What mpg are you getting?

[OMG70]

I'm tracking (according to the car) at 14.9mpg. I've had my 2.0T less than a week. Is it something I'm doing? Punching it too much? I have used the remote start about 20 times. I was driving in comfort or sport and now I am driving in smart. Will the mileage inch up after a while? Right now, I feel like the car is a gas hog.

My BMW 4 seemed to never need gas..

I don't think I've seen another user with that bad of an average from a 2.0t (and maybe the 3.3t too). You probably don't have much mileage on the car, so every time you've punched it, the impact on your average is more pronounced than someone with more "eco miles" to even it out. Either that or you have one hell of a lead foot

 

[Bflogrl]

I don't think I've seen another user with that bad of an average from a 2.0t (and maybe the 3.3t too). You probably don't have much mileage on the car, so every time you've punched it, the impact on your average is more pronounced than someone with more "eco miles" to even it out. Either that or you have one hell of a lead foot

I doubt I’m a speed racer, I only have about 160 miles on the car. could the remote start affect it?

 

[16UltV6Guy]

I'm tracking (according to the car) at 14.9mpg. I've had my 2.0T less than a week. Is it something I'm doing? Punching it too much? I have used the remote start about 20 times. ......

How long is it running after you remote start it? That 0.0 mpg can really drag down your average.

Also, try not "punching it too much" for a bit. See what you get then.

 

[Bflogrl]

How long is it running after you remote start it? That 0.0 mpg can really drag down your average.

Also, try not "punching it too much" for a bit. See what you get then.

10 min per each remote start. Sometimes I do it twice before I get in and actually drive somewhere.

 

[joschneider]

10 min per each remote start. Sometimes I do it twice before I get in and actually drive somewhere.

And you’ve discovered why your mpg is so bad lol. Try to keep your remote start time down and you’ll see that mpg go way up

 

[Husky]

If you've remote started it about 20 times and let it run for about ten minutes each time, that's a total of over three hours! That's like 90 miles of putting along at 30mph.
If you only have 160 miles on the car, all that idling time will totally kill your average mpg.

 

[Husky]

It's probably also not ideal for engine break-in, since the motor is spending a lot of time just idling. You're supposed to vary the engine speed during break-in.

 

[Bflogrl]

And you’ve discovered why your mpg is so bad lol. Try to keep your remote start time down and you’ll see that mpg go way up

It really affects mpg that much? Sorry don’t mean to sound ignorant but I’ve had cars with remote start before and I never noticed a variance like that.
My husband has a Yukon Denali and he uses his remote start all the time, summer and winter and while his truck gets terrible gas mileage regardless, he has never been so far off from the manufacture estimates.

 

[Kraig Wilkinson]

I'm tracking (according to the car) at 14.9mpg. I've had my 2.0T less than a week. Is it something I'm doing? Punching it too much? I have used the remote start about 20 times. I was driving in comfort or sport and now I am driving in smart. Will the mileage inch up after a while? Right now, I feel like the car is a gas hog.

My BMW 4 seemed to never need gas..

I would say the excessive idling from the remote starts is hurting you. IMO

 

[Husky]

It's not the remote start itself, it's how long you let it idle after you start it. From an average mpg point of view, it's also a matter of how many miles of driving you have that you're using to calculate the average.
For example, if you had 400 miles of driving, then the idling time would be a smaller percentage of the total and not bring the average down as much.
Do you typically reset your average mpg on your other vehicles after each fill-up, or do you let it continue to calculate the mileage over multiple fill-ups?

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[EdP]

It really affects mpg that much? Sorry don’t mean to sound ignorant but I’ve had cars with remote start before and I never noticed a variance like that.
My husband has a Yukon Denali and he uses his remote start all the time, summer and winter and while his truck gets terrible gas mileage regardless, he has never been so far off from the manufacture estimates.

Do the math. How long and far are your trips compared to idle time?
Easy to check. Start the car as you have been. Before you start your trip, reset the gauge. At your destination check the mileage. Do it on different distances to see how it improves as the trip gets longer.
I've checked my mileage on short trips, like a mile or two. It is terrible but increases quite a bit after two miles, even more after 10 miles.

You have a car not broken in, in cold weather running rich, getting 0 mpg for 10 or 20 minutes. Yeah, it will be terrible.

 

[Bflogrl]

It's not the remote start itself, it's how long you let it idle after you start it. From an average mpg point of view, it's also a matter of how many miles of driving you have that you're using to calculate the average.
For example, if you had 400 miles of driving, then the idling time would be a smaller percentage of the total and not bring the average down as much.
Do you typically reset your average mpg on your other vehicles after each fill-up, or do you let it continue to calculate the mileage over multiple fill-ups?

Ok this makes sense. I’ve probably only driven the car ~90 miles since I purchased it last Friday.
I will reset the miles before I go somewhere else and see how it changes.

sooo, how do you reset the miles?

 

[Husky]

Ok this makes sense. I’ve probably only driven the car ~90 miles since I purchased it last Friday.
I will reset the miles before I go somewhere else and see how it changes.

sooo, how do you reset the miles?

Push and hold the scroll wheel on the right side of the steering wheel for a few seconds while the average mpg is being displayed in the dash display.

 

[joschneider]

Ok this makes sense. I’ve probably only driven the car ~90 miles since I purchased it last Friday.
I will reset the miles before I go somewhere else and see how it changes.

sooo, how do you reset the miles?

I’m not saying this to be a dick, but please bust your owners manual out and give it a read. I bet you’ll find some cool stuff you didn’t know and it will give you the low down on your break in procedure that you’re definitely not following right now

 

[Bflogrl]

Push and hold the scroll wheel on the right side of the steering wheel for a few seconds while the average mpg is being displayed in the dash display.

So - funny thing. I just went out to the car and it went from 14.5 when I turned the car off this afternoon to 17 something. I cleared it and drove about 5 miles and now I’m at 20.5

 

[Kraig Wilkinson]

I’m not saying this to be a dick, but please bust your owners manual out and give it a read. I bet you’ll find some cool stuff you didn’t know and it will give you the low down on your break in procedure that you’re definitely not following right now

I agree ! Spend some time reading the owners manual and you can get the most out of your vehicle.

 

[Bflogrl]

I agree ! Spend some time reading the owners manual and you can get the most out of your vehicle.

I have read a lot of manual, mostly to learn how to operate convenience features and some of the safety features I am not familiar with. Of course I skipped right over the break in section

 

[16UltV6Guy]

And you’ve discovered why your mpg is so bad lol. Try to keep your remote start time down and you’ll see that mpg go way up

Exactly. That idling time, combined with the fact that the total miles you're averaging over is relatively low, is killing the overall average.

..... That's like 90 miles of putting along at 30mph. .....

I think I know what you're trying to say, but it's actually the opposite of what you said. If she was driving at 30mph, she would get great gas milage, not low mpg. At 30 mph steady driving, I'd assume she easily get over 30 mpg. I get over 25mpg at 30 mph out of my larger-engined heavier car.

It's probably also not ideal for engine break-in, since the motor is spending a lot of time just idling. You're supposed to vary the engine speed during break-in.

Agree. What you're going with all that idling during the break-in period is exactly what the bearings, rings and cylinder walls don't want to see.

It really affects mpg that much? .....

Yes!

 

[Husky]

Exactly. That idling time, combined with the fact that the total miles you're averaging over is relatively low, is killing the overall average.


I think I know what you're trying to say, but it's actually the opposite of what you said. If she was driving at 30mph, she would get great gas milage, not low mpg. At 30 mph steady driving, I'd assume she easily get over 30 mpg. I get over 25mpg at 30 mph out of my larger-engined heavier car.


Agree. What you're going with all that idling during the break-in period is exactly what the bearings, rings and cylinder walls don't want to see.


Yes!

Not the opposite. My point was simply that she's effectively throwing away about 90 miles of driving, getting 0 mpg instead of 30 mpg, therefore greatly lowering the resulting average. For the same amount of fuel usage, she could have gone 250 miles instead of 160.

 

[16UltV6Guy]

Not the opposite. My point was simply that she's effectively throwing away about 90 miles of driving, getting 0 mpg instead of 30 mpg, therefore greatly lowering the resulting average. For the same amount of fuel usage, she could have gone 250 miles instead of 160.

Gotcha. Agree.