Poor Fuel Consumption on Polo 16v

Mak2503 · Post by **Mak2503** » Wed Dec 14, 2005 1:39 pm

This is the first time I have posted on this forum so I am unsure wether this has been mentioned on any other threads.

My wife has a really nice 3 door Dragon Green Polo 16v on an R reg. The little car is excellent in every way and my wife loves it. The only thing is that she is thinking of selling it now due to the poor fuel consumption.

She puts Â£10 of normal unleaded in and she gets about 55 miles before the fuel light comes on. I can only presume that this is not right at all as the car is only a 1.4. She drives it smoothly without hammering the car.

The car has no engine modifications so it has not been messed about with.

I was wondering how much MPG we should be getting in this car and also wether anyone can help in rectifying the problem.

13twelve · Post by **13twelve** » Wed Dec 14, 2005 2:28 pm

i drive an 80,000 mile 1997 R reg Polo 16v

and I get around 35 mpg of it

If I boot it everywhere - I can get less. Much less.

A full tank to red line is usually around 280 miles for me.
If I boot it this can be 150.
On long motorway journeys (in fact on the 370 down south to visit my girlfriend) I can get around 300 miles out of a tank - doing 85-95 on the motorway.

I also made a lil mpg thingy-mi-bob to help me work out my mpgs:
http://www.thirteentwelve.com/mpg.htm

Noddy · Post by **Noddy** » Wed Dec 14, 2005 3:35 pm

13twelve wrote:I also made a lil mpg thingy-mi-bob to help me work out my mpgs:
http://www.thirteentwelve.com/mpg.htm

That is very handy, thanks a lot for the link!

99 · Post by 99 » Wed Dec 14, 2005 6:34 pm

I drive a 60,000 mile 97 16v and I tend to get about 350 miles off a tank (full to the red, about Â£35, I don't normally let it get to the fuel light stage). This is mostly A-road stuff between 50 and 80 (sorry officer). I reckon this works out to around 40mpg. I don't cane it everywhere, but I wouldn't say I hang about...

OMEGASUPR3ME · Post by **OMEGASUPR3ME** » Wed Dec 14, 2005 7:08 pm

one of my mates has a 4 litre V8 beemer that can do 40mpg! polos love fuel fair doos lol i prob only get 35 at most!

Mak2503 · Post by **Mak2503** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 8:41 am

Thanks for letting me know the mpg you are supposed to get in the 16v Polo and thanks for the mpg calculator will come in handy.

Does anyone have any tips as to improve the fuel economy as it sounds like there must be something wrong with the car?

Also I own an Audi S2 Coupe which has a turbo and it doesn't even get that bad fuel economy. I use a Golf MK2 GTI 8V for getting too and from work and it gets at least 90 miles to Â£10. So there must be something wrong with the Polo.

Thanks in advance.

KITT · Post by **KITT** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 9:42 am

99 wrote:I drive a 60,000 mile 97 16v and I tend to get about 350 miles off a tank (full to the red, about Â£35, I don't normally let it get to the fuel light stage). This is mostly A-road stuff between 50 and 80 (sorry officer). I reckon this works out to around 40mpg. I don't cane it everywhere, but I wouldn't say I hang about...

Same for me, and I don't exactly drive it with economy in mind either

If I'm really cautious I can get over 400 miles to a tank.

Mak2503 - Sound's like you've got a problem somewhere. You could try an ECU reset (remove the battery wires overnight) so then it will re-learn everything the next day.

Mak2503 · Post by **Mak2503** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 12:32 pm

I will give the ECU resetting a go.

Is the removal of the battery wires the best way to rest the ECU as on my Audi I pull a fuse from the fuse box?

Hopefully this corrects things. If not one of my mates has VAGCom which should come up with a fault if there is one.

jezmk4 · Post by **jezmk4** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 4:55 pm

13twelve wrote:i drive an 80,000 mile 1997 R reg Polo 16v

and I get around 35 mpg of it

If I boot it everywhere - I can get less. Much less.

A full tank to red line is usually around 280 miles for me.
If I boot it this can be 150.
On long motorway journeys (in fact on the 370 down south to visit my girlfriend) I can get around 300 miles out of a tank - doing 85-95 on the motorway.

I also made a lil mpg thingy-mi-bob to help me work out my mpgs:
http://www.thirteentwelve.com/mpg.htm

mate

you have got issues with that!

i still get 250 miles on mine, an it is booted all the time,

get vag com on it, you might have a dodgy lambda probe, i did

R1CH · Post by **R1CH** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 10:22 pm

sweet jesus,currently im getting 40miles from Â£10 in my 1.4 16v, i do have a full stainless system and filter but i dont give it death,,,somebody suggested a nes fuel filter may help,,,a local garage said more likely be the lambda (sp) probe,,,,sounds like we got similar problem though matey.

R1CH · Post by **R1CH** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 10:24 pm

ps ten of them 40miles are done with the warning light on,,,,,not good

jezmk4 · Post by **jezmk4** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 11:50 pm

rich16v wrote:ps ten of them 40miles are done with the warning light on,,,,,not good

You have EXTREMLY major issues with yours

lamda probes are about Â£90 + vat i think from the stealers

if its burning that much does it not utterly stink?

][=][anson · Post by **][=][anson** » Fri Dec 16, 2005 9:45 am

i got a new Lambda yesturday from my 16v, cost me Â£52 from GSF, only fitted it yesturday and haven't been anywhere so i dont know if its solved the problem or not!! i shall report back when i've done some miles!

13twelve · Post by **13twelve** » Fri Dec 16, 2005 10:27 am

I might have to look into that
(and I thought mine was normal lol)

OMEGASUPR3ME · Post by **OMEGASUPR3ME** » Fri Dec 16, 2005 11:18 am

ye i'll have a look at this coz its costin me loads in petrol to go 2 college n back. i do boot it all the time coz ive got a lil K&N so i like heaqrin the noise

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