[raptor_f22]

Hi all, have posted elsewhere about this but thought i'd start a separate thread because a lot of people have asked me about this off forum.

Here's what I've found in terms of real life mpg figures having owned my 330d Auto E92 2007 M Sport for a weeks now and clocked up a few hundred miles.

Some facts to start with:

- The car already had 161k miles on the clock when I bought it
- The car had a minor service (oil change) a month before I bought it
- The tyres are mid-range (Mayrun 500) on the rear and budget on the front
- I haven't checked the thermostat and can't see evidence of a replacement in the car's service history
- The area I live in is rife with roadworks, heavy traffic and a mix of dual carriage ways, motorways and rural-esque roads
- Aeronautical engineer by qualification and specialised in propulsion so have some basic understanding of engines and efficiency (I hope...)

My driving style:

- Conservative when I need to be and foot flat on the floor when I feel adventurous (I did go for the 330d after all!) plus helps keep the DPF from clogging up.
By conservative I mean foot off the gas pedal when not needed to restrict fuel flow, gentle acceleration so the needle barely moves away from the 50mpg mark doing 55/60mph instead of 80mph...anyway you get the picture

- The gearbox is shifted into neutral when it needs to be

My observations so far:

- Despite driving as conservative as poss around town, the roadworks and congestion have a huge impact on mpg. 20-30 mins of crawling along the road intermittently gives me a return of around 26mpg

- Over the course of an average week, factoring in 2 runs a day to work (7 miles one way) and going to a nearby town 4 times a week (20 mile round trip) the return is 29-32mpg

- I did a couple of motorway runs (75 to 125 miles each) and reset the computer before setting off. I got a return of around 46mpg. Max cruise speed was 80mph, there were some hill climbs involved. After each motorway run, a further 100 - 120 miles were driving around town and that figure dropped to 32mpg

- Starting the engine seems to have a big impact on a cold morning. e.g. engine off at the end of the day, computer shows 30mpg. Come back the next morning, start the engine and it immediately drops to 29.5mpg. Odd perhaps?

What I think:

It's still early days to conclude whether the mpg figures i'm seeing are typical of my car or whether something could be wrong with it. The tyres and oil grade used will have an impact on the car as well as its age and mileage.

Add to that the temperature has also dropped recently and yes, I live quite close to work so really the engine isn't going to be running at an optimum temperature which will affect efficiency.

So far I've relied on the iDrive computer to see what return i'm getting. I'm currently in the midst of running the tank empty and doing my own calculations next time I fill up.

Since I bought it I have only filled it with VPower diesel and recently reset the adaptive driver memory to see if the throttle response has changed and had any impact on the mpg figures. I've found the car is slightly more responsive at lower rpm's. Impact on mpg remains to be seen.

Overall, am I concerned or impressed by the return i'm getting? In all honesty, I'd say i'm quite impressed. Prior to this car I was driving a Honda Civic 1.8 Type-S Petrol and would consistently get 47mpg on the motorway and combined motorway/urban driving would get me 38mpg. After moving house to where I live now and getting brand new tyres that figure dropped to 24mpg! (increased friction + lots of traffic...)

So for a 6-cylinder engine with a whopping amount of power and torque AND an automatic gearbox, i'm surprised the car isn't bankrupting me on a weekly basis. Well actually it is but that story is for a different thread

I live in hope that my mpg figures get better once the roadworks sod off and traffic movements are more consistent, but let's see. I'll update again in the future.

Hope that helps someone out there!

**Update 29th Nov**
- Car has now done 340 miles combined urban & motorway miles (50/50 split approx) and is going at a steady 34.8mpg

[Rich_D]

I've been tracking my mpg for the past few months using fuelly, my car is a remapped pre-LCI E90 330d, long term average is ~36mpg

That is is mixed driving, mainly town (school run, shopping, etc) with lots of A & B roads, a little motorway driving and some spirited driving all lumped in together.

Are you using the ODB figures or calculating it?

[raptor_f22]

Originally Posted by Rich_D

I've been tracking my mpg for the past few months using fuelly, my car is a remapped pre-LCI E90 330d, long term average is ~36mpg

That is is mixed driving, mainly town (school run, shopping, etc) with lots of A & B roads, a little motorway driving and some spirited driving all lumped in together.

Are you using the ODB figures or calculating it?

That's interesting - most remap companies claim it will give you up to 10% better mpg, is that what you found? I did a cost analysis and for a £300 remap, assuming a constant Vpower price of 118.9 and average of 36mpg (taking into account the 10% increase) I'd only get the £300 back as a saving after some 25-30,000 miles of driving. so for now I've decided against it.

Yes, I'm using the OBD computer at the moment but will update once I refill the tank after draining it and have done my own calculations.

[Pumper]

People remap their cars primarily for better performance, not better mpg.

[raptor_f22]

Originally Posted by Pumper

People remap their cars primarily for better performance, not better mpg.

No doubt but I'm looking at it from the perspective of the "economy remap" that a lot of companies offer and following on from the many who remapped their car for exactly that reason

Performance wise I'd definitely be up for doing it someday. As quick as I need for now

[Rich_D]

Originally Posted by raptor_f22

That's interesting - most remap companies claim it will give you up to 10% better mpg, is that what you found? I did a cost analysis and for a £300 remap, assuming a constant Vpower price of 118.9 and average of 36mpg (taking into account the 10% increase) I'd only get the £300 back as a saving after some 25-30,000 miles of driving. so for now I've decided against it.

Yes, I'm using the OBD computer at the moment but will update once I refill the tank after draining it and have done my own calculations.

My car was remapped prior to me getting it, so I have no before & after mpg figures for this car, but I've also had 2 E46 330d's (a remapped auto & a standard manual) and all 3 cars give near as dammit the same mpg long term. It's my driving conditions & driving style that are probably dictating my long term mpg, it can do 50+mpg on a long steady motorway run, but I very rarely do that, you need other people's figures as well.

However the remap was not done to improve the mpg, it was done to get more power & torque, there are economy maps though primarily designed to give better mpg, mine is a power map though (291bhp & 602Nm), I also don't drive with economy in mind or under ideal driving conditions, but 36mpg average is good IMO.

The OBD computer is not the most accurate, use a fuel tracking app or good old fashioned maths and work it out over a few tanks. Be mindful that diesels do drop mpg slightly in winter, it's usually 2-3mpg worse in my experience compared do summer, due to lower ambient temps.

[Rich_D]

Originally Posted by Pumper

People remap their cars primarily for better performance, not better mpg.

[Rich_D]

Use the hidden menu to check your coolant temps, chances are the thermostats need replacing, it's an 88'c stat, so should get above this after 10-15 mins of driving (depends on conditions) and stay there, mine is usually in the low 90's

[raptor_f22]

Originally Posted by Rich_D

My car was remapped prior to me getting it, so I have no before & after mpg figures for this car, but I've also had 2 E46 330d's (a remapped auto & a standard manual) and all 3 cars give near as dammit the same mpg long term. It's my driving conditions & driving style that are probably dictating my long term mpg, it can do 50+mpg on a long steady motorway run, but I very rarely do that, you need other people's figures as well.

However the remap was not done to improve the mpg, it was done to get more power & torque, there are economy maps though primarily designed to give better mpg, mine is a power map though (291bhp & 602Nm), I also don't drive with economy in mind or under ideal driving conditions, but 36mpg average is good IMO.

The OBD computer is not the most accurate, use a fuel tracking app or good old fashioned maths and work it out over a few tanks. Be mindful that diesels do drop mpg slightly in winter, it's usually 2-3mpg worse in my experience compared do summer, due to lower ambient temps.

Yep, all ties in with my original post. Good to know I'm on the right track. Will check out the coolant temp after I do my next re-fill. On the other thread I was following that was the big indicator i.e a 'stat which needed replacing as mpg figures were lower than normal.

Where did you get your remaps done?

I'm not an eco-freak really, just find it interesting to see how what the return is in reality and different driving conditions.

[Rich_D]

Mine was remapped by this place >>> http://www.more-bhp.com/bmw-3-series...ecu-remap.html

They are based in Crewe, mine has the stage 2 map with DPF removal & EGR coded out, so it has been done for power not economy, however they also do an eco map for £225 if improved mpg is your goal.

This is my before & after dyno runs for comparison >>>



I bought the car off one of my best mates, so drove it before & after, the difference is night & day and it is no worse on fuel, despite being much quicker.

I'm actually doing a long trip in it next weekend, I'll cover 500+ miles, so will report back on my fuel figures, will be a steady run with the wife & child in the car, so will be driving sensibly.

[NRudy]

See if 330d's only manage 36mpg combined
Im even more content that i went with a 335i.

On a solid motorway run i average 36-42mpg combined i average 26-30mpg and round town its a low 22-24mpg (improves a few mpg's if i use the padals and set off in second and keep the revs around 1,500rpm).

Id expect 40+ in a diesel personally but then again when i was driving a 2.0 A4 170 i probably averaged 35/36 in that on a long run i usually average 48.7mpg (no cruise control though).

Considering the performance differences and noise benefits. Diesel isnt as great as i thought compared to petrol.

[HassShah]

I had my 330d Remapped and had the DPF removed and deleted due to thing clogging up causing me issues the best option was to remove and remap for me. Did not really see what mpg I was getting whilst I had the DPF and no remap as I pretty much had it done within the first month of purchasing the car as the "Limp Mode" was annoying me!

However car locally gets me around 32-34mpg if I don't thrash it as its an Auto I have a heavy foot at times! (When I do its around 24mpg)

On the motorboat I done 500 Mile round trip before I set off I full tanked the car hit the motorway and set the cruise control at 79mph and got an average of 64mpg. Got to the 50mph zone which was a 22 mile stretch and achieved 68 to my surprise. I hardly ever hi the motorway so I am tempted to get the 335i for my next car as most of my driving is local and I don't think im benefiting from having a diesel. But compared to my previous car its miles and miles better on both local and motorway so the 330d still gets a thumbs up!

[Aragorn30d]

These figures will vary wildly due to the exact driving you do.

One persons "mixed" is very different to another, and even "town driving" can vary wilding from simply driving around a village or town, to sitting in congested traffic with tonnes of junctions/lights/roundabouts etc etc. It also depends how hot the engine is. 4 miles of Town driving on the end of a motorway run with a fully warmed up motor will return much better than a 4 mile town journey on a stone cold engine.

I track my MPG here:

http://www.fuelly.com/car/bmw/330d/2006/aragorn/355397

My cars mostly used for commuting, which for me is about 40miles each way, mostly motorway, and mostly free-flowing, though often on the return trip there will be a good few miles of traffic jam, crawling traffic etc. Its also a manual.

My previous car, an A4 1.8T quattro, returned around 31 average on similar driving, so the 330d is, on average, about 25% better than a 4 cylinder turbocharged petrol, on exactly the same journeys.

I expect lots of short trips would see the diesel much closer to the petrol, and longer trips of hundreds of miles would see the diesel widen the gap.

The lowest average MPG on that chart was when the wife was using my car 3 days a week to drive to work (4-5miles), and i still had my 80mile commute on top keeping the average up.

[HighlandPete]

Originally Posted by Aragorn30d

These figures will vary wildly due to the exact driving you do.

One persons "mixed" is very different to another, and even "town driving" can vary wilding from simply driving around a village or town, to sitting in congested traffic with tonnes of junctions/lights/roundabouts etc etc. It also depends how hot the engine is. 4 miles of Town driving on the end of a motorway run with a fully warmed up motor will return much better than a 4 mile town journey on a stone cold engine.

...

My previous car, an A4 1.8T quattro, returned around 31 average on similar driving, so the 330d is, on average, about 25% better than a 4 cylinder turbocharged petrol, on exactly the same journeys.

I expect lots of short trips would see the diesel much closer to the petrol, and longer trips of hundreds of miles would see the diesel widen the gap...

Good points and how I see it as well.

Your last comment is reasoning I used in getting to my decision to go back to petrol. I make lots of trips around 12 miles (24 - 25 mile return trips), and found the diesel was not so good in winter months. On cold days never got hot on the 12 mile trip (thermostats and ECT OK). The reasons, that's another discussion.

Here's a quote from some of my ramblings after the first winter.

I've just crunched a few numbers for short trips, now that I have some data and can compare my F11 535i with the E91 330d, making the same trips.

For my 5 mile mark, the mpg from cold is less than 10% more fuel for the petrol, even at 12 miles it only increases to about 13% more fuel. Takes around 30 miles before it is users over 15% more fuel than the diesel....

It is when you start adding decent runs, the diesel engine will start returning the good mpg figures. That is where the petrol just can't gain the economy. My example, the diesel will use around 20% less fuel....

I've confirmed this over and over, since those first comments. Short trips from cold and the petrol is not so far behind. It is the long runs where the diesel clearly wins, particularly on light steady speed runs.

HighlandPete

[Rich_D]

Originally Posted by NRudy

See if 330d's only manage 36mpg combined
Im even more content that i went with a 335i.

On a solid motorway run i average 36-42mpg combined i average 26-30mpg and round town its a low 22-24mpg (improves a few mpg's if i use the padals and set off in second and keep the revs around 1,500rpm).

Id expect 40+ in a diesel personally but then again when i was driving a 2.0 A4 170 i probably averaged 35/36 in that on a long run i usually average 48.7mpg (no cruise control though).

Considering the performance differences and noise benefits. Diesel isnt as great as i thought compared to petrol.

Don't base it on my mpg figures alone, it's a modded car and I do very little motorway driving, I don't hang around when I'm on the A & B roads either, so I'm not driving with economy in mind, it could do more if I tried.

[raptor_f22]

Originally Posted by Rich_D

Don't base it on my mpg figures alone, it's a modded car and I do very little motorway driving, I don't hang around when I'm on the A & B roads either, so I'm not driving with economy in mind, it could do more if I tried.

Thanks everyone for contributing to the thread! Just catching up on all the messages.

So - bearing in mind everything I wrote in my original post - this is the first time for me filling up the tank after running it near empty*.
Pic shows I got a return of 37.6mpg on a combined 60/40 run (mainly urban driving), so I'm actually really surprised in a good way!



Also, point to note that the iDrive showed:
- *There was supposedly 55 miles remaining in the tank (I guess assuming I remained driving at whatever the instantaneous mpg was at the time)
- The average mpg for the same distance covered was 36.2mpg

So yes, backs up what other drivers have said i.e. the iDrive can't be fully relied on it seems.

Have downloaded fuelly now so will keep track of it long term.

[Rich_D]

That's more like it

I'll report back after my long steady motorway run at weekend, will be the first time I've done any significant distance in it

[Pumper]

That's great MPG for preLCI 330d auto, especially when my 320d only got 36 mpg yesterday on a ~160 mile highway run at ~70mph, lol. Yeah, my car sucks.

[Rich_D]

Originally Posted by Pumper

That's great MPG for preLCI 330d auto, especially when my 320d only got 36 mpg yesterday on a ~160 mile highway run at ~70mph, lol. Yeah, my car sucks.

Check your thermostats

[Kuroblack]

If it helps, I posted this at the beginning of the year:

Fuel-----------litres in----gallons in------range----MPG indicated by car---Actual (worked out)

Shell Standard------57.52-------12.65-----537-----44.8---------42.4
Shell Standard------54.73-------12.04-----522-----44.8---------43.4
Shell Standard------56.19-------12.36-----502-----44.2---------40.6
Shell Standard------54.97-------12.09-----509-----44.1---------42.1
Shell Standard------55.56-------12.22-----514-----40.3---------42.1
Shell Standard------55----------12.1------512-----42.8---------42.3
Shell Standard------56----------12.32-----545-----42.8---------44.2
BP Standard--------57----------12.54-----558-----44.1---------44.5
Shell V Power------55.4---------12.19-----537-----44.1---------44.1
Shell Standard-----59.62--------13.11-----600-----44.1---------45.8
Shell V Power------56.43--------12.41-----531-----44.1---------42.8

I've not recorded my stats in ages now, doesn't seem worth it!

If anything, my MPG has improved with age this year. This is, I suspect, down to the V Power. I've been using it continuously for over 12 months and the results are basically - increased range. Gone are the days of getting a shade over 500 miles to a tank, at the moment my fuel light tends to come around 540/550, with a refill sometime after, occasionally getting to 600.

95% of my driving is to/from work, thats; 50 miles, 32 of which are motorway followed by urban/twisty.

My MPG reading this week has dropped from 49.5 to 48.7, still very good. For comparison, it's basically the same as my 1.9TiD Saab I had prior.

[Rich_D]

Impressive

[Pumper]

Originally Posted by Rich_D

Check your thermostats

Both replaced (along with glow plugs and maf) and car gets to 89-91c without issues. The only major mpg impacting component that I have not changed yet is the oxygen/lambda sensor, but since I don't get any fault codes from it, I'm not sure if it actually is working as should (maf was dead but did not throw faults as well).