How To improve MPG Figures?

My Mk3 Gti 8v currently has an average of 29.9mpg, and doesnt really hit anything above 32mpg on a warm day, and is worse on a cold day.
I dont realy boot it on the way to work, in fact i usually drive it quite slowly (loads of traffic) Its a non stop journey to work.

I just wondered if these figures were average, and if they are not is there anyway to increase them?


Also, but maybe related, when i start the car, More so often on a colder day i blipp the throttle, and the revs/rev counter when i take my foot of the pedal, drops really low, and sometimes cuts out, like its struggling to keep the engine going, what could be causing that??

Any help would be appreciated>

Thanks.
Jon

 

get a more economical car.

if you're bothered about mpg, get a diesel, you already said you don't drive fast.......

 

start with a good service and engine set up

make sure the tyres are pumped up hard and the brakes dont bind

 

Hi Jon,
Your mpg values are slightly low for an 8v, should be closer to 37mpg.
You might try cleaning out your throttle body first, as that cost's nothing. It's possible that the lambda probe and coolant sensors are playing up which would lead to rough idle when cold and poor mpg.
HTH, Garfay.

 

Just read the faq on engines and the remedy seems like to clean the throttle body and all the breathers, just like on every mk3!!

im going to get that done tommorrow and that looks like it will help!!

 

A deisel?

Are you mad??

I do drive it fast, just not on the way to work, im not bothered massivly about mpg, i just know it should run higher that that, my old mk2 used to run high 30's, i even got a 42mpg one day!

 

are you working out the fuel consumption yourself? you cant trust the mfa that much

 

Just the mfa, its fairly accurate aint it??

 

Not particularily.

Next time you fill up the tank, reset the trip computer, then next time you fill up again record the mileage and number of litres.

Then do the the calculation:

no. litres x 4.54 = no. gallons (imperial)

Then do no. miles / no. gallons = mpg.

HTH, Garfay.

 

32mpg & your complaining ....i get half that on my Golf .

 

How many litres can a mk3 16v take??? I brimmed mine from totally empty and the car acheived 345 miles. That was including giving the car the occasional *******ing aswell.

 

crap, i manage 320 a tank in my driver, and that's driving like a granny, mixed driving though........

 

Mk3 s are just a bit too fat and lardy
My Mk3 8V wouldn't stay need my PD for performance and driven ultra carefully the petrol wouldn't match the economy of the diesel going flat out!
8V Mk3 should never have been given a GTi bagde

 

All mk3's have a 55litre fuel tank or 12 Imperial gallons, although they'll be a bit more in the fuel hoses/filter etc.

I get about 280-300miles at the first red line and I've worked out I get about 32mpg. Best MFA reading I've got on single commute is 47mpg though.

 

Thats a bit controversial.
Nor should the mk 4 then, it looks too plain.
Nothing to say its a turbo either!

 

i did 280 miles in mine on saturday, including hours at santa pod, in short, loads of thrashing.

this tank will get 300 miles also, plus i think ive got a dickie lambda too.

to maximise your mpg, you need to make sure everything is working properly

 

nothing to do with being plain. in germany, the 8v was not a gti, it was just a 2.0 golf. saying that it does have all the same suspension and brakes as the 16v *shrug*

 

a whole tank, from basically empty on my guage, is about 43-45 litres (ive not really empited it further than that, not willing to risk it lol)

id say 300miles a tank is the benchmark, over that and youre doing well.

 

i dont look at my mpg its makes me cry lol
27mpg on a good day out of my mk2 2.0 valver

 

mpg is only worth considering if you use the 'brim the tank' method. number of miles is a good indication too, but MFA can be miles out lol