[Swansea Jack]

I recently purchased a 530d SE Auto 05 plate and I'm averaging around 25MPG which seems a little low as I'm not screwing it, even though there's not much motorway driving being done at the moment.
The air conditioning is off but the climate control is on, I wouldn't have thought that this would have much effect on the fuel consumption.
Could somebody please let me know if they think differently?

 

[xXNealXx]

That does sound a little below what it should be obtaining (around 32mpg urban). Possibly 30mpg with the cold temperature we are having. Was it serviced before you bought it?

 

[Swansea Jack]

Yeh, it was supposed to have.

 

[xXNealXx]

Try a differend brand of diesel...something like V Power from Shell.

 

[redadair]

Nah Swansea Jack, I get 28mpg around town and that is before and after a dealer service! So a new oil change did not make a difference (to me anyway).

Do you have a heavy right foot? I only get 33mpg on motorways but i know i drive fast! I am waiting for the wife to buy my a remap but she's not having it

What do you mean by climate control exactly? I've attached my heater controls when you mention climate thingamy is that the auto button? I have never used that yet.

Or do you have the advanced air con system I guess? Any pics? Red

 

[Swansea Jack]

Yeh mines the same, I have the auto on but the air conditioning (frost symbol) off, but only get around 25mpg and that's while driving carefully.

 

[redadair]

Have you tried driving with the auto off for about a week or so and see if that makes a diff? The 530d is a big heavy car around town.

It shouldn;t really have that much affect on tho.... Red

 

[mike lolley]

my right foot must be the heaviest in town, i have e60 525 diesel auto,mostly town driving average of 2 miles at a time in traffic my average is 22 mpg. what is that yellow light that keeps flashing every time i get away from junctions..........

 

[Deano16v]

the air con/climate will make minimal difference to be honest, say 10% max.

how short are your town journeys? is the car getting up to temp? the cold weather wont be helping at all either.

 

[Swansea Jack]

At the moment it's only 10min drives back and for to work so you may have something there, I'm poping in to see my local dealer this morning and I'll ask him for his opinion and let you know what he says. I won't be parting with any money!!

 

[redadair]

Prepare to be fobbed off Jack, it would be interesting to hear what they say to you.... Red

 

[debsd]

Hi Swansea Jack, when my 530d was running - currently sick in the garage but that's another thead! - I was getting 24mpg around town. I had a period where I was doing some motorway miles and mpg went up to 32, (up to 45mpg on a run) but I also noticed that the average speed moved from around 20 to 38. What's your average speed?

Alos I'm told that the 19" low profile tyers on my the car kill the mpg - worth checking tyre pressure it makes a difference.

 

[Swansea Jack]

As I suspected the dealer was of no use what so ever, he'd probably be a lot more helpful if I was interested in a new car.
My current average speed is around 26mph and I don't have low profile tyres. I'll give the tyre pressures a check today but they do look ok.

 

[Deano16v]

10 min journeys will kill the mpg mate.

take it on a long drive, let it get up to temp (and i dont just mean on the gauge-oil etc takes longer than coolant) then reset it and see how you get on. if its still low you have a problem.

 

[Swansea Jack]

I'll let you know what happens

 

[Swansea Jack]

I took it on a 450 mile spin yesterday (mostly motorways) and did 38.7 MPG, not too bad?

 

[redadair]

That;s pretty good actually Jack, were you driving like a granny? I seem to get a constant 33mpg unless I stick to under 70.

Sometimes I get 34 - 35 on long motorway journeys but I do tend to get there quickly

 

[Swansea Jack]

Not quite like a granny, I was setting the cruise control to 80 on the motorways where possible and not going to bonkers on the smaller roads.
I dought I'll be driving that carefully again.
What a drive though.

 

[redadair]

i never use the cruise control on mway journeys unless i am going through a speed trap area, It uses far too much fuel to keep the speed on the hills etc

but very handy in built up areas too....

yeah perfect drive innit? You thinking of getting yours remapped at all or are you wuite happy with the way it is? I'm saving for a remap......

 

[Swansea Jack]

It says in some of the BMW literature that using the cruise control can increase the MPG, I don't know whether it does or not.
But yeh, it's really handy for speed traps especaily the M42!
I wasn't thinking about remapping, does it make much of a difference and how much is it going to cost you?