GolfGTIforum.co.uk
Model specific boards => Golf mk3 => Topic started by: benday007 on 14 October 2007, 21:37
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Hi
This is my first post since joining this very helpful site/forum. I have browsed the forum previously as a guest, and found it to be very helpful! Thanks guys.
I have only owned my Gti a couple of months, My previous motor was a 2001 Seat Ibiza 1.9Tdi 110Bhp.
I am very aware I would never acheive fuel consumption anywhere near as the Ibiza, this is why I was driving the Ibiza before when I was doing many motorway miles! On the motorway, at around 70mph in fifth, I could easily achcieve an average of 50Mpg. This I would never expect of the Gti. I did not buy the car to have a great fuel consumption, I bought it for all the great benefits of a Gti!
However, I must say, I am finding it hard to acheive anything like what I would expect, from a 2.0 16v engine. If you drive the car silly, you would expect to see a silly return on fuel/mpg.
I have recently filled up with Super Unleaded (I do when I can) and driven the car on a national speed limit Road, not doing over 60, and changing gear well below 3 thousand rev's.
By the end of the 10 mile journey, the fuel computer shows a consumption of 31.2
Is this anywhere near other drivers with the same vehicle? I know the combined mpg should show 32 mpg, according to offical fig's (blah blah) and I am struggling to achieve this figure on a Motorway cycle?
Any Suggestions guys? your help much appreciated!!
Ben
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31mpg sounds about right for 60mph.
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Thats poss about right my 8v poss about same very rare mine get over 32-34mpg. I drive to work 11 miles m/way and 7miles normal road. I dont drive it hard.
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that's fairly much average for my GTi 8v... usually 32-34mpg ish... unless of course I'm hacking it... :evil:
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I average 28mpg for my 8v.... but have had 40mpg on a transpenine motorway run!!
on a run to work (14 miles non motorway) I get 35mpg so your figure sounds about right
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Has it been serviced regularlly/recently? a good service helps in the battle for better mpg, also does the car drive ok/pull strongly, aslong as it does then your not far off what i get which is usually 34-36mpg on the motorway.
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Has it been serviced regularlly/recently? a good service helps in the battle for better mpg, also does the car drive ok/pull strongly, aslong as it does then your not far off what i get which is usually 34-36mpg on the motorway.
Thanls for the info guys, helps to know its about right, was expecting a few more miles but it all ok!
Regards it being serviced regular, it was a company car for the first 5 services so had VW, since then it has had local garage to the last ower serive around every 10k, it currently sits on 99k, in the last 1k I have changed the oil, air filter, and fitted Bosch super duper Platnum Plugs, will prob run some fuel treatment (redex or similar) to give it a little clean out!
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I have a 16v 5 door of the same year and careful driving below 60 continuously for over 7/8 miles I can achieve 41 mpg - more with super. This is ideal of course. Motorway at a steady 80, I achieve around 36. My own view is that your fuel consumption is a little heavy. By all means check out filters/plugs/rotor arm/distributor contacts/tyre inflation, check if brakes are binding, wheel bearings OK etc etc.
However, I did all of this previously, and occassionally I still could not better 33 mpg and it sometimes felt a little gutless. I then changed out the ECU relay and voila!
Doing the service checks and replacing cheap components such as filter/plugs/cap/rotor arm/ undoubtedly helped to achive my current figures, but the biggest single factor was the ECU relay.
The relay being £10 from a dealer it's surely worth a punt.
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I had a nice trouble free trip down to Rye (30-odd miles each way) yesterday on the country roads and got 41mpg on position 1 of trip and avg 37mpg on position 2, haven't seen those figures for quite awhile.
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I have a 16v 5 door of the same year and careful driving below 60 continuously for over 7/8 miles I can achieve 41 mpg - more with super. This is ideal of course. Motorway at a steady 80, I achieve around 36. My own view is that your fuel consumption is a little heavy. By all means check out filters/plugs/rotor arm/distributor contacts/tyre inflation, check if brakes are binding, wheel bearings OK etc etc.
However, I did all of this previously, and occassionally I still could not better 33 mpg and it sometimes felt a little gutless. I then changed out the ECU relay and voila!
Doing the service checks and replacing cheap components such as filter/plugs/cap/rotor arm/ undoubtedly helped to achive my current figures, but the biggest single factor was the ECU relay.
The relay being £10 from a dealer it's surely worth a punt.
I must say as I was only doing 60Mph, I was hoping to achieve a little more than 31. as around the 70mph mark, this would see my fuel consumption worsen more, and was hoping for more like 31 combined, not best!!
take it it was the Main engine ECU relay you changed? Did the main dealer suggest this? I will certianly look into purchasing this part! Do you have the Part no.? Also is it poss. to post a pic with the location of the part?
I think that the rotor arm is the only part out of your list that has not very recenty been changed, will take the dizzy cap off & have a look as I have not done this yet!!!I have noticed on another post that there can be a prob with the engine temp sender, causing the car to overfuel, is this a common or likely thing to cause?>
Cheers!!
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Crikey thought both models would have faired better than that I average 31mpg in my VR6 and at 60mph is always in the mid 30`s,was thinking of changing it but think I`ll keep her for a bit longer now :smiley:
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Well I would like to see if I can get a few MPG, will try replacing the Engine ECU Relay no.30, Kindly mentioned earlier, This does seem to be a problem for a few people, I got the old one out of the fuse box this evening & is the original one, will order a new one up tommorow, see if it does the trick.
Does anyone know how to get to relay no. 30, without having to take the one under it out first (i think this as no. 56)
Cheers all!!!
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If your ECU relay is black, it's definately original. These were made in Malaysia (spelling!!) and are known to give many problems. Replace it with one from the VW dealers and it should be made in good old Germany and coloured grey.
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My overall is 28/29mpg. get 28 on motorway at 90.
At around 50 on normal roads I have seen 44mpg.
So really it all depends how heavy your right foot is! :grin:
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I must say as I was only doing 60Mph, I was hoping to achieve a little more than 31. as around the 70mph mark, this would see my fuel consumption worsen more, and was hoping for more like 31 combined, not best!!
take it it was the Main engine ECU relay you changed? Did the main dealer suggest this? I will certianly look into purchasing this part! Do you have the Part no.? Also is it poss. to post a pic with the location of the part?
I think that the rotor arm is the only part out of your list that has not very recenty been changed, will take the dizzy cap off & have a look as I have not done this yet!!!I have noticed on another post that there can be a prob with the engine temp sender, causing the car to overfuel, is this a common or likely thing to cause?>
Cheers!!
Original relay is a small black box of electronics where a small amp circuit controls a larger one - in this case the main ECU. As the original was made in some place the World left behind, the cost cutting exercise behind the rational of manufacturing such a critical component there is not one of VWs best decisions. Frankly I would replace it anyways - No 30 above the fuses (under driver's dashboard) , and you may have to temporarily unplug others to get at it. As for a main dealer recommendation - welll Nurse stitch back my splitting sides - they wouldn't even know what a Mk3 is - it is way too old for them, and would Sir like a brand new GTI instead - a snip at £21 000. No, the information comes from a bit of knowledge about how these things work, 30 odd years of mucking about with cars and of course, this very useful forum.
Ref fault finding, golden rule is to do one thing at a time, replace everything else as was, and see if it cures the fault. Take it slowly and logically. Check any air/vacuum hoses for leaks whilst you're at it. Yes engine temp sender could be another possibility, but stick to the simple and obvious first and see if that cures it.
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My overall is 28/29mpg. get 28 on motorway at 90.
At around 50 on normal roads I have seen 44mpg.
So really it all depends how heavy your right foot is! :grin:
I can sometimes suffer with a heavy foot, My doctors says it is a side effect of driving a GTi
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I have a 16v 5 door of the same year and careful driving below 60 continuously for over 7/8 miles I can achieve 41 mpg - more with super. This is ideal of course. Motorway at a steady 80, I achieve around 36. My own view is that your fuel consumption is a little heavy. By all means check out filters/plugs/rotor arm/distributor contacts/tyre inflation, check if brakes are binding, wheel bearings OK etc etc.
However, I did all of this previously, and occassionally I still could not better 33 mpg and it sometimes felt a little gutless. I then changed out the ECU relay and voila!
Doing the service checks and replacing cheap components such as filter/plugs/cap/rotor arm/ undoubtedly helped to achive my current figures, but the biggest single factor was the ECU relay.
The relay being £10 from a dealer it's surely worth a punt.
My no.30 Relay came in stock today, fitted it on my lunch, cost £9.98 inc. VAT.
I must say...What a smile it brought to my face!! ANY hestiation I was fiding b4 is NO MORE, stick ya foot down b4, and it would judder & hesitate, now stick your foot down, it just goes, as any 150bhp golf should! I am a lot happier with it, I've not et really noticed improved fuel consumption (cos i've been having fun with it, but will see what it returns on my next decent size run!
Thanks!!!
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Glad it seems to have improved matters - recommend you also do all the other maintenance stuff, and perhaps clean the throttle body too. All of these are relatively simple to do when armed with the Haynes manual.