Thirsty little Fiesta

oatis · 31-08-2009, 10:48 AM

Not sure if anyone here has the same problem. My CL 5dr Auto is so thirsty that I never get near 400km per tank (it usually runs up to about 360km). This is almost like I am driving a family wagon. This is just city driving running on ULP or occasionally E10. I regularly check my tyres so that's out of the equation. Is this normal?

Can anyone suggest if Ford would be able to fix this? I'm not sure there's something they can do to the ECU or Catalytic converter to improve the situation. I haven't had the oil change since new so not sure if that helps either.

JClarke · 31-08-2009, 11:02 AM

E10 the corn fuel? if so, that's not recommended, the fuel kilometers are low since it last in a short time, than the unleaded....:/

dannyhilton · 31-08-2009, 12:26 PM

That's shocking! I can get easily over 600km a tank with my Zetec manual? Others have had this issue though, and with a refresh of the ECU their economy improved dramatically. Best to get Ford to look over it.

oatis · 31-08-2009, 05:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RapidTyphoon

That's shocking! I can get easily over 600km a tank with my Zetec manual? Others have had this issue though, and with a refresh of the ECU their economy improved dramatically. Best to get Ford to look over it.

How much would I be expected to pay for such upgrade?

Also how many tanks of 95 before I started to see things are improving because I just filled it with E10 to the full last time

Twinpiston · 31-08-2009, 01:18 PM

Also try 95, they really do prefer the better stuff....

WASP · 31-08-2009, 01:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oatis

My CL 5dr Auto

Ours is 5 door Zetec auto with 2700km and averages 8.3 per 100. My wife complains that she needs to fill it up each week as it only gets around 350-400 kms per tank. Not sure what the tank size is but I gather it's pretty small. Her last Focus Zetec (manual) used about 8.5ltr per 100 but the tank lasted for around 1.5 to 2 weeks (550-600km's a tank).

It wouldn't bother me so much if the Fiesta had some grunt to match.

: Lucky the rest of the car is brilliant.

Colville

Ben85 · 31-08-2009, 02:25 PM

Use better fuel!!!!

WASP · 31-08-2009, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ben85

Use better fuel!!!!

Used both 95 and 98 (BP). Gets worse with 98.

Bucknaked · 31-08-2009, 07:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CDAA

Used both 95 and 98 (BP). Gets worse with 98.

My XR5 focus did the same thing. I could never understand why. Recommends 95 as a minimum. Maybe they are tuned like this from factory?

Ben85 · 31-08-2009, 02:45 PM

Thats strange, i was kinda refering to the first guy who was using the E10, thats known for bad fuel economy.

fairmont1998 · 31-08-2009, 05:23 PM

When you say fill, how many litres are you getting in? Maybe the tank isn't filling.

zetec jim · 31-08-2009, 05:33 PM

It also depends hugely on the way you drive. I'd wait till you get a few more k's on the odo (unless you've already got over 5000 or so) and really do your best to drive efficiently using 95 or 98...see what you get then. and if it's still Sh*thouse, then go to ford. That being said, if you ring them first and ask if they can check it out free of charge to diagnose, then do that.

Fi.ES.TA · 31-08-2009, 05:58 PM

Thats shocking you definatley need that looking at,but seriouly i would'nt be putting shhit fuel in like you are doing.

Im running BP ultimate 98 since i bought it,now just short of 7,000klm
and get between 600 and 630klm per tank $48 to fill it and it lasts me all week.

dannyhilton · 31-08-2009, 06:21 PM

I've been trying 95RON and I hate to say it, but I havnt noticed much difference, actually none? Over 600km it used the same amount of fuel, got the same amount of km's and was just as powerful. Still I'll go back to 98RON as work pays for my fuel and might as well drain the suckers!!!

Ford will do a reflash your ECU on the 3000km update. But you can bring this to their attention and get them to flash it for you before. Should be free. But that's pathetic fuel economy, I get high fives to low sixes (so tge trip computer said).

Franco Cozzo · 31-08-2009, 06:39 PM

So far, we filled up with Shell Optimax in my manual CL at 1/4 tank left (on fuel beep warning just out of dealership) and I've covered 550KM, just under half a tank now left. This is with some hard driving, going up a mountain and keeping it above 5000RPM and seeing redline often, other than that, majority of highway driving.

Fi.ES.TA · 31-08-2009, 06:49 PM

Holy shhit that must of been some mountain to be reving out at 5000rpm.

Franco Cozzo · 31-08-2009, 06:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fi.ES.TA

Holy shhit that must of been some mountain to be reving out at 5000rpm.

Mt Macedon, I was giving it some in the mountains

It accelerates up very steep hills pretty well when you keep the bastard at 5000RPM +

Mines manual though, so its the douchebag behind the wheel who is doing the gear changes (Me

).

Vision Zetec · 31-08-2009, 06:49 PM

Yeah I would say get the ECU reflashed with the upgrade and fill up with 95 or 98 RON.

I have done 3000km's now and get roughly 8.0L/100km on Shell 98RON.

dannyhilton · 31-08-2009, 07:28 PM

Cruise Control works wonders going up tge Toowoomba Range, it just seems to not loose any speed, it just sticks. I use it to go uphills and limit downchanging and let cruise do it's work!

Fi.ES.TA · 31-08-2009, 07:46 PM

Still sounds alot to rev out at 5000rpm but i have'nt tried it on a major mountain drive yet.

Yes thats what i do in the commodore going up the range.

Redrum · 31-08-2009, 09:14 PM

Just bought a 5 door manual zetec for wife, taking delivery shortly. I gather then from quickly scanning comments that 98ron the best.

dannyhilton · 31-08-2009, 09:22 PM

I was the biggest advocate for 98 RON yet I'm failing to see the advantage over 95RON? Well apart from the claim of being cleaner for the engine, but is that claim true to modern engines?

greenfoam · 31-08-2009, 11:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RapidTyphoon

I was the biggest advocate for 98 RON yet I'm failing to see the advantage over 95RON? Well apart from the claim of being cleaner for the engine, but is that claim true to modern engines?

Unless you have a car that NEEDS 98 octane like a turbo car on 20 psi for example then I'd be using 95. I've always found 95 octane to be slightly faster on the drag strip on all normal cars so that means it gives more energy and will use less fuel also.

These Fiesta's seem to use alot of juice (alot more than Ford advertise them at), but the other day when I was able to drive safely at 100 in driving rain on a half flooded road with the traction control light flashing at me when I went through deep ruts all was forgiven

also pay attention to the post above ^ since that car had the same problem and is an auto

BruceT · 31-08-2009, 10:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oatis

Not sure if anyone here has the same problem. My CL 5dr Auto is so thirsty that I never get near 400km per tank (it usually runs up to about 360km). This is almost like I am driving a family wagon. This is just city driving running on ULP or occasionally E10. I regularly check my tyres so that's out of the equation. Is this normal?

I get 600 km from a full tank if driving conditions aren't bad - 550 km if they are. About half my travel is motorway driving. That's on regular ULP (91 RON). So far I have not noticed any difference with 98 RON, so I'm thinking of sticking to 91 RON. The 3 RONs -91 RON, 95 RON and 98 RON - have roughly the same energy density as each other. So if your engine is designed for 91 RON there is usually little advantage to spending more for premium or super. But E10 is something different. It has a lower energy density - you pay less and get less - poorer power and fuel economy. You probably lose overall, and the environment loses as well if you take into account the amount of energy that goes into making ethanol from sugar cane.

Ford "estimate" 6.1 L/100 km combined cycle for the manual and 6.9 L/100 km for the auto, so I would expect 490-530 km range from the auto with similar driving in an auto on 91 RON.

So here are my questions:
1) When you say 360-400 km is that what your trip meter says when you refil? Or is that the km, when the guage gets low?
2) Give an example of how many litres you put in to refil and the range since the last refil. This is the only way to tell. The trip meter economy guage is very unreliable, although the estimated range it gives is better (in my case it predicts range left until I have about 2 klitres in the tank.)
3) What kind of driving are you doing? If it's all suburban and you are often in traffic, a range of 400 km would be about right. Are you heavy on the accelerator and brake? Auto's encourage you to put your foot down to keep up with the traffic, but in a 1.4 litre auto that would have you up in the high rev range a lot and burning lots of fuel.

csv8 · 31-08-2009, 11:29 PM

I had same problem got the ecu reflashed and put 10w 30w oil in it. Now I get 520kms or 440km before fuel light comes on. Not as economical as some 4 cyl cars !!!!!

calais · 31-08-2009, 11:59 PM

In the missus' 07 WQ Ghia auto, we get around 7.1L/100km around town and on a decent highway run can get it down to 5.7L/100km.

I prefer to use BP 95ron as it just appears to run smoother, and it reduced plug fouling as well. I also run a 10w30 penrite oil.

So far its provided 45,000km of trouble free motoring, never regretted the purchase a day since we signed on the dotted line.

curik · 01-09-2009, 10:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oatis

Not sure if anyone here has the same problem. My CL 5dr Auto is so thirsty that I never get near 400km per tank (it usually runs up to about 360km). This is almost like I am driving a family wagon. This is just city driving running on ULP or occasionally E10. I regularly check my tyres so that's out of the equation. Is this normal?

Can anyone suggest if Ford would be able to fix this? I'm not sure there's something they can do to the ECU or Catalytic converter to improve the situation. I haven't had the oil change since new so not sure if that helps either.

You are not alone, I usually get 360-400km as well. If you drive almost 100% in the city like I do, averaging 22 km/h, less than 5km each trip then it's not really the car's fault. It's actually pretty easy to beat 6.9l/100km in the suburbs.

As for the fuel you use, try not to use e10. I have read empirical based test which concludes normal ULP gives you more km/$ than E10.

Oil change to 5w-30 would help but won't be as noticeable as suburban owners because we spend more time idling and doing start-stop, but every little bit helps

Try shifting to N if you are stationary for more than 1 min and get up to the speed limit quickly. The torque converter slips less this way and should help fuel economy.

Vision Zetec · 01-09-2009, 03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by curik

Try shifting to N if you are stationary for more than 1 min and get up to the speed limit quickly. The torque converter slips less this way and should help fuel economy.

Can you explain that a bit more please Curik? Cheers

BruceT · 01-09-2009, 10:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by curik

You are not alone, I usually get 360-400km as well. If you drive almost 100% in the city like I do, averaging 22 km/h, less than 5km each trip then it's not really the car's fault.

Oatis, Curik and others with autos and city driving.

The good thing about manuals is you have control over when you shift gears. I get good economy by shifting up at 2000-2500 rpm in my manual Zetec. What I don't get is the ability to stay with the traffic, that mostly consists of cars with bigger engines and automatic gear boxes. To keep up with cars in stop go traffic I have to work the engine more and change around 3500-4000 rpm. When I do that a lot my economy drops noticeably. I try to resist the temptation and mostly stick with the 2000-2500 rpm changes unless I feel I'm really holding things up. I usually see the people who roar ahead at the lights anyway.

You will have to work a 1.4 L auto even harder. You probably won't notice - you tend to ignore engine speed in autos - but look at the tachometer and see what engine speed you are changing gears. If you are trying to stay with the usual traffic with a 1.4 L auto I bet you are changing well above 3000 RPM. If it's a lot of stop-go traffic, that's where you're using the fuel. (Unfortunately if it's a single carriageway, being a slug just annoys people, so you may have no choice.)

curik · 01-09-2009, 04:41 PM

Sorry I should've made it clearer next time :P. When stationary more than 1 min (waiting at a big intersection, waiting for someone, etc) put the gear to N instead of D. Normally we hold brake down to stop the car from moving (in D) which waste more fuel than putting it in N.

I also found out that the torque converter doesn't lock up till 70km/h or so when driving around town I try to get up to the speed limit quickly and glide instead of slowly.