Fuel consumption TOO HIGH what do I do?

[tpham]

Having taken possession of my Kluger Grande 2WD back in Feb 2009 I have consistently done 14.5L - 15L / 100KM on regular unleaded - which is quite high compared to Toyota's 11L/100KM rating. I then discovered this website and have read up on some of the things people have tried to get their fuel consumption down. I have since switched from regular unleaded to V-POWER and have seen NO affect. I will next try BP 95 and/or 98 and replacing the engine oil with Mobil 1 0W-40 oil as "Rice racing" had done / suggested. Does anyone strongly believe that replacing the oil will bring down the fuel consumption significantly - I ask because I am reluctant to do it becuase of the complexity in doing it yourself and quite costly to get the dealer to do it. Also, FYI my wife is the one who has been driving and clocking 14.5L - 15L / 100KM - mostly city driving. Can anyone provide suggestions as to how I can improve fuel consumption. Thanks in advance.

[Toyopet]

Hi there tpham,

I think there are two answers here. 1) City driving and 2) your wife.

I usually get around 12L / 100km with urban driving (somwhere in between city and country conditions) and have only achieved under 10L / 100km once with mainly country driving. The closer to the city and the more stop/start or heavy traffic driving, the worse your fuel consumption is going to be.

I always find that my wife gets worse fuel consumption than me. I notice that she is quicker on the take-off and does not "read" the traffic or signals ahead like I do. So she uses the brakes a lot more and is less likely to achieve a rolling start at an intersection. I guess this is why her fuel consumption is poor.

How are your tyre pressures? I keep mine in the high 30's

Oil change and fuel type? I don't know as I haven't tried.

Good luck.....

[tpham]

Hi Toyopet,

Thanks for your reply. R u sure we're not married to the same person? As for tyre pressure I have no idea what the reading is...whatever the dealer / toyota pumped them up at. I will also look into this...

[Tony Kluger 03 Grande]

Yaaaaaa...

I recon the city driving give you the high reading..

in city driving (driving around melbourne CBD)...i also received the reading of 14-15L. and i have been using shell v-power for about 1 year...

in urban/city driving, my reading will be between 11-12L/100km.

Well as for tyre pressure... i'm currently running at 32 front and 28 rear, because i'm not carrying any passenger.

I've try putting the pressure up to 38psi in all four tyres. and did only improve a tinny bit, less and 1/2L different per 100km.

BUT the car will be supper bumpyyyyy... you will notice every tinny bumps on the road.. even a tiny rock..

and it's good dam unconfitable...

So if you want the car to drive like a luxury car. try putting the pressure done to 30psi and FEEL THE DIFFERNET.

Try on a speed hump and enjoy the softness of going over it..

cheeeeeeeersssssssssssssssssssss

Tony..

PS... Just changed my air filter, and the air filter make a HUGE differnet in fuell comsumption.......so if you havn't done so...

please please change it and let me know the different...........

[57fritz]

Yaaaaaa...

I recon the city driving give you the high reading..

in city driving (driving around melbourne CBD)...i also received the reading of 14-15L. and i have been using shell v-power for about 1 year...

in urban/city driving, my reading will be between 11-12L/100km.

Well as for tyre pressure... i'm currently running at 32 front and 28 rear, because i'm not carrying any passenger.

I've try putting the pressure up to 38psi in all four tyres. and did only improve a tinny bit, less and 1/2L different per 100km.

BUT the car will be supper bumpyyyyy... you will notice every tinny bumps on the road.. even a tiny rock..

and it's good dam unconfitable...

So if you want the car to drive like a luxury car. try putting the pressure done to 30psi and FEEL THE DIFFERNET.

Try on a speed hump and enjoy the softness of going over it..

cheeeeeeeersssssssssssssssssssss

Tony..

PS... Just changed my air filter, and the air filter make a HUGE differnet in fuell comsumption.......so if you havn't done so...

please please change it and let me know the different...........

Tony, what sort of air filter are you now using?

Fuel consumption - I have FWD KXR that does main suburban driving and average 10.3l/100 km. Tyre pressure 35psi all round. If my wife drives, it goes up to about 12.

[tpham]

I can see that some of you guys are from Melbourne/Victoria so you'll know where I am referring to when I say most of the driving is done by my wife to are from work. This involves driving from West Footscray to The Royal Childrens Hospital in Flemington and I don't believe the traffic is bad during her travel either way. Clocking 15L/100KM consistently compared with what others get (9L-12L)/100KM is a huge difference. I will try some of the suggestions you guys have put forward and will get back to you in due cause.

P.S. Tony the air filter you mentioned you've changed is it top quality? Just wondering why it would make a difference if it is not...

[Taka]

I am 100% believe there is nothing to do with your car. It is the traffic and driving behaviour.

West Footscray to RCH you will get traffic, even you travel on Footscray road.

If you want to get good mileage out of it, it is not how hard you accelerate. You can sprint to 60 if you like.

The major cause of high fuel consumption is to stop. Hence, the more of stop, the more fuel you use. Even the 10 sec rolling towards the back of the car in front and start at around 20kmh.. you will get much better fuel consumption.

The KEY is SMOOTH! Not just women but if you enjoy driving, you will drive very smoothly. There is barely any sudden G forces.

I drive a round about the same speed as I am driving straight though <_<

Just keep the brake pedal unless you have to... then it will be fine.

I run around Kew and Templestowe area in 14L/100km in a fat Grande 4WD.

Also, motor oil really helps. Trust me. I used 5W30 Mobil 1 before and it is much better drive and fuel economy. Now it is on the dealer ***** oil and it is back to the 14 mark. Also wheel alignment, tyre pressure and stay away from Shell will also help. Start shopping at Safeway :).

[Tony Kluger 03 Grande]

Tony, what sort of air filter are you now using?

Fuel consumption - I have FWD KXR that does main suburban driving and average 10.3l/100 km. Tyre pressure 35psi all round. If my wife drives, it goes up to about 12.

Hi......

well the air filter is from repco... it cost me like 30 bucks... so i guess its just a standard one.... but i guess a brand new filter will help.

"main suburban driving and average 10.3l/100 km"

that's very good....... i only average 10L/100km when i do freeway form melb to bendigo. but mine is an 03' AWD grande. your new engine is good........

[chrislak]

We recently had our 4WD Grande delivered and with only being traveled 800 km we are averaging 16.5l/100, city driving. I am assuming this consumption will reduce as we run the engine in over the next few thousand kilometers.

This fuel consumption is not a huge concern as this is the wife's car and the consumption equates to refueling the car every 2 or so weeks.

[theDefiant1]

I would have thought purchasing a large 4WD that high fuel consumption would just be a given - that is their nature

[Dave L]

I would have thought purchasing a large 4WD that high fuel consumption would just be a given - that is their nature

That's a bit of a generalisation, isn't it ?

The Kluger is as economical as most large family sedans/wagons...which isn't bad for a 4WD/SUV.

I think chrislak's concern was if the fuel economy he is currently experiencing would improve once the engine has been run in a little....not a complaint about using so much fuel.

[Blackkluger]

anything around 30psi in my opinion is too low, not only higher on fuel, but probably more wear on the outside front tyres. I run 42psi front and 38 rear, cant feel the difference due to softish suspension.

we use mainly bp ultimate and get around 14 around town, but once aagain it wife and school runs, but on good country runs we can get down to 10's, even lower if we refill when already in country.

[Turkey Galoot]

I would have thought purchasing a large 4WD that high fuel consumption would just be a given - that is their nature

I get the same fuel consumption around town in my Kluger (3.5L V6 AWD) and much better on the freeway than I did in my Tarago (2.4L 4).

I agree with Taka, it is the smooth starts and especially stops that reduces the consumption. When we first got the Kluger (bought it used, 1 year old), I was getting 12.6 around town and my wife 13.5. I now leave the display on the screen which shows the instant consumption bar and explained to my wife how we could both get it lower, and now we get around 11.6 - 12.0. I could probably get less if I took the racks off and increased the tyre pressure!

Ken.

Edited August 17, 2009 by kbosward

[Kesawi]

I used to be a real lead foot, racing off at the lights only to come to a halt at the next set of lights. I was averaging 13-15L/100km. I changed my driving style just on one month ago and am now down to 11-12.5L/100km around the city. Basically as others have said:

• Drive smoothly with slow starts and stops. I have noticed that when I flog it from the lights the average fuel economy will spike by a coupler of 0.1L/100km.
  
• If you can time it right, coast to the traffic lights so that you have a rolling start when they change.
  
• Don't fight gravity, avoid accelerating up hill. Try to only maintain your speed or allow your speed to drop slightly (use gravity to brake if you're approaching an intersection uphill, instead of accelerating up hill, and then slaming on the brakes).
  
• Use gravity to your advantage, try to only accelerate when going down hill, or if the hill is steep enough, let gravity do the work for you.
  
• I find the cruise control tends to be too agressive with the throttle when on a road with lots of changes in vertical direction, and by slightly adjusting the throttle with my foot I'm able to be more smoother.
  
• If you're driving down a road with a lot of traffic calming devices (speed humps, round-a-bouts, etc), try to maintain a constant speed rather than accelerating and braking between each device.
  

I've noticed that my journey times don't tend to be longer than they were compared to my previous driving style. I've followed cars that do the "race to the next red light" and I seem to always arrive at my destination at exactly the same time, or 30-60 seconds later, which in the overall scheme of things is insignificant, but provides for much better fuel economy. I probably should stick a bowls hat in the back, as it really is similar to the type of driving style associated with the more mature aged driver :P One thing I must say, is that I don't get as stressed or take bigger risks now that I'm driving this way.

Unfortunately I've always run my tyres at 40psi so I don't have any annecdotal evidence to compare the effect on fuel usage. I do find the ride comfortable though, but that's just me.

On the issue of fuel, I ran 91 RON originally and then switched to 95 RON, but can't really comment on any difference in fuel consumption as my driving pattern changed at th same time since I was no longer working and doing shorter trips. The difference in price between 91 & 95 RON where I fill up is around $0.09/L. At current prices my consumption would need to reduce by around 0.8L/100km to justify the extra price for the fuel. I'm not quite convinced that I achieve this with 95 RON. I will most likey switch back to regular.

[Turkey Galoot]

One thing I must say, is that I don't get as stressed or take bigger risks now that I'm driving this way.

Don't forget the passengers. When I ride in a car that is driven hard, I feel stressed and uncomfortable. And I'm not just talking about accelerating and braking. One thing that irks me is drivers who convert curves into polygons ... you know what I mean, when driving through a long, sweeping bend they go in too sharply, straighten up, go in hard again, straighten up, and so on, until by the time we come out of the bend I feel like I've gone through a slalom course!

So, driving smoothly not only saves petrol, it makes it a more pleasant experience for the passengers. Of course riding in a Kluger is already a very pleasant experience; driving smoothly makes it even better :)

Ken.

[Kesawi]

Don't forget the passengers. When I ride in a car that is driven hard, I feel stressed and uncomfortable. And I'm not just talking about accelerating and braking. One thing that irks me is drivers who convert curves into polygons ... you know what I mean, when driving through a long, sweeping bend they go in too sharply, straighten up, go in hard again, straighten up, and so on, until by the time we come out of the bend I feel like I've gone through a slalom course!

So, driving smoothly not only saves petrol, it makes it a more pleasant experience for the passengers. Of course riding in a Kluger is already a very pleasant experience; driving smoothly makes it even better :)

Ken.

Couldn't agree with you more Ken. It has only taken me 16 years of driving to figure it out.

[ss--ss]

The best way to save fuel especially on a freeway is drive right up as close to the car in front.. you get their drag. But obviously dangerous

Even better if it's something like a land cruiser or truck .

[Turkey Galoot]

The best way to save fuel especially on a freeway is drive right up as close to the car in front.. you get their drag. But obviously dangerous

Even better if it's something like a land cruiser or truck .

And while you're that close you may as well hook up a towing bar. That would really save on fuel :)

Ken.

[Cookie]

Convert to LPG? :)

[rapper]

My 2 month old KXS AWD gets a dreadfull rate, 17-18L/100km. All city driving and its quite hilly around here (eastern suburds, Sydney). I'm trying really hard to drive like a 90 year old but it makes no difference. I'm thinking about asking Toyota if there is a problem. Any thoughts?

Not what I was expecting :(

[ss--ss]

Normal city driving in our Kluger AWD with my missus droping of kids etc ... we seem to average around 13.5L..

Will be going from Syd to gold coast near the end of year so interested what results we achieve ..I' m thinking around 11L ?

[Kesawi]

Normal city driving in our Kluger AWD with my missus droping of kids etc ... we seem to average around 13.5L..

Will be going from Syd to gold coast near the end of year so interested what results we achieve ..I' m thinking around 11L ?

On longer trips form Brisbane to either the Sunshine or Gold Coasts I am able to average 9-10L/100km, and I've seen others post some consumptions below this for trips similar to yours.

Anyone found the cruising speed sweet spot for the Kluger which gives the optimum fuel consumption?

[57fritz]

Normal city driving in our Kluger AWD with my missus droping of kids etc ... we seem to average around 13.5L..

Will be going from Syd to gold coast near the end of year so interested what results we achieve ..I' m thinking around 11L ?

On longer trips form Brisbane to either the Sunshine or Gold Coasts I am able to average 9-10L/100km, and I've seen others post some consumptions below this for trips similar to yours.

Anyone found the cruising speed sweet spot for the Kluger which gives the optimum fuel consumption?

An indicated 110 on the speedo is actually about 102, Blue Mtns out to Dubbo the reading was 8.8l / 100km B)

[Glug]

One of the best ways I've found is not to be too slow off the mark, drive smoothly up to speed but not too slowly. If you take your time coming up to speed the gauge will show you in the 20 to 30 range for a long time giving you poor consumption. But hilly roads can be a killer, you really need to coast on the down hill sections.

I get 12 around town and 9 or 10 on the open road.

[Snowy68]

We get around 13 to 13.5 around the suburbs, dopping kids to school and short (less than 30 min) commutes. We have a KX-R AWD. On the open road consumption drops to between 9 and 10. We can sit on 110 km/h and get a little under 10 l/100. Running when cold and stop starts really kill the fuel economy.

Cheers,

Snowy68