E30 1.6i Fuel Consumption

[E30TouringIRL]

Hey guys,

Just wondering what the fuel consumption on my car should be like? I am a light footed driver and I am only getting 33mpg. I do a 33 mile round trip to work every day which is mainly done at 50 --> 60ish. Anybody got any comments for me?

Many thanks,

Colm

1993 E30 1.6i Touring with 140k on the clock!

[E30TouringIRL]

I've been browsing the web...what position should my temperature gauge be at when the engine is warm? Mine is at the 11pm position if you know what I mean. Should it be at the 12pm position which would indicate that I might have a problem with a thermostat!

Cheers, Colm.

[zimmer-320i]

between qauter and half is fine maybe even that and 3 qauters as its only a few degrees between the 3

33mpg!! i wish i was getting that in mine lol

not sure mate id asume around 35mpg for a 1.6 engine, so could be right

[town325i]

when did it last have a service just changing the oil regular and the filters will help it run better and give better mpg

[Ilkorin]

I got 36mpg on the motorway for my 316i touring.... it could be right........

the problem is the diff ratio on those tourings means it's revving at 3-3.5k at motorway speeds, making it drink fuel....

ahh but you said 50-60ish....not quite sure then....

[Y_Cymro]

I get 35mpg on a gentle 70mph Motorway cruise and 27.5 on my daily short commute.
With 140k miles your 33 sounds about right, though the simple service suggested by town325i is a good idea if you've not been doing this regularly.

[swinster]

I get between 33 - 37 mpg out of mine on a 30 mile commute. I give mine a regular service, oil, filters & plugs. Thermostat on mine is at about 11 o'clock like on yours.

[E30TouringIRL]

Hmmm,

Bugger it anyway! My car gets regular oil changes, new ignition coil, leads, plugs the lot. Might get the strobe out and confirm the timing is correct..any thoughts?

[Alex]

i got around 35mpg out of my 316i

[daimlerman]

33 mpg is about right,we get 32-34mpg on general use from ours.It's 'best ever' figure of 38mpg was on a long,mainly motorway trip.I find that a 4.1 diff helps a little,makes it a bit quieter at speed at least.

[mr_dink]

33mpg is about on the money for a 316.

11 o'clock position on the temp guage is fine, as long as it's not in the blue or the red you're ok.

The thermostats are available in different temperature ratings iirc, so it may be possible to fit a different one if you want to get it running a bit warmer.

My IS runs at just below half under pretty much any conditions, don't think it's anything to worry about anyway.

[maxfield]

I got about 20mpg in my 316i

[Alex]

I got about 20mpg in my 316i

is that the one you said got driven hard

i can get similar mpg in my corsa sat at 95mph, its quite noisey at that speed since the engine is doing 5500rpm

[E30TouringIRL]

Thanks guys, going to have a look at the timing this weekend to make sure it is bang on. Can anyone give any further insight into diff options? Daimlerman mentioned a 4.1 diff. What cars have them and are they a simple unbolt/bolt on jobbie?

Many thanks,

Colm

[Alex]

yours will have either a 4.27 or 4.10 diff

think it will be a 4.27 since its a touring

[fingerman]

Your consumption sounds pretty good to me

[sati]

same as my 1.4 golf with a massive jap can on it 38mpg on a gud day and 15mpg on a bad day

[daimlerman]

Thanks guys, going to have a look at the timing this weekend to make sure it is bang on. Can anyone give any further insight into diff options? Daimlerman mentioned a 4.1 diff. What cars have them and are they a simple unbolt/bolt on jobbie?

Many thanks,

Colm

Our 316i touring came with a 4.45 dif,gave 60mph at 3000rpm.The 4.1 was redundant when I fitted a 3.64 to our other E30,my 2.7. 4.1 diff. is standard fit on 320i and 318iS.Simple bolt on /bolt off job,three shafts and four bolts to the top of the diff. and the rear mounting bolt as well. They can be difficult to both lift and line up,I use a small trolley jack to lift/support them.The diff. ratio should be stamped on a tag attached to the rear cover,but a rough guide can be had by rotating the input shaft and counting the turns on the output.