Fuel Consumption

CMYAU3 · 22-03-2008, 08:36 PM

ey guy's i have n au series 3 au forte . 6v cyl non vct
on premium unleaded from caltex 98 octane.
if i baby the car, kept under 2000 grand except on the hi-way yer, cruise control every street yer.
i can get around 730 km from a full tank and dte is on about 50 -60 wen i fill up next.
im talking an average week for me work home go n out u know. no long trips to go camping n like that.

$85 bucks is the average give or take, per week i pay for petrol.

Q:- i was wondering wat do other people get from there au's?

Captain Kirk · 22-03-2008, 09:02 PM

Hi,

I get only about 550km's out of a tank around town and about 750km's on the
Hwy. This is on unleaded. My AU is a Series 1 wagon and I don't push it at all.

Captain Kirk

mik · 22-03-2008, 09:17 PM

i get about 450 average with a bit of a lead foot

running 60% stop start in the burbs................the other 40% quite often bumper to bumper on our wonderfull tollways :(, on the highway in the right conditions 800 k`s to a tank is possible, series 2 vct

bodes-sh · 22-03-2008, 09:21 PM

au 1 forte sedan, get about 450 usually from a tank of lpg, gotta love paying less than $40 to fill it, usually about 50 - 60l, doesn't seem to make much difference highway or city

private9 · 22-03-2008, 10:33 PM

Nothing near what you're getting, that's for sure!

I haven't actually checked in a while now, but last I looked it was under 400km (possibly closer to 350ish) to a full tank, and that's running it right down.

These days though, the car is used predominantly for short trips and would only get the chance to even warm up a couple of times a week so that more than justifies the fuel consumption.

loxxr6 · 22-03-2008, 11:13 PM

I prob average 450-550 to a tank but it varies due to driving and also that we do lots of short stop start trips especially in traffic. I try not to worry too much. On the highway tho it's fantastic.

BFD83 · 23-03-2008, 02:47 AM

The most i've ever gotten is about 460 out of a full tank which i thought was pretty good..and that wasn't being too much of a lead foot haha! I get funny about letting the fuel run right down to the red line and with the fuel light on im paranoid i'm gonna run outta fuel while im driving so i always usually put more fuel in before it gets right down to empty. I got told that once its get onto red you have a reserve tank so that you don't run out of fuel tho?

SSVPom · 23-03-2008, 09:38 AM

Wife gets around 300kms out of a tank, in our VCT Ghia.

I think it's time to get a new Oxy sensor...

bodes-sh · 23-03-2008, 11:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brent83

The most i've ever gotten is about 460 out of a full tank which i thought was pretty good..and that wasn't being too much of a lead foot haha! I get funny about letting the fuel run right down to the red line and with the fuel light on im paranoid i'm gonna run outta fuel while im driving so i always usually put more fuel in before it gets right down to empty. I got told that once its get onto red you have a reserve tank so that you don't run out of fuel tho?

lol, dunno about that, you can still run out of fuel, the light is just there to warn you there's about 8l or so of fuel left usually, so get to a servo quickly....if you let it run right down you will still run out

gregsAUII · 23-03-2008, 10:20 AM

Tell me how your getting that many K's from a tank?
Mine set on Eco and drive like a grany i still only get 550km's With premium.

Greg

scanno24 · 23-03-2008, 12:07 PM

au series 1 98 forte i get around 500 city stop start driving and hwy 800, trips over the nullabor where its 500k between towns sees 900 but thats nursing it at 100-105

sikford · 23-03-2008, 02:08 PM

i have a series 2 ghia and i cant get anymore than about 300-350 out of a tank around town and thats babyin it, most i have gotten was 650 highway...i dont usuually let it under about 70-80k's till empty...i havnt done the oxy yet but it comes up saying its fine when i ran the scanner on it at work.any ideas

SSVPom · 24-03-2008, 07:49 AM

The VCTs have all the power of a 6 and the economy of a modern 8 - great !!

I have been told the oxy sensor is almost a service item as cars get a few miles under their belt, so I'm going to change mine next month as a matter of course, for around 90 bucks it will be worth doing it.

I've also heard they get 'lazy' and don't merely either work or not, but can gradually reduce in their performance as time goes on... as the car burns more and more fuel !

GK · 24-03-2008, 08:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FairmontPom

The VCTs have all the power of a 6 and the economy of a modern 8 - great !!

I have been told the oxy sensor is almost a service item as cars get a few miles under their belt, so I'm going to change mine next month as a matter of course, for around 90 bucks it will be worth doing it.

I've also heard they get 'lazy' and don't merely either work or not, but can gradually reduce in their performance as time goes on... as the car burns more and more fuel !

Your Mrs wouldn't be doing HWY kays though Andy. It'd be all stop - start driving wouldn't it?

When was the last time the plugs and air filter were changed? And go the O2 sensor change for sure!

GK

SSVPom · 24-03-2008, 09:15 AM

Correct, all short journey's, although the morning run is around 25 mins and 15kms round trip... still stop-start though, which is when the car is at its most thirsty !

Never changed the plugs, but had all services done by the book.

May change the plugs next time service come up. If we still own it by then !

GK · 24-03-2008, 01:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FairmontPom

Correct, all short journey's, although the morning run is around 25 mins and 15kms round trip... still stop-start though, which is when the car is at its most thirsty !

Never changed the plugs, but had all services done by the book.

May change the plugs next time service come up. If we still own it by then !

What are you trading up to Andy?

GK

**Mechan1k** · 24-03-2008, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FairmontPom

The VCTs have all the power of a 6 and the economy of a modern 8 - great !!

I have been told the oxy sensor is almost a service item as cars get a few miles under their belt, so I'm going to change mine next month as a matter of course, for around 90 bucks it will be worth doing it.

I've also heard they get 'lazy' and don't merely either work or not, but can gradually reduce in their performance as time goes on... as the car burns more and more fuel !

eBay ... I got mine for $50 plus $5 postage ... brand new from a parts place.
Much cheaper than Fraud.

Chamelion · 24-03-2008, 12:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sikford

i have a series 2 ghia and i cant get anymore than about 300-350 out of a tank around town and thats babyin it, most i have gotten was 650 highway...i dont usuually let it under about 70-80k's till empty...i havnt done the oxy yet but it comes up saying its fine when i ran the scanner on it at work.any ideas

Sounds like my car.. On petrol I was getting 13.75L/100km - 15.25L/100km. LPG consumption is up around 17-20L/100km.

sanjay · 27-03-2008, 06:28 PM

my DTE is saying i have 88km left, and yet ive only done 330km so far since i filled the tank...that includes about 50km of highway driving as well. the rest is stop start traffic, inner urban areas and short trips, 20 mins or less at a time.

pretty dissapointed with my fuel economy so far...how can i tell if i need a new oxygen sensor?

Dark Horse · 27-03-2008, 08:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sanjay

my DTE is saying i have 88km left, and yet ive only done 330km so far since i filled the tank...that includes about 50km of highway driving as well. the rest is stop start traffic, inner urban areas and short trips, 20 mins or less at a time.

pretty dissapointed with my fuel economy so far...how can i tell if i need a new oxygen sensor?

Do an ECU reset and see how that goes first before you start spending money...

waggaclint · 27-03-2008, 11:28 PM

im getting 550 to 600 tank after tank every day driving bit on the freeway etc thats on normal fuel in econ mode if i use power i get around 450....

sanjay · 27-03-2008, 11:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dark Horse

Do an ECU reset and see how that goes first before you start spending money...

i was driving it today and thought exactly the same thing, as i used to get economy on my magna but reset the ECU on that and it was much better (still not brilliant - 3.5l V6 + 5sp manual + 17 year old at the time = LOL PETROL)

now to find out how exactly to do that in the falcon (in the magna it was as easy as leaving the battery disconnected for an hour or so)

wicked, its on aufalcon.com

and some people on fordaustraliaforums.com reckon that this could fix my odd idle issue of blipping on occasion and being too high (around 900rpm), look forward to giving it a go

cgglasson · 28-03-2008, 01:31 AM

I'm usually getting about 15L/100km (450km per tank) in my AU2 Fairlane 6VCT.
I was think that this is a bit crappy for a 6, drive pretty soft (stop/start stuff)
I have recently put in new leads, air filter and even did the ECU reset(providing I did it right), but seemed to get worse - was about 13.5-14L/100km before.
Any thoughts or would it be best to change the oxy sensor and go from there?
Cheers

Dark Horse · 28-03-2008, 04:27 PM

cggglasson, because the driving has been pretty soft, give it a good open road drive that might make a difference. Contrary as it may seem, doing this every now and again helps in the long run.

Sanjay, auto XR6 VCT's should get around 500 km around town and 750 km+ on the freeway on a tank.

private9 · 28-03-2008, 06:42 PM

CMYAU3, I saw your car today on Hume hwy, looks good.

Pistonbroke · 28-03-2008, 07:42 PM

Just done the Melb-Syd trip. I was getting around 750 on a tank. AU11 XR6 with premium unleaded. Serviced around 2 months ago.

BLACKAUXR8 · 28-03-2008, 08:38 PM

I get 350 at the most :-) of premium. And i wouldnt have it any other way.

sanjay · 29-03-2008, 12:02 AM

okay, i left the positive lead off the battery for an hour, came back to turn the car on and it didnt say BASE on the trip meter like its apparently meant to...

did the whole idling in D with AC, then without AC etc etc and no difference to my idle speed (which im fairly sure is too high, at about 850rpm in D, 900rpm in N or P) but the DTE function says i have 100km left to empty as opposed to 50km left to empty. so maybe it has done something.

Dark Horse · 29-03-2008, 02:16 AM

Sanjay, that whole idling thing is a complete waste of time in my honest opinion. Just get out and drive.

There is an idle speed adjustment in the engine bay, it's near the throttle body, which you might have to manually set yourself.

sanjay · 29-03-2008, 06:51 PM

i tried GK's tutorial here
http://www.fordforums.com.au/showpos...1&postcount=47

on how to adjust the base idle.

however, i dont know what a feeler gauge is, nor where to put it (there are no pics of that particular step in the guide :p)

if i turn the base idle screw it doesnt affect anything unless i turn it like half a revolution to the left in which case the car will try to start then stall.

additionally, if i unplug the ISC plug then the car wont start, so i dont understand how im meant to unplug the ISC plug, then start the car, then adjust the idle screw.