Hey guys Ive had an ongoing issue where my car is doing really bad at fuel economy.

Ive just had a full service replacing spark plugs, oxy sensor, flush treatment re oiling adding up to $820 and plans to replace my radiator which is going to cost me another $150.

Im getting approximately rubbish 14-15L/100kms. This is with a lot of highway driving aswell.

What more can i do to get better fuel econmony like the newer model magna/veradas?
Engine Conversion??

or sell my KE and get a KJ? although i really want to hold onto my KE...
(OR sell my ke and get a civic rice burner...zzz)

Kinda getting fed up with the fuel economy. Petrol prices are just burning a hole in my wallet.

Your advice will be appreciated. Thanks guys

buy a dihatsu charade. how will an engine conversion help?!?!?!?!
Whats a re-oiling?
was timing checked
if your sick of it, put your car on gas, fuel savings hello

thread title makes no sense, model makes no bearing on how much fuel it uses.

I was told that specifically the KE was a bad year in terms of fuel efficiency.

A new timing belt had been replaced about a year ago. There may be a very slow leakage coming out of it.

Id prefer to stay away from gas if there is no solution to this problem.
Ive put this thread up to ask for peoples opinions if anyone had a smaller problems with the KE they may be able to point me in a direction.

If you have a manual your economy will generally be worse. Not sure if you do, just throwing that out there. I guess a 5 speed would probably be also a little more economical than 4 speed in theory not sure about the practice of that.

Note that radiator will not effect fuel economy generally speaking. 14-15 is honestly what I got out of my TL with a manual all the time, but I wasn't exactly a granny driver.

If you have a manual your economy will generally be worse. Not sure if you do, just throwing that out there. I guess a 5 speed would probably be also a little more economical than 4 speed in theory not sure about the practice of that.

Note that radiator will not effect fuel economy generally speaking. 14-15 is honestly what I got out of my TL with a manual all the time, but I wasn't exactly a granny driver.

What? manual transmissions will be better for fuel economy as the gearing is better, less weight to move, and the engine wastes less fuel trying to power the automatic transmission. Manual's in 90% of cars use LESS fuel.

KE was a bad year for fuel economy...that makes no sense considering the engines are all the same in all year's

Also, what is a leaking coming from your timing belt?!

Seems that if you do not have the mechanicla knowledge to try and express what you are asking in the preferred way you will get shot down....sad really

Simon, the KE and early KF did have a different fuel map, these models tend to use more fuel than the later models. You are now getting around 14 or there abouts, this is better than you were getting before so is a good start. What method are you using to measure your econ at the moment and also while you do some longer trips, how many shorter trips are you doing

Your rad, while does not have any effect on econ, was noted from memory as it was not far from letting go, this will nto change your econ. As for checking timing, just ignore that as the third gen timing is fixed.

It is possible the engine computers were much more sophisticated in the later cars. I am aware of the transmission and engine computers being seperate in the KE/F and as a single unit later on. This could be something close to a reason as to why the engine can be more efficient by better computers. Also, the trans computer tells the later cars to get into top gear earlier than the KE series which had a smoother, but more troublesome learning function in the shift program logic. So, this could also contribute.

Extra cost of buying a KJ, or spending on later engine would not be wiped out in fuel savings.

Two thing's I'd try.
- Use the oldschool method where you use a piece of paper and pen and record the km's you do and compare to the computer and do all those complex maths to work out your L/100km
- Reset the trip computer and start fresh. Drive like you're driving Ms Daisy and see what you get then.

As a comparison my 3.8L AWD gets 13L/100km around town and 10.5 on the highway. But that's comparing the Easter Bunny to Santa.

You havent got real many options if fuel enconemy is hurting your pocket. A later model car or engine wont be a cheap fix(Magna/Verada). They will all cost money and you wont get that much better fuel consumption. Id would have to say if its the Dollars you are worried about i would be looking at a LPG conversion. Im not sure if the Gov is still handing out rebates but that is a very good option if you want to save money. With my old Pajero Fuel was killing me at over $100 a tank and only 400kms it was hurting the pocket bad at $200 a week for fuel. I did a gas conversion that cost me $3000 and Gov gave me $2000 back. It cost me $1000 for new Coil, Leads, Cap, Button which is highly recomended on older dizzy cars for gas conversion. Once gas was fitted it was costing me $40 a tank and i was getting 350kms out of the same trips. I was saving $100 a week so the cost of $1000 was covered after 10 weeks and it was all savings from there. Performance wasnt an issue as i couldnt tell the differance between driivng on gas and petrol. I towed 2.5Tonnes across Australia and back on gas no issues.

MCS_Xi, the ECU and TCU are one part in all Magna's and Verada's from TE/KE onwards, was the Second Gen which saw out the separate ECU/TCU

What about air filter and air flow sensor? And I read somewhere on here recently that there is something special to be done when installing the oxy sensor - maybe it wasn't given due diligence?

What about air filter and air flow sensor? And I read somewhere on here recently that there is something special to be done when installing the oxy sensor - maybe it wasn't given due diligence?

Nothing that i'm aware of needs to be done when installing an oxy sensor. Unplug, take out, screw in, plug in. Unless there is something....
get the ECU read so you know what's going on before you change anything.

If you have a manual your economy will generally be worse. Not sure if you do, just throwing that out there. I guess a 5 speed would probably be also a little more economical than 4 speed in theory not sure about the practice of that.

Note that radiator will not effect fuel economy generally speaking. 14-15 is honestly what I got out of my TL with a manual all the time, but I wasn't exactly a granny driver.

I dont know about that. Im generally shocked with this. But as an auto mine was doing 550km to a 73 litre tank driving okay most of the time. Just finished with an economy test on my manual and SO FAR iv'e done 700km to 73 litres and still a bit left. That was driving okay except for the cruise saturday night where i gave it hell! Im shocked to say the least. .

I dont know about that. Im generally shocked with this. But as an auto mine was doing 550km to a 73 litre tank driving okay most of the time. Just finished with an economy test on my manual and SO FAR iv'e done 700km to 73 litres and still a bit left. That was driving okay except for the cruise saturday night where i gave it hell! Im shocked to say the least. .

Isnt the fuel tank only like 68L?

ASFAIK its 73 litre being a verada

ASFAIK its 73 litre being a verada

wait, so you used every last drop in your whole tank before filling up?
And no, verada's dont have bigger tanks, Wagons do, but not by much.

71l in a sedan according to the MitsManual

Getting back to consumption, no need to reset anything with oxy sensor, can really be trial and error with these things as some systems will not being up an ECU code, will be ok when hot but not when cold and the other way round as well

Yes i stalled at the servo on purpose for this test. I know when i filled up last week i put in 72.4 litres. Thats enough proof for me :) Keeping in mind i also fill to the cap. So be a bit extra in the neck

Yes i stalled at the servo on purpose for this test. I know when i filled up last week i put in 72.4 litres. Thats enough proof for me :) Keeping in mind i also fill to the cap. So be a bit extra in the neck

May I say that's a pretty awful test. you've just successfully pumped all the crap at the bottom of your tank up to your injectors and probably clogged half the lines and the filter.
I'd change your fuel filter.

Never had a problem doing it in the past to be honest. Its alot easier then draining it then i only do it once to find out initial economy

Never had a problem doing it in the past to be honest. Its alot easier then draining it then i only do it once to find out initial economy

or fill up, find a route that at 100km's lands you near a petrol station, and re-fill up, and however many litres go in till it clicks once is how many litres you've just used in 100k's.
Anyway.

Thats the method i usually use but i find it gives me mixed results. I personally like to average it out over the week with mixed driving styles. But thats me.

But yeah back to the topic at hand :)

Thanks a bunch guys, Petrol is just creeping outta my car slowly. My fuel gauge has gone halfway at 150kms for some reason, hope i get the 350kms that i usally get every 50L i put in...

After all it is a great car and will not let it go for less than $6000 even though the market value of my car is about $3000, cant find anything i would want even more on carsales for $6000. Therefore Ive come to the conclusion that i am going to save that money for an LPG tank (bye bye dual kickers).

I know its bad for the car, but meh..need to save the wallet as this car has plenty more years to come.

Really appreciate your help and support guys.

If your going to get an LPG system pay the extra for injection. I put mixer LPG on my old KE Verada, and well, I sold it 6 months later. Enough said.

Thanks a bunch guys, Petrol is just creeping outta my car slowly. My fuel gauge has gone halfway at 150kms for some reason, hope i get the 350kms that i usally get every 50L i put in...

After all it is a great car and will not let it go for less than $6000 even though the market value of my car is about $3000, cant find anything i would want even more on carsales for $6000. Therefore Ive come to the conclusion that i am going to save that money for an LPG tank (bye bye dual kickers).

I know its bad for the car, but meh..need to save the wallet as this car has plenty more years to come.

Really appreciate your help and support guys.
No gas is fine for the car. And you can still keep your kickers, they just go in front of the tank..

If your going to get an LPG system pay the extra for injection. I put mixer LPG on my old KE Verada, and well, I sold it 6 months later. Enough said.
Theres a difference of $3000 out of pocket ($4500 for the system w/$1500 rebate) for injection which some people (i.e. me) simply cannot afford. your gas on the KE was an abortion with never ending problems but done right a mixer system will be fine. mixer systems have been run on I6 falcon engines for the last 30 years, certainly nothing wrong with how they work at all, all comes down to the parts used and the tuning.
$3000 spent on gas on a $3000 car makes little sense to me.

I dont know about that. Im generally shocked with this. But as an auto mine was doing 550km to a 73 litre tank driving okay most of the time.


;1363288']wait, so you used every last drop in your whole tank before filling up?

Dont do the sums on how many kays you do per tank. When you pull up to the servo to fill up tank not of the kays you have done for that tank, Then do the somes on the amount of fuel you just put in to the car on fill up. Its a 71 litre tank when you fill up and guage reads empty i can tell you now your putting about 60 litres into the car. There is no way that you are pulling 70litres into the car whem you fill up.

Calculation if you dont know how to do it and to check on your L/100 display to see if its right.
litres fulled up with / devide by kilometres done x 100 = Litres per 100kms.
61Litres / 550kms X 100 = 11.09L/100kms.

Try that on your next tank and ingnore your computer telling you your consumption and let us know.

litres fulled up with / devide by kilometres done x 100 = Litres per 100kms.
61Litres / 550kms X 100 = 11.09L/100kms.


That's the best way, and how I've always done it :)

Mixer systems worked fine also on the factory produced Magna's (TL Gas Only) but these were factory fitted.

I have many customers with factory Gas mixer systems, they in most cases do run fine, I also have a few where the people have had them fitted and had nothign by issue, most of the time the install being the problem in the first place

I know for a FACT that i put 72 litres in last week.

72 litres @ 128.6 p/l = $92.59 which i KNOW i paid. I also KNOW ive done over 700 ks on this tank

Now unless the pump is lying to me i know what i put in. The car stalled as i pulled in and would not start thats how i know when its dead empty. And yeah i am aware that when it is on empty i have roughly 120, 130 ks to go

I know for a FACT that i put 72 litres in last week.

72 litres @ 128.6 p/l = $92.59 which i KNOW i paid. I also KNOW ive done over 700 ks on this tank

Now unless the pump is lying to me i know what i put in. The car stalled as i pulled in and would not start thats how i know when its dead empty. And yeah i am aware that when it is on empty i have roughly 120, 130 ks to go

Like we said, the extra is probably in the filler neck, but the tank itself, is only 71L

Yeah thats what i thought and i think i recall saying that :)

Yes i stalled at the servo on purpose for this test. I know when i filled up last week i put in 72.4 litres. Thats enough proof for me :) Keeping in mind i also fill to the cap. So be a bit extra in the neck

Thought so :P

I dont know about that. Im generally shocked with this. But as an auto mine was doing 550km to a 73 litre tank driving okay most of the time..

When I had a KE this is what I was getting i.e. 550km but from 65-68 litres and I had it til 245 000km. I think the 4 speed auto may be the issue. Even so it wasn't too bad.
I used to get terrible economy if I punched it off the line around town.

If you are gentle on take off, it makes a huge difference to fuel economy in a KE.

You'd have to have a good idea on long you want to keep the car before you convert it to gas, I'd be looking at keeping a car you've converted for another 100,000 km's, after you've paid out the money and suffered the inconvenience of a tank in the back.

If your prepared to do that, then go gas.

There is a cost breakdown on what I should get in my Members Rides (http://www.aussiemagna.com/forums/showthread.php?t=60404&p=1358004&viewfull=1#post1358004)thread.

Hey guys, Just filled my tank up last night.

Ive had my service a couple of weeks ago. Economy has been improving slowly ever since i took it for that service. Proud to say that i am getting abouth 12-13L/100kms

I love the car even more now, In fact im going to go and give it a wash now :P

Thanks for support guys

I'd clean your MAF sensor, and look into whether your intake temp and water temp sensors are working, if they are reading cold it will be running richer than it needs to.

With the service I guess the air filter was changed, if not and it looks clogged change it, it can only help :)

;1363234']What? manual transmissions will be better for fuel economy as the gearing is better, less weight to move, and the engine wastes less fuel trying to power the automatic transmission. Manual's in 90% of cars use LESS fuel.



You might want to revise your ideas about manuals ...

at 100km/h the 380 manual spins at nearly 3000 rpm, the auto spins at around 1850 rpm.
The fuel consumption on the manual 380 is greater.

I'm pretty sure I remember our TL being about the same....me thinks more rpm is more fuel....:)