Fuel Information Display

[TOOGUD]

Dear all,

Just wanting to find out if anyone has this similar issue which I am facing. The issue that I have is that after refuelling, the readings on the Fuel Information Display fluctuates tremendously. Like it can drop heaps when i tap the accelerator slightly, and when I come to a complete stop, readings on the fuel consumption display will increase by 4-5 Litres. This happens for quite a while and I realised that even on cruise mode and travelling for 100km distance, the fuel consumption only drops by 2-3 Litres at most on a highway and once I come to a complete stop for about a minute, the display will show any increase of 0.1 Litre. It is harder to achieve a decline in fuel consumption than an increase and it makes me wonder if there is a fault with the onboard computer. I mean on my mate's TRD Aurion, once he hits the highway at anypoint for even 10-20km, his fuel avg will drop by at least 2-3L. Whereas for mine, I am able to achieve only half his efficiency. Anyone has this issue? I'm wondering if I am able to achieve a good avg fuel consumption and not reset the information display after refuelling, whether that will make any difference. Well I'm beginning to think that our car is behaving like a commercial plane's onboard computer, which is like the computer will avg out the fuel in your tank and if you are able to make it think that it doesn't require that much fuel to run, it will give u more efficiency.

Regards

[Taka]

I am sure I understand you fully. After refuel.... it is like averaging fuel econ over a small distance. I get 30L when I drive out and 7L when I go back home but it ain't mean anything!

You are disappointed that you don't have good economy or because you are extremely anxious of increasing fuel consumption average when the car is idling?

Change your driving style and see. The economy is best when the driving style suits it.

I keep telling my wife there is no way getting 16L/100km from Kew to Prahran and back. She even get 16L from Kew to Doncaster.

My message to her is, "use your right foot as few times as possible, even braking! Look at and judge the traffic, rolling and way better than stopping"

It is how to use the right foot too.. I cane the car off the lights when I drive and get the 201kW fully used, but I cruise afterward and get 12-13L/100km in the 60-80 zone roads.

Keep practising and you will get there. Oh and 95 RON fuel (Caltex or BP; not shell in Melbourne)

Edited September 24, 2008 by Taka

[TOOGUD]

Thanks for the info Taka. Well the reality is I feel that our car's computer is not as responsive to our driving styles as compared to the rest of the Toyota fleet as i mentioned before my mate's TRD aurion's fuel consumption is readily changing in terms of how he drives his car and even though he has a heavy right foot, it doesn't jump or increase as dramatic as our Kluger does. And stopping at lights certainly wouldn't affect him much as well compared to us. When i'm reversing into a park, fuel meter also increases by about 0.1L. Ultimately, I am concerned about whether our onboard computer recognises more need for fuel when its stationery or at when we move off at a set of lights as these are the instances whereby fuel is not used the most in my opinion as i always ensure i don't floor my accelerator. Urban city driving brings it up to 17L at peak and this is almost the same as my manager's HSV.

Please advise

Regards

Eugene

[Snowy68]

Hi Eugene,

Fuel economy readout will always vary most just after filling up. It normally takes about 50 - 100km before my readout stops varying when stopped at lights etc... depending on where I am driving. However, even after about 400km, I can still get a variation of my fuel economy on a 10km trip. I do notice that fuel economy goes up most when accelerating and when travelling slow. I guess the computer works out how much fuel is needed to cover 100km based on the speed you are doing (sitting still or a slow crawl) and adjusts the readout accordingly. I'm like Taka, I like to get to cruising speed as quick as possible. I average 12km with 50% of that in traffic (not much stop start though).

Cheers,

Snowy

Edited October 13, 2008 by Snowy68

[TOOGUD]

Guess what guys.. I did a lil' road trip durin Easter from Brisbane to Sydney and averaged about 10L/100km. Managed to get about 560km for a full tank. I'm amazed..

[matt_kluger]

Guess what guys.. I did a lil' road trip durin Easter from Brisbane to Sydney and averaged about 10L/100km. Managed to get about 560km for a full tank. I'm amazed..

wow thats good.

tonight i filled up mine. Stopped at lights - it went up to 30 ltrs!!!!! what the.... then it stuck around 17-19 ltrs on the way home. then when i gt back in to take it for a 20kms drive or so it went down to 9.7.... ahh i can't keep up with this thing.

I miss my xtrail with a constant 10 litres per 100 kms - always at 600kms per tank of fuel... i'll never see 600 again. haha

[NimrodAUS]

I picked mine up and did a little bit of city driving then highway for 250km with a fair bit of overtaking. Did 270km and used 27lt of fuel. So 10l/100. I was pretty happy. Drinks a bit driving around town though :-( ahh who cares I dont even look at the price of fuel anymore just fill it up and pay. its all a rip off. but since the 2005 Kluger has a 72lt tank I would be pretty annoyed if I didnt get atleast 600km from a tank mainly highway.

Edited February 1, 2010 by NimrodAUS

[Taka]

Guys you observed it right.

The "average" fuel consumption will vary the most when the car just after refuel because the computer reset itself.

It will go to 30L/100km first because you just roll off the servo. When you have the 1st km in 1st gear and accelerating, you are using more fuel. That is why the number is always high after the fill up. The only scenario I can think of is you are at a high way servo. You roll out pretty much at cruising speed.

Average fuel consumption is purely amount of fuel divided by kilometer driven. So if you are stationary, of course it will go up.

I really stand on the fact that stop start traffic does worse than rolling traffic, even if you are travelling at the same average speed. Getting the car from 0-20kmh takes more fuel than coasting at 15kmh. Believe me. Try that yourself cruising at 15kmh in your street. The bar (which gives instant reading - ie the instant, at this instant, fuel consumption) will be much lower at cruising. And then observe the bar going to 30L/100km when you move the car from 0. It is scary to see where the fuel goes.

The trick in my book is to slow down for the red light, leaving a huge gap to the car in front, hoping that the light will turn green before I bunch up to the car. That will reduce my chances of stopping to 0, hence I will get better fuel economy. I do 14L/100km in Melbourne inner eastern suburb traffic with this method. Now I use regular unleaded as I don't see the benefit for another 8c after I taught my wife of the same method.

[Taka]

Also, check your tyre pressure and if the car steer funny, wheel alignment.

Pressure is 39psi for mine. And I do wheel alignment whenever I can - or about 15000km.

[NimrodAUS]

That fuel figure I gave was with 38PSI in the tyres, i lowered it to 35PSI a bit more comfort.

[TOOGUD]

Well guys, I have pretty much given up on this guzzler after my missus got herself a Mini Copper S. Now we only drive the Kluger when we have to (to cut the Mini some slack) or when we need to ferry heaps of mates around.. lol.. Combine driving gives me abt 12-13L on average. SOmetimes I am lucky to get away with 11.5L/100km. We are savin heaps on petrol by driving the Mini but the running cost of the Mini also makes us toss around both vehicles. I am only able to get about 510km out of a full tank at the moment. I'm thinking of selling the Kluger soon if the price of petrol goes back to around 1.40/L. I will miss the comfort it provides though.. :(

[NimrodAUS]

Ill Swap ya