasm

Not all diesels are created equal. This is a fact of life and time and time again I have seen cars/vans/trucks that should on paper be returning the same fuel consumption getting different results. Those with in-line (multi-element) injection pumps seem less variable, but distributor-type pumps like the VE are very sensitive in the governor area and must be timed accurately to achieve the best results. Most guys know about the "smoke screw" (so called because if you open it you get more smoke and more performance but use more fuel but really a maximum fuel device) so they have a bit of a twiddle. I don't have access to bench test apparatus anymore so I twiddle too and try to achieve a balance between performance and economy. Last time I went to Hobart in the silver Mk1 GLD I had to change the settings of the screw to cut down the smoke in the Hobart traffic. Didn't want an infringement notice or worse still a work order. When I was at Andrew's workshop I borrowed tools to do the adjustment but the next day on the cruze with the other Hobart crew I found it difficult to keep up with them. Andrew also lent me a dial gauge and probe so that I could set the point of injection accurately.

The biggest variable in diesel fuel consumption is the driver. Drive it like a petrol engined car and you'll get petrol engined fuel consumption. Use the torque band and you'll get there faster and use less fuel.

[brackie]

TDI consumption

Had a disappointing run to Launceston and back today. The TDI did 5.2L/100km for the trip. I came back across the Asbestos Range which worked her hard but I expected better now she's loosening up. Worked out @ ~ 54mpg using 1g + 4.45L and 1km = 0.625ml.

[gtimk5]

About 40,000 kms before they really loosen up Brackie, then the things go heaps better and the consumption improves even more. I had a 2l TDI at work today with 15ooo kms on the clock. He achieves 1150 kms to a tank!!

[GoLfMan]

wow! awesome Andrew.

Brackie i didnt get your reply mate?

really loving the Polo, ive learnt how to drive it on the torque curve, also i have learnt the boost characteristics it calls for a great fun drive. Its hard to stay under the speed limit

[gldgti]

with 4-speed box, would get 5.3l/100km moslty mixed

5-speed box is getting me 4.9l/100 km mixed.... must be low 4's on strict highway driving

[LS1 Cobra]

My first tank of fuel in the Jetta got me 671KM and I put in 49.31L when I filled up.

By my calculations that's 7.35L per 100KM.

Most of it was running to and from work and round town so not too bad I guess. I figure it'll have to improve as the engine beds in.

My wifes going for a run up country next week. It'll be interesting to see what economy she gets.

[GoLfMan]

we just filled up again, after about 1400km's we are averagin about 6L/100 around town... not bad but should improve as engine frees up

[Moonan]

The economy of these VW TDI's is pretty amazing, and even extends up to the big toys...
My daily drive is Newcastle-Muswellbrook & return, mostly country highway but with a bit of traffic, a few km of freeway, and several small towns along the way. In fact there are around 54 different speed limits on the round trip of around 220km (unless it is school zone time in the afternoon then it is 60).
For a tank-full of diesel, this tends to average 8.6 l/100km in the Touareg (with around 50k on the clock). Remember this thing weighs in at 2.4 tonnes.
Now I've done some tests...
Using Biodiesel (approx B50) this rises to 9.4, but if you add in a DP chip (still on the B50) it improves to 8.4!
With D2 (ordinary) diesel and the chip, that has improved further still to 7.9 this week. Thanks to the nice man at Newcastle TJM for letting me try the chip for a week with no obligation to buy.

[peter_j_g]

I have averaged 4.5 l/100km over the last 15,000km in a 99 passat tdi wagon.

Brackie - interesting the difference in consumption betweeen the silver & red mk1s. I had been adjusting the "smoke screw" too to get the best compromise between emmisions & performance. There is quite a clear sweet spot in the adjustment where any less fuel impacts performance and any more just produces smoke! I used to verfiy the adjustment on a nearby steady steep hill, 2nd gear and note what speed it would hold. I used to average around 5l/100km around Sydney.

Also is there any difference in the tyre sizes between the two cars? I have noticed with the passat that fuel consumption rises by about 0.5l/100km when using studded winter tyres (compulsory here for 5 months of the year), however most of the difference is actually due to the winter tyres being slightly larger in diameter, although they are the same nominal size.

Rgds, Peter

[TDI DSG]

Does anyone have any preference for brands of diesel based on experience with results of performance and or economy ? I was of the opinion that it should all be the same but filled my fourth tank with a different brand and felt there was a perfomance and economy difference...