2006. Mondeo 2.0 Tdci Zetec Mpg And Tyre Pressure

[Taurus]

Hi. I have a 2006 Mondeo 2.0 Zetec TDCi. I have always struggled to get the tyre pressures right. If I follow the manual, the front tyres look squashed and the mileage, I think, is affected. If I overinflate, ride is bumpy. So I was wondering what everyone is using as the standard pressure for this car. Also, what kind of mpg are you all getting? I do mostly motorways and A roads and I struggle to reach 50!! Any help/advice is much appreciated. Cheers.

[stevegtuk]

sounds about right.

mines and lx tdci estate. im on 34psi all round, yep the tyres do look soft on mine too. I tend to do short stuff (couple of miles at a time) and get about 39mpg, on long runs on motorway and stuff i get mid to high 40s.

Are you working out your mpg by the dash computer or your own methods?

The clocks are known to be unreliable, often about 5 mpgs out, but some cases are as high as 10-12. The popular method to work out your mpg is to reset the milage clock when you fill up, then next time you fill up work out the litres you put in compared to the miles you have done. Then reset the clock and run it again. Admitedly there will still be a little discrepancy as it depends when the fuel pump clicks off and how much you carry on filling it for etc, but if you run the fuel down to a quarter of a tank or less then you shouldnt be too far out.

I have a habit of filling it up to the next pound once it has clicked off (for tescos clubcard points ).

[FOCA]

I run 39psi in the fronts and 41psi in the rears, on 205/55/16s the ride is a bit harsher than running slightly softer but still not as harsh as low profile tyres,

I like the feel of the car (the steering feels more direct/ car more controlable/ better feedback) with the tyres at these pressures

The higher-than-normal front pressures make the steering lighter at parking speeds and put the power steering under less stress, the overall higher pressures could mean an extra couple of MPG

The extra pressue also protects the rims from damage (potholes/ speedbumps/ kerbs etc)

I put the best tyres (ones with the most tread) on the back to avoid lift-off oversteer

I get about 50mpg on a long run (60/ 70mph/ worked out) if i drive carefully, but i normally drive fairly briskly/ on twisty roads etc - if i drive hard it can drop to 35 - but the car is quite quick

there is a tyre pressure website that recommends 41psi for the front tyres - i found this a little high

You could try a couple of psi less than i use (37psi front 39psi rear/ instead of 39/41) - this would help to make the ride a bit softer - even 1 psi can make a difference - if the pressures you are currently using are soft enough to make them LOOK soft, then they probably ARE too soft for the car (thats a heavy cast-iron lump of engine)

Another option is to use nitrogen - this will (effectively) increase cold pressures/ reduce hot pressures

[Taurus]

Thanks for the replies. I have tried 37 front and 41 rear, the car runs a bit hard and quite bumpy. My mechanic suggested not to use those pressures. so I now run 34 all round. Also. lower pressures have a better group. I measure the mpg myself and don't friend on the on board computer, they always over estimate. I measure from full to full and stop at the click of the pump. from your rookies, it seems lie 47-50 is not too bad. thanks again guys. happy driving :)

[stooge75]

32 & 33 rear. 36 is the safe limit,especially in icy cold weather. the harder the tyre the less contact with the road

[FOCA]

I disagree with the lower pressures mentioned, i drove all through the winter, ice & in 6 inches of snow / un-salted roads, all over the north of Scotland - including the Cairngorms

The 39psi front 41psi rear i found to be best, even at that i tend to wear the outside shoulders of the front tyres 1st, it took me a long time to see how the tyres were wearing, (the pressures depend on the setup/ how stiff the tyre sidewalls are/ the profile etc, + the pressures i run may be a bit high for some) - the engine in the diesel mk3 has a cast iron block, and is very heavy, the diesel Mondeo requires higher pressures that other cars like Focuses and Fiestas, and other makes, the figures i quote may seem very high to some

2 days (the period between the OP starting the thread and then diciding what pressures to run) is not enough time to properly try out different pressures and check the tyre wear

34 or 36 might be ok pottering about town or at low speeds but not at high speed or heavily laden are a bit low (on some sites they recommend 41psi in the front tyres for high speed/ heavily laden)

32 or 33 is ridiculusly low pressures for a mk3 diesel, the grip, handling and traction will be poor, and the steering will be heavy at those pressures the rims will be in danger of being damaged on pot-holes etc- the front tyres will look like they had a puncture!

If you buy a Ford / Mondeo, its important to run the right pressures, on decent tyres, and buy the right parts at the right price etc, - if you don't do it right you might end up complaining how rubbish Mondeos/ Fords are (how poor the grip/ how heavy the steering/ how easily the tyres/ rims are damaged etc- because you ran the pressures too low ) and that would not be Fords/ the Mondeos fault :)

[Taurus]

Thanks Foca. I do feel the Mondeo rides better, but stiffer with higher pressures. I think I will crank it up again and see for a couple of weeks. in the meantime, May God have mercy on my back :) Appreciate all the comments guys.

[Taurus]

hi guys. just noticed a few typos in my previous post. please read friend as depend and rookies as replies. sincere apologies.

[stooge75]

You're wrong about the rims. The lower the pressure allows the tyre to mould over pot-hole bumps & speedhumps. Harder the tyre,puts more stress on bearings etc.Also just about every tyre garage in scotland will put 32psi in just about every make of car.(with exceptions)

[Taurus]

Hi guys....a wee update: I tried Redex diesel additive (a mechanic told me it clears dirt from injectors, etc and should improve economy)......no improvement in mpg!! I don't know if any of you have tried and seen a difference but I didn't so I thought I should share this with the group. Cheers!

[stooge75]

Redex isnt that good. Shouldve put Forte in it. What mpg you gettin? You shoould be getting around 45ish average at worst depending on driving,temps etc

I wouldnt add anything else til you run the redex out by the way.

[Taurus]

47-49 mpg, with 90% motorway and A-roads driving.

[stooge75]

Im runnin at 53 just now,but ive just renewed maf/map sensors,serviced it,new fuel filter,etc. have you serviced it recently?

47/49's not that bad really depending on how much weights in car,etc. at same token its not great though.

Actually ive just read that back again. Seems just about normal. My old mans octavia returns about 64mpg on a run & ive had it upto 70 once. Mondeos arent the best for mpg but not the worst either.(BMW has to be the worst ive seen)

[Taurus]

yes, it was recently serviced and fuel/air filters changed. Maybe its just getting old (its done over 100K). The thing is that it used to give me better economy before but I don't know what has happened lately. The driving conditions, etc haven't changed either. I don't know if it is the cam/timing belt or just age :)

[stooge75]

It could be that maybe an injectors not as efficient as it was.

Sometimes a good blast at high revs can help,(italian tune-up)but im never a fan of doing this on my cars for some reason.(seems cruel lol). Maybe worth getting a cheap elm327 cable & get a look at the live-data on car & also your sensors/boost etc. theres software like scanxl,pcmscan,dashcommand etc.

Let me know if you cant get em for free anywhere(say no more wink wink)

[Taurus]

cheers Stooge75. I have never done any diagnostics myself (have always trusted the mechanic).....I might try the Italian tune up :) lets see......