18.9 could mean goodbye!

[crannersEL]

As a few of the e-series members have noticed my car has been posted in the "for sale" section of the forums. I love the car to bits and have put a fair bit of money into it in the last 8 months mods wise.

Fuel Economy is getting stupid, ive had $2000 worth of maintanice done to the car in the last 8 months replacing different things and cleaning others.

Spoke to a bloke this week who puts cars onto his computer to check if the cars running rich or not, and he wouldnt even come out to test the car as he knew there was nothing i can do about improving the fuel eco.

Items that have been replaced or cleaned include:

o2 sensor
Hi Flow Cat
changed filters
flushed and cleaned injectors
replaced spark plug and leads

The car is serviced every 5000K's and has been since we bought the car in 1998. Its fuel eco has been decreasing as the engine has been getting older (190 000K's to date)

Ive spoke to many other members and other people who drive EL Falcons and they get 500+ K's out of a tank. Any one here who knows me will vouch that im a slow driver who never plants the foot.

People may say "get over it" "thats what you get with a big car" i understand that, but from where im standing i earn $110 per week as im a uni student. If i spend $80-$90 on fuel which i do per week doesnt really leave me with much for savings for insurance and rego ect.

Anyone got any answers?

Thanks Paul

how many K's do you get to a tank? my ED is lucky to get 400 with highway driving although i never really replace anything to try and fix the issue.

[crannersEL]

Originally Posted by John_xr6

how many K's do you get to a tank? my ED is lucky to get 400 with highway driving although i never really replace anything to try and fix the issue.

I get about 300 around town

and got 440 the other week when i went to Phillip Island

[Christiaan]

Well, i got 10L/100 on the highway to albury, and about 750km from the tank.

Since i put the 1004 112 in, it's gone up to 18.4L/100km's :P

[santoitaliano]

i religiously get 400km to a tank unless the ecu is reset.. ugh what a *****...

check ignition timing? EL is dizzy yes? only other thing it could be is a ****ed MAP?

what is your idle set to also?

[crannersEL]

Originally Posted by shuresm58

Well, i got 10L/100 on the highway to albury, and about 750km from the tank.

Since i put the 1004 112 in, it's gone up to 18.4L/100km's :P

Below in the sig you will see the list of mods done to my car, i was always told that the pacies and exhasut would improve fuel eco!

[crannersEL]

Originally Posted by santoitaliano

i religiously get 400km to a tank unless the ecu is reset.. ugh what a *****...

check ignition timing? EL is dizzy yes? only other thing it could be is a ****ed MAP?

what is your idle set to also?

The car idle's at about 650-700 from memory

[XR Martin]

Do you sit in alot of peak hour traffic?

[crannersEL]

Originally Posted by XR6 Martin

Do you sit in alot of peak hour traffic?

No, i live about 15 mins from uni and do the trip up and back once a day, which equals about 90K's over 4 days

[niko]

last tank i got 425 off 48litres that comes to about 11.2

200of those kays were freeway the rest local

[niko]

Originally Posted by crannersEL

No, i live about 15 mins from uni and do the trip up and back once a day, which equals about 90K's over 4 days

short trips do not help economy whatsover, as usually your car spends the 1st few minuts running rich to compensate for lack of heat/running temp

have you tried your thermostat and stuff? cooling system can affect fuel usage to you know

[Professor Farnsworth]

From reading in another thread paul that your car started life as a Hertz rent-a-car.. i can tell you accurately, first hand that hertz cars are treated like crap, but i know some of the service guys, and they're serviced pretty well. However only a complete rebuild can repair the damage done to some of these cars. In all honesty i'm surprised it lasted to 190,000 without any major issues. The only benefit of it being a hertz car is they're disposed of relatively early in their life.

Have you checked the muffler ? my 4.0 el had a cactus muffler, the inner 'maze' of tubing had disintegrated by the sound it made when i banged my hand on it. That thing was a 4.0 EL Ghia with 170,000 on it, and in suburb to city driving and back again, with two people in the car (was used as our work car) the thing sometimes didn't even manage 300km.

The V8 EL has been averaging 15-17L/100 on 98 or 100oct, but i've been giving it a bit of a hard time. This is also with two people in it most of the time. Also has heavy wheels, stereo etc etc and the v8 is naturally heavier from the get-go. So the V8 is more economical than my 4.0 was, and that's with factory headers and so on. The cat back doesn't make any dif to power/economy.

Thought about a motor transplant ? the I6 would most likely be pretty cheap to change over. I know you said you're on a very small salary at the moment, but over a couple of months it would be possible. There are many good people here i've found, a few have offered to help me out with engine work when i need to do it, asking for little/nothing in return. However this would obviously be pointless if it's a bolt on issue..

good luck anyway.

[XR Martin]

I do alot of ~15min trips and even on the LPG I get way better than 18.9 (and my EL has done nearly 300,000 kms)

[Psycho Chicken]

18.9? Jesus tapdancing christ, my V8 with crossfiring leads was getting 17.6 and slowly coming down after a trip comp reset.

[EFFalcon]

ever had your ignition timing set?
perhaps it needs a bit of advance to get it running a little nicer?

[The Goodz]

300km to a tank??? The ol' crate gets at least 350km around town... At least 500km on the highway, and you know how my car runs!

Alex

[RG]

Bloody hell that economy is terrible, I get 9.7l 100k out of mine on the hoghway/city cycle. Easy 600k to a tank. 400 if it's only city.

[TUFED6]

Do a comp test and check the timing...

- John

[SiKoRa_eL_97]

Any chance of public transport to ur uni?

[EA2BA]

I have a really crazy idea, drive it fairly hard for a tank of fuel, see if economy improves, you might just get a surprise and blow out a few cob webs.

[CaRtZ]

i get about 800kms to a tank down the hume. nothing ever replaced and i have a heavy foot!

[FRDXR6]

Originally Posted by EA2BA

I have a really crazy idea, drive it fairly hard for a tank of fuel, see if economy improves, you might just get a surprise and blow out a few cob webs.

I like that idea, a fun way of diagnosing a problem!

300km off 60L is pretty bad i usually get at least 400km+. Is that 300km off a full tank (60L or more)?

[dansedgli]

I havent owned a car that could get 300kms to a tank since my first car 4 years ago.

Do waht John said, check the timing and a comp test. Replacing the motor is reasonably cheap and easy.

[volcom20]

My EF was running 24.8 l/100km when I put a pod filter on :/ But I think that was just because I was "testing it" to see if it really made any differance... (The answer is "Completely un noticeable", but anyway).

It's now anywhere from 13 - 17 l/100km driving in the middle of Manly.

[blownba]

mate i see your in the eastern subs if you want me to have a look at it pm me. I have all diagnostic equipment ect. Sound like some one set timimg wrong. With el yhou mhave to wait 2 mins before checking (after going into timing reset mode)

[Professor Farnsworth]

Originally Posted by blownba

mate i see your in the eastern subs if you want me to have a look at it pm me. I have all diagnostic equipment ect. Sound like some one set timimg wrong. With el yhou mhave to wait 2 mins before checking (after going into timing reset mode)

*quick diversion*

let me know what it would take to persuade you to come to the northern suburbs and run the diags on my el 4.9

[blownba]

lol. Alot. I run a workshop + 2 kids and married. You tell me.

[snypereb]

I probably get 400+ to a tank however i work full time and i dont crive to work my boss picks me up! Something must be not right paul considering you on drive to uni and you drive like a girl lol jk!! Take the car to someone else?

[XRated]

Originally Posted by blownba

lol. Alot. I run a workshop + 2 kids and married. You tell me.

Hey mate, where's your workshop? I might pay you a visit some day soon It'd be good to pay someone who knows what they're doing.

[Jason[98.EL]]

well i just did a trip to warnambool last weekend and did a bit of driving while there

i got close to 580k out of the tank

jason