Help and advice is need on "How to improve MPG"

H

Hazara

Hello everyone,

My car is not very good at MPG. At the moment I can barely manage 30-32 MPG max (town driving speed upto 45). But based on the info from this site, I should be able to do 46MPG.

My driving style, I am mostly under driving e.g the rpm is never over 2000. As soon as the rp gets 2100 I change the gear to the 4th. I use 3rd gear for speeds from 20-30 and 4th for speed 30 - 40. 40 and over is 5th gear. I always drive with full tank( to avoid petrol evaporation! ). Tyre pressure is 30 for rear and 33-34 front tires.

The car: Passed the MOT with 6-7 advisory notes. Replace break caliper and track rod end. After service it playing due to wrong type of spark plug. Mainly was id ling from cold and some times was hesitating. Replace the MAF with the one from eBay and replace the spark plug with the ones from Nissan dealership. Now idling at 14RPM when cold, and as it warms up it settles at 750ish no hesitation or loss of power what so ever.

My car expertise: I am in my late 40s and got my full license July 2012 and couple of time failing the exam due to going throwgh red lights! This is my third car. The first was a stolen after having it for 2 months, the 2nd was crashed (some one turned in front of me at traffic light operated junction!). It was GX 1.3 98 plate and is still in front of the house. Some one offered £150.

How to improve MPG to get to 40 MPG?

Please help. Any information/instruction is really really appreciated.

Regards
 
Hazara said:
Hello everyone,

My car is not very good at MPG. At the moment I can barely manage 30-32 MPG max (town driving speed upto 45). But based on the info from this site, I should be able to do 46MPG.

My driving style, I am mostly under driving e.g the rpm is never over 2000. As soon as the rp gets 2100 I change the gear to the 4th. I use 3rd gear for speeds from 20-30 and 4th for speed 30 - 40. 40 and over is 5th gear. I always drive with full tank( to avoid petrol evaporation! ). Tyre pressure is 30 for rear and 33-34 front tires.

The car: Passed the MOT with 6-7 advisory notes. Replace break caliper and track rod end. After service it playing due to wrong type of spark plug. Mainly was id ling from cold and some times was hesitating. Replace the MAF with the one from eBay and replace the spark plug with the ones from Nissan dealership. Now idling at 14RPM when cold, and as it warms up it settles at 750ish no hesitation or loss of power what so ever.

My car expertise: I am in my late 40s and got my full license July 2012 and couple of time failing the exam due to going throwgh red lights! This is my third car. The first was a stolen after having it for 2 months, the 2nd was crashed (some one turned in front of me at traffic light operated junction!). It was GX 1.3 98 plate and is still in front of the house. Some one offered £150.

How to improve MPG to get to 40 MPG?

Please help. Any information/instruction is really really appreciated.

Regards
Click to expand...

I did this so many times though. It's normal mpg (30-35)

Other people who reach between 40 to 45mpg. They must have modified parts on their cars.... ( improve engine and performance)
 
jk9194 said:
I did this so many times though. It's normal mpg (30-35)

Other people who reach between 40 to 45mpg. They must have modified parts on their cars.... ( improve engine and performance)
Click to expand...
Thanks for reply.

But why Nissan documentation says 46PMG? There is a big difference between 30 and 46!

There should be something wrong with this. It has a Bosch throttle body and the MAF was changed before as well. May be by the first or 2nd owner.

Regards
 
I'm one who gets 46 ish mpg in my 1.3, but I never have to sit in traffic where I live. Do you do lots of sitting in traffic or crawling along slowly? is it a 1.3 or 1.0 ?

Also just wondering where you are and how many miles has the damaged GX done?
 
1275 said:
I'm one who gets 46 ish mpg in my 1.3, but I never have to sit in traffic where I live. Do you do lots of sitting in traffic or crawling along slowly? is it a 1.3 or 1.0 ?

Also just wondering where you are and how many miles has the damaged GX done?
Click to expand...
Thanks for reply.

Not a lot of siting in and the car is 1.4 SE+ 2000 plate. However, even with some sitting in crawling it should not be 16 Mile difference. This site(http://www.parkers.co.uk/cars/reviews/facts-and-figures/nissan/micra/hatchback-1993/19283/) is quoting the 46PMG for this model from Nissan documentation.

Regards
 
I can't comment on the MPG of the 1.4 engine, although I'd expect it to be similar to what I get, unless it's an automatic.

Have you made sure you don't have sticking brakes, and has it been serviced recently?

You didn't answer my two questions either.
 
1275 said:
I can't comment on the MPG of the 1.4 engine, although I'd expect it to be similar to what I get, unless it's an automatic.

Have you made sure you don't have sticking brakes, and has it been serviced recently?

You didn't answer my two questions either.
Click to expand...
Sorry for overlooking your questions regarding the 1.3 damaged car. I am in manchester and the millage is 124000. After hitting the low MPG on the current one, I was thinking of repairing it and use it! It needs front bumper, bonnet, a headlight, front cross member and possibly a radiator. It is written off by insurance! (don't know it is worth reparing. it needs 45 Mot, 40 vosa and around 140 for parts!)

It did have a jammed break caliper which I did replace and at the mo there is not binding/sticking break.

Regards
 
Thanks, a bit too many miles for me. Given that you can buy another car for £500 ish it would only be worth repairing if you could get panels cheaply and spend hardly anything on paint.

I'm at a loss as to why my car does 12 to 14 mpg more than yours though sorry.
 
1275 said:
I'm one who gets 46 ish mpg in my 1.3, but I never have to sit in traffic where I live. Do you do lots of sitting in traffic or crawling along slowly? is it a 1.3 or 1.0 ?

Also just wondering where you are and how many miles has the damaged GX done?
Click to expand...

How many miles did you get for a full tank?
 
At best mine does 160 miles on the 1st quarter of the gauge (Pod with rev counter) then 240 at half and 320 at a quarter, I fill it up at about 350 miles. pushing it to the limit it might squeeze 400 miles to a tank, but I've never seen that.
But if I'm working out the mpg I do do the maths. If I drive a bit more briskly the mpg does suffer as you'd expect, so perhaps 40 mpg, it has been a while since I bothered to work it out, but the 160, 80, 80 on the fuel guage quarters, gives me something to aim for and a rough idea.
 
1275 said:
At best mine does 160 miles on the 1st quarter of the gauge (Pod with rev counter) then 240 at half and 320 at a quarter, I fill it up at about 350 miles. pushing it to the limit it might squeeze 400 miles to a tank, but I've never seen that.
But if I'm working out the mpg I do do the maths. If I drive a bit more briskly the mpg does suffer as you'd expect, so perhaps 40 mpg, it has been a while since I bothered to work it out, but the 160, 80, 80 on the fuel guage quarters, gives me something to aim for and a rough idea.
Click to expand...


wow that is so cool tho. you get about 160ish per quater,:eek:. mine is about 60ish per quarter:(. in average mpg i will get about 32-35 (between 240 to 280ish). that is normal mpg for me.

i checked on my car info

http://www.parkers.co.uk/cars/reviews/facts-and-figures/nissan/micra/hatchback-1993/11218/ 47mpg:eek: its not possible for me :S Maybe i got problems :S
 
I fill up in half tanks (21ltrs) after driving 15 miles from the first point the petrol light comes on. From half tanks to full tanks you will see more miles to a tank. It's just a pain filling up more often
 
i used to get low 40's in my 1.3 SR, ive not seen anyone mention it yet and its one of the biggest things to reduce fule use

AVOID HEAVY BREAKING, slow down greadually and use the gears, dont get 50 yards from the junction and stick it on its nose then accelerate hard again
 
jk9194 said:
wow that is so cool tho. you get about 160ish per quater,:eek:.
Click to expand...

Only the the quarter gives 160 miles at very best, then the next two quarters give 80 miles each, again at best, I've never been brave enough to see if I can get 80 miles from the last quarter. Those figures are driving up to the speed limits and involve a lot of hills due to the area I live in. I guess if I lived somewhere flat I could better them a bit.
 
superls said:
AVOID HEAVY BREAKING, slow down greadually and use the gears, dont get 50 yards from the junction and stick it on its nose then accelerate hard again
Click to expand...

Indeed I'm very smooth these days, I hardly ever use the brakes, lots of anticipation of the road and traffic ahead.
 
i can get 150ish for half tank. atm i got 210ish so i got last quarter left now. i am going to try and manage to get 300miles. in work place, there are alot of hills and bumps around there:rolleyes:
 
I was told everytime you touch the brake, it costs you money.

How? Because you spent fuel getting up to that speed. I seldom use my brakes.
 
skymera said:
I was told everytime you touch the brake, it costs you money.

How? Because you spent fuel getting up to that speed. I seldom use my brakes.
Click to expand...


is it about heavy braking? i do that sometimes cos i rushed for some reasons. anyway i am freedom driver now so i just want to drive nicely with nice mpg
 
if i do these above

primera airbox with decent air filter
4x tyre energy savers
wheel balancing & alignment
going to do major service and change new belts & water pump
maybe new clutch
fuel pump (mine is slightly weak atm)

i think i will get about 45ish mpg... what you reckon?
 
Biggest problem for me is cos I'm usually doing very short journeys my car quite often doesn't even reach normal operating temperature :(
 
jk9194 said:
@1275.....what micra do you have atm with best mpg?
Click to expand...

A 99, 1.3, with no mesh in the throttle body and a small trumpet in there. Currently running in winter mode.

Wintertime.jpg


Picture068.jpg
 
jk9194 said:
transmission? any modification parts?
Click to expand...

Just slightly lowered and the air mods shown and that's it. I run 185 tyres in the summer, I've not done enough miles on the current snow tyres to bother working out the mpg.

Missed saying it's a manual gearbox.
 
jk9194 said:
if i do these above

primera airbox with decent air filter
4x tyre energy savers
wheel balancing & alignment
going to do major service and change new belts & water pump
maybe new clutch
fuel pump (mine is slightly weak atm)

i think i will get about 45ish mpg... what you reckon?
Click to expand...
tyres and alignment might help, and i run without the waterpump idler and very slack belt, and an oversize alternator pulley with slackened belt.
because when you are pottering or cruising under very light throttle, the engine is only generating about 10hp, and parasitic losses can account for 2 or 3 of those hp

wp belt.JPG
 
frank said:
tyres and alignment might help, and i run without the waterpump idler and very slack belt, and an oversize alternator pulley with slackened belt.
because when you are pottering or cruising under very light throttle, the engine is only generating about 10hp, and parasitic losses can account for 2 or 3 of those hp
Click to expand...

Thanks frank so I will find out soon
 

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