1.9SDI Fuel Economy - thoughts?

[alessio92]

Just wondering what kind of fuel economy I should be expecting out of my 1.9SDI? I haven't calculated it properly just yet but my last tank was £10 (think it was 116.9p/litre meaning around 8.5 litres of diesel?), with a small amount still in the tank above the reserve, and I think I got just over 100 miles of city driving out of it until I was right on the edge of the reserve tank.

 

With it being a 45 litre tank, that works out at possibly around 500 miles per full tank, (51mpg if I've got that right?). Or is my maths all wrong?

 

Anyway, just wondering what others were getting, or what I should be aiming for - I feel like I don't drive particularly economically as I tend to overcompensate for the car's lack of power.

 

Cheers

[StevesTruck]

If you press the buttons on the end of the wiper stalk, the clock will show a number of things including average fuel consumption.

 

Dad's SDI was showing about 63mpg when I was driving it the other day.

[SkUG]

According to fuelly app I'm gettin about 58mpg out of my sdi mostly round town with a monthly sprint down the motorways of over 400 mile round trips

[RunningStrong]

You can only check the fuel economy manually by brimming the tank, a tenner at the time doesn't work.

You should be seeing over 60 on mixed driving. Less around town, more on motorway. My TDi averages 65+ mpg on largely motorway and bypass.

[WoodieGuthrie]

I found the (pre) Sdi 1.9d in my polo was less fuel efficient than my current 1.9tdi Octavia.

I reckon the Sdi should see 55-60mpg on a run and 45-50 round the doors. Mixed should be around 48-55.

I believe your Sdi has the bosch fuel pump so you could run on Waste Veg Oil at 35-50p/L or fresh veg oil at 79p/l and not worry about mpg:)

[alessio92]

If you press the buttons on the end of the wiper stalk, the clock will show a number of things including average fuel consumption.

 

Dad's SDI was showing about 63mpg when I was driving it the other day.

 

 

MIne doesn't have the MPG display afaik. THe only digi bit is how many miles the car's done (193k) and the trip meter. If anyone can correct me I'd be thrilled!

 

I found the (pre) Sdi 1.9d in my polo was less fuel efficient than my current 1.9tdi Octavia.

I reckon the Sdi should see 55-60mpg on a run and 45-50 round the doors. Mixed should be around 48-55.

I believe your Sdi has the bosch fuel pump so you could run on Waste Veg Oil at 35-50p/L or fresh veg oil at 79p/l and not worry about mpg:)

Won't it stink if I start pouring veg oil in? Can you just do that wihtout any modification?

 

 

You can only check the fuel economy manually by brimming the tank, a tenner at the time doesn't work.

You should be seeing over 60 on mixed driving. Less around town, more on motorway. My TDi averages 65+ mpg on largely motorway and bypass.

I guessed that. Just used the vague calculations to give myself an idea.

[VWD]

 

MIne doesn't have the MPG display afaik. THe only digi bit is how many miles the car's done (193k) and the trip meter. If anyone can correct me I'd be thrilled!.

 

You don't give the year, but it can't be older than a 2000 model, and all other Models of the MK1, AFAIK use the same software.

Look at the end of the indicator stalk (right hand stalk), where you will find a toggle switch. it starts off with time ,then outside temperature ,and  wanders through a host of other  readings. On the way there's a MPG display. On the stalk of the indicator, there's another toggle, which switches between average and instantaneous MPG. WHY not sit in car, switch ign on, and toggle through the options ,and the secondary options ( using the secondary toggle). But s said- the  true way of finding the MPG   is to fill tank at a garage, drive a large number of miles and refill tank( preferably at same pump in same garage).

[SkUG]

I don't think the "classic" has that indicator thingy

[alessio92]

You don't give the year, but it can't be older than a 2000 model, and all other Models of the MK1, AFAIK use the same software.

Look at the end of the indicator stalk (right hand stalk), where you will find a toggle switch. it starts off with time ,then outside temperature ,and  wanders through a host of other  readings. On the way there's a MPG display. On the stalk of the indicator, there's another toggle, which switches between average and instantaneous MPG. WHY not sit in car, switch ign on, and toggle through the options ,and the secondary options ( using the secondary toggle). But s said- the  true way of finding the MPG   is to fill tank at a garage, drive a large number of miles and refill tank( preferably at same pump in same garage).

 

I don't think the "classic" has that indicator thingy

It's a 2002 Fabia Classic so no display!

[KenONeill]

I don't know what mpg you'd get from a Furbie classic but I'd expect you to beat the 55mpg I get on the mainland driving assertively and cruising at 60<cough> mph in an Octy TDi110!

[SkUG]

Think best I got was 70mpg but I was doin about 55mph, keeping the revs below 2200rpm and tail gated a lorry for 200 miles

[KenONeill]

Ah, there's a big difference in gear ratios then; 2200rpm in top in the Octy is about 65mph.

[SkUG]

Hang on, never said that, I meant I kept it below 2200rpm, not that 55mph is 2200rpm

[WoodieGuthrie]

 

Won't it stink if I start pouring veg oil in? Can you just do that wihtout any modification?

 

the SDi has a bosch pump so will happily run on WVO.

I run up to 80% blend of WVO to diesel - so a full tank costs about £30.

All you need to do is swap the fuel filter (veg flushes lots of crap out the fuel lines) and then fill it with veg/diesel mix.

maybe start off at 50/50 to make sure both you and the car are happy.

full details are in my thread here

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/359472-veg-oil-in-my-2001-tdi-90bhp-octavia-my-experiences-so-far/

[caffa89]

I don't think the "classic" has that indicator thingy

i think its just the comfort model that has the mpg indicator

[StevesTruck]

Dad's is a comfort, so that would make sense.

Reset the trip counter, brim it, drive it, brim it.

Miles you've done divided by Gallons you put in the second time = mpg

[poiuytre111]

Just bought a 2001 SDI estate to move stuff about and the first tank did 70 mpg, thats 520 mls brim to brim refilled with 7.45gals - wasn't anywhere near empty but I needed a full tank and Asda was cheap. Second tank is heading the same way, This was achieved driving fully loaded on motorways at a leisurely pace - 60 to 65 as seen on satnat or 65-70 on speedo !

 

My classic has no c/locking, no elec windows, no trip computer, no cruise etc. etc.

 

My sons '55 Fabia SDI has apparently done 63 only once, 58 more commonly - again on motorways but driven "enthusiastically".

 

My first Fabia was a 2002 TDI and as I recall 50 was easy, 55 was common and 60 was a bit of a stretch - all measured on motorway at "about 70".

 

My daily driver is a 120d BMW which I have also regularly seen 60+ on motorways at ~65mph (cruise control) - once driving to/from Dordogne at about 63 mpg overall. Or you can put your foot down and mpg suffers. Also have a remapped 320d Compact which is faster but can be similarly frugal, for what its worth.

 

The thing about the SDI is that its a bit better than a TDI driven really gently but a lot better in mpg if you try to thrash it - it simply doesnt have the bhp to burn that much fuel. Seen a comparison between SDI/TDI Caddy which said as much. I love them.

[Jimbob135]

Nice for all you people running Diesels! My 1.2 12V classic fabia gets around 33 on short journeys and the most I've gotten out of it on a 40 mile trip was 48. The joys of a petrol!

[SkUG]

Jeez my 1970s triumph herald was doing 33mpg!

[Alexandru]

Oh, come on now, there isn't a huge difference at the fuel station between 40 and 55mpg. If you drive about 6000miles / year, then it should be just fine. If I'd be driving more, I'd be converting mine on LPG, not even thinking about getting a diesel. They are too complicated and after all, when it comes to servicing them, both petrol and diesel cars might be about even with the costs. A diesel is cheaper to run bun you need to pay more for maintenance vs a petrol which doesn't have such a good mpg, but maintenance is cheap. From my point of view, a diesel's engine value shines only when it's put on a commercial vehicle, where you do need all that torque at low rpms to keep the fuel consumption at a decent level. A diesel engine of the same capacity without a turbo will always have half the power of a petrol engine so no matter what, you need a bigger engine (higher purchase price, higher taxes, inssurance and so on) or a turbo (which at some point might and will fail). They are more fuel efficient than petrol cars, but as I was saying, costs (5 - 10 years) are about the same. We all know that a car isn't an investment after all. I know, I'm 27 and I don't always think about my car as only a transportation device which should get me from A to B, I've spent my money on my car for some apparently useless stuff, but it's mostly doing only that job, moving my lazzy arse from one point to another.

Edited 7 August, 2015 by Alexandru

[poiuytre111]

I'd have to put the opposing view. A lot of people do more than 6000 miles a year - isn't the average 12 to 15k these days and if you are concerned about complexity - what about your lpg conversion. If I have to have some tricky bits in my engine I would prefer a Bosch injection pump to a small volume mfg's LPG kit. Then there is the maintenance cost - why do you say diesels cost more, its just oil and filters surely. Both tend to need cam belts and a modern petrol engine needs not ony regular spark plugs but the occasional coil packs too. You mention torque - that's why I love diesels - the beauty of even the lowly SDI is that you get almost as must torque as a 1.4 petrol's peak torque but you get it right across the rev range that the engine spend most of its life. Was it Carroll Shelby who said - HP sells cars but torque wins races - a chipped turbo diesel will have maybe double the torque of its petrol equivalent engine, just try driving a VRS. I agree your point about engine size but that is why diesels engines tend to have more cc's. At the age of car I buy (3+ yrs) there is no significant price difference but I have paid less road tax for years because of the lower co2 of typical diesels. Lastly - if you think costs are much the same over 5 - 10 years then the nice thing about most diesel engines is that they are not worn out at that stage whereas I have had several cars that needed a new engine at 100k miles - so I scrapped them. I have taken several diesels well past 200k with no age-related issues.

[Alexandru]

You don't need a daily car to win any races mate...you need it to get it straight from A to B. And I said that my theory is plausible if you do ~6000miles/year. The problem with diesel engines is that the fueling system is a bit more complicated when compared with petrol cars and they tend to get faulty at some point. A diesel one needs injectors, which are pretty expensive, you only need to replace them once and the costs will go sky high. They also need glow sparks, otherwise they will not start if it's cold outside...or you'll be getting bored trying to start them. A good engine doesn't have a cam belt, it's chain drived and it might last like ... forever. When talking about a petrol car, a set of 4 sparks is less than £15 (NGK), oil, air and fuel filters (about £40-50) and maybe ... just maybe, as you said, occasionally, the coil pack. I've seen petrol engines on cheap french cars lasting for 300.000miles (1.4 ones, running on LPG), used for taxi bussiness without any major issues or costs, and I've also seen Audi/VAG engines, 10 years old, around 2005-2007, same milage, with that pump nozzle thing that costs about the same price of the car when it's failing. Regarding the purchase price, from my point of view, I've noticed a 15-30% difference , maybe more between petrol and diesel powered cars. Here, a 10-13 years old 1.4 Fabia is about £700, without registration (about £70-80, because they are Euro 4 engines, with 2 O2 sensors and catalyst) or any other taxes, compared with a diesel one, which is about £1200-1500, which is also an Euro 3 listed engine (1.9sDI), with a registration tag of about £3-400. If I'd have to chose between an aspirated diesel car and an aspirated petrol car, I'd chose the second one with my eyes closed (well, both in same condition, of course). By doing the maths, when buying an old, used car for daily driving, I don't really think you expect keeping it for more than 3 to 5 years. At an average, as you say, about 13.000miles / year, in 5 years, the fuel economy would be around £1750 (calculated with an average of 40mpg for a petrol car and 56 for a diesel car, with petrol/diesel price of £0.9/litre). So, paying about £800 for a petrol car vs paying £1900, would make a small difference when talking about fuel consumption. After this, add the running and maintenance costs for a diesel and if you are lucky, you get pretty even. Having that amount of money blocked in my car for a long period of time, doesn't make me feel good, I preffer using them in other ways and maybe spend the same amount in 3-5 years on petrol and repairs. Of course, there are cases when a petrol car needs a new engine due to age factor, a dumb driver etc, but a 1.4 petrol one is pretty cheap, it's less than £200. Of course, you might be unlucky with a diesel one and break the timing belt .. and you need to rebuild that engine as well .. but with higher costs. I've done the maths a few times before buying my car...but I might be wrong...so please, feel free to correct me.

 

later edit: I'd love to drive a vRS once, the only diesel car I've tried so far was a mk1 Superb with a 2.0 engine. It's pretty quick, I admit, but compared with the other petrol engines I've tried, I found it pretty rough. But, there are speed limits everywhere, so 150bhp vs 70, would be about the same when driving on the motorway. The old 1.4 with 68bhp with 130.000miles it's able to average 85 without any problems, it gets out of juice when passing 90, goes pretty slow to 100mph, but it wasn't built for this, I think the vRS wasn't as well. I can't image the feel in a small car when doing 120, I'm scared only when thinking about it.

Edited 7 August, 2015 by Alexandru

[poiuytre111]

I think we both have well-entrenched views and they are just different.

I just bought a 2001 SDI estate with 93k for £451 but I would suggest you have a look at post 46 in this thread

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/48516-skoda-running-costs/page-2

He has spent £45k over 10 years and 270k miles (£19k of that on fuel) and I can't see a single diesel-specific part replaced.

Edited 7 August, 2015 by poiuytre111

[Alexandru]

I've been told to avoid the 1.4 16V engines, a friend of mine had one and it was a moneypit. It depends on how serviced they are, I know that, but having in mind there are a lot of people complaining about them, I just said no. Maybe it's the same story as with the RX8 engines.

[poiuytre111]

From what I have read I would avoid all 3 cylinder vw petrol, 3 cyl diesel, 2.0 diesel, 1.9 diesel after 2005 - the list just goes on and on.

I also have had a M47 bmw diesel (change the swirl flaps before they kill the engine) and later N47 (get BMW to change the timing chain for free before it snaps and kills the engine) etc. And my last petrol car was an (old)  bmw M60 V8 with the potential Nikasil problem - worth a google if you think petrol engines don't have their own issues.

 

Might I suggest that you try a "test drive" in a 2001 - 2005 Fabia tdi with the 1.9 ATD engine - they are delightful -  economical, reliable, quick and cheap. And... torque is not about racing its about putting your foot down gently at 70mph without feeling the need to change gear - the lazy option.