fuel economy

[TEESIXY]

Over the longer term, brake pad wear and tyre wear should give an indication of driving style.
When i sold my last Transporter, it had done 62000 miles, and the original front pad pads were still ok. Some seem to be on their third set of pads by that mileage and i doubt their mpg will be good. I got around 40k out of the front tyres, if they are worn out at half that mileage, a lot of energy (fuel) will have been used to wear them.
Driving within the speed limits, and taking your foot off the pedal at 500 metres before an island so you get around it with minimum braking doesn't make for an interesting drive, but you're more likely to get good mpg.

 

[Tiab]

@TEESIXY I'm with you on this .My daily commute used to be 300 miles. With the T6 I've not had the alignment done since fitting Arb and bilsteins, so, after some 11k, (I bought at 1k) the original devonport tyres are at 4mm on front. I've come across several alignment centres including protyre and Micheldever who refuse to touch an aftermarket suspension on the basis that they are not factory setting and they do not have the configuration data to align them properly which leaves me in a bit of a quandary. once I've got the new wheels on I'm looking for someone who is knowledgeable, intelligent and can think outside the box to make the new wheels optimal for hundreds of miles a week of driving.

 

[mmi]

If I recall correctly, aerodynamic drag increases with the square of speed. Twice the speed, 4 times the drag. 3 times the speed, 9 times the drag and so on.

I've noticed significant differences in mpg with tail and head winds. But over a year, this should pretty much average out. 35mpg. Incidently, about the same as my Qashqai got towing a caravan. A combination that would have had a larger surface area effected by aerodynamic losses. 1400kg for the car and 1200kg for the caravan. So heavier too, compared to an empty T32.

But there again, I rarely towed it through a city centre.

Yup, the laws of physics are definitely against the T6.

Drag (physics) - Wikipedia

In the formula a factor is air density which unfortunately varies greatly by temperature and air pressure, even slightly with humidity. For example at +25C the density is 1.18 kg/m3 but at 0C the density is already 1.29 kg/m3– so 9% of more drag right there . More to play at Air Density Calculator - What is the Density of Air? - Omni

The scenario is even more dreadful if power required to overcome the drag is factored in. The power needed is overcome the drag increases with the cube of speed . Twice the speed, 8 times the power.

Anyways, that’s just a theory…

 

[Tiab]

Quite frequently I hypermile in the T6 by tailgating articulated lorries within 20 foot of the back of the tallest lorry or coach I can find which gives me up to 60 mpg over 200 miles. Until I can reprogram the adaptive cruise control to want to keep me to a safer distance this does require a very high degree of concentration especially over a 6 hour journey.

 

[Neil Nicholls]

Quite frequently I hypermile in the T6 by tailgating articulated lorries within 20 foot of the back of the tallest lorry or coach I can find which gives me up to 60 mpg over 200 miles. Until I can reprogram the adaptive cruise control to want to keep me to a safer distance this does require a very high degree of concentration especially over a 6 hour journey.

driving in the vacuum.... I would rather take the 25mpg than do 56 especially for 6 hours ?

 

[mark]

driving in the vacuum.... I would rather take the 25mpg than do 56 especially for 6 hours ?

I'd take 15mpg !!!

 

[Dieseldonkey]

Yup, the laws of physics are definitely against the T6.

Drag (physics) - Wikipedia

In the formula a factor is air density which unfortunately varies greatly by temperature and air pressure, even slightly with humidity. For example at +25C the density is 1.18 kg/m3 but at 0C the density is already 1.29 kg/m3– so 9% of more drag right there . More to play at Air Density Calculator - What is the Density of Air? - Omni

The scenario is even more dreadful if power required to overcome the drag is factored in. The power needed is overcome the drag increases with the cube of speed . Twice the speed, 8 times the power.

Anyways, that’s just a theory…

There surely must be a tipping point somewhere, where the benefits of the engine being able to produce more power, because it's breathing denser air, is offset by the increase in drag.

I think too much.

 

[CRD]

@TEESIXY I'm with you on this .My daily commute used to be 300 miles. With the T6 I've not had the alignment done since fitting Arb and bilsteins, so, after some 11k, (I bought at 1k) the original devonport tyres are at 4mm on front. I've come across several alignment centres including protyre and Micheldever who refuse to touch an aftermarket suspension on the basis that they are not factory setting and they do not have the configuration data to align them properly which leaves me in a bit of a quandary. once I've got the new wheels on I'm looking for someone who is knowledgeable, intelligent and can think outside the box to make the new wheels optimal for hundreds of miles a week of driving.

I've got to give my local Kwik-fit their dues- they carried out 4 wheel Hunter alignment on my van for £60, were at it for easy 2 hrs including a couple of road tests until we were both happy with the results. Tyres on my lowered van wear evenly and at an expected rate.

 

[Tiab]

I've got to give my local Kwik-fit their dues- they carried out 4 wheel Hunter alignment on my van for £60, were at it for easy 2 hrs including a couple of road tests until we were both happy with the results. Tyres on my lowered van wear evenly and at an expected rate.

I'll attach the hunter scan of my before and after from Kwikfit on the "Wheels" thread - local group in Farnham were pretty good IMHO - although adjustment was £75 but if you pay £109 then you get two years of re-trimming which I did go for.

 

[Fezz12]

I’ve been studying this feed and and wanted to add my experience. Ignoring the mpg reading completely. I had a 11reg 102 t30 swb van Pendle chipped to 167bhp with 20” wheels and lowerd on bilsteins. I travel 25mls to work each way and always got just shy of 600 miles to a tank. I did drive it hard. I’ve just picked up a 18reg 150 dsg kombi euro 6 engine again on 20” wheels and lowered on bilsteins and im getting 400 miles to a tank driving a lot slower and smoother. I know the tank is smaller due to the add blue but that is a massive difference. It’s currently on 4.5k so might get better as it loosens up.
I guess my thoughts are.
1 does the dsg make that much difference to mpg? When looking I was told that it make little difference with these new auto gearboxes.
2 is it down to the euro 6 engine and the euro 5 was just not as thirsty?

 

[Tiab]

I've

I’ve been studying this feed and and wanted to add my experience. Ignoring the mpg reading completely. I had a 11reg 102 t30 swb van Pendle chipped to 167bhp with 20” wheels and lowerd on bilsteins. I travel 25mls to work each way and always got just shy of 600 miles to a tank. I did drive it hard. I’ve just picked up a 18reg 150 dsg kombi euro 6 engine again on 20” wheels and lowered on bilsteins and im getting 400 miles to a tank driving a lot slower and smoother. I know the tank is smaller due to the add blue but that is a massive difference. It’s currently on 4.5k so might get better as it loosens up.
I guess my thoughts are.
1 does the dsg make that much difference to mpg? When looking I was told that it make little difference with these new auto gearboxes.
2 is it down to the euro 6 engine and the euro 5 was just not as thirsty?

You should find over the next 5000 miles you will get some improvement and I'm looking forward to have my first oil change and flush.
I've also found when using an older or used vehicle that resetting the ECU to start to relearn your driving will invariably deliver better results as it adapts to your driving style from Fresh.
I've definitely noticed that since having the 19 inch wheels on, the DSG changes into 7 at about 43 miles an hour when it used to be a few miles an hour lower which may make a difference. I have yet to do a long run but tomorrow will be about 250 miles so we'll see.
may well be also worth getting your tracking alignment checked to see if the toe / tracking settings are at all out.

 

[Fezz12]

I've

You should find over the next 5000 miles you will get some improvement and I'm looking forward to have my first oil change and flush.
I've also found when using an older or used vehicle that resetting the ECU to start to relearn your driving will invariably deliver better results as it adapts to your driving style from Fresh.
I've definitely noticed that since having the 19 inch wheels on, the DSG changes into 7 at about 43 miles an hour when it used to be a few miles an hour lower which may make a difference. I have yet to do a long run but tomorrow will be about 250 miles so we'll see.
may well be also worth getting your tracking alignment checked to see if the toe / tracking settings are at all out.

Thanks Tiab I will give that a go. I did have the suspension done by midland Vw who are very good and varied out a 4 wheel alignment along with the fitting but it’s definitely worth a check thank you.

 

[St4n99]

16 plate 110 shuttle with over 96000 miles on clock . Normally 3 to four people and some kit but seats do have some weight , just use it for journeys up north for some hill walking and days away so mostly A roads and motorway but did have a few short journeys to work on this tank , when I filled up it did say almost 800 miles to empty but that would be because I had just came of motorway before fill up . On this tank I would have got between 500 to 550 until 0 miles was shown which I think is great compared to my daily petrol as Al be luck to get 350 with that and that's around a 60 liter tank lol

 

[Zave]

36mpg in my 204 measured manually with 27000 miles on the clock.

 

[Brom]

2016 204 manual with 10k on clock - bought at 8,300 miles.
Our first trip was 500 miles in the day, around 40 mpg. Great!
There was then a period, before conversion to a (high-roof) campervan, when we did some reasonably long drives ( 75 -150 miles), but got no better than 32mpg - same as our previous Citroen Relay camper - which was much heavier. Not impressed, as the van was empty and driven in precisely the same way.
Since conversion - 30mpg.
Surely, the reason why there's so much discrepancy between individual vans is the frequency of these regens - maybe the sensitivity/adjustment of whatever component decides it must regen?
I'll bet the official fuel consumption figures aren't calculated including a regen!
Question might be, therefore, how to make the engine less sensitive, so it regens far less frequently?

 

[k22102]

Resurrecting an old thread but, Is there any way of controlling regens? I filled my 102 manual panel van with v-power diesel as I do every third tank and it has gone to regen 5 times that I am aware of, I am now at 40 mile range left in tank and I've only done 256 miles since filling! By comparison, my previous 102 T5.1 returned at least 500 miles from a tank doing the same job.
I have trailed it back to Vw but was told there were no fault codes so van is as it should be!

 

[andys]

Are you doing a lot of short journeys? I get 530 miles on a tankful (150 dsg) and generally only get 1 regen per tank, if that, but all my journeys are at least 20-30 miles, and most much longer.
You're probably wasting your money putting more expensive diesel in too.

 

[Hinsley]

If you have a DSG box someone has said drive to drive in Sport mode as it helps get the regen done quicker (I think the revs stay higher for longer).

If you have a manual I don't know sorry.

I suffer from regens and the loud fan running after stopping due to several short runs in a row. Hasn't really been a problem (apart from thinking the van was going to explode the first time it happened) as I usuallyend up doing a longer run that allows for regen.

 

[CALLAKN]

Yeah what is the van doing when the fan comes on after driving it?! Mine sounds like a jet engine

 

[Dellmassive]

your bus should do about 2 regens per tank at about 1/3 and 2/3 tank levels...

provided you are driving to the criteria and driving enough for the regen to complete while driving.

if you stop/shut off mid-regen it will keep attempting to complete (unless the fuel level is low)

if you keep missing the regen phases you will eventually get the yellow DPF light warning you to deal with it.

Dfp Regen, Yellow Light & Adblue - Whats It All About? -

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Edit:

Mpg + Fuel Economy - What Mine Does -

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