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        General >> Give/Need advice to/from others >> How to get optimal fuel efficiency?
        
(Message started by: ambyuk on Jan 12^th, 2011, 11:01pm)

Title: How to get optimal fuel efficiency?
Post by ambyuk on Jan 12^th, 2011, 11:01pm

(I've got a 24V Ultima Cosworth)

I feel stupid even posting that about a 2.9 Cosworth engine. ;D

The fuel costs are crippling me. We live in a rural area of NE Scotland, and even in the year since I bought the car fuel has gone up from just over £1 to about £1.30!

I'm trying to drive more... boringly (well if you've got a nice car you want to use it to the best of it's abilities eh!). It's working a bit but I reckon I'm still only getting just over 20mpg. That means a trip to the cinema, for example, costs me £20 in fuel. :o

Any tips?

Title: Re: How to get optimal fuel efficiency?
Post by Snoopy on Jan 13^th, 2011, 8:05am

Not really, if you want fuel ecomomy then you will have to buy a small modertn car and only use the scorpio on high days and holidays.

Title: Re: How to get optimal fuel efficiency?
Post by martin_rowe on Jan 13^th, 2011, 9:50am

convert to LPG.

Title: Re: How to get optimal fuel efficiency?
Post by bonnietiler on Jan 13^th, 2011, 12:24pm

Well, I managed an eye-watering 27.4 mpg (driving like my Maiden Aunt!) when I went to Cardiff (from Manchester) last month, I'm off to Glasgow tomorrow...I'm going to slightly over inflate the tyres this time see if it makes any difference...I'll let you know!
Regards
Bonnietiler

Title: Re: How to get optimal fuel efficiency?
Post by Matt on Jan 13^th, 2011, 2:17pm

fit a manual box, mine does over 35mpg on the motorway now :P

Title: Re: How to get optimal fuel efficiency?
Post by Pegasus on Jan 13^th, 2011, 9:56pm

Hi,
well I got 40mpg out of mine - but I was on a relatively flat motorway with a 50mph speed limit that lasted for 5 miles and I set it on cruise control. Otherwise I normally get 28-32mpg on motorways at or near the limit ;)

Just goes to show why driving style/conditions and town driving is so more expensive mile/mile. I only get 20-22mpg around town and I don't do rapid acceleration and braking.

These figures are fairly typical for the car.

Title: Re: How to get optimal fuel efficiency?
Post by Mike H on Jan 14^th, 2011, 2:17pm

Having the tyres slightly hard will doubtless help, I tend to keep mine at 30 psi.

However from what I've seen of "rural" Scotland it's nothing whatsoever like cruising the motorways down here! I think you're largely scuppered

Title: Re: How to get optimal fuel efficiency?
Post by ambyuk on Jan 14^th, 2011, 2:19pm

Yeah... the main roads from my village are all curvy 2 lane roads with lots of sharp bends! :)

The tyres are new but I haven't checked the pressure, just assumed they would be inflated correctly. I'll check though.

I have been trying to sell the car for months because I want something more fuel efficient, but obviously other people are put off by the bad mpg!

How much does it cost to convert to LPG?

Title: Re: How to get optimal fuel efficiency?
Post by bonnietiler on Jan 14^th, 2011, 4:15pm

M60-M61-M6-M74-M73-M8
Manchester to Erskine Bridge and back
Exactly 486 miles in 8 hours
Left at 7.00am got back at 15.45 ( 2 short breaks on M/way)
Never took it above 75 mph
28mpg.
That's a 1 owner from new 28k miler, so no clunker
If I hold it at a steady 75 on the flat it shows 35mpg but a little overtaking or a bit of a hill sees that off.
But that Scorpio moment when you get out...complete comfort, not bad after 500 miles in one go!

Title: Re: How to get optimal fuel efficiency?
Post by Highlander on Jan 14^th, 2011, 4:23pm

I got 37mpg once on a trip to Aberdeen, set cruise to 60mph! :)

You can get better mpg but not using cruise control but its so difficult not putting your foot down.

From Glasgow to Edinburgh I can get 30mpg and on the return journey can get 33mpg I've done this many times and still cant work it out, they are both at sea level! ;D

Possibly Glasgow to Edinburgh is a long slow climb then sudden drop, letting me cruise downhill most of the way back

I usually average around 25mpg for the standard 24v

I have one fitted with a 4.27 diff which gets just under 20 but i reckon around town it does better mpg than the standard one.

Reducing the weight in the car will help a little, tyres correctly inflated etc but to be honest its not going to make a huge difference, you might get another 5mpg

Title: Re: How to get optimal fuel efficiency?
Post by Matt on Jan 14^th, 2011, 6:10pm

if your going to sit on a motor way most of the time you could go the other way with the diff and fit the diesel one, would make it rather sluggish round town though