I seem to be using a ridiculous amount of petrol!!!

[Scrooloose]

First impressions, just from driving the Cerb to and from work for two days (a 16 mile round trip) - I seem to be using tons of petrol.....

There's one bit of dual carriageway that's half a mile long and the rest is max 40 mph.

There's a lot of popping and banging going on, which I assume is unburned fuel being burned in the exhaust.

Does it sound like i need a tune up?

[gazzab]

Think you should get 200 miles on a tank for such short journeys?

[dean_ratpac]

cam timing - i had mine looked at, my cams were out 8 degrees. i could smell the fuel everywhere. the difference was amazing, i got all the way to le mans on 1 tank. now for those who know me, i don't hang around. your performance will also be improved.

[BossCerbera]

Could just be out of tune and over-fuelling. My 4.5 went like this and fuel consumption went from 20-ish down to about 14. A quick twiddle with the laptop plugged in put it right.

[simonsparrow]

dean_ratpac said:

cam timing - i had mine looked at, my cams were out 8 degrees. i could smell the fuel everywhere. the difference was amazing, i got all the way to le mans on 1 tank. now for those who know me, i don't hang around. your performance will also be improved.

Thats interesting, how did you figure that out? And what are the 'correct' values? Mine has smelt of unburnt fuel for ages.....

[garethgtt]

hehe, worst i ever had was 11mpg and that was 80% motorway driving!!!!!!, its a lot better now the exhaust isnt blowing and the engines been tweaked, although its still bad, if you toe it, it will guzzle!

[dean_ratpac]

simonsparrow said:

dean_ratpac said:

cam timing - i had mine looked at, my cams were out 8 degrees. i could smell the fuel everywhere. the difference was amazing, i got all the way to le mans on 1 tank. now for those who know me, i don't hang around. your performance will also be improved.

Thats interesting, how did you figure that out? And what are the 'correct' values? Mine has smelt of unburnt fuel for ages.....

i only thought i was eating too much fuel since this is my 3rd cerbie and kind of knew what they would drink, a major factor was it wasn't not making the right figures on a rolling road (red rose upgrade) Paul from Austec was down and spotted/heard it straight away. since engine was under warranty, i sent it to Dom at TVR power (where it was built_), to say it was no way near the power it should be making.
TVR power diagnosed it was chain stretch casuing the cams to be out by 8 degrees!!!!!!!.... seems a lot to stretch to me? anyways engine has not been touched since rebuild so the idea of going back to where it was built was for the warranty, not worth the paper it was printed on. TVR power then said tappets and cams should be done on the first service, but i can find no record of this being intstructed and since the being in the fold for many years - any new cerbie i knew of was a check over and oil change at 1500.
Albeit when the work was done, it was like a different car. very happy. but i was £650 lighter - and extra hour over charged too. got home and 4 of my purple pipes had popped off. i called to speak to Dom, he was busy at the time, also to chase the claim he would try and get some of my money back? all nice words once you've been paid. heard nothing since