Maximising Mpg

[jayt13]

Hi guys

I have a 1.4 E12 FL corrola (07) petrol curently getting between 28 - 31 MPG over 116 miles a week but from week after next i'm going to be doing over 500 miles a week, want to know is there anyway of increasing the MPG to over 42.2 MPG?

My dad has 1.4 diesel auris and thats getting 50mpg around town, i know on motorways that can get up to 68.9 MPG which is a massive differnce.

I tend to check the air pressure on a weekly basis

and let the engine warm up for 5- 10 mins with the heating off.

is there anything else i can do open to any suggestions?

[rallyfan1986]

drive at about 50mph, change gear at 3000rpm, never put your foot to the floor

[CorollaD4D]

you'll never match your dads auris for mpg because his car is a tin can and yours is a solid and well built car; consequently is heavier and needs more power from the engine to lug it around.

the heater thing and warm up is good, 50 on the motorway may be a bit slow try sticking to 65 on your speedo so you're doing just over 60mpg in real terms.

also on motorway plan overtaking moves etc in advance so you never have to plant your foot and also try not accelerating on a hill, build up speed on the flat before the hill.

keep the windows closed and stick to a good service schedule. a well looked after car will always give better mpg than one which is sporadically serviced. over inflate your tyres slightly although you may not notice the difference every little helps.

try adding 2-3psi over your normal pressure. ride will suffer so it depends how badly you want to improve your fuel consumption.

[SAM LOVERS HER TOYOTAS]

Hi there

I hear if your tyres are inflated correctly...And you dont carry any un-necessary weight...use Cataclean twice a year...and it can dramatically improve your fuel consumption! And obvious regular servicing...oils n filters! And and and your driving habits too...NO HARSH accelerations! Hope this helps!

Sammy

[jayt13]

thanks for advise really helps.

sammy what is cataclean? and what does it do?

[FoxX]

Wow are the 1.4s that bad on petrol? I thought they did about 40 mpg.

Most of the T sports, including mine get more than 28 - 31mpg and I do loads of short journeys.

Its an 07, so I can't really see what would need changing if serviced - unless you've done a huge amount of miles.

Perhaps have a look at your air filter, check your throttle cable isnt too tight (i.e throttle plate slightly open) and maybe change to a thinner oil. I'm guessing 0-40w is ok for 1.4's. Its not idling high or anything is it?

Cataclean, i guess thats like a fuel additive for cleaning the cat.

[rallyfan1986]

i think cataclean is an injector cleaner.

ok to use on new cars, but i wouldnt use it on anything that has done high mileage or is quite old

[clangnuts]

I get an average of 39mpg with my 1.4 Corolla, without even trying over lots of short journeys. Notice a massive difference if I'm doing 70mph, but around here mostly A roads, so rarely going over 60mph.

[jayt13]

Wow are the 1.4s that bad on petrol? I thought they did about 40 mpg.

Most of the T sports, including mine get more than 28 - 31mpg and I do loads of short journeys.

Its an 07, so I can't really see what would need changing if serviced - unless you've done a huge amount of miles.

Perhaps have a look at your air filter, check your throttle cable isnt too tight (i.e throttle plate slightly open) and maybe change to a thinner oil. I'm guessing 0-40w is ok for 1.4's. Its not idling high or anything is it?

Cataclean, i guess thats like a fuel additive for cleaning the cat.

it's 07 with 42940 miles on the clock i bought at 29000 a yr and hlf ago, was last serviced in mar 10 done abot 6000 miles since then not a huge amount i dont think.

where is the best place to get cataclean and how much?

regarding the airfilter I have changed it to a Blitz LM panel filter and i regulary give it a clean every 3 months.

well i am getting MPG figures from www.fuelly.com i don't know how accurated it is, i cant check on the car stereo as i have changed my stereo to a single din.

[SAM LOVERS HER TOYOTAS]

HI There Matey

Sorry i should have explained better...Cataclean is:

"A CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND FUEL INJECTOR CLEANER..ADD ENTIRE CONTENTS TO FUEL TANK ON PETROL OR DIESEL MODELS TO CLEAN AND PROTECT YOUR CATALYTIC CONVERTER..VASTLY IMPROVES ENGINE EFFICIENCY BY CLEANING YOUR VEHICLES FUEL SYSTEM IMPROVING CYLINDER FUEL BURNING.IT THEN CLEANS THE SURFACE OF THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER IMPROVING GAS FLOW AND REDUCING EMISSIONS..ALSO ADD PRIOR TO MOT EMISSIONS TEST TO HELP REDUCE EMISSIONS PRIOR TO TESTING..ALSO EFFECTIVE BY CLEANING THE UPPER CYLINDER VALVE HEADS AND STEMS"..

I buy mine from Euro CarParts for £12.49...they only come in one size 475mls...so 2 a year for you is more than enough...apparently its supposed to be the best stuff on the market...but others on here may disgree...try it...see if it helps...you dont try...you'll never know i guess.

Regards...Sammy

[jayt13]

when do you put in the fuel after a full tank fuel or on a empty tank?

[SAM LOVERS HER TOYOTAS]

when do you put in the fuel after a full tank fuel or on a empty tank?

I always do it when i fill a full tank of petrol as 475mls is enough to treat 60 Litres apparently!

Sammy

[acetip]

when do you put in the fuel after a full tank fuel or on a empty tank?

dont waste your money buying this rubbish.if you think your car is running better after using it its auto suggestion.there are loads of stuff on the market making false claims like this product does.some do more harm than good.use a good fuel (not supermarket)and good engine oil.

allowing an engine to warm up for 10 minutes is a no go.the idea is to get your to up to temperature as soon as possible.which ticking over wont do.before detergent oils came out you could tell an engine that had been left to warm ticking over.a sludge build would be found in the valve cover caused by condensation.with modern oils this gets

carried away in suspension in the oil, but its not doing the oil a lot of good.

in very cold weather (uk) 30 seconds is more than enough.just drive nice an easy till engine reaches normal temp.

your handbook tells you to drive off after starting.dont you think they know what they are talking about.

[Parts-King]

Most fuel is saved by anticipating the road ahead and slowing, gently increasing your speed when required. Harsh start / stops must be avoided

On cars with the gear shift indicator light, you can save up to 8% of fuel by changing gear when the gear change light comes on, it is an aid for better consumption, not a gimmecky light as some think it is ;)

Kingo

[acetip]

Most fuel is saved by anticipating the road ahead and slowing, gently increasing your speed when required. Harsh start / stops must be avoided

On cars with the gear shift indicator light, you can save up to 8% of fuel by changing gear when the gear change light comes on, it is an aid for better consumption, not a gimmecky light as some think it is ;)

Kingo

hi kingo how are you.

there,i thought that little green arrow was sat nav telling me to go straight ahead.wondered why slowing down too much in a high gear it pointed the other way.thought i must have missed a turning or something.you learn something new every day.

[jayt13]

yeah i never use supermarket fuel feels like water, i stick to Shell.

acetip - yeah i have my doubts on this stuff wanted to get some reviews done before i actually go n buy it

[SAM LOVERS HER TOYOTAS]

Hi guys

Just an update...i was reading the Haynes Corolla manual last night...it cleary states DO NOT use any sort of oil additives or Fuel additives...I've never seen that in a Haynes manual before...Hmmm...Was going to pour a bottle of Cataclean into my fuel tank today on a full tank but something made me want to hold back...so i didnt...Do you really think it could cause damage/problems? Surely someone on here must be using Cataclean in their Corolla? The avensis forums cant get enough of it,thats where i heard of it when i was having lambda sensor problems lol!

p/s...I used to always fill up at my Sainsburys supermarket when i had the 51 Avensis...now with my 06 Corolla i filled up at my Total petrol station (well actually it was the 1st time i filled up today since buying the corolla a month ago)...is Total petrol any better? Please let me know...thanks.

[CorollaD4D]

Shell bp esso

total texaco

jet gulf

morrions tesco asda/sainsburys

in my mind that is how the fuel heirachy looks. it might not be what everyone else thinks however that's what it is in my experience. try using Shell or bp fuels - they are the best. with regard to the supermarkets the order they are listed is the order i feel their fuel quality is also. morrisons is not bad because they buy their fuel from texaco last time i asked.

secondly, i don't take the haynes manual as gospel either. end of the day whoever wrote it may be highly qualified to write such a manual but they are not the source of all knowledge on the corolla! i regularly use a cycle of forte and redex depending on how often i use them no problems with my diesel engine at all.