Ford Focus MK2 1.6 - Poor MPG.

[Covert]

Hi, my brother has a Focus MK2,1.6, HWDA, manual, 2005 and the fuel consumption is horrible, I have changed spark plugs, changed air filter, changed oil and filter, changed lambda sensor, cleaned/checked PCV, cleaned throttle body and cleaned MAP sensor but the trip computer shows 15-24MPG in city when apparently its MPG is supposed to be 32.5MPG. There is no fuel leaks, no vacuum leaks, the power steering pump was replaced few months ago as it was failing, core plugs were replaced 3 times since it kept leaking so had the cylinder head refurbished and fit new core plugs again, it still leaks slightly once in a while no idea why but I dunno if that's what is causing poor MPG because it doesn't seem to affect how the engine runs unless it leaks a lot which it hasn't and we do clear the water out of there when it does leak, only maybe once every 1-3 week, so does anyone know if there is any common problems with this 1.6 HWDA which can give such poor MPG? I gave it to a mechanic and it had no codes too so I am not sure why its getting 15-24MPG, its very poor for a 1.6 hatchback. I know the trip counter is not accurate but the fuel gauge drops quickly, he doesn't drive often but he is having to refuel more than I do when I drive more and I have a Zafira 1.8 AUTO which MPG is 24.5.

[Luke4efc]

The 1.6 isn't exactly known for being economical. You're never going to get good MPG city driving, the manufacturers MPG figures are always more than what's realistic. Try taking for a blast down the motorway sticking to 70 and see what MPG you get. If it's still poor then perhaps there's an issue

[DaveT70]

The only true way to work out MPG is to fill the tank to the brim, drive around as normal for about 100 miles, fill the tank back to the brim and calculate

Fuel computers are very inaccurate

[Covert]

4 hours ago, DaveT70 said:

The only true way to work out MPG is to fill the tank to the brim, drive around as normal for about 100 miles, fill the tank back to the brim and calculate

Fuel computers are very inaccurate

Yeah that is what I am gonna do now,

[Covert]

4 hours ago, mokes said:

My 1.6 auto gives me 30mpg according to the computer. Over three fill ups this figure seems about right.....but I think its poor. 

Covert, your figures are really poor, even for city driving. Brakes dragging maybe?

Its not brake dragging, the car passed MOT twice since I've have owned it, without and advisories, the car drives good but it really does bug me into why its MPG is so poor, even if he drives it gently it doesn't make much difference and the reason I also think the trip counter is not that far off being accurate because its fuel gauge drops quickly, he has to refill quite often. I am gonna do fill to the tank brim and also replace the map sensor as its not much money. 

[Covert]

On 1/10/2020 at 7:54 PM, Luke4efc said:

The 1.6 isn't exactly known for being economical. You're never going to get good MPG city driving, the manufacturers MPG figures are always more than what's realistic. Try taking for a blast down the motorway sticking to 70 and see what MPG you get. If it's still poor then perhaps there's an issue

On motorway if I reset the trip counter it will go to about 40MPG at best but pretty much when I get back into city driving it will drop like a clock and go back to 16-22mpg

[Luke4efc]

I don't think there's anything wrong with your engine then, just the type of driving you go. As said a few times above, the 1.6L was never a good engine on fuel. 

[TomsFocus]

2 minutes ago, mokes said:

Probably not too far from mine then

 I dont do city driving, mostly A and B roads. I got 38mpg on the motorway in the summer, thought woo-hoo, but it now sits at 30.

My 2 L Qashqai does 38 all day long, even more on the motorway. Seems like 1.6 Ford engines give pretty rubbish mpg by design.

 

Is the Quashqai a petrol Auto as well?  38mpg seems good for that if it is.  I know they're a bit of a reverse tardis though, not as big and heavy as they look!  Especially when you try to fit stuff in the boot!

[Alex.S]

On 1/10/2020 at 6:55 PM, Covert said:

getting 15-24MPG, its very poor for a 1.6

I’m getting 29mpg in a 2020 1.5 Focus. Into 40s on motorway. 15mpg can’t be right, I knew someone had a Lincoln Navigator done about 15. Just a little bigger than a mk2 focus. Sounds like you’ve tried everything to fix it , u should trade it in to Arnold Clark without telling them , give them a taste of their own medicine. 

[F0CUE]

Have you tried resetting it to relearn values? All the changes made and the ECU will still be running as it was.

[F0CUE]

1 hour ago, mokes said:

What's the proper way to do that? I often read about disconnecting the battery, but then read that won't work.

It does you disconnect the negative terminal for about 20 mins making sure you have your radio code first. Then reconnect and let the car idle until it's up to temperature no reving. Then turn it off and back on again and go for a drive and it will relearn slowly.

[FatHead1979]

On 1/12/2020 at 9:37 AM, mokes said:

Probably not too far from mine then

 I dont do city driving, mostly A and B roads. I got 38mpg on the motorway in the summer, thought woo-hoo, but it now sits at 30.

My 2 L Qashqai does 38 all day long, even more on the motorway. Seems like 1.6 Ford engines give pretty rubbish mpg by design.

 

To be fair, that engine design is about 20 years old!

[Covert]

On 1/12/2020 at 8:26 PM, F0CUE said:

It does you disconnect the negative terminal for about 20 mins making sure you have your radio code first. Then reconnect and let the car idle until it's up to temperature no reving. Then turn it off and back on again and go for a drive and it will relearn slowly.

Em I have done it before ages ago, could try again. I replaced the MAP sensor, was staying around 25.4, drove for 40 mins in city but let me see how the MPG is in few days since I only changed it today

[dtulip8]

25.4 would seem a lot more “correct” for 1.6 Auto. My 1.6 manual only did about 29mpg in the winter around town.

[dtulip8]

Getting confused with another thread, lots of people having issues with 1.6 Foci lol. Tbf like I said, I wouldn’t expect much more than 29-31 mpg in winter based on my experience with my old car.

[Covert]

11 hours ago, mokes said:

I dont think his is an auto? Mine is but I get around 30 or so.

 If I was getting 25 from a 1.6, I''d go back to a Jaguar where I was getting almost that from a 3.0 V6 😀

That is what is annoying, its getting MPG that some big engines get but for a 1.6 manual, naturally aspired 25ish MPG is rubbish lol

[dtulip8]

49 minutes ago, Covert said:

That is what is annoying, its getting MPG that some big engines get but for a 1.6 manual, naturally aspired 25ish MPG is rubbish lol

It’s a very poor engine choice in the MK2 Focus. Too little power for a car that heavy unfortunately. 

[Covert]

On 1/14/2020 at 5:59 PM, dtulip8 said:

It’s a very poor engine choice in the MK2 Focus. Too little power for a car that heavy unfortunately. 

I did full tank to brim, according to calculations it's getting 40MPG in city which is quite surprising, this full tank lasted quite a while and it was pretty much all city driving. Guess that garbage MPG calculator is useless or broken.