320d LCI MPG too low?

mechamanz · 03-14-2018, 04:10 PM

Hi,

I recently purchased a manual e90 lci 2011 320d. The car drives beautifully but am fairly disappointed by the mpg which i am currently achieving - I do all city driving, but drive very economically (shift around 2k revs), I am currently achieving 32mpg which is a lot lower than I had expected.

I have done a simple google search and other people are quoting values of 40-50mpg.

I have checked the coolant temp when warm and it seems about right (~88oC).
What do you guys think? Does this mpg sound about right? Or should i be achieving more?

Silver Streek · 03-15-2018, 07:23 AM

Sounds reasonable for city driving, cars will never deliver good MPG while stop start driving. You'll only get 40 to 50 mpg while on a run.

ed330D · 03-15-2018, 07:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mechamanz

- I do all city driving,

And in a 320d, in fact in any modern diesel, that is trouble with a capital T. Research DPF problem and associated causes.

tadaska · 03-15-2018, 09:52 AM

Short trips town driving I too get 32 mpg. If I'm driving around the town with fully warmed up engine it can go up to 40 mpg. But 50 mpg... someone had a dream.

Itsabdi · 03-15-2018, 10:43 AM

is your start stop function on? also if your car has high mileage and dpf lights not on it could go into regen mode which brings the mpg down alot.
also do you carry alot of passengers plus luggage?

mechamanz · 03-15-2018, 03:55 PM

Thanks for the response guys, yeah makes sense, maybe my expectations were too high. Also i doubt that i have dpf issues since car is only 67k mlg and i do do motorway runs every now and again

Quote:

Originally Posted by Itsabdi

is your start stop function on? also if your car has high mileage and dpf lights not on it could go into regen mode which brings the mpg down alot.
also do you carry alot of passengers plus luggage?

My car is only 67k mlg, FSH, it has the auto stop start but it doesn't work, the previous owner may have programmed it out (only bought the car recently). No passangers, no luggage, just me

mjn77 · 03-16-2018, 11:24 AM

32mpg from a 320d with town driving?

That is what i get with my 335d!

Adam1990 · 03-16-2018, 12:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mechamanz

Thanks for the response guys, yeah makes sense, maybe my expectations were too high. Also i doubt that i have dpf issues since car is only 67k mlg and i do do motorway runs every now and again

My car is only 67k mlg, FSH, it has the auto stop start but it doesn't work, the previous owner may have programmed it out (only bought the car recently). No passangers, no luggage, just me

Sounds like you need a new battery if the start stop has stopped working as it’s normally the first sign of a dying battery.

As for the mpg that’s about right if your always in town, my old 118d (same n47 engine) was terrible in and around town. On the motorways and long runs it would easily achieve 45mpg all day long.

bfleming · 03-16-2018, 05:37 PM

Mine sits at 37mpg around town (with fully functional start/stop) and 55mpg on a run. These later cars don't suffer with thermostat issues like earlier ones; a non functional dpf will soon let you know it's not happy.

ChawenHalo · 04-04-2018, 05:46 PM

Get the intake and EGR cleaned.

MrSweet1991 · 04-09-2018, 11:32 AM

Clean the MAF, cheap and easy and if it is dirty it can improve fuel economy by quite some margin. If also agree with the above about cleaning the intake manifold and EGR. You can pull the pipe off the throttle body and use a phone to see inside the throttle body and EGR (if you have a 4 cylinder yoy probably dont need to use a phone to see inside) to see if it's coked up quite bad which would also give you an idea of how bad the intake manifold is.

nemz · 04-18-2018, 10:23 PM

Gotta agree with the above comments, I've just bought a 2012 e92 320d accident damaged, whilst installing a used venturi, noticed the inlet manifold was coked with crud, which had drastically reduced the opening for airflow into the manifold itself - seems likely the inlet ports in the cylinder head will be the same or worse (car had done 114k).

This will be my first job, after MOT at the weekend (wish me luck, hope my bits arrive).

Also noticed whilst idling around 2000 rpm for a long time I can't get it much over 70C which may suggest the thermostat is dodgy, not too familiar with the engine management characteristics of what is a modern car for me and understand 2k idling isn't 2k driving load but a running cold could hit MPG.

Out of interest although I don't know how it was driven, the OBC said it was doing 44MPG average. Looking at the state of the alloys, it was probably driven fast or just really badly around corners

03-14-2018, 04:10 PM	#1
mechamanz Private 27 Rep 90 Posts Drives: F30 320i LCI Join Date: Mar 2018 Location: england iTrader: (0)	320d LCI MPG too low? Hi, I recently purchased a manual e90 lci 2011 320d. The car drives beautifully but am fairly disappointed by the mpg which i am currently achieving - I do all city driving, but drive very economically (shift around 2k revs), I am currently achieving 32mpg which is a lot lower than I had expected. I have done a simple google search and other people are quoting values of 40-50mpg. I have checked the coolant temp when warm and it seems about right (~88oC). What do you guys think? Does this mpg sound about right? Or should i be achieving more?
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03-15-2018, 07:23 AM	#2
Silver Streek Lieutenant 119 Rep 599 Posts Drives: 325d E91 Join Date: Feb 2018 Location: The Moon iTrader: (0)	Sounds reasonable for city driving, cars will never deliver good MPG while stop start driving. You'll only get 40 to 50 mpg while on a run.
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03-15-2018, 09:52 AM	#4
tadaska Major 114 Rep 1,002 Posts Drives: 2006 E90 320D ES Join Date: May 2016 Location: Eastbourne iTrader: (0)	Short trips town driving I too get 32 mpg. If I'm driving around the town with fully warmed up engine it can go up to 40 mpg. But 50 mpg... someone had a dream.
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03-15-2018, 10:43 AM	#5
Itsabdi Private First Class 20 Rep 126 Posts Drives: Bmw 320d Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Leicestershire iTrader: (0)	is your start stop function on? also if your car has high mileage and dpf lights not on it could go into regen mode which brings the mpg down alot. also do you carry alot of passengers plus luggage?
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03-16-2018, 11:24 AM	#7
mjn77 Lieutenant Colonel 1073 Rep 1,957 Posts Drives: E90 M3 LCI Jerez Black Join Date: Apr 2015 Location: Herts, UK iTrader: (2) Garage List 2011 BMW M3 [0.00]	32mpg from a 320d with town driving? That is what i get with my 335d! __________________ // E90 M3 LCI DCT in Jerez Black with Fox Red Leather // Alcantara Trim // ST XTA Coilovers // 1.75 Exhaust Mod // Pinnacle Undertray // @jerez.black.e90.m3 // Euro Alpine Road Trips 2014 2016 2017 2018 2019 2022
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03-16-2018, 05:37 PM	#9
bfleming First Lieutenant 96 Rep 398 Posts Drives: Merc, VW, Porsche, Suzuki Join Date: Dec 2016 Location: Herts, UK iTrader: (0) Garage List 2013 BMW 525d F11 [0.00]	Mine sits at 37mpg around town (with fully functional start/stop) and 55mpg on a run. These later cars don't suffer with thermostat issues like earlier ones; a non functional dpf will soon let you know it's not happy.
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04-04-2018, 05:46 PM	#10
ChawenHalo Second Lieutenant 68 Rep 286 Posts Drives: E91 330d XDrive LCI M Pack Join Date: Apr 2017 Location: Bordeaux iTrader: (0)	Get the intake and EGR cleaned.
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04-09-2018, 11:32 AM	#11
MrSweet1991 Captain 129 Rep 828 Posts Drives: BMW E90 330D M Sport Join Date: Apr 2017 Location: West Midlands iTrader: (0)	Clean the MAF, cheap and easy and if it is dirty it can improve fuel economy by quite some margin. If also agree with the above about cleaning the intake manifold and EGR. You can pull the pipe off the throttle body and use a phone to see inside the throttle body and EGR (if you have a 4 cylinder yoy probably dont need to use a phone to see inside) to see if it's coked up quite bad which would also give you an idea of how bad the intake manifold is.
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04-18-2018, 10:23 PM	#12
nemz New Member 2 Rep 20 Posts Drives: F31N 320d & E92 LCI 320d Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: Liverpool iTrader: (0)	Gotta agree with the above comments, I've just bought a 2012 e92 320d accident damaged, whilst installing a used venturi, noticed the inlet manifold was coked with crud, which had drastically reduced the opening for airflow into the manifold itself - seems likely the inlet ports in the cylinder head will be the same or worse (car had done 114k). This will be my first job, after MOT at the weekend (wish me luck, hope my bits arrive). Also noticed whilst idling around 2000 rpm for a long time I can't get it much over 70C which may suggest the thermostat is dodgy, not too familiar with the engine management characteristics of what is a modern car for me and understand 2k idling isn't 2k driving load but a running cold could hit MPG. Out of interest although I don't know how it was driven, the OBC said it was doing 44MPG average. Looking at the state of the alloys, it was probably driven fast or just really badly around corners
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