Jetta 2.0 TDI Consumption and Economical Driving Style?

[li21]

Hi all,

Had my Jetta TDi 2.0 for a while with about 75,000kms now..
I keep reading that other members are getting about 750km a tank around town (short trips) and 900-1000km highway.

I'm consistently getting about 630kms around town before I get the warning light and when i did some combined long and short distance.. I only got about 800kms.


Just wanted to know what is the driving style?

Mine is a 6sp Manual.. Sometimes I shift early and try to drive in the highest gear possibly. This makes the instaneous cunsumption on the coomputer show lower figures..

So .. Is there a certain speed I should aim for for each gear when driving a TdI?

thanks

[jessv3]

Short trips? they kill your consumption especially because diesels take longer to warm up then petrols. I wouldn't beat yourself up too much over it, I get like 400-430 around town in my GTI.

[ian]

Mines a GT 125 kw and auto and suburban driving i average about 6.2 on a trip i can get it down to about 5.1 and occasionally Ive got it to 4.9 per 100km,
I think its all about your driving style , quick acceleration away at the lights will greatly increase your fuel usage.

[li21]

When I have my avg consumption meter.. it ALWAYS is about 7.1L/100kms.

I would say it averages around 7.9L/100km.

I don't drive very aggressively.
The only way it ever goes down to the 4s or 5's is on seriously long trips..

But many people are reporting city to be <7.0 so I'd like to be able to do the same

Ian whats your driving style..
Im usually aiming to cruise in each gear around 1500-1800 rpm before switching to next?

[Greg Roles]

Pushing the highest gear possible is a potentially bad way to conserve fuel. If the car is pulling below 1800rpm you're not only wasting a lot of fuel as soot, but you're not able to gain any real power till the turbo comes on song. Change up below 1800rpm for sure, but only on the flats, or when you are only accelerating slowly, the biggest problem is with the torque of a diesel, a lot of people think they can change up gears early before the thing ever has a chance to breathe! Change down, keep an eye on that 1800rpm mark when the turbo is on full boost, below this it's spooling up.

Try changing up gear over 2000rpm, get used to letting the thing rev a bit more. I find if I get lazy and drive lower in the rev range and make the engine labour more, the DPF has to regen more often ( producing more soot / wasting fuel ) and my economy goes down. If I spend my time at 2000rpm and over, even if that means driving along at 60kph in third, my economy is good, and the DPF hardly ever obviously regens.

One of the best things you can do is fit a boost gauge to a diesel, certainly taught me the relationship between revs and the demand I place with the accelerator pedal, and I can have a ball in the TDI, use the power and not baby it, yet return 800k plus every single time.

It all comes down to driving style, my bet is you're changing up too early and the turbo / fuel map is always demanding full power trying to catch up. Experiment!

[li21]

Thanks Greg..Thats what i was after!
Ive been driving with "Petrol NA thinking" too much..
Trying to keep the revs low to conserve output but that will change now.

No wonder when i changed later the average fuel consumption reading seem to be same or less

so when cruising what rev range should I aim for?

[maca]

I had a 2.0TDI Jetta for almost two years and the most I ever averaged was 7.5, with the usual being between the 6.5-7.0 mark. I would make plenty of short trips and didn't exactly have the lightest foot... But it was Oettinger tuned so that may have made a difference.

Would usually get about 750-800 to each tank.

[mr_walker]

I average 6l/100km on my DSG Jetta. Its become a bit of a game to see how low I can get the trip consumption to stay on my way to work (I know - its lame).

If the traffic is backed up a little and I am doing 80-90ish instead of 100ish my trip consumption is a fair bit lower. Depending upon conditions, my consumption can range from 4.5 to 6.5 l/100km for the same 15km trip (clear run vs frequent stopping).

I have noticed that when accelerating modestly the DSG tends to shift quite early (at about 2200), which I'm guessing is the system trying to keep in the torque band. It keeps the revs at about 1400-1600 when cruising.

[nutttr]

I have a chipped 103 TDI Golf and I drive it quite hard... I generally rev every gear out, take off quick at the lights and floor it often enough! That said, in between I drive very light on the throttle.

I use 2nd gear for anything below 40km/h when already moving, I use 3rd for between 40 and 60, I use 4th for ~55-70 and 5th only once i'm going over 75. I don't use 6th unless i'm doing 100+

I get about 700km from a tank around town, sometimes more (I do quite a few short trips). Long trip I only got 950 from a tank and I was almost dry - But it was 110 the entire way and when you do 90km/h-95km/h it is MUCH more efficient. If efficiency is what you are after, that is the optimum speed (6th gear very light throttle and change down to 5th when needed to accelerate).

I find flooring it and getting up to speed quickly and then coasting seems to be more efficient than going slowly. I don't know HOW, but it does for me!

[li21]

Today my fuel light came on and i had only done 620kms
But I did notice in the last few days the Average consumption meter had come down below 8 to around low to mid 7's after I changed my driving style
(changing after 2000-2200 rather than before 1800)

I assume everyone is going off the average consumption meter?

Hopefully my next tank gets me over 700kms, if so that would be awesome.. a Car that rewards you with economy for NOT driving like a grandma


Mr_walker .. youre not the only one, I play that game every day to and from work

Nuttr - Which chip did you get ?

[nutttr]

That fuel consumption doesn't sound right.... My display reads 'under' (i.e. lower than it should) and i'm on avg 5.2L/100km for the past 4 tanks. It's reading low by about 0.5L/100km.

I'm at ~690km and I have more than 1/4 of a tank left! I'd expect close to 800, maybe more out of this tank!

I got a bluefin chip - Be warned it will stress any existing parts that are close to wearing out! But, it makes an amazing difference to the driveability of the car.

I'd suggest changing higher than that too. I'd change about 3000rpm, then when you change gear it puts the car straight into peak power/torque and the highest boost is the most efficient point!

[li21]

I wonder how much of an effect heat has on economy?
Filled up 2 days ago at the start of the heat wave.. kep to my changing at 2200+ rpm.. and i'm getting average of about 8.0 ish now

having doubts I will get to my target of 700kms a tank this tank.. lol

[kaanage]

Its become a bit of a game to see how low I can get the trip consumption to stay on my way to work (I know - its lame).

Not at all. I do the same most of the time commuting in my Polo TDi (same as your other car). IMO, it's far more lame to be tearing off at lights and weaving in and out of traffic, only to be caught at the next light set by the econo box that pulls up as the lights turn green (which I'm possibly driving).

I've found that it's actually far harder to drive for mileage than just being aggressive (unless on a race track or closed road) and it helps me from getting bored and frustrated in traffic.

li21, how aggressive are you with the accelerator? When on flats and slight downhill gradients, try shifting VERY early (around 1500rpm) while being VERY light on the accelerator (let traffic ease away form you from starts) and shift down as soon as you need to go up inclines or accelerate more quickly.

[li21]

So i've finished my next tank driving a bit more agressively (not that much more) by shifting later .. over 2000rpm.
I got 620kms from full until lights on .. city driving.

Kaanage.. i definately don't feather the accelrator, but im sensible most of the time.. giving it the occasional squirt on open or large roads.
Might try your method next..

Dont see how I'm going to reach my goal or 700-750kms city ..

[Diesel_vert]

Acceleration is a major killer when it comes to fuel consumption. You have to try and minimise the time it takes to accelerate to reach your desired speed. Admittedly, that is difficult to do in the city and suburbs (particularly in hilly suburbs like North Ryde), hence your poor fuel consumption figures.

Basically, you need to keep as much momentum as possible, because regaining lost momentum is costly. So learn to read and anticipate traffic and road conditions ahead.


Always try to shift from 1st into 2nd and the higher gears as quickly as possible, and once you've reached your desired speed, shift up to the highest gear possible.

When in gear, the engine uses no fuel on 0% throttle, so lift the throttle to control your speed, not the brakes. Only shift into neutral when at a standstill, because in neutral the engine is uses a bit of fuel to prevent it from stalling.


And don't confuse efficiency with economy. The engine may not be using its fuel in the most efficient way at the lowest possible revs, but the actual amount of fuel consumed is less. Less revs = less fuel.