Poor economy 180 DSG.

I

id76060

Messages
4
Location
Lake District
Vehicle
T5 SE 140
Can anyone advise on the best way to get better Economy from my 13 plate 180 DSG. The best I'm getting is about 34mpg average and I'm not driving it hard.
 
I get about 32-35mpg, fairly gentle driving, 4 motion, and from what I have read on this forum 35mpg would be about average.
 
I rarely get over 34mpg maybe on a long run up the M6 to Scotland. Daily I look for 30mpg In traffic as part of a trip its more like 27mpg All the way in traffic just as well shoot yourself now.
 
Our 2.5 174 averages 38 (Oddly enough the same as our T4 2.5 TDi)

We had a loan 180 DSG for a long trip and it averaged 31.

Some had manage an improvement after a custom remap but your 34 seems to be about right.

Rgds
Mark
 
Only done about 230 gentle miles in our 180 DSG 4Motion and disappointed with 31.5 average so far. Try to maximise the coasting function whenever I can by lifting off early approaching lights etc but sometimes this winds up following traffic!

Maybe it will improve as the engine loosens up.

Our previous 140 SE averaged 35 - 36 fairly easily, 40 with the wind behind it ...

Colin
 
For a 3 ton campervan that is good. You will never get the MILAGE claimed by the manufacturer which is done under very controlled conditions. Has it run in yet? Needs to have done at least 6000 miles to settle down.
Mine is way better than my previous vehicles a Mazda RX8 and a Land Rover Defender. I just note it as an indication of something going wrong if it falls below 28 on a long run, and I don't wait around. Use cruise control on the Motorway and avoid brakes by thinking ahead. You could always try switching on the "Coasting " function via the dashboard menu. See handbook for explanation.
 
For the first time I've just gone better than 30 mpg in my 180 DSG 4-motion. Shortish trips and a very new engine. I have a feeling that if I can average 34 mpg in the longer term I will be quite pleased.
 
Ariadne has just passed 1000 miles this week and I have averaged 33.54 and 33.25mpg (using the fill to fill method) - Trip2 on the dash says 37.8mpg average from new but I know this not a true figure. I do a 44mile round trip to work and back each day (about 60/40 country roads (mostly lanes) and carriageway), with fairly short trips out at the weekends (supermarket etc.). I have also used the auxiliary heater quite a lot to warm it up for ten minutes or so at the start of perhaps 50% of my journeys.

I am actually really pleased with this economy so far and look forward to this going up as the engine is run in and also in warmer weather when the engine heater isn't working quite so hard. I am a fairly steady driver and have made a conscious effort to use cruise control on the carriageway and to avoid heavy braking etc. but I do have to get to work on time so it's not all 'Sunday driving' either.

If I can eventually average 36mpg with a little more on really long trips it will be the icing on the cake, but I am happy either way; I never expected to meet the figures in the brochure and Ariadne and I spend too much time grinning as we go to worry overmuch about fuel economy :happy
 
Coasting Function
While driving, as the driver’s foot is taken off the accelerator pedal the engine is declutched, allowing the vehicle to coast and roll over a longer distance. The momentum of the vehicle is used to save fuel with a foresighted driving style. When the brake, accelerator pedal or the gear selector lever is operated, the clutch is re-engaged and engine braking / drive takes effect. Coasting Function can be selected or deselected via the multifunction display settings. The gear selector lever is required to be in the D position to be functional. The coasting function is only available with direct shift gearbox (DSG) transmissions in selected models.


Anyone use this?
 
I tried using it, Welshgas, but found it a little unnerving as it felt like Ariadne was running away with herself. However, she is also my first automatic vehicle and at the time I was still getting used to that too, so maybe I will switch the coasting function back on at some point and give it another try. In theory it sounds useful!
Maud
 
WelshGas said:
Coasting Function
Click to expand...

Yes, using this technique - a quick dab on the brake disables it, then if the lane clears a dab of throttle re-enables it.

The only reservation I have is that if the vehicle is in coasting mode it is using fuel to keep the engine on tickover; whereas if it's in gear the fuel supply is cut completely; so coasting may not save as much as first thought.

Colin
 
I agree. On one of the Land Rover forums when this was discussed that was the point raised.
When coasting the engine is idling, so using fuel and brakes are doing the braking hence more fuel used.
When going downhill using engine braking then fuel is cut to the engine and cylinder compression is doing the braking and hence less fuel used.
But that is with a manus gear box.
With a DSG box on the flat I could see a possible benefit. Taking your foot off the gas early enough, removing the inertia of the engine and allowing the van to coast and slow down naturally before applying breaks wheras normally with an automatic it tends to be Drive & Brake using engine or wheel brakes.
 
Had no idea about coasting function!
We get 30-33 on our mixed, normal, daily driving and can get up to 38 on a long run
 
We get 27-31mpg and its used as our daily driver.Better than my last van 1977 T2 devon conversion only got 18-20 mpg out of her.
vw.PNG
 
I tried "coast" and then I read all that technical stuff so now don't use it. I've not noticed any difference either way.

Driving uphill over Beattock Summit into an 80 mph crosswind a couple of weeks ago dented my average ever so just a little :(
 
Another reason why the 140 manual is the Cali of choice....








;)

joking...
 
reserves said:
Another reason why the 140 manual is the Cali of choice....
Click to expand...

Yes, that is the common sense choice!

But we don't all use common sense .....

(If we had any, we'd stay in hotels and save loadsa money :) )
 
I'm getting 32 mpg, calculated over the past year.

I do use the coast function, but some interesting thoughts here, so I may disable it and see what happens. Interestingly (?) when you engage cruise control, the engine is alway connected (i.e. coast doesn't work) ... in my experience.

Cheers
Mark
 
holliers said:
Interestingly (?) when you engage cruise control, the engine is alway connected (i.e. coast doesn't work) ... in my experience.
Click to expand...

How do you exit cruise control? If you dab the brakes it cancels coasting; so if you use the brakes to exit cruise control it will also cancel the coasting function until you dab the accelerator again.

Colin
 
Sorry, I may not have been clear.

To engage "Coast" you have to come off the accelerator, so in normal driving (non-cruise) say on a motorway, when you reach a desired speed you relax the accelerator and coast engages (an the display changes from say "D7" to "D"). Over the course of a long motorway journey, Coast will be kicking in and out as I drive along.

When I have Cruise control engaged, say on a long motorway journey, the engine is always connected. The display always says "D7" and a gear is always connected. Cruise control seems to need the engine / gearbox to be always connected.

... not sure if that made anything any clearer ...
 
I'll try it on mine next time I'm out ...
 
holliers said:
When I have Cruise control engaged, say on a long motorway journey, the engine is always connected. The display always says "D7" and a gear is always connected. Cruise control seems to need the engine / gearbox to be always connected.
Click to expand...
Yes I tried this out this afternoon, and at a constant 70 the revs stayed at 2000 up and down hill, indicating coast was disabled. I also noticed that the fuel consumption appeared to increase from the previous few miles I'd done with cruise off. When I went back to no cruise again, the mpg started to edge up.
 
Sounds I lot of effort for a small return. What I like about the DSG driving is effortless and you can just enjoy driving, sightseeing, squeezing through small gaps and let the gearbox worry about the gear you need, 32 mpg driving down to Dorset yesterday and at £1.13 per litre compared with last years early break of £1.40 ish a litre I am a happy camper.
Perhaps the t6 will have driverless mode so you can pop it the back for a cup of tea or wild camping will be a sleep while the van drives it's self.
 
Last edited:
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