9.9 mpg

guys, i have an issue. i'm not that big of a spirited driver (sometimes, i hit it, but most times i change gears at around 2.5-3k), but i'm still clocking 9.9 mpg. i drive 95% city and 5% freeway. even if my commute is mainly city (boston), i still think that 9.9 mpg is ridiculous given the way i drive. i have a friend who owns an e90 m3, and he drives on M mode all the time, but still gets 14 mpg.

the way i drive:

-power button off
-change gears below 3k, because i just simply can't bear the horrible roads in the city.

the car:

-bought it used with 18k miles
-no performance mods
-haven't changed the oil or got it serviced yet

what do you guys think? is it my way or driving or the car itself that's somehow drinking more than it should?

the city driving will absolutely do it. From the sounds of it, you are driving pretty conservatively but 95% on city roads will do it to any car. My 325 got about 16 this entire past winter because I hardly hit the interstate.

I'm only getting 14MPG in my 135 in LA driving

Not that big of a spirited driver?

WTF M FOR?

cwidjojo wrote

guys, i have an issue. i'm not that big of a spirited driver (sometimes, i hit it, but most times i change gears at around 2.5-3k), but i'm still clocking 9.9 mpg. i drive 95% city and 5% freeway. even if my commute is mainly city (boston), i still think that 9.9 mpg is ridiculous given the way i drive. i have a friend who owns an e90 m3, and he drives on M mode all the time, but still gets 14 mpg.

the way i drive:

-power button off
-change gears below 3k, because i just simply can't bear the horrible roads in the city.

the car:

-bought it used with 18k miles
-no performance mods
-haven't changed the oil or got it serviced yet

what do you guys think? is it my way or driving or the car itself that's somehow drinking more than it should?

9.9 sounds way too low, even if your typical drive is mostly stop and go. Check your tires for proper inflation (hugely affects mileage if severely under-inflated). Also, check to see when the last oil was changed. BMW replaces your oil free annually regardless of mileage (while under warranty). Lots of stop and go plays havoc on oil. Do you weigh more than 400 lbs and keep the boot filled with heavy crap?

To stick to the topic...I drive like a man possessed since there are no cops and no traffic around my area. I average 15 MPG.

Some good advıce here. Also, don´t judge your mıleage by the computer...use the old fashıoned way. Fıll up your tank and reset your trıp odometer to 0. The next tıme you fıll up dıvıde the mıleage by the gallons ıt took to fıll up. You wıll get a better ıdea of what your actual mıleage ıs.

Do you notıce lots of black smoke behınd your car (black smoke ıs too much fuel beıng burned..ı.e runnıng too rıch...blue ıs oıl, and whıte ıs coolant). Possıbılıty of a bad tune...ıf you are not the orıgınal owner, who knows what the prevıous owner had done.

If you are stıll worrıed, take ıt ın and have ıt looked at. Do you know when the last servıce was performed?

Normally the computer ıs way conservatıve ın ıts gas mıleage estımates...I guess ıt could go the other way too.

reset it and then get back to us.

I'm getting 12.5 in boston with spirited driving..almost 100% city driving.

I get 21+ on the way to the track - only 8.1 at the track :-(
Guess sprited driving at the track.
vz

make sure it is set to US gallons.

Locksmythe wrote

make sure it is set to US gallons.

Well if he's getting 9.9 imperial gallons, he's in real trouble...

MVF4Rrider wrote

9.9 sounds way too low, even if your typical drive is mostly stop and go. Check your tires for proper inflation (hugely affects mileage if severely under-inflated). Also, check to see when the last oil was changed. BMW replaces your oil free annually regardless of mileage (while under warranty). Lots of stop and go plays havoc on oil. Do you weigh more than 400 lbs and keep the boot filled with heavy crap?

If anything 9.9mpg in Boston is really good, some weeks in DC I only average about 7.5

That sounds way low, i set my trip computer at the track as was getting around 6.5 mpg and that was bouncing off the limiter all day (done this about 4 times/days and always seems to be btwn 6

If it's your DD, then I would worry. If not, F it!.

9.9 isn't TOO far out of range, given 95% city driving. I highly suggest having the BMW efficient dynamics indicator enabled on your car. That will tell you when to shift, and to what gear. It has increased my MPG dramatically.

There is no reason to go to 3k rpm in city driving. Try shifting at 2300 ish instead.

If all of the proper service hasn't been done, I would suggest doing that as well. Also make sure the tire pressures are in check.

MVF4Rrider wrote

Locksmythe wrote

make sure it is set to US gallons.

Well if he's getting 9.9 imperial gallons, he's in real trouble...

Agree. I'm at 17.9 mpg according to car computer. On my E60 M5 (V10 at that too)....between my wife

You may also want to check alignment

Shifting below 3K will not always yield the best mileage. Don't redline, but accelerate with a bit of pace until you hit cruising speed. Perhaps 4k-4.5K shifts in the lower gears.

Your mileage may not improve that much, but it definitely won't get worse. Plus it will be much more enjoyable.

Kinda seems low. When I do mostly city driving, I'm at low to mid teens with a new engine (calculated as miles/fill-up). Yesterday, I did a 200mile trip through some snow covered mountains at low temp and heavy rain (ie, no spirited drive) and I averaged 21mpg (computer).

I'd suggest the same things as previous posters did:

- Do the calculation method other than the computer.
- Check tire pressures. You're in Boston. Cold weather will cause lower tire pressure.
- Check alignment.
- Do an oil change.
- Maybe a tune-up? I wouldn't hurry for that one though.

Also, when you say city driving, what do you mean? For example, in my case, I don't hit traffic except red lights and stop signs. Drive between 30mph to 45mph. Do you have a lot of stop-go traffic?

Keep in mind that keeping the momentum (ie, lift off and cruse to the slow traffic, red light etc) of the car is more energy efficient than acclerating to a red light. Another tip is to shift to highest possible gear when going down-hill to let the tires turn the engine. These two tips, AFAIK, results decent improvements in mpg.

ps: Technically, driving in M-mode does not necessarly result in lower mpg. It is the same engine power etc. Although, if you're in M-mode, that probably means you're a little harder in the gas, hence lower mpg

thanks guys... i weigh 70kg and i dont have a lot of heavy stuff in my trunk.

so as some of you who drive spiritedly 100% of the time have said, you get better mileage than me, so i can only assume that it is the car at fault?

okay so things to do:
- service/change oil
- prioritize momentum of the car rather than worrying about the rpm meter itself?
- reset mpg

Mike@Powerchip wrote

9.9 isn't TOO far out of range, given 95% city driving. I highly suggest having the BMW efficient dynamics indicator enabled on your car. That will tell you when to shift, and to what gear. It has increased my MPG dramatically.

There is no reason to go to 3k rpm in city driving. Try shifting at 2300 ish instead.

If all of the proper service hasn't been done, I would suggest doing that as well. Also make sure the tire pressures are in check.

can you explain what/how the BMW efficient dynamics indicator work? from what i saw in your video, you were only showing your speed.