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M20 producing atrocious mpg. Update 15/6/16
Posted: Wed May 25, 2016 5:00 pm
by dimebag_from_hell
Alright lads, got an m20 here running very smooth, no issues at all bar it's very sore on fuel.
Basically in less than 20 miles driving sheepishly, over a tenner of petrol used.
She smells rich but then again they all seem to.
When I changed the oil it stank of petrol.
There are no obvious leaks but I haven't specifically checked yet.
What's the protocol, where to start, what to eliminate?
Thanks
Re: M20 producing atrocious mpg
Posted: Wed May 25, 2016 5:25 pm
by andysheep
Iv put my cabby m20b20 on a auto box on the road last week and jesus it drinks like a scotsman ,but like you said they all do that,good luck cos not even mine drinks that much
Andy
Re: M20 producing atrocious mpg
Posted: Wed May 25, 2016 5:34 pm
by Speedtouch
Re: M20 producing atrocious mpg
Posted: Wed May 25, 2016 7:36 pm
by Brianmoooore
Pi**ed as a newt, on the wrong end of a bottle of red, sitting by the Loire near Nevers, but I can still just about type! Check out the blue temp. sensor resistances, hot and cold, AT THE ECU PLUG, is the first thing to check, but you reallyneed a printout from an exhaust gas test. Always ask for this at a MOT test.
Re: M20 producing atrocious mpg
Posted: Thu May 26, 2016 8:38 am
by aimlessrock
are the HT leads original or aftermarket- does it have a CID?
http://www.e30zone.net/e30zonewiki/index.php/CID
Re: M20 producing atrocious mpg
Posted: Thu May 26, 2016 8:38 am
by aimlessrock
Brianmoooore wrote:Pi**ed as a newt, on the wrong end of a bottle of red, sitting by the Loire near Nevers, but I can still just about type! Check out the blue temp. sensor resistances, hot and cold, AT THE ECU PLUG, is the first thing to check, but you reallyneed a printout from an exhaust gas test. Always ask for this at a MOT test.
lol- sounds good Brian.
Re: M20 producing atrocious mpg
Posted: Thu May 26, 2016 10:31 am
by reggid
id check FPR first and leaks
Re: M20 producing atrocious mpg
Posted: Thu May 26, 2016 12:21 pm
by dimebag_from_hell
How would you test fuel pressure regulator? With the amount of fuel its using I can't imagine it's leaking, I have a tiled garage floor and just think I would see evidence of this somewhere.
The thing is it idles perfectly from cold, never stalls, in fact it's perfect bar the amount of fuel its using.
Re: M20 producing atrocious mpg
Posted: Thu May 26, 2016 10:31 pm
by reggid
using a pressure gauge.... you can also pull the vacuum hose off the back see there is fuel in there sometimes they leak into vacuum hose indicating a fault. what MPG you getting now and a few months back?
Re: M20 producing atrocious mpg
Posted: Fri May 27, 2016 9:10 am
by dimebag_from_hell
She was always sore on fuel being a m20 but now I might aswell by driving a hummer.
Re: M20 producing atrocious mpg
Posted: Thu Jun 02, 2016 5:07 pm
by dimebag_from_hell
Brianmoooore wrote:Pi**ed as a newt, on the wrong end of a bottle of red, sitting by the Loire near Nevers, but I can still just about type! Check out the blue temp. sensor resistances, hot and cold, AT THE ECU PLUG, is the first thing to check, but you reallyneed a printout from an exhaust gas test. Always ask for this at a MOT test.
I'm finally getting free time to look at this later, do you have to remove the ECU from the glove box to get to the ECU plug?
Re: M20 producing atrocious mpg
Posted: Thu Jun 02, 2016 7:01 pm
by dimebag_from_hell
Ok plug located, it's a 35 pin plug
Pin Function Pin Function Image
1 Ignition coil output 19 Ground Image:Motronic1_0Pins.jpg
2 Idle switch 20 Main relay
3 WOT switch 21 Tachometer
4 Cranking signal 22 AFM Temp sensor
5 Ground/Crank PosS Gnd 23 Inlet Air Temp/Crank SpS Gnd
6 AFM ground 24 O2 sensor signal *
7 AFM signal 25 Crank position sensor 1
8 Crank speed sensor 1 26 Crank position sensor 2
9 AFM supply 27 Crank speed sensor 2
10 Auto only special 28 Water Pressure switch
11 Fuel consumption gauge 29 A/C switch (if installed)
12 30 +Inlet Air Temp
13 Water Temp 31
14 Injector output cyl 3&4 32
15 Injector output cyl 1&2 33 ICV pulse
16 Ground 34 ICV pulse
17 Ground 35 Injector ground
18
The e30 wiki guide states, "Putt your multimeter electrodes onto pins 24 and 45 of the ECU (for facelift engines. For others, such as the 318iS, check the ECU Pinouts)"
Pin 24 is ground and 45 is coolant temp input, the pinouts for the 35 pin plug do not show a pin for coolant temperature input, can anyone advise further?
http://www.e30zone.net/e30zonewiki/inde ... CU_Pinouts
EDIT
So this is what I have
Going by the e30 wiki link, pin 13 is coolant temp but looking at the plug there isn't a pin at position 13....
Re: M20 producing atrocious mpg
Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2016 12:39 pm
by dimebag_from_hell
Anyone? Cars up for MOT on Monday so desperate to get this sorted.
Just test at the sensor itself? Was going to just take it of, test it from cold and then dip the sensor in a cup of hot water and test it.
Re: M20 producing atrocious mpg
Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2016 12:53 pm
by jmc330i
dimebag_from_hell wrote:Brianmoooore wrote:Pi**ed as a newt, on the wrong end of a bottle of red, sitting by the Loire near Nevers, but I can still just about type! Check out the blue temp. sensor resistances, hot and cold, AT THE ECU PLUG, is the first thing to check, but you reallyneed a printout from an exhaust gas test. Always ask for this at a MOT test.
I'm finally getting free time to look at this later, do you have to remove the ECU from the glove box to get to the ECU plug?
ECU is drivers side on a RHD car, not above the glovebox.
Re: M20 producing atrocious mpg
Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2016 12:57 pm
by jmc330i
dimebag_from_hell wrote:Anyone? Cars up for MOT on Monday so desperate to get this sorted.
Just test at the sensor itself? Was going to just take it of, test it from cold and then dip the sensor in a cup of hot water and test it.
You need to check the sensor from the ECU end to rule out any wiring issues and make sure the ECU is receiving the signal from the sensor. There is a plug under the inlet manifold that can cause issues, so it's important to check at the ECU end.
Re: M20 producing atrocious mpg
Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2016 1:20 pm
by dimebag_from_hell
jmc330i wrote:dimebag_from_hell wrote:Brianmoooore wrote:Pi**ed as a newt, on the wrong end of a bottle of red, sitting by the Loire near Nevers, but I can still just about type! Check out the blue temp. sensor resistances, hot and cold, AT THE ECU PLUG, is the first thing to check, but you reallyneed a printout from an exhaust gas test. Always ask for this at a MOT test.
I'm finally getting free time to look at this later, do you have to remove the ECU from the glove box to get to the ECU plug?
ECU is drivers side on a RHD car, not above the glovebox.
Jesus Christ epic fail!
Will have a look when I'm home. Thanks!
Re: M20 producing atrocious mpg
Posted: Sat Jun 04, 2016 12:01 am
by dimebag_from_hell
So from cold I get 2800 ohms and hot 250, sounds about right. Obviously never bothered testing at the blue temp itself after getting those readings.
From experience where would you chaps reccomend checking next. Fuel tank looks good, no visible signs of leaks on garage floor.
Re: M20 producing atrocious mpg
Posted: Sat Jun 04, 2016 2:05 pm
by dimebag_from_hell
So I am reading the C191 plug could be at fault, is there any issues when removing the intake manifold? I am at work trying to visualise it in my head.
I must stress this car started perfectly after a few years of no use, it idles perfectly, drives perfectly with no misfires....so I am hoping that will narrow down what could be the issue.
Could a leaking injector be the cause? The oil that came out of it stank of petrol.
Did the "wild chip" which I believe was supplied on here by ant, known to cause excessive fueling?
I am mad to get this sorted as I have a 300 mile journey to do in it to a car show on the 18th
Re: M20 producing atrocious mpg
Posted: Sat Jun 04, 2016 10:25 pm
by Brianmoooore
You've already tested the C191 if you've checked the temp. sensor at the ECU.
Have you taken all the spark plugs out and checked them all for the colour of their tips?
Re: M20 producing atrocious mpg
Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2016 8:36 am
by dimebag_from_hell
Yes Brian, I removed them when doing the timing belt. They were bmw Bosch and like new.
Any other ideas?
Thanks!
Re: M20 producing atrocious mpg
Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2016 11:51 am
by pianist
Brand new is not a colour, we need to know if the tips are brown, black, white etc
Re: M20 producing atrocious mpg
Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2016 7:14 pm
by Brianmoooore
^ ^ ^ ^
What he said!
Condition isn't what we need to know. Colour is.
Re: M20 producing atrocious mpg
Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2016 7:40 pm
by dimebag_from_hell
Brianmoooore wrote:^ ^ ^ ^
What he said!
Condition isn't what we need to know. Colour is.
Standard greyish colour
Re: M20 producing atrocious mpg
Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2016 7:56 pm
by Brianmoooore
Second pic. is too out of focus to see anything, but the first pic., although from the wrong angle, appears to be a little on the black (rich) side.
Re: M20 producing atrocious mpg
Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2016 8:28 pm
by dimebag_from_hell
I'm getting pretty much single figure mpg, blue temps good, C191 good, what'I would you suggest to check next Brian? Thanks
Re: M20 producing atrocious mpg
Posted: Sun Jun 05, 2016 11:03 pm
by jmc330i
dimebag_from_hell wrote:I'm getting pretty much single figure mpg
How are you calculating the mpg?
Re: M20 producing atrocious mpg
Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2016 9:55 am
by dimebag_from_hell
jmc330i wrote:dimebag_from_hell wrote:I'm getting pretty much single figure mpg
How are you calculating the mpg?
As I know I've used at least 10 litres of petrol in within 20 miles.
Re: M20 producing atrocious mpg
Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2016 10:42 am
by reggid
those plugs dont look like bill gates rich. how long had the car been idling before pulling them? plugs might suggest it might be under load that is overlfuelling rather than at all times and at idle its ok? if so could be AFM
Re: M20 producing atrocious mpg
Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2016 10:51 am
by Brianmoooore
dimebag_from_hell wrote:
As I know I've used at least 10 litres of petrol in within 20 miles.
That must be a leak! If the engine was burning it at that rate (less than 10MPG), then the plug tips would be a ball of soot.
A leak in the form of a fine spray from a high pressure fuel hose, that only occurs when the engine is running, can be surprisingly difficult to detect.
I remember one years ago when I only found it when the back of my hand happened to pass through the jet.
Re: M20 producing atrocious mpg
Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2016 11:03 am
by dimebag_from_hell
The fuel hoses are beneath the air intake? If a leak cannot be detected by hand would it be worth just replacing them all?
Re: M20 producing atrocious mpg
Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2016 11:55 am
by Brianmoooore
There are hoses at the rear of the car as well. They usually fare better than those in the engine bay, since they're not exposed to so much heat, but they can still fail.
Bending a hose will show if it needs replacing - cracks into the braid are not good.
Did this drop in MPG happen suddenly?
Re: M20 producing atrocious mpg
Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2016 12:16 pm
by dimebag_from_hell
No Brian, I always felt it ran rich but after a long lay up, couple of years, it's using an excessive amount of fuel
Re: M20 producing atrocious mpg
Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2016 2:52 pm
by jmc330i
dimebag_from_hell wrote:jmc330i wrote:dimebag_from_hell wrote:I'm getting pretty much single figure mpg
How are you calculating the mpg?
As I know I've used at least 10 litres of petrol in within 20 miles.
How do you know?
Re: M20 producing atrocious mpg
Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2016 3:09 pm
by dimebag_from_hell
I know what your trying to get at, however I know the car, have owned it for years and can tell from the guage that I've used at least a tenner of fuel.
Re: M20 producing atrocious mpg
Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2016 10:51 pm
by dimebag_from_hell
reggid wrote:those plugs dont look like bill gates rich. how long had the car been idling before pulling them? plugs might suggest it might be under load that is overlfuelling rather than at all times and at idle its ok? if so could be AFM
It idled for about 10 minutes a day or two before I tested the blue temp sensor.
Surely if the AFM was faulty the car wouldn't be driving so good?
I'm going to check the fuel hoses tomorrow after work. Is there much to remove to get to them?
Thanks