2022 T6.1 Ocean Fuel Consumption

[PhilR]

Managed to get it to show 50! This was on my own, MY23 204 4MO, leaving Tebay services and heading North on the M6, ACC on 55mph following a large lorry. So basically trying very hard! Btw, I didn’t drive at 34 on the M6, I think it’s calculated it with the slow start out of the services camping area (which was fab incidentally). The previous evening I got it to 46mpg from Tamworth to about Preston where I hit traffic. 235/55/17 winter tyres. Quite happy with this but as I said it is trying really hard. Around town is a different story!

 

[calibusje]

Managed to get it to show 50! This was on my own, MY23 204 4MO, leaving Tebay services and heading North on the M6, ACC on 55mph following a large lorry. So basically trying very hard! Btw, I didn’t drive at 34 on the M6, I think it’s calculated it with the slow start out of the services camping area (which was fab incidentally). The previous evening I got it to 46mpg from Tamworth to about Preston where I hit traffic. 235/55/17 winter tyres. Quite happy with this but as I said it is trying really hard. Around town is a different story!
View attachment 103840

That is trying really hard to get that snapshot I have a very good mpg when I take my food of the pedal
Seriously: I have 31 mpg almost every time after a full tank (that is also -except for this post- the only times that I check the fuel consumption). So, 31 mpg: I'm just satisfied with that, but nothing more. My day-to-day traffic is often short journeys so that makes my mpg. And the tires, the bicycle rack and me to too lazy to take everything out after a trip (closets are full, trunk too). I only drain the water (clean and grey).
Anyway, the day I really start to worry about the fuel consumption of the cali may I consider selling it because driving around with it is - now anyway - a pleasure The mpg won’t stop me now!

 

[Mansfieldman750]

Managed to get it to show 50! This was on my own, MY23 204 4MO, leaving Tebay services and heading North on the M6, ACC on 55mph following a large lorry. So basically trying very hard! Btw, I didn’t drive at 34 on the M6, I think it’s calculated it with the slow start out of the services camping area (which was fab incidentally).

You’ve done well. Tebay West services is on the 190m contour line, Shap summit is 316m so for the first 10 miles you were climbing. Good downhill run after that though, all the way to sea level at the Solway Firth.

 

[Corradobrit]

You’ve done well. Tebay West services is on the 190m contour line, Shap summit is 316m so for the first 10 miles you were climbing. Good downhill run after that though, all the way to sea level at the Solway Firth.

Slip streaming makes a HUGE difference. Thats probably what contributed most to the outrageous fuel economy....

 

[Mansfieldman750]

For a record attempt I bet the run down from Slochd summit to Inverness on the A9 would be a good one, behind a lorry of course. Or Drumochter Pass towards Blair Atholl. Blue Merle would know, that’s his country.

 

[PhilR]

Slip streaming makes a HUGE difference. Thats probably what contributed most to the outrageous fuel economy....

Oh it certainly does, I know that very well from being out on my road bike. There’s an oil terminal near where I live and a 1 mile long straight, flat road between 2 roundabouts (“islands” in this part of the world ;-)), a couple of times I’ve tagged onto the back of a loaded tanker as it leaves the first island…..honestly, with the slip stream I got up to 45mph easily, but then my sanity was restored!! Watch any professional bike race and you’ll see how “easy” it is for those in the peloton (main bunch). So even in a big van like a Cali, it must have a reasonable effect following (not too closely obviously) a big box that is punching a big hole in the wind.

 

[Cali Phillip]

For a record attempt I bet the run down from Slochd summit to Inverness on the A9 would be a good one, behind a lorry of course. Or Drumochter Pass towards Blair Atholl. Blue Merle would know, that’s his country.

coast mode makes a huge difference. +80mpg coming down from cairngorm ski to Glenmore

 

[PhilR]

Popping it into Neutral you mean? That’s what I do whenever possible. Never done me any harm. Definitely helps consumption.

 

[yossarian]

Popping it into Neutral you mean? That’s what I do whenever possible. Never done me any harm. Definitely helps consumption.

Although the gearbox more or less does this behind the scenes there are possibly some bad things that could come out of doing it manually.

VW aren't keen on it:



Not mentioned here is the visual cue: D for coast and Dn, where n is a gear, for normal operation.

 

[Peter84]

Popping it into Neutral you mean? That’s what I do whenever possible. Never done me any harm. Definitely helps consumption.

But then you don’t have traction on the wheels. I prefer to leave it in D. The van engages neutral automatically whenever it’s possible and useful, it will show an “eco” icon on the dashboard.

 

[Cali Phillip]

Popping it into Neutral you mean? That’s what I do whenever possible. Never done me any harm. Definitely helps consumption.

no the "coast mode" set in the driver menu, works in D when you remove you foot of the accelerator, there are safeguards which can be annoying say when there's a hill with a good run out at the bottom, it just sees the angle and rate of acceleration as possible danger but not the safe run out and might select a low gear.

 

[Cali Phillip]

But then you don’t have traction on the wheels. I prefer to leave it in D. The van engages neutral automatically whenever it’s possible and useful, it will show an “eco” icon on the dashboard.

if its snowy then just use manual for full control

 

[HowieDog]

20" wheels usually have 275/40/20 tyres which are expensive resulting in wheel/tyre packages utilising lower priced brands which will have low fuel economy ratings.

Check out the rating given for the tyres fitted, may give a clue to poor consumption.

275 35 20 are the correct tyre size for a very close match to original. 275 40 20 will give a 4% error in comparison.

 

[PhilR]

no the "coast mode" set in the driver menu, works in D when you remove you foot of the accelerator, there are safeguards which can be annoying say when there's a hill with a good run out at the bottom, it just sees the angle and rate of acceleration as possible danger but not the safe run out and might select a low gear.

Oh I see, old school me!!! Can’t find that in the menu, maybe the 6.1 does it automatically. I’ll test it.

 

[Cali Phillip]

Oh I see, old school me!!! Can’t find that in the menu, maybe the 6.1 does it automatically. I’ll test it.

On the T6 from the steering wheel settings its a box tick for coasting.
The old bus rolls very well with all this weight and you can use it more then you think.

 

[B J G]

275 35 20 are the correct tyre size for a very close match to original. 275 40 20 will give a 4% error in comparison.

with 102 load rating it reduces the load margin from VW supplied 103 minimum (still legal). 275/40/20 has the higher option of 106 load rating.
275/35/20 gives a 1.46% speedo error 275/40/20 gives a 5.18% error compared to 235/55/17 or 215/60/17 original VW supplied.
275/35/20 is pretty close to the 255/45/18 option for speed match.

 

[vwcaliforniacornwall]

I would say that your MPG is pretty normal and the regen post is probably particularly relevant to your situation.
I have a 2019 200hp 2WD and I get as little as 22 mpg on short journeys around town, 37 MPG on dual carriageway / motorway at 70 mph, and this drops to 34 mpg at 80 MPH ave (In France of course).

 

[Ian Reynolds]

Do use cruise control either, it's not very effecient!

 

[Calimili]

Popping it into Neutral you mean? That’s what I do whenever possible. Never done me any harm. Definitely helps consumption.

The coasting mode is useful and saves fuel on mostly flat roads, but I'd be careful if there are fast curves as in "N" or coasting there's no transmission to the wheels and the traction/grip is reduced.
Going downhill instead, I always put into manual or touch the brakes so that the engine is connected to the transmission. It saves a lot more fuel this way as downhill with engine connected the engine is rolling pushed by the wheels while no fuel is injected in the engine and therefore it consumes zero. If coasting or in "N" the engine runs at idle, minimal consumption of 1L per hour, but not zero like when the gear is in.

 

[Wildcamper]

The coasting mode is useful and saves fuel on mostly flat roads, but I'd be careful if there are fast curves as in "N" or coasting there's no transmission to the wheels and the traction/grip is reduced.
Going downhill instead, I always put into manual or touch the brakes so that the engine is connected to the transmission. It saves a lot more fuel this way as downhill with engine connected the engine is rolling pushed by the wheels while no fuel is injected in the engine and therefore it consumes zero. If coasting or in "N" the engine runs at idle, minimal consumption of 1L per hour, but not zero like when the gear is in.

Using "costing mode" is different from costing in neutral. In "coasting mode" if you touch the brake the gear box re-engages. This does not happen in neutral. Also if one coasts downhill in "coasting mode" if the speed increases too much the gear box will re-engage. As far as I am aware the police consider coasting in neutral as "driving without due care and attention. The Highway code certainly frowns on it!

 

[Amarillo]

For a record attempt I bet the run down from Slochd summit to Inverness on the A9 would be a good one, behind a lorry of course. Or Drumochter Pass towards Blair Atholl. Blue Merle would know, that’s his country.

I tried a record attempt in January 2018 on Sicily’s empty roads.

18.2 km/l (51.4 mpg) on the MFD

From a full tank near the start of the trip I squeezed 38.83 Litres into the tank in three batches of €40, €10 and €4.69 at a pay at pump filling station that would only accept payment in €10 increments (meaning I over paid by €5.31). And eager not to waste money I overfilled the tank.

638 km using 38.83 l is 16.4 km/l (46.3 mpg). But as I overfilled the tank I think I did better than this.

The suggested range after the refuel was 1460 km (907 miles).

The drive was around 2/3 on motorway, dual carriageway or grade separated single carriageway, but also included a section through heavily congested Palermo and over a mountain pass to 2000’.

The weather was about 50:50 mix of dry and wet, including torrential rain and sleet.

I really do believe that 1000 miles (1610 km) is possible on a single 80l tank: 56.8 mpg (20.125 km/l).

8.5 laps of the M25 at a steady 45 mph would take about 22 hours!!! Christmas Day would be the right day for a new record attempt to avoid congestion and protestors glued to the tarmac.

 

[Calimili]

Using "costing mode" is different from costing in neutral. In "coasting mode" if you touch the brake the gear box re-engages. This does not happen in neutral. Also if one coasts downhill in "coasting mode" if the speed increases too much the gear box will re-engage. As far as I am aware the police consider coasting in neutral as "driving without due care and attention. The Highway code certainly frowns on it!

That's what i said, I touch the brakes to let the transmission reconnect to the engine. I actually hate when going down hill in coast and it self re-engage as speed increases as it jank the second gear in when the speed is already too high for second gear and it slows down abruptly with engine surging to 3k revs. I just shift it manually in the proper gear, to be gentle to clutch and the engine.

 

[chockswahay]

My Coast does not have ‘Coast’ function so downhill I like to select manual 7th………. means going a bit faster sometimes but the speed is free! haha…….

 

[andyinluton]

My Coast does not have ‘Coast’ function so downhill I like to select manual 7th………. means going a bit faster sometimes but the speed is free! haha…….

It does have it, all VW with the DSG box have it as standard.
Theres a tick box in vehicle settings to turn it on & off.

Below is an extract from an Autocar article back in 2017 on how it works:


The mileage of the Volkswagen CC on our long-term test fleet has fairly shot up in recent weeks, and a surprising number of those miles have been covered in neutral (or something approximating it).

That’s because the CC’s dual-clutch gearbox has a fuel-saving coasting function – a feature that’s found on an increasing number of DSG-equipped diesel-engined Volkswagens. It’s an interesting development (at least, it is to me), and one that’s worthy of some discussion. So here goes.

The coasting function declutches the engine when the throttle is lifted, which means that the car is free from the momentum-hungry shackles of engine braking (such as it is with a modern common-rail diesel) on the overrun. Now, before you write in and say that today’s engines have an overrun fuel cut-off which shuts off the fuel supply on a closed throttle, and that an engine coasting on tickover with the gearbox disengaged actually uses more fuel than one coasting in gear on a closed throttle, well, apparently it doesn’t.

In short, when you lift off you end up travelling much farther before you have to get back on it, and the subsequent fuel savings outweigh whatever is burnt on tickover while coasting. Touch the throttle or brake while coasting, or move the gear selector from D to its manual shift position, and the gear re-engages. The coasting function can also be disabled via the onboard menu settings, or overridden by keeping manual control over the gearchanges.

But coasting is bad, because you’re not fully in control of the car, right? Well, I’ve thought about this and I’m not so sure. If by ‘not in control’ you mean that the car slows less than you’re used to when you lift off, then perhaps so, but you quickly get used to managing the space in front of you to compensate. Broadly speaking, the rear wheels of a conventional front-wheel-drive car are no more corrupted by a loss of engine braking than the front wheels of a rear-drive car are, so what’s the problem?

It’s not perfect, though. When you get back on the throttle the engine rev-matches to road speed before engaging the clutch. At low speeds this is barely noticeable, but at 70mph the engine has to spin from 850rpm (tickover) to 2050rpm; at 80mph it has to get to 2350rpm, which can feel like forever. I’ve quickly learned when to knock the gear selector to its manual position to prevent the coasting function from kicking in when not wanted. Similarly, when pressing on along a twisting B-road, it’s best to give coasting a miss if you want to maximise your interaction with the car and the road.

 

[Mansfieldman750]

Let’s have some rules then and make it a contest running to end of 2023.
Minimum journey time one hour ?
Photo evidence necessary. Only submit photo if you beat current leader.
Obviously I can’t win starting from Mansfield.
No, I need to overnight in a high place next to a 40 mile downhill straight, leisure batteries fully charged, and latch on to a passing high sided vehicle travelling at about 45mph.
PhilR could be current leader but 34mph average on M6 is pretty slow ? Should there be a minimum speed ?