Fuel efficiency

[SamThompson]

I’m hoping someone can help me.

I understand the main ways to save fuel; check tyre pressure, engine oil, cars weight…

but I just can’t figure why my efficiency is decreasing. I’ve got a 2017 Edge sport 2L 207bhp. I got it in 2018 and got an average of 34mpg around town and a little but more on longer journeys. 
 

3 years later I’m now getting only 26mpg even after my recent service. Am I missing something? I’ve had the full service with new filters, checked tyre pressure, taken everything out of the back to reduce weight. The only thing I need in the next 12 month is a gearbox oil change which I wouldn’t think affects efficiency.

Im only driving it at the weekends at low speeds + I can’t even go anywhere anyway!

Does anyone have any ideas?

[Quofan]

How are you determining your fuel consumption? If you're using the onboard computer it can take time to settle after resetting it. By far the best way to work out how many miles to the gallon you're doing is to fill the tank and note your mileage. Then when the tank is nearing empty, fill up again and note how much you fill up with and how many miles you've travelled since the last fill up. If you do that two or three times it is a much more accurate way of doing things.

[Trent Edge]

26mpg is probably about right just town driving especially shorter trips also depending on how heavy your foot is. They don't do great, especially in stop start traffic. Were you maybe easier on the throttle when you first got the car?

I average 35mpg in my normal driving which is around 15 miles to and from work being a mix of motorway and a little bit of town roads.

Took a 300 mile round trip past several days all motorway (75mph cruise control) apart from few miles of hotel to destination for a couple days in between and came back with an average of 45mpg.

[Daddy Nev]

On 3/26/2021 at 7:46 AM, Trent Edge said:

26mpg is probably about right just town driving especially shorter trips also depending on how heavy your foot is. They don't do great, especially in stop start traffic. Were you maybe easier on the throttle when you first got the car?

I average 35mpg in my normal driving which is around 15 miles to and from work being a mix of motorway and a little bit of town roads.

Took a 300 mile round trip past several days all motorway (75mph cruise control) apart from few miles of hotel to destination for a couple days in between and came back with an average of 45mpg.

Totally agree with Trent Edge here. My 180 is turning 43Mpg with short B roads and dual carriageways. I would hope to achieve 45+ when we go back to normal use, but my engine is multi-map chip tuned (tuning in progress).

 

[Jay-Medding]

Hi Sam, 

I've been facing a similar issue with my ST. 

After owning it for a couple of years now I've seen my mpg almost half. 

I'm not the most careful of drivers but I think there is more to the issue. 

I have just ordered this fuel additive from a company called Hydra hoping this will help. 

Here is the link if your interested - https://www.hydra-int.com/diesel-power-blast.html

Once I've had a chance to test it out ill jump back on the thread and give you an update. 

 

[SamThompson]

👍

[Booma]

I got my Edge in January, I’ve done 16k miles this year. I get around 40mpg on a decent motorway run, but that drops to about 34mpg if I’m pottering about town etc. 
 

it’s been pretty consistent, reasonably happy with it so far 

[Booma]

On 8/30/2021 at 2:15 PM, Booma said:

I got my Edge in January, I’ve done 16k miles this year. I get around 40mpg on a decent motorway run, but that drops to about 34mpg if I’m pottering about town etc. 
 

it’s been pretty consistent, reasonably happy with it so far 

So a few months down the line, and I’m sitting at around 37mpg, costing me a fortune as I do about 25k miles a year. After 11 months it might just be time to flog the edge and get something better 

[Edge of Reason]

I used to average 36, but most of my miles are urban and not particularly long journeys. I got about 42 on a run. I now have an AWD Kuga and average 42 for my urban normal journeys and 54 on a run. Quite a big improvement over the Edge. 

[ScxttMG]

On 4/15/2021 at 10:50 AM, Jay-Medding said:

Hi Sam, 

I've been facing a similar issue with my ST. 

After owning it for a couple of years now I've seen my mpg almost half. 

I'm not the most careful of drivers but I think there is more to the issue. 

I have just ordered this fuel additive from a company called Hydra hoping this will help. 

Here is the link if your interested - https://www.hydra-int.com/diesel-power-blast.html

Once I've had a chance to test it out ill jump back on the thread and give you an update. 

 

Did this improve things? 

I have a 2017 Edge and my efficiency just wont go above 30! 

I usually dont take much notice of the 'miles remaining' but they just disappear when driving normally, no heavy foot, no harsh braking. 

It seems to be much better when i actually flog it a little bit, which is a bit backwards.

I am going to check the tyres and PSI this weekend, is there anything else anyone would suggest to improve the overall efficiency?

Thanks

[Edge of Reason]

I think the main things are covered. 

Tyre pressures definitely affect MPG. I check mine every week when doing routine maintenance / cleaning. Tyre pressures in colder temperatures, drop quite considerably and increase significantly in warmer temperatures. Pressure being high will abnormally affect tyre wear but won’t reduce MPG, but pressure being low, will affect both tyre wear and MPG.  If you have kerbed a tyre, this could knock the tracking off, causing tyre scrub, which in turn will affect MPG.  You should notice abnormal tyre wear with that though.  

Any excessive weight carried can affect MPG, plus things like roof bars, cycle carriers and anything added that changes the air flow.

Engine oil being changed at regular intervals can affect MPG.  Old oil becomes thin with reduced lubrication which can make it inefficient as more heat (energy) can be lost through the engine block.

Tyres, weight, airflow are most likely culprits though.  
 

I use a phone app to monitor my MPG.  With data from all 3 of our family cars being monitored.  To accurately record data you need to fill the tank each time, rather than sticking in £20 at a time, which makes calculations difficult and less accurate.  I fill the tank til the nozzle clicks, then one more squirt and on second click I stop.  The phone app data is rarely the same as what the car works out on the trip meter.  

 

 

[Yappy]

I am averaging around 38 combined (50/50) on my 2017 Edge. I changed the air filter for a piper-cross panel filter and that helped. 

As an observation from my side.  I have a park heater fitted and with constant use during winter it slowly drains the battery (safety mechanism stops the park heater from working if battery is low and car will still start) and the start stop system then fails to kick in, also while moving the fuel consumption raised. So now I hook my battery to a specific AGM battery charger now and again and I get good fuel consumption. 

[Edge of Reason]

@dfg54

Did you copy and paste that from an American web page ???    Tires ??

[Trent Edge]

That's gotta be a ChatGPT response 😆

[unofix]

Pure SPAM !!!!

That would be why the link Ford takes you to a Russian (or similar) BMW advert.