Improving fuel economy (petrol car)

[Gollom]

I have read quite a lot on how a chip/remap can improve economy on diesel cars but not much about petrol.

Most of my miles in the E240 are motorway. Are there worthwhile options available?

 

[Sp!ke]

Driving style, tyre pressures, narrower wheels.

Not much else you can do really unless you go LPG.

 

[R2D2]

I chipped both my c180k and my w202 c200. Both were a bit more responsive and both were a little less thirty on a cruise but a little more thirsty when you used the few extra hp that chipping liberated. It depends how you drive. I've considered it on my 350..

 

[joecash]

............. go LPG.

+1

 

[Gollom]

Driving style, tyre pressures, narrower wheels.

Not much else you can do really unless you go LPG.

Can tyre pressures make a marked difference. Getting approaching 30mpg so not too bad and I take 2 fellow workers which helps a lot with the cost.

So the chips/remaps only really work on diesel? Can anybody (in one line simple terms) explain why? Curious minds and all that

I love this car soooooo much. Just been over to Holland and the car is so at home on the roads there

 

[flango]

Can tyre pressures make a marked difference. Getting approaching 30mpg so not too bad and I take 2 fellow workers which helps a lot with the cost.

So the chips/remaps only really work on diesel? Can anybody (in one line simple terms) explain why? Curious minds and all that

I love this car soooooo much. Just been over to Holland and the car is so at home on the roads there

Chips/remaps work better on forced induction systems turbo's and superchargers, where the main parameter they change is the boost pressure of the turbo and fuel maps. On a normally aspirated engine you don't have as much to play with so you don't get the benefits of a turbo, most gains are made by altering the fuel maps.

BTW tyre pressure makes a massive difference on some cars

 

[grober]

It would great if there was one " demon tweak" but most improvements in MPG are a combination of lots of little things which when added together give you more mpg's. Increased Tyre pressures I would say for one mod only - at the possible expense of increased tyre wear and reduced ride comfort. Other thing often overlooked is under-body airflow- make sure all those engine undertray covers are in place. Aerodynamically always better to have the nose slightly lower than the rear. Heavily laden "nose in the air" cars will drop a couple of mpg's due to car attitude

 

[LTD]

Lighter shoes is the cheapest option of all

 

[boxbrownie]

As already stated really, slightly higher tyre pressures are the first thing, then make sure your not carrying excess weight in the car, turn off AC, drive with windows and sunroof closed, perhaps substitute the oil for a lower drag economy type (not a cheap oil though).
Most of all its down to driving style really........

 

[Gollom]

Thanks all

So increasing pressure by 5psi all round be a good compromise? (It is an Elegance spec so very good ride already)

 

[Will]

None of these things will make significant differences in your mpg - it's a V6 petrol E class

Enjoy it and know that the few extra mpg you might achieve in a CDI diesel one would probably have cost more in faults/repairs than your smooth V6 M112. And people driving brand new cars will be losing ££££s a year in depreciation

Just stick to the recommended tyre pressures in the fuel flap, avoid heavy acceleration/braking, avoid short uneccessary short journeys and enjoy the rest

 

[wemorgan]

Driving at 60mph rather than 70mph+ makes a real difference IMHO

 

[JudgeVFR]

If you are that bothered by fuel efficiency buy a smaller engined car.

 

[Dryce]

I consider myself light footed and couldn't get the much improvement out of my E240 despite experimenting. Best I got was about 36 on long runs but that was with the wind in the right direction. 34 was more easily achievable.

I played with tyre pressure a bit but it made no difference as far as I could tell. Same with the aircon (but being Scotland it didn't have to work hard).

I think the answer is as another poster has said - E240 is very refined but guzzles a bit. Enjoy it for what it is good at because there's not may cars out there can touch it for overall smoothness and quietness. It's a very hard act to follow - and spending even a lot of money on a diesel saloon might get you better economy but the under-appreciated E240 still wins by a mile on refinement.

 

[sherco450]

Can tyre pressures make a marked difference. Getting approaching 30mpg so not too bad and I take 2 fellow workers which helps a lot with the cost.

So the chips/remaps only really work on diesel? Can anybody (in one line simple terms) explain why? Curious minds and all that

I love this car soooooo much. Just been over to Holland and the car is so at home on the roads there

l had 18 inch rims on mine 265 rears and 225 front l went back to the original 16 with 205 all round its good for at least 80k per tank and it ride as it should