Poor Mpg Since 2Nd Service Service

[Hallcross]

Ford Focus 1.6 TDCi registered Feb 2009. Mileage 20K

I have had the car since February this year and have always averaged around 55 mpg in town and 58mpg on a run

I have just had a 2nd service done 3 weeks ago and the mpg seems to be affected since then.

Lucky to average 46 mpg in town and 50mpg on a run, what could have gone wrong please?

Car appears to be running fine, brakes not binding etc.

Apologies if this has been asked before, I have tried searching the forum etc, thanks

[artscot79]

Ford Focus 1.6 TDCi registered Feb 2009. Mileage 20K

I have had the car since February this year and have always averaged around 55 mpg in town and 58mpg on a run

I have just had a 2nd service done 3 weeks ago and the mpg seems to be affected since then.

Lucky to average 46 mpg in town and 50mpg on a run, what could have gone wrong please?

Car appears to be running fine, brakes not binding etc.

Apologies if this has been asked before, I have tried searching the forum etc, thanks

ide say given the weathers got colder in the last 3 weeks thats likely the answer

[rob+]

hopefully they've not put 10/40 in :P

[Hallcross]

ide say given the weathers got colder in the last 3 weeks thats likely the answer

Still been 16 deg here 61f thanks

[Richiemac]

I'm only getting 450 miles to a tank on a 1.8tdci 2008, is this normal ? Driving is 60% motorway / 40% b road.......thought i'd get better to be honest. Only bought from a dealer 3 weeks ago with 33K miles on the clock. Maybe i expected too much ?

[Barry_]

I'm only getting 450 miles to a tank on a 1.8tdci 2008, is this normal ? Driving is 60% motorway / 40% b road.......thought i'd get better to be honest. Only bought from a dealer 3 weeks ago with 33K miles on the clock. Maybe i expected too much ?

I would say no. Least i got out a tank is 500 miles so far and thats after pushing it alot. Not had my motor long but i expect to get about 550 out of a tank according to the on board dash and fill up after the fuel light comes on. Do about the same as you 60% motorway and 40% B roads and local roads etc.

I don't watch the MPG figures anymore - just work out the miles per tank by checking miles left and done. You should reset the MPG figure on the motorway and watch it as you drive. Its surprising how the figure only rises when your foot is just touching the pedal.. push it like 2mm further with no noticable increase in speed and the figure tumbles LOL. There seems to be a sweet spot. I can get the MPG increasing crusing at 80 but at the same time tumble at 60 coz the pedal is that tiny tiny bit further pressed.

[Chutney]

That'll be down to the algorithm written to calculate the MPG figure, rather than an actual calculation based on exact fuel consumption.

The car probably has all the tech to produce exact figures, but would probably be too much of a load on the ECU to extract that data and calculate it for the drivers use.

Best way is to do half a dozen tanks (with manual calculations) and then compare real to calculated figures and see how it stands up. Based on previous cars and also generic OBDII devices for measuring MPG, the calculated figures could be anywhere up to 10% out.

If I can manage 500 miles to a tank out of mine I will be happy, my current car does approximately 600miles to a tank, but has a 65L tank and I am happy with that.

Don't set yourself unrealistic expectations, as real-world MPG is normally way off manufacturer / VOSA figures, due in part to the nature of roads we use everyday versus an empty, smooth test track where the tester can use their judgement to get the best they can out of the car.

And don't ever forget... Using your brakes is the most expensive bit of driving you can ever do.

[Richiemac]

Correct in saying the computer is useless, i figured that out already so i work it out in miles for money. Last 2 fills were 450 / tank (light on to light on) Something not right somewhere i think.

[Barry_]

About 50 miles short compaired to mine. May just needs a little service - Air & fuel filter?? Maybe some BG244?? (just guessing - could just be your driving LOL)

"If I can manage 500 miles to a tank out of mine I will be happy"... I bloodly wouldn't!!!! Can't see that you would be either if your motor suddenly lost 100 miles a tank LOL. How come your tank is 65Litres??? The focus has a 53 litre fuel tank??

[Chutney]

Because the current car is a VW Passat 1.9 TDi which I currently get 600miles out of a tank (to light coming on), so with a tank approximately 10litres smaller, then 500 miles to the same point (light coming on) and I will be happy.

Yes losing 50 miles to a tank is disappointing, but not horrific.

[Barry_]

LOL that explains that then - though you were on about the Focus 1.6TDCi Style in your details :)

Still 500 miles is a tad low imho

[artscot79]

LOL that explains that then - though you were on about the Focus 1.6TDCi Style in your details :)

Still 500 miles is a tad low imho

as i was saying on another post ive done brim tests and worked out mpg and its higher than the on board computers thats a mk2 granted but its probably under the skin the same chips running the show so the computer may well be wrong it is as ford say just a guide and does not represent actual figures...................wish my bank account worked the same way lol :D

[Barry_]

as i was saying on another post ive done brim tests and worked out mpg and its higher than the on board computers thats a mk2 granted but its probably under the skin the same chips running the show so the computer may well be wrong it is as ford say just a guide and does not represent actual figures...................wish my bank account worked the same way lol :D

Completely agree with you mate. Thats why we are comparing the actually total miles out of a tank between fill ups rather than the MPG figures ;) That can't be wrong.

I might do a brim test myself, but to fair i can't be bothered lol!! At least yours worked out more than the onboard figure

[gary29428]

Would needing a fuel filter change cost you when it comes to MPG, how often should I be changing it on a 2009 1.8tdci.

[artscot79]

Would needing a fuel filter change cost you when it comes to MPG, how often should I be changing it on a 2009 1.8tdci.

i cant say last diesel i owned i changed the filter every 2 years if the filter was blocked youde have hesitation when accelerating etc as for mpg it would be very minimal to be honest youde save more mpg checking tyre pressures weekly and changing the oil and filter every 6 months to a year

[jeebowhite]

Primarily atmospherics will play a part in everyones degreded MPG, the temperature may still be 16, but with more humidity in the air, that will affect fuel (moist air doesnt seem to burn too well! lol)

Otherwise the basic service / air filter / egr (where applicable) cleaner should help.

[alkyz89]

i noticed that im only getting 22.5 mpg haha i have only got a 1.8 petrol, drive reasonably sensible. checked the air filter today and found that its bent... thus not making a tight seal

[jeebowhite]

Sounds like its probably not going to be helping! cheap aftermarket part should give an improvement...

Come to think of it, since your in London, maybe Boris bashed your air filter with his bike to give you such poor MPG that you would immedaitely 'Think Boris' and jump on a cycle everywhere...?

[alkyz89]

even though it was forced into place, damaging the part ford say they need to do a full diagnostic test... which if they feel its not their fault they will charge me £65 for the test then what ever the cost of the filter is AND half hour labour charge haha

considering it takes 5mins max to remove the 4 screws replace filter and fix box back in place...

And no doubt they will try and say its down to general wear and tear... even though iv only had the car 6 months and was serviced just before i received the motor.

has anyone else had similar problems with ford??

[Chutney]

even though it was forced into place, damaging the part ford say they need to do a full diagnostic test... which if they feel its not their fault they will charge me £65 for the test then what ever the cost of the filter is AND half hour labour charge haha

considering it takes 5mins max to remove the 4 screws replace filter and fix box back in place...

And no doubt they will try and say its down to general wear and tear... even though iv only had the car 6 months and was serviced just before i received the motor.

has anyone else had similar problems with ford??

Can't say I have had any real dealings with Ford yet. However before paying Ford to do the filter, just do it yourself. That is unless you are expecting them to admit liability for incorrectly fitting the part?

And to be honest there is absolutely no way on earth they could suggest a bent air filter could be 'reasonable wear and tear'. Tyres -yes, Suspension components - yes, any other moving part -yes, a stationary air filter with no moving parts - feck off!

However an incorrectly fitted air filter is unlikely to increase your fuel consumption, but could however knacker your engine, if unfiltered air has worked it's way into the cylinders or blocked in the inlet manifold and disturbing the optimised flow into the head.

[alkyz89]

thanks for the reply i bought new air filter just over £15 as ino i will have untold amounts of grief getting them to accept liability lol the damaged air filter left a gap on the joint thus increasing air flow which i think could be causing the extremely low mpg but will soon find out when its fitted and running

[Colonel]

I recently took my focus into a Dealer to do some diagnostics as my car is running a bit noisy, and they came back at me with 4 sheets of stuff they say needed doing. 1: New Wiper Blades. (Changed 5 days before)

2: Coolant and brake fluid needs changing.

3: Needs a full service. (Had a full service 4 weeks before. Changed all fluids in this)

There is more, but you get the drift.

Asked them to look at air con too. Told me it needed new condenser and a recharge. (Nothing wrong with air con, works fine. threw it in as a test)

The only thing they could come up with for the noise was that it needed a new DPF. Obviously they could do it for me, at a cost of £800.

As you might tell i'm not impressed with them, and them with me since i pulled them and their so called mechanic on everything they said i needed. The only truth they came up with, was the fact that one of my tyres has a low tread, which i have now changed.

[jeebowhite]

Colonel, sounds like they are not hitting their quota on selling the new Foci, therefore they have to make the funds up elsewhere!

Sometimes they try to pull the wool over your eyes, and granted there are folks out there who would believe it and fall into the trap, others who kick their backsides about it are the ones who win!

Try this... I took my Fiesta into the dealer a few weeks after I had a full service - long and short the water pump went and I wanted a quoet!

So I drove in, they took the car, and then like you, came up with a list of things that needed doing... similar to you

1) Full service / oil Filter / Oill Change where apparently "at least 18 months old"

2) bulbs were "faded"

3) coolant needed bleeding!

4) Faulty Spark Plugs

So like you I hauled them about it, and asked them to check again as "that couldnt possibly be right!" - all of a sudden their head mechanic comes in and re-affirms everything they said... Asking them if they had looked in the glovebox they advised they hadnt... I asked them to bring me the folder from within...

Dutifuly they brought me the folder... I opened it up, and oh - what a surprise, there is a service record sheet and invoice showing all the parts that were replaced. One of which was "spark plugs" - they tried to argue the point until I popped the boot and opened a little box with the original plug that they had removed and changed!!!

Same argument with the rest of the service, and I asked them to confirm since their signature was on the paperwork, (the head mechanic I might add!) and the dealership address - under which circumstance it was they were lying to me - had they not done the full service when I paid for it, or where they blagging me for money now...

Needless to say silence ensued, and a very embarrassed colleague of his piped up saying "oh im sorry, I must have been looking at the wrong car..."

... I didnt have the heart to tell him to shove his excuse as I was sat watching them through the observation window and saw they were all hounding my car... and its kind of easy to tell it was him, since he was the only mop haired monkey wearing a green and red hat in the building...

[Colonel]

Jeebowhite,

you seem to of had the same mechanic as me, or one that went to the same rip off school anyway. If they spent the same amount of time in doing their job as they do in trying to rip people off, they might get more custom. Plus it's people like that, that give good honest mechanics a bad name.

Oh well, better luck next time.

[jeebowhite]

So true! maybe their based on commission... who knows! lol, I think learning about your car is the only way to do it, a little bit of knowledge can be dangerous, but not necessarily to the holder...

alkyz89 - are you having any luck at this point with your new air filter?