Thinking of buying vRS/Downgrading from Mazda mk1 Mps 3

[vRSy]

One question Sy, you reckon your car being a development platform for THREE different tuning outfits could potentially have any bearing on the finale of your adventure with the twincharger motor? Not trying to be sarcastic etc. BTW.

Well Shark were the only company learning about the 1.4TSI first hand on my car. Jabbasport had already done the development on the 1.4TSi on a couple Ibiza Cupras, so mine was just a custom version of what they ahd already developed. Same with APR really. Their APR software had been released for over a year before my car went there and stage 3 development was already in process in APR Australias Polo GTI and another in Italy. Do ti hink that the development work is the cause of my issues, I dont know. Sure it probably hasn't helped but it might not have made it worse either. The issues I have had have all been suffered on stock cars as well, its not unique to my car. For instance APR Australia's Polo GTI hasn't needed new pistons and has had substantially more development work carried out on it and we ran the same maps.

My view in general is that if one wants genuine motorsport thrills modifying a mass produced road car is not the way to get there and a massive waste of money. Cheaper and much more exciting ways are available I am sure you are aware of.

I was to have such car modified it would not be for road use. I'd dismantle the engine first and put it back together again after having all the mechanical "fine tuning" done without upgrading internals. Then I would install proper race ECU and map it properly. I'd wager I could get 250bhp on standard parts this way with rock solid reliability.

Somebody would have to pay my bills for the duration and provide a donor car so it is not going to happen

You can see on my earliest posts anbout the vRS when i first bought it in 2010. I pointed all the issues that ive always said. Too much roll, poor brakes, lack of midrange grunt etc, but i bought it as a project because I enjoy modifying cars and witnessing the improvements first hand. I have 100% removed all the weaknesses of the car that IMO ruined it, whislt still retaining a practically stock level of comfort If only it was a reliable change.

Christ, if i counted back the money i have wasted over the years I could have had a bespoke second racecar and trailer, and that is probably what i will be doing next as its cheaper for me in the long run, but ultimately as said before, I enjoy modifying and making the cars my own.

You also didnt answer the question ;-)

[Jabozuma]

Jabo lets try and be a grown up for a second and look at it rationally.

Do you agree or disagree that there is an issue with this engine since stock cars blow pistons, stock cars burn oil, stock cars misfire etc, you for instance have been heavily involved in posting in pretty much all the oil usage, misfire and engine failure threads of which there are many!! Why for instance do you obsessively check your oil and post about the levels and temperatures of it all the time, why for instance do you want the oil testing in the car because of petrol fumes, diagnosing the soot from the exhaust etc why have you? ....its because you, yourself dont trust the car, such is the extent of issues across this engine.

I do agree, there is an issue with the engine, at least with some engines I do not think the design is faulty or the engineering principle behind mass produced small capacity twincharger engine.

In your stock dyno graphs ( http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/186943-the-fabia-vrs-review-and-photo-thread/page__st__60#entry2322775 ) I was really surprised to see such AFR curve. Low revs it looks like a stratified injection AFR and then it goes very rich at the high end... I wonder how is your current AFR map graph comparing to the stock one?

I think now I do trust it as I enjoy it waay more than through first weeks of slightly (!) paranoid ownership .

[OzFabia]

I enjoyed your videos, vRSy. From the looks, one of the best upgrades for a British racetrack must be an enhanced set of wipers.

[Littlebull]

But i need to stop looking at Autotrader pretty sharpish beforei buy something on impulse lol.

We're not related are we lol?

[Littlebull]

Oh one thing I forgot to ask is!!!

What is all of your average MPG's AND how far do all of you normally go between fill ups at the petrol station??

Also what fuel are your running on...

95Ron

97Ron

99Ron

???

I ask to compare MPG with my current MPS 3. That's the whole point of me looking at the Fabia was for a cheaper car to run lol.

[apmaman]

i run the tmc tuning box... average about 28mpg in mostly city driving. i got it up to 38 on a motorway stretch all on tesco99 fuel.

[TeebsVRS]

My average MPG is around 38, that's using either 97 or 98RON petrol, and driving quite a lot of shorter journeys. On a longer run I'd be looking at low 40s.

I did stick 95RON in it once, noticed no real running issues but was a good 4-5mpg down that tank.

Interesting you're dropping down from a 3 MPS, I was definitely considering checking one out before I got my Mk2 VRS, but decided I couldn't justify those running costs on just a powerful hatchback. Guess you found that hard way!

This'll be peanuts to run in comparison, would be very interesting to see what you think after a test drive.

[Confide]

I've managed to get it up to (once) 47.04 mpg ( 5.5 liter / 100 km) on a stretch over 150 km.

10 km 50 km/h, 20 km 70 km/h 50 km 90 km/h 70 km 110 km/h.

It all depends on how you drive it, drive it like granny and consume like granny...

Drive it like me and... well, yeah, you know the nice little kitty you got under the hood?

[Jabozuma]

Agreed with others, all depends on your driving. My everyday commute is 18miles along a mixture of bendy, hilly roads with lots of traffics, few tight villages and few miles of a dual carriageway. If I drive like all the plod in the county is chasing me then 22-26 mpg. I the other end it is 42mpg (got it yesterday, new record lol)

[XK140]

Common sense again ....small engine that when accelerating is always on boost either from the s/c or turbo.

Use it gently,with little boost and you will get mpg of a small engine,40 to 50...but drive it harder and use most of the 180hp and it will be 25mpg...remember 180hp was the power from a 2.5 v6 not that long ago.

In other words you will get a far bigger VARIATION in mpg than most other cars.

[Jabozuma]

Funny thing is that this motor, being as sophisticated as it is (it won engine of the year award 5 times!) works in naturally aspirated mode at low loads

[MillsyVRS]

I think the average for a decent trip for most people is low to high 40's. few people get way above that but no idea how lol. It recommends you use 98+ RON petrol, and for the extra 8p a litre V-Power is over normal shell, I think it's worth using for the extra MPG and better performance you'll get. It's what I find in mine anyway.

We've found it's not a bomb proof engine, especially not in fairly high levels of tune, but from what I gather (and am hoping for my own sake) that its fairly happy with stage 1 if looked after.

I think it's a great car personally . But then it's only my 2nd car so don't have much to compare it to! I'm sure you'll love it

[Littlebull]

Common sense again ....small engine that when accelerating is always on boost either from the s/c or turbo.

Use it gently,with little boost and you will get mpg of a small engine,40 to 50...but drive it harder and use most of the 180hp and it will be 25mpg...remember 180hp was the power from a 2.5 v6 not that long ago.

In other words you will get a far bigger VARIATION in mpg than most other cars.

That's the best comment relating to this question. With regards to my current mk1 MPS 3 I'm averaging between 27 mpg - 31 mpg from what I've noticed but, the car just gets up to temperature then get's turned off again.

On my Monday to Friday 9 till 5 affair I drive about 2 miles with some stopping and starting then about 4 miles motorway journey with speeds ranging due to traffic (M1 heading to Leeds) from 40mph up to 70mph then about two miles the same stop start etc until i get to work then same on the way back home. About an hour or two later just 3 miles A road driving to the gym then same back home again so it doesn't really get chance to warm up in winter.

OH!!! I have to use (min) 98Ron so it's ether Shell V-Power or Tesco 99Ron for me (Nothing else).

[vRSy]

Mine around town averages 30-37mpg typically, but i drive like miss daisy on the roads and thats the result. Same goes on the motorway i sit at 70mph on cruise and achieve 45-48mpg sometimes over 50mpg if there is a 50mph contraflow around.

On trackdays i always trip my meter when i leave my house and see what its like when i get back. Mallory park was about 60 miles from my old house. A return journey to Mallory park with around 80 laps of the track would return around 21-23mpg which i was really impressed with. Thats starting with a full tank and making it back home on fuels. so about 220 miles lol. Not bad for a car with 220Hp/ton lol. There arenbt many cars that can match that, thats for sure.