Help with crappy mpg

[St.Hubbins]

I find focusing on MPG requires focus on the road in front. Part of serious low-consumption driving is looking far down the road and anticipating road conditions, lights, etc. and especially, never ever tailgating. Anyone driving for consumption is a far more engaged driver than the idiot racing and jamming on the brakes as he gets to a red light that he just saw, tailgating and using the brake lights of the car in front to decide when to brake, and driving 20 over while not paying attention.

right, here's where i think you're missing my point:
anticipatory driving is ABSOLUTELY what i'm all about for the reasons you list and more ...wish more people out there would do the same.
my specific point about the MFD with regards to MPG is that it can definitely be a visual distraction even though it's right there below your sightline.
this is especially true for hyper-milers, and new owners (speaking from experience) who are all fired-up to see lofty numbers.
obviously texting while driving is a dangerous distraction, and probably warrants a very public and humiliating penalty (tar & feathers?)... i'm certainly not asserting that constantly checking the MPG (especially toggling through the 3 different readouts) is on the same level, but it's easy to see any number of scenarios where this habit of checking the fuel economy "scoreboard" could cause a crucial delay in reaction time and bring about nasty results.

don't mean to be Mother Hen, but i just feel this particular function adds to the myriad distractions that already exist on this and just about any modern vehicle (touchscreens, nav's, you name it...)

rock on.

 

[PlaneCrazy]

right, here's where i think you're missing my point:
anticipatory driving is ABSOLUTELY what i'm all about for the reasons you list and more ...wish more people out there would do the same.
my specific point about the MFD with regards to MPG is that it can definitely be a visual distraction even though it's right there below your sightline.
this is especially true for hyper-milers, and new owners (speaking from experience) who are all fired-up to see lofty numbers.
obviously texting while driving is a dangerous distraction, and probably warrants a very public and humiliating penalty (tar & feathers?)... i'm certainly not asserting that constantly checking the MPG (especially toggling through the 3 different readouts) is on the same level, but it's easy to see any number of scenarios where this habit of checking the fuel economy "scoreboard" could cause a crucial delay in reaction time and bring about nasty results.
don't mean to be Mother Hen, but i just feel this particular function adds to the myriad distractions that already exist on this and just about any modern vehicle (touchscreens, nav's, you name it...)
rock on.

Good point. It's an issue if you use the instant consumption display, which I rarely do though I'll check it from time to time if not in traffic out of interest. Average consumption is not so distracting. One shouldn't use the instantaneous readout if in traffic.

If you do use the instant display though in an attempt to chase the consumption you'll make things worse rather than better for fuel consumption because you won't be paying enough attention to the road and analyzing the road and situational awareness are what will net you those great numbers.

 

[veedubfreak]

I wish more cars came with built in HUDs. On long trips I find myself having to use the speed alert to keep from hauling ass.

 

[Conrad -JSW]

That's one of the things that I miss about my Pontiac.

 

[aaronazevedo]

Hi,

I've now got about 5kmi on my 2012 JSW. I am terribly disappointed in the mileage we are getting (see fuelly badge at bottom, ~30mpg mixed), and I'm looking for suggestions as to where to start troubleshooting. Some background:

• I used to have a 2000 Jetta TDI and mostly got in the low 40's under the same conditions
• I am filling up at the same stations as I did with the old car, B0 to B5 with seemingly good turnover
• I have yakima round bars on the JSW, but only put a box on top for trips
• I have my tires between 37-40 psi
• 50-50 city/highway.

What I'm looking for is suggestions as to where to look to start troubleshooting this thing. The 30 mpg seems extraordinarily low...I would not be posting this if I even had ONE tank above 35 mpg. Any ideas would be welcome. Thanks!

I recently saw my mpg drop from 42mpg to 38 - 39mpg. Same drive, same time of day, same fuel, same weather, etc. Found I was 10k miles past due on my air cleaner. Replaced it - I'm back to 42mpg. I can't say for sure, but if the engine is really just an air pump, and my filter was clogged with all sorts of crap, I'd say it was the cause of my inefficiency. Good luck.

 

[dpg]

I've been using my avg consumption with the 1 in the corner. The one that avg's your current trip. That one has been fairly accurate for me and seems to be more informative as far as how I'm driving overall and not instantly. It's the one that resets after an hr or so.

 

[ultranaut]

Even in the worst traffic, during winter, in sport mode, driving like I stole it, I don't think I've ever managed to go more than 50 miles without hitting an average mpg of at least 35. Straight off the lot I spent several hours on the freeway driving like a maniac and still had something like 37mpg average when I got home. I wish I checked my average speed too, it was the highest it has ever been (night time during the middle of the week, bright moon and perfect weather, lots of rural areas with long straights and hardly anyone else around - I spent quite a bit of time over 100mph. I pushed it to top speed more than once. Yes, it was totally ****ing awesome!).
I just don't understand how someone can get ~30mpg average in a TDI unless it's over a short distance with lots of stop and go. I think the worst I've ever seen my average mpg on even a city drive where I floored it every single chance I got and basically just accelerated as hard as I could the rest of the time was somewhere between 20 and 25. I don't remember all the details but I don't think I went more than 15 miles total and had to stop at a bunch of lights.

I think anyone who can't hit at least 40mpg average after an hour on the freeway really needs to have their car checked out.

 

[maxedtdi]

A lot TDI owners drive slow... (ie below 65).
A lot lie about their numbers (quote one time MFD readouts)
Its a fact that the M6 gets +10% fuel economy.
I seriously find it hard to believe that when someone claims " i drove it like a stole it and I got 40mpg), **** I'd get low 20s if I did that.

While your average is low at 30, I would be there too if i drove it like i drove my other cars.

This car NEEDs to be babied in order to achieve the best mpg.

My average over 11k miles is 36 and I seriously changed my driving habits...

At 70 I get 37-38mpg at 75 its 35-36 at 80 its more like low 30s. 65 and below yields the best highway MPG.

 

[Vidgamer]

When we did all-highway on a long trip, it was probably 65-70MPH and up to 45MPG at the best point. On my commutes, I'm limited by other traffic. I can drive somewhat assertively and get good mileage if the traffic is decent. If it's backed-up, stop-and-go, I will not be able to drive fast, but I got one of my worst mileage in a bad jam this week - 35MPG. But sure if I baby it, it'll be better on average, but the difference is more like between getting 37MPG and 39MPG. I can get around 40MPG sometimes on my commute, and when I'm on the highway I'm going highway speeds (not <65 if I'm in a 65MPH zone). What kills the mileage for me is slow stop and go. I can do only around 30 with short (local, not highway) trips, particularly with lots of stoplights and traffic. So, my results seem to depend heavily on the surrounding situations. But no, I don't drive it like Gramma.

I feel like I can still have fun driving and just lose a couple of MPH if I feel like that. Most of my driving is around other cars, so there are limits to how much fun I'm willing to have.

Steady flow on the highway, even at 65 or 70 MPH, you can get over 40MPG, no problem.

My last tank calculated to over 38MPG almost all commuting in rush hour (some on highway).

 

[bgs02]

at 9k miles on 6spd manual w/ thule roof rack I get low 40's highway mpg (doing 75-80 mph) and 35mpg around town and I'm making no effort to drive efficiently.

and my #s are still improving...

 

[B25guy]

"your mileage may vary" is soooo true driving theseTDIs...for example: my daily commute is 44 miles r/t on 3-lane parkway (102 traffic lights) with only 4 of those miles on interstate. On a typical commute, my average speed is 36 mph (according to MFD) and I stop for maybe 20-25 of those 100 lights. I usually maintain the 45-50 mph speed limit (on the surface street portion) and see that my MFD #1 avg is reporting 40-44mpg on each trip (some mornings when I beat the 5 school zones and time the lights just right, I see 50+, highest being 57.4!). I reset my MFD #2 avg every fill-up and it reports a consistent 42.5 mpg at every reset. My calculated mpg per tankfull is a consistent 42.1...so I tend to believe MFD avg #2.
I'm an adult driver (50ish) so I don't race others and back off when I see the light is red half a block away (others seem to enjoy racing up to it and braking hard???). I guess you could say I'm a "hyper-miler" but I'm more inclined to say I am just trying to reduce shifting (yeah, lucky me...I drive AND enjoy a stick but don't see enough highway) and timing my speed allows me to keep rolling through the majority of those 102 lights. I try a to get in a couple of WOT getting on the interstate when possible and on the occasional trip to the big city on the weekends, I see MFD #1 avg about 46-48 mpg. I did notice a bigger mpg drop than I remember from last winter and the only difference is I'm one of the chosen (I had the i/c mode done last spring)...but mileage is back up to pre-mod numbers. I've got 27k on the clock now so break-in is pretty much done.

Marc