2000 Ford Fiesta Zetec S 1.6 - Improving Fuel Consumption

[Marky Mark88]

Bought this car on Saturday, its done a few miles (135,000) to be exact, but still seems to be a bit gutsy on fuel. Its had a new MAF sensor recently, so im going to reset the ECU and hopefully this will help a bit, does anyone have any ideas how else i can improve the economy? Its been serviced pretty regularly from what i can tell.

Cheers,

Mark

[Tonberry]

It would be useful if you could do some MPG calculations using the brimming method.

Until we know the exact economy figures we can't really suggest a course of action as they may be fairly typical of the car.

[GPR13]

What is it doing currently, mpg wise? Also, is this driving as miss daisy or just normaly?

[trickywoo]

Have you checked that the brakes / handbrake isn't binding?

[jbi]

my mate drives a brand new 1.2 zetec and is only averaging 36mpg.

How does yours stack up?

Edited by jbi on Tuesday 5th October 13:19

[anonymous-user]

Lambda sensor.

[Marky Mark88]

Driving normally mostly, with the odd spirited part!

My old car was a 1.25 Zetec, and that was spectacularly bad on fuel!

I guess i need to do some calculations for MPG, as there is no OBC to speak of. What exactly is the brimming method? Filling the tank up to the brim and using the capacity of the Tank to work out the MPG?

I dont think the brakes or anything are stuck on.

[V88Dicky]

Marky Mark88 said:

Driving normally mostly, with the odd spirited part!

My old car was a 1.25 Zetec, and that was spectacularly bad on fuel!

I guess i need to do some calculations for MPG, as there is no OBC to speak of. What exactly is the brimming method? Filling the tank up to the brim and using the capacity of the Tank to work out the MPG?

I dont think the brakes or anything are stuck on.

Hello mate. I use the brimming method (ooer) occasionally on my 1997 1.4 Zetec, and I regularly get the same figure (42-44mpg), over a weeks worth of daily commuting (mostly DC with some urban roads).

I'd expect a 1.6 to be in the high 30's at least for that same commute.

[Chris71]

Check the tyres are pumped up.

They are quite thirsty, you won't get more than mid thirties out of it I don't suppose. A mate had one from new and averaged 36mpg and he drives like a little old lady.

[Marky Mark88]

V88Dicky said:

Marky Mark88 said:

Driving normally mostly, with the odd spirited part!

My old car was a 1.25 Zetec, and that was spectacularly bad on fuel!

I guess i need to do some calculations for MPG, as there is no OBC to speak of. What exactly is the brimming method? Filling the tank up to the brim and using the capacity of the Tank to work out the MPG?

I dont think the brakes or anything are stuck on.

Hello mate. I use the brimming method (ooer) occasionally on my 1997 1.4 Zetec, and I regularly get the same figure (42-44mpg), over a weeks worth of daily commuting (mostly DC with some urban roads).

I'd expect a 1.6 to be in the high 30's at least for that same commute.

I would never have gotten that out of my 1.25 Zetec, im convinced there was something wrong with that car. I had someone do a diagnostic test on it and everything, but they never got to the bottom of it, so i just left it, nothing else i could do!

incidentally, on the new one, the heaters run hot all the time, probably due to the Heater Control Valve being faulty. I presume this wouldn't affect the fuel economy of the car?

[trickywoo]

Marky Mark88 said:

Incidentally, on the new one, the heaters run hot all the time, probably due to the Heater Control Valve being faulty. I presume this wouldn't affect the fuel economy of the car?

It would but probably not more than a couple of mpg at most. Unless you are only doing very short runs.

[Marky Mark88]

trickywoo said:

Marky Mark88 said:

Incidentally, on the new one, the heaters run hot all the time, probably due to the Heater Control Valve being faulty. I presume this wouldn't affect the fuel economy of the car?

It would but probably not more than a couple of mpg at most. Unless you are only doing very short runs.

That's good news then. Mostly short runs, but some longer ones as well.

I know the economy isnt going to be that great as its done a few miles and its a 1.6 S, but i just wanted to see if there was any way of improving the MPG, apart from the obvious of dont drive like a complete tit!

[Marky Mark88]

There is also a problem with the car where when i come to a junction and put my foot on the clutch, the revs rise to just over 2000 before dropping back down again after a couple of seconds. The general concensus was that an ECU reset should sort this out. In short, it hasn't!

What other avenues should i be looking at that might sort out the problem? ICV maybe?

[Marky Mark88]

Bumped for the afternoon crowd!

[daemon]

Marky Mark88 said:

V88Dicky said:

Marky Mark88 said:

Driving normally mostly, with the odd spirited part!

My old car was a 1.25 Zetec, and that was spectacularly bad on fuel!

I guess i need to do some calculations for MPG, as there is no OBC to speak of. What exactly is the brimming method? Filling the tank up to the brim and using the capacity of the Tank to work out the MPG?

I dont think the brakes or anything are stuck on.

Hello mate. I use the brimming method (ooer) occasionally on my 1997 1.4 Zetec, and I regularly get the same figure (42-44mpg), over a weeks worth of daily commuting (mostly DC with some urban roads).

I'd expect a 1.6 to be in the high 30's at least for that same commute.

I would never have gotten that out of my 1.25 Zetec, im convinced there was something wrong with that car. I had someone do a diagnostic test on it and everything, but they never got to the bottom of it, so i just left it, nothing else i could do!

incidentally, on the new one, the heaters run hot all the time, probably due to the Heater Control Valve being faulty. I presume this wouldn't affect the fuel economy of the car?

i'd a new 1.25 zetec in 2007. couldnt get over 28mpg over the course of a fill. i put it down to an underpowered engine for the weight of the car.

[Mastodon2]

I've got a 2001 Fiesta Flight 1.3 and that only does 36mpg. If yours got 32mpg, I'd say thats not terrible all things considered. That said, I do drive with a lead foot at times, as the car needs to b worked hard to get any real acceleration out of it. A softly does it approach got me a maxium tank mileage only 20 or so miles more than my lead foot mileage, so as it is, I give it the beans more often than not.

In the grand scheme of things, the mpg is still pretty poor, considering my mate's 2010 Astra VXR gets 30mpg, and has more than double the power output of a Zetec S, and nearly 3 times the output of my flight, all for 6mpg! Old engines, terrible things!

[Bill]

Marky Mark88 said:

I would never have gotten that out of my 1.25 Zetec, im convinced there was something wrong with that car. I had someone do a diagnostic test on it and everything, but they never got to the bottom of it, so i just left it, nothing else i could do!

Two cars with undiagnosed poor fuel consumption? Sounds like a heavy right foot IMO.

[Marky Mark88]

Bill said:

Marky Mark88 said:

I would never have gotten that out of my 1.25 Zetec, im convinced there was something wrong with that car. I had someone do a diagnostic test on it and everything, but they never got to the bottom of it, so i just left it, nothing else i could do!

Two cars with undiagnosed poor fuel consumption? Sounds like a heavy right foot IMO.

Could well be a possibility! Just seems strange that a friend has exactly the same 1.25 and drives it flat out everywhere and still gets better MPG than me driving like Miss Daisy! Have never been able to work it out. I guess we'll never know!

[kambites]

Try swapping cars for a bit?

[aspullite]

Marky Mark88 said:

There is also a problem with the car where when i come to a junction and put my foot on the clutch, the revs rise to just over 2000 before dropping back down again after a couple of seconds. The general concensus was that an ECU reset should sort this out. In short, it hasn't!

What other avenues should i be looking at that might sort out the problem? ICV maybe?

Hi mate, have you been over to zsoc.com? They are a friendly bunch and any problems I have had with my Fiesta ZS I have managed to sort with there help. Regarding the revs I think I read on zsoc that the icv is the problem but head over there and see what they say.