E53 3.0d POOR FUEL CONSUMPTION

megliam · Post by **megliam** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 12:26 pm

Hi Folks, hoping some of you gurus might be able to adviseor give me some pointers.

Recently bought a 56 plate 3.0 sport, 79k, fsh and I had it serviced ( inspection 2 ) a month agoincluding all filters changed. Car has FDSH

The car drives superbly but I am concerned about the fuel consumption, I am only getting 20 -21 mpg, this is based on actual fuel usage from a full tank against miles travelled and refill figure, hence I know its accurate.

My journeys are mainly 5 miles on dual carriageway at 70mph ten 3 miles in town(ish) driving to work etc so pretty mixed. The driving style is sedate and no real heavy footed moments unless overtaking on the dual carriageway.

I seem to be miles off the official figures and what other owners seem to be getting. I wondered if anyone can point to common problems that can cause increased consumption. I have tried all the additives etc to clean the fuel system to no avail.

One thing suggested to me was the fact the car was running on 22" wheels, been told this could cause possibly 5-8 mpg a difference ??? I changed them out and refitted the original 19" wheels but I still only get 22.5mpg,

Both the missus and I think the car is superb but the poor consumption and rising fuel costs are a cause for concern.

Is it possible the management software could be needing reset or upgraded if so what is the average cost to do this at the dealers and a specialist ?

Any thought gratefully appreciated.
Thanks
Rob

X5Sport · Post by **X5Sport** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 12:55 pm

Given that your journey is only about 8 miles those figures don't really surprise me. The powertrain and gearbox will barely have fully warmed up and may have only just changed their operating maps from 'Cold' to 'Hot' running. What sort of comsumption do you get on a longer run on a motorway or dual carriageway in light traffic? You probably need to take the vehicle out for a 'blast' every few weeks to make sure all the soot etc is cleared and everything fully warms up. A similar jouney in mine would maybe give 22-23mpg. The petrol option would be MUCH worse!!

8 miles probably counts as a 'Short' Journey. Additives don't really make any difference in my experience, and BMW discourages their use anyway. Can't see why the 22"s would affect mpg unless it's a weight thing or they are wider than the standard 19" so add a small bit of drag. I would be surprised if they made anything like the 5-8mpg difference suggested.

AW8 · Post by **AW8** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 1:27 pm

You say your car has Full dealer history & all filters were changed,however, as far as I am aware the air filter is the only engine related filter that is changed when the vehicle is serviced in accordance with BMW recommendations. Arguably the term "full service history" when taken in context of BMW schedules realistically in the main just means "full inspection history". I say this because if you look at the actual actions carried out during each type of BMW Inspection you will see most items are effectively a visible check, (plus replacement &/or topping up of some fluids). In abscence of recomendations being made & carried or aditional work being requested it is qiuite possible to have a fully stamped up history accompnaying a car that would benefit from extra work.

Whilst your car should have been subject to diagnostic analysis when inspected by the dealer, a BMW history in itself is not evidence that everything is fine & in this case realting to components that may impacts on mpg.

If not prio done already I cause the breather to be changed as well as causing the car to be checked for anything else that may be clogged or inefficient. There are a multitude of other potential factors that could impact mpg, however, it may make sense to find a good BMW independent if you feel the dealer cant do anything to help you. Make sure if you choose this route that youi are happy you wont compromise any warranty or potential future bmw goodwill contribution,(such help is rare these days). Ideally you want someone experienced at working on that engine & with good diagnostic kit such as autologic. The critical advantage comes from having someone capable of getting the most out of the diagnostic kit, however with such kit not always being 100% efficient there is a lot to be said re finding someone with some experience & skill in troubleshooting the same engine as in yoiur car. Check my recent posts for info on sourcing a good bmw indy.

Additionally I would comment that computers can lie. You say you are getting worse mpg than others, however, most are probably quoting mpg figures based on what consumption the car is electronically displaying & not by calculating as you have.

Finally I acknowledge commets by x5Sport in that the temperature reached & type of driving may be a factor too.

Hope this helps.

pvr · Post by **pvr** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 1:30 pm

However, when Mrs PVR used to drive the X5 for all shopping trips and other short trips, we never got below 28-29, and on "normal" runs we get 35.

X5Sport · Post by **X5Sport** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 1:40 pm

[quote=""pvr""]However, when Mrs PVR used to drive the X5 for all shopping trips and other short trips, we never got below 28-29, and on "normal" runs we get 35.[/quote]

Funny, I've got one of them too.

She blames her shoes!! Can't feel the pedals. Suggesting that she go and get 'appropriate' footwear is a recipe for a complete (and expensive) disaster.

megliam · Post by **megliam** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 3:37 pm

Hi folks, thanks for the prompt replies.

The car was due a service when I bought it and I used a well known BMW specialist at an indy garage, Kevin Arthur @ AW autotech in Aberdeen. I requested that as well as the usual inspection that the air and fuel filters were changed along with the pollen filter, brake fluid and coolant change. I wanted to be happy in the knowledge that the car was ready for winter.

Kev stated the car was a good example and it drove well.

I am going to book the car in with him to get it on the diagnostics machine and see if there is anything obvious showing. I will get the breather changed at the same time.

I am wondering if the warmer weather in spring / summer will make a difference as it has not been the greatest weather since I bought it, lots of snow and freezing temp's, mind you the 4 wheel drive proved to be a god send, never eben a hint of getting stuck when those all around were going nowhere.

I just wondered if any of you on here had prevuiously had the same issue and if there was a common theme causing poor consumption.

One last question,under the car around the middle of the passenger doors there is what looks like a small silencer, is this anything to do with the breather ?? if not what is the function of this

Thanks

Sanj · Post by **Sanj** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 3:49 pm

[quote=""megliam""]One last question,under the car around the middle of the passenger doors there is what looks like a small silencer, is this anything to do with the breather ?? if not what is the function of this

Thanks[/quote]

That's the exhaust for the Webasto heater - all normal. Will make a ticking sound at low temperatures, when first started. Don't be alarmed if you get one and this happens. The very best of luck...

megliam · Post by **megliam** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 3:59 pm

Would the webasto heater use much fuel to run considering the extremely cold weather we have had up here recently. I do not run this remotely, it only runs when the engine is started and running.

pvr · Post by **pvr** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 4:06 pm

No, not a lot.

ITBarbie · Post by **ITBarbie** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 5:45 pm

Hi Rob

I'm so glad you posted as I was starting to think I was paranoid

I've been an owner for nearly two years of a 3.0d and I was only ever getting about 24''ish on the OBC from when I got it from the dealership. I would do trips at least 5 days out of 7 that were mixed semi rural but were classed as low mileage (below 8 miles).

Since new I've had a remap and changed the rims from 17 to 19's and also just had a BMW service and am approximate 73k on the clock.

I have done a real (not computer) calculation and an getting now 21 mpg. I'm gutted and never been so close to waving goodbye to it. Ive spoken to my dealership who have told me that the trips I am doing inside the M25 will get this type of read so I've just filed it into the OMG love the car can't stand the consumption drawer

I love it and really don't know if we are both suffering from the is there something wrong with my car syndrome? If you get the answer though let me know as if i spend any more money on her I might as well just lease hire!

Penny

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bigshout · Post by **bigshout** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 8:34 pm

[quote=""ITBarbie""]Hi Rob

I'm so glad you posted as I was starting to think I was paranoid

I've been an owner for nearly two years of a 3.0d and I was only ever getting about 24''ish on the OBC from when I got it from the dealership. I would do trips at least 5 days out of 7 that were mixed semi rural but were classed as low mileage (below 8 miles).

Since new I've had a remap and changed the rims from 17 to 19's and also just had a BMW service and am approximate 73k on the clock.

I have done a real (not computer) calculation and an getting now 21 mpg. I'm gutted and never been so close to waving goodbye to it. Ive spoken to my dealership who have told me that the trips I am doing inside the M25 will get this type of read so I've just filed it into the OMG love the car can't stand the consumption drawer

I love it and really don't know if we are both suffering from the is there something wrong with my car syndrome? If you get the answer though let me know as if i spend any more money on her I might as well just lease hire!

Penny

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk[/quote]

Just think what comsumption is had on a 4.4i or 3.0i

I get around 16-17mpg in the same area as you with nearly all trips less than 4 miles. LPG however means I'm pay nearly half the price of unleaded so I guess I'm getting a slightly better return the the oil burners.

I can't believe the cost of fuel ATM!

Turks · Post by **Turks** » Thu Jan 20, 2011 4:05 am

[quote=""megliam""]Would the webasto heater use much fuel to run considering the extremely cold weather we have had up here recently. I do not run this remotely, it only runs when the engine is started and running.[/quote]

The webasto uses hardly any fuel at all.. maybe a litre every half hour that it is in use. Do you have Aux Heating enabled? If so, you might find you get better consumption by starting the Aux Heater around 15 - 20 mins before you get in your car for your journey as it will heat the water and pump it around your engine meaning that the engine reaches temperature faster and the engine runs more efficient.

The other things to check is maybe anything to do with Air Flow or Lambda Sensor... The reason for this is if there is problems with Air Flow (restrictive or otherwise) then the cars ECU may overfuel / run rich because there isn't enough air to combust with the fuel supplied. You might not notice the loss in power / response but it could be effecting your MPG. Check MAF (Mass Air Flow) Meter, Vacuum Pipes, all pipes associated with Turbo. Also check for cracks in the manifold as this will reduce exhaust pressure driving the turbo - again meaning a possible increase in consumption. Check the Flexi Pipes too for splits as they can split causing a loss of back pressure.

Sounds like a lot I know but there must be another reason why there are these anomalies with MPG on your cars... My 530d never dropped below 30mpg and that was short trips, spanking it round town, traffic etc etc! You should be getting at least 24-25+.

Oh and having 22" wheels will NOT reduce your consumption in the X5! The rolling radius will be practiacally the same as the rolling raduis of the wheels from factory. It would have an effect on a 1.2 corsa however but not a 3.0d with all the torque it has!

Turks.

ChrisLux · Post by **ChrisLux** » Thu Jan 20, 2011 1:17 pm

That sounds quite low , I was p****d off that mine's only doing 28mpg on the school run , but maybe
it's not so bad .
I have 5kms of country roads,5kms of partial dual-carriageway and 5kms of stop-start .
However on a long m-way run I've seen as high as 39mpg , so I guess it's just usage .

Chris

ChewingBacca · Post by **ChewingBacca** » Thu Jan 20, 2011 9:16 pm

[quote=""Turks""]The webasto uses hardly any fuel at all.. maybe a litre every half hour that it is in use.[/quote]
True, not much at all 0.5l/h full load or 0.25l/h part load according to Webasto.

However this is very significant on short and particularly slow cold journeys.

Example.
My round trip to work is 14 mile and takes about 30 mins total. In summer I get about 28 to 29mpg. So about half a gallon (2.25l) daily.
If the Webasto runs at the higher figure (to save on the maths) then up to 0.25l is consumed daily.
So, in this example an extra 20% fuel consumed which is reflected in my reduced mpg in winter.

Note: I idle the car on the drive, the Webasto will often be running when I arrived in the extreme weather with the heater at 32Â° throughout.
In winter I get 23 to 24 mph as displayed.

Disclaimer: maths is not my strong point.

BL02WAS · Post by **BL02WAS** » Fri Jan 21, 2011 12:41 am

with regards to 22" wheels i can definitely confirm a slight drop in fuel consumption when compared to the original 19"s that were on the car. The reason for this is down to weight, more specifically the unsprung weight. A general rule exists where a 1kg increase in the rotational weight, ie wheel weight is the performance equivalent of adding 10kg to the internal upsprung weight of the car, thus no suprise it would affect mpg. with my diesel x, since fitting the 22's, I have noticed roughly a 1.5mpg decrease.

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