2012 Tarago GLX Fuel Economy

[Paul H]

I recently purchased a  2.4 litre 2012 GLX Tarago with only 33, 000 kms on the dial. A lovely vehicle but noticed it was going through fuel a bit faster than my previous 2003 Tarago so did the refill to refill test twice and came back as 11/100kms both times.   This was on both town and highway driving. My 2003 Tarago was getting as low as 9/100kms even though it had done 325, 000kms.  Is 11/100kms normal for a 2012 Tarago?

[campbeam]

Previously looked at the fuel figures on RedBook for your vehicle and related comments on other forums. 11/100 kms appears to be acceptable for urban/city driving. Highway driving fuel economy should be better unless you are lead footing it. Suggest using some fuel injector cleaner and doing a day trip or a long distance drive to de-carbon the engine. 

Something else to consider is that the previous owner has most likely only been driving short distances which can contribute greatly to the formation of engine sludge and carbon build up in the engine cylinders.

I check for engine sludge using a large plastic straw. Remove the oil cap and use the straw to scrape around inside the oil tappett cover. You may be surprised about how much sludge is caught in the straw. If applicable, squeeze out the straw onto a paper towel and repeat a few times.