[Flex]

I wondered if anyone else has experienced this.

1.6 FSI new in January - about 450 miles on a full tank, now I get about 300 miles.

Only thing I am doing different is using optimax (as 98 is specified on the filler cap) whereas I used 95 for the first few months, and since its been warmer I have the AC going a lot. Cumilatively these can make a difference, but around 160 miles!

This has been seen on motorway and town driving - Houston, do we have a problem!?

 

[Stephen B]

definately the aircon, more pronounced on a lower powered engine

I've now done 500 miles on my new 2.0 FSi and you can see the trip computer dropping a large amount on mpg when not using the econ button.

I filled tank up with optimax yesterday and on my drive to work this morning [30 miles m8] I arrived with an average of 44.8 mpg that was driving around the 70 mph constant with an ocaasional trip to 80 mph

I expect those figures to improve marginally once the ECU has removed the retardation for the lower octane fuel, but so far very impressed with new car

 

[kenl]

Mine is still great after 9k miles, averaging 39mpg.

I usually use Esso Supreme super-unleaded in which is 97 octane although I occassionally just put some 95 in if I'm feeling poor.

 

[Flex]

So I dont have a dodgy motor/need to book it in?

Just go easy on the el coolio

 

[kenl]

Stephen B

glad to hear you are happy with the car. Wasn't that long ago that people were putting someone off buying a 2.0FSI with claims of 26mpg average [:|]

 

[kenl]

Flex,

Dropping from 450 miles to a tank down to 300 seems a bit too big a drop just to be attributed to aircon. I'd have thought a few mpg max.

Are you doing the same routes etc? Is traffic heavier now?

 

[Flex]

not really. in fact its probably better than it was

 

[Giblets]

Hi, anyone with a 1.6, aircon and a trip meter care to give us some figures out of interest, is the increase 5%-10%, am sure they (aircons) are far better than they used to be

 

[Stephen B]

I saw nearly a 10mpg drop when the aircon was switched on, it hovered around the 31.5 mpg at a constant 70 mpg

hoping to get 450 range on a full tank of Optimax

 

[thomask1]

I'm getting at least 300 miles out of a tank in my GTI.

Doesn't really add to the thread but I'd just thought I'd brag a bit!

 

[marvin]

A tricky one, this. It so much depends on one's style of driving and under what conditons the car is exposed to. My 1.6FSI does mainly out of town driving and very rarely Motorway driving. I don't expect and have never seen less than 41mpg on almost exclusively 97+ octane fuels and again almost exclusively Shell's Optimax.

Currently, in these milder months and with a lot of aircon being used, I'm getting about 43mpg.

It is also interesting to hear what other people say about the use of aircon and the effect it has on fuel consumption as I remember, shortly after buying my car last December, that one or two people on these forums challenged my assertions that the use of aircon DID affect the fuel consumption of cars. They said that modern day aircon systems were much more efficient than say 10 years ago, a statement with which I would concur, however there is still a price to pay for using aircon and would say, conservatively, that it would affect mpg by about 5% in my estimation but this again may depend on what speed one is trying to maintain especially with smaller engined variants.

My last car, a Rover 1.4 which also had aircon was quite markedly affected by turning the aircon 'on' and one could feel and hear a noticeable change in engine note as the compressor's clutch engaged which is something that I don't hear in my Golf.

 

[JMcQueen]

I just tried it on my way home from work (30 miles varying road surface, uphill and down hill, moderate traffic. I stuck to between 70&80 and got 45.5mpg with the aircon off. Normally I'd get about 41mpg. This is a GT TDi BTW.

 

[CkB]

For it's tuppence worth, my GTI drinks up more when the AC is on - can lose up to 4mpg.  My old MK4 TDI 115 used to lose 2-3 if you cranked the aircon on high.

 

[Stephen B]

well thats 2 days travel to work now, got 45 mpg on way to work and about 40mpg on way home both days

30 miles each way, 25 of which is all M8 at 70-80

very pleased, looks like 425-450 range per tank if I empty it [400 to the petrol warning light].

the hit with the aircon seems less with the higher octane if that makes any sense, maybe just my imagination tho

 

[Mark V]

Stephen, it would be interesting to have your comments on this thread from earlier this year as your experience seems at odds with what was being discussed then:

http://www.uk-mkivs.net/forums/60572/ShowPost.aspx

 

[Stephen B]

no-one is more surprised than me, however my last car which was also a 2.0 JTS got very good mileage for a 165bhp car, I could just about manage 40 mpg on way to work driven same style as my Golf

maybe its a testament to my driving maybe not, I am after all trying to squeeze it out without being a road hazard, but if you need pics etc I can easily supply, the two obvious factors that help are no aircon and higher octane fuel, my dealer was pretty clear on the latter, saying that there is a marked drop off in performance and fuel economy if using 95 octane due to the way the FSi handles it.

it certainly lessens the blow of not getting the TDi that I had my heart set on, and the engine is smooth as a smooth thing from planet smooth

 

[Andrew Edward]

Very interesting thread, not least for i also have a GTi. As for your statement regarding A/C, doesn't it say in the manual that you should never turn the A/C off?

 

[kenl]

Very interesting thread, not least for i also have a GTi. As for your statement regarding A/C, doesn't it say in the manual that you should never turn the A/C off?

No.

The only thing it may advise in the manual is to run your AC some of the time to keep the seals lubricated.

Why would they provide a facility to switch it off it you weren't supposed to?

 

[Andrew Edward]

Do you mean that the Climatronic System can and should be turned off, and could perhaps save me fuel?

 

[marvin]

Do you mean that the Climatronic System can and should be turned off, and could perhaps save me fuel?

Yes, I would think so. I haven't got the Climatronic System (climate control) and cannot see why one would want the compressor working all the time and thereby having a deleterious effect on one's fuel consumption. Like any air conditioning system is should be used regularly to keep the system in good order although no where in my manual does it say this (It did in my last car, however - a Rover).