F31 330d xdrive economy - not great

F31 330d xdrive economy - not great

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matt21

4,285 posts

203 months

Saturday 28th January 2017
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On the first few tanks the trip computer was within 1mpg. Total range is about 450 miles too suggesting 39mpg was about right.

Not sure what could be wrong with it, and I normally get pretty good mpg. For reference do this route a lot and driven the same I get in other cars (real MPG)

M135i Auto - 33mpg
118d Auto - 52mpg
2004 Passat TDI - 48mpg

335d

758 posts

117 months

Saturday 28th January 2017
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If it's getting up to temperature at the normal rate, it's hard to know what could be wrong. A 100 mile, 80mph motorway run is exactly the kind of use which diesel excels at, and I would expect a great deal better than 39mpg.

It won't give you an answer, but could if you borrow a 335d (or perhaps another 330d xDrive) and try the same run in that and get something like 45mpg, you would at least have some evidence that something isn't right on your car.

If you were getting 30mpg or less, even the most slopey-shouldered BMW service manager would have to investigate, but I imagine that they will just shrug at 39mpg. Tricky one...

smashy

3,030 posts

157 months

Saturday 28th January 2017
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Just delved into the Idrive on my F30 330d S drive last 6000 miles average 48mpg

....and Matt re your 100 mile empty motorway at 80mph I do that every saturday afternoon 3 miles to the M4 then up M4 then the race track known as the A417 up to gloucester at those speeds I really think id be around 46.
Actually one night I did a test reset the obc each time 15 miles at 80mph was 46 mpg 70mph for 15 miles = 56mpg and 15 miles at 55-60 mph(lorries) gave me a crazy 72mpg( ECOPro) ,,I had done the exact test in my 120d auto a few years before and the F30 330d was 1mpg better than the 120d in all 3

I go To cornwall every year and do around 650 miles. Average last two years was 45 and 46mpg ( the gradients are killers) the two years before that was in the 120d and they gave me 44mpg each

335d makes an intersting comment re torque on a 330d xdrive never knew that

Edited by smashy on Saturday 28th January 16:12

matt21

4,285 posts

203 months

Saturday 28th January 2017
quotequote all
Thanks chaps. I have an update. All with cruise on down the M1.

50mph for 10 miles - 62mpg
60mph for 10 miles - 49mpg
70mph for 50 miles - 41.5mpg
80mph for 20 miles - 36.5mpg

I think my car is broken.

I will put some V Power fuel in and keep an eye on it, but would expect better.

smashy

3,030 posts

157 months

Saturday 28th January 2017
quotequote all
Hello Matt.mmm...you could be right ,its convincing who needs to be convinced is the problem ,I really hope you solve it to your satisfaction,Pete

Slippydiff

14,742 posts

222 months

Sunday 29th January 2017
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smashy said:
Hello Matt.mmm...you could be right ,its convincing who needs to be convinced is the problem ,I really hope you solve it to your satisfaction,Pete
I wish him good luck, I suspect he'll need it if my experiences are anything to go by. My car's been back to same dealership 3 times for the same issues, on the whole the service advisor (and technicians) have been either inept or arrogant, or both. My take on the situation is this : BMW won't pay for technicians to spend the necessary time to undertake a proper diagnosis, the technicians either can't be bothered (or it isn't in their interests financially) to spend time diagnosing tricky issues, far easier to do oil services and replace brake discs/pads and earn some decent bonus. Bottom line, no fault code, no diagnosis/no rectification. A frustrating waste of time, effort and energy.




apotts

254 posts

206 months

Sunday 29th January 2017
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Matt,

If it were me (and knowing the uselessness of the main dealer parts swappers), I'd:

  • Increase the tyre pressures by 5 psi and do that test again. If you got a big jump, this would indicate tyres that are draggy at the correct pressures.
  • Take the car to somewhere with a Hunter DSP alignment machine and get them to check the alignment.

Slippydiff

14,742 posts

222 months

Sunday 29th January 2017
quotequote all
apotts said:
Matt,

If it were me (and knowing the uselessness of the main dealer parts swappers), I'd:

  • Increase the tyre pressures by 5 psi and do that test again. If you got a big jump, this would indicate tyres that are draggy at the correct pressures.
  • Take the car to somewhere with a Hunter DSP alignment machine and get them to check the alignment.
Not just me then ???

matt21

4,285 posts

203 months

Sunday 29th January 2017
quotequote all
I'm still not convinced there is an issue. More online research today suggests the XDrive is a killer, and maybe the reason for the poor MPG.

I will pump up the tyres though and see how I get on in the next week

keepoffthemarbles

43 posts

89 months

Sunday 29th January 2017
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I drove round to my parents today taking it pretty easy. About 30 miles of which 20 is M25 and A3 and I only managed 40.4mpg. Which was disappointing.

XMT

3,779 posts

146 months

Sunday 29th January 2017
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keepoffthemarbles said:
I drove round to my parents today taking it pretty easy. About 30 miles of which 20 is M25 and A3 and I only managed 40.4mpg. Which was disappointing.
sounds fine to me, thats from having a current f30 320d, merc s 320, and had allllll sorts of dervs in the past.

your expecting to much or you beleived the guff people wrote on forums about 60mpg being easy from a 3 litre diesel or bmws guff.

smashy

3,030 posts

157 months

Sunday 29th January 2017
quotequote all
I have to say I dont reckon its fine to be fair .....that is in this cold weather 48mpg all day long in my F30 S drive 330d in summer in comfort about 52. I know those roads on a sunday and thats comfort not ECOPro
Ive been round the M25 and then A12 in Eco middle lane stuff and ended up at 61 mpg

I can also say from my home to the beginning of the M4 in London to junction 5 im allways up to 46mg all in about 12 miles...that cars Xdrive is the problem im sure of it

EDITED ive found an article by Clarkson on the 2 ltr 320d Xdrive " More importantly with Xdrive the fuel consumption is hit hard and it’s slower.
So, there’s a heavy price to pay for the ability to get out of your drive on that chilly February morning when you wake to find Jack Frost has been round in the night. And in all probability you won’t be going anywhere anyway, because your neighbour will have slithered into a lamppost in his two-wheel-drive 3-series and blocked the road."

Edited by smashy on Sunday 29th January 22:54


Edited by smashy on Sunday 29th January 22:55


Edited by smashy on Sunday 29th January 23:07

gizlaroc

17,251 posts

223 months

Monday 30th January 2017
quotequote all
matt21 said:
Thanks chaps. I have an update. All with cruise on down the M1.

50mph for 10 miles - 62mpg
60mph for 10 miles - 49mpg
70mph for 50 miles - 41.5mpg
80mph for 20 miles - 36.5mpg

I think my car is broken.

I will put some V Power fuel in and keep an eye on it, but would expect better.
That sounds right to me.

Fionas 20d xDrive X3 used to get approx.

50mph for 55mpg
60mph for 47mpg
70mph for 42mpg
80mph for 38mpg
90mph for 34mpg


That is a 2.0 litre diesel.

I just don't see how a 3 litre heavy car with AWD can be expected to get better than that?

What pressures are you running? 38psi front and 41psi rear? Try that, that may help.


52mpg from a 330d sDrive is amazing, that is 650 miles between fill ups? Is that what you get? I would think 550 miles would be more realistic, which is 43mpg.
You sure the OBC is not telling your porkies? biggrin




smashy

3,030 posts

157 months

Monday 30th January 2017
quotequote all
Have to say actually your right there im a long way from 650 fill ups.Because amongst that is 10 8 mile trips a week in London W4-W6 and back ......but long journeys you cant touch that S Drive 330d for power/mpg

Edited by smashy on Monday 30th January 14:35

335d

758 posts

117 months

Monday 30th January 2017
quotequote all
gizlaroc said:
That sounds right to me.

Fionas 20d xDrive X3 used to get approx.

50mph for 55mpg
60mph for 47mpg
70mph for 42mpg
80mph for 38mpg
90mph for 34mpg

That is a 2.0 litre diesel.

I just don't see how a 3 litre heavy car with AWD can be expected to get better than that?
The X3 has the aerodynamics (and looks!) of a garden shed, which is why the economy falls away so sharply at higher speeds. I get a great deal better economy than that from my 335d, and there are very large numbers of 335d owners on the Bimmerpost forum who report similar figures.

There have been occasional people reporting poor figures from the 330d xDrive over the years, but not enough to establish a clear picture.

matt21

4,285 posts

203 months

Monday 30th January 2017
quotequote all
60 mile commute today, driven similar to last week where I got just over 38, got 42.3mpg! That's more like it.

Have another long run on Wednesday so will see what it gets then.

keepoffthemarbles

43 posts

89 months

Monday 30th January 2017
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I'm running slightly 38/44 tire pressures and should probably mention I have M-Sport+ so 19in wheels.

I suspect the improved temps are helping your MPG Mat.

I'm still confident of hitting 50 in warmer weather with a few more miles on the clock.

matt21

4,285 posts

203 months

Monday 30th January 2017
quotequote all
Tyres were 33 front 36 rear, so added about 4 PSI all round and will see how tomorrow goes. Last tank actual MPG was 38.7mpg but that included the steady motorway run.

Swervin_Mervin

4,429 posts

237 months

Monday 30th January 2017
quotequote all
matt21 said:
Tyres were 33 front 36 rear, so added about 4 PSI all round and will see how tomorrow goes. Last tank actual MPG was 38.7mpg but that included the steady motorway run.
Those pressures sound low. I'm sure the quoted pressures for my E91 on 18s are higher

smashy

3,030 posts

157 months

Tuesday 31st January 2017
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Just arrived in poole dorset from west london s drive 330d 54.7mpg....