Vito Fuel Consumption Figures.

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ringway

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Having at last completed the installation of the Highline instrument cluster in my Vito 120 Sport, (don't ask - the complications and sheer incompetence from the main dealer really do beggar belief) I thought I would test the MPG on the way home from the mileage adjustment guy.

The figures (be they truly accurate or not) are pleasing from a 3.0V6, 24v diesel, box-shaped load-lugger.


The figures were achieved at 90% motorway cruising and 10% urban driving. They are not as good as my beefier 2002 S320CDI (MB engineering from 10+ years ago) but on the whole, I'm satisfied with my findings.


What are your figures?

VitoMPG17thSeptember2012.jpg
 
Sorry but I think something is wrong there.

38.1 mpg is the brochure figure for the 120 at a constant 56 mph (unladen). There's no way you could have achieved 38.0 from a mix of motorway and urban driving (unless you were only doing 40-50 on the motorway, which is impossible as your overall average speed is shown as 54 mph).

The other book figures are 23.7 mpg urban, 37.6 mpg extra-urban (average speed for this is 39 mph!), and 30.7 mpg combined.

The highest I've ever seen from ours was 31 mpg, and that was on a very long run (to Germany) at very moderate motorway speeds. Normally we average about 25-26 mpg, which fits in with the published figures.

So I would suspect that something is incorrectly calibrated on yours. Reset the trip memory while cruising at a steady 56 mph on a flat road to get an 'instantaneous' mpg reading. If it's over 38.1 then you definitely have a problem.
 
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Sorry but I think something is wrong there.

38.1 mpg is the brochure figure for the 120 at a constant 56 mph (unladen). There's no way you could have achieved 38.0 from a mix of motorway and urban driving (unless you were only doing 40-50 on the motorway, which is impossible as your overall average speed is shown as 54 mph).

The other book figures are 23.7 mpg urban, 37.6 mpg extra-urban (average speed for this is 39 mph!), and 30.7 mpg combined.

The highest I've ever seen from ours was 31 mpg, and that was on a very long run (to Germany) at very moderate motorway speeds. Normally we average about 25-26 mpg, which fits in with the published figures.

So I would suspect that something is incorrectly calibrated on yours. Reset the trip memory while cruising at a steady 56 mph on a flat road to get an 'instantaneous' mpg reading. If it's over 38.1 then you definitely have a problem.


It was 90% motorway and 10% urban and I was trying to get the best figure I could and was lucky with traffic flow.
One thing I have noticed to increase the MPG was inflating the tyres to the higher fully laden levels. That, combined with a cleaner running engine, hardly any weight on board and a desire to achieve a good readout is why I got to 38mpg I should think.

I'll do some more testing though. :)
 
hi lm more familiar with litres. so your figures are showing 60 kms for 4.5 litres of fuel that equates to 15-17km per litre pretty good possibly are correct .the best lve had was a 14km per litre with 225/65/17 rear tyres that keeps the engine at about 1700rpm at 100kph with no weight but with roof bars on. and a cool day
 
I'll do some more testing though. :)
Your best bet is to do a brim-to-brim refuel and do the maths on the back of the receipt. You don't need to use a full tank for the test, just brim it then drive for a bit and brim it again (if you have an AMG that IS a full tank ;) ).
 
It was 90% motorway and 10% urban and I was trying to get the best figure I could and was lucky with traffic flow.
One thing I have noticed to increase the MPG was inflating the tyres to the higher fully laden levels. That, combined with a cleaner running engine, hardly any weight on board and a desire to achieve a good readout is why I got to 38mpg I should think.

I'm running mine at 36 PSI vs the plated 33 PSI.

Honestly, there's got to be something wrong with your display. As mentioned the extra-urban test is at 39 mph average speed and gives 37.6 mpg. Those 'book' figures are rarely achieved in the real world, yet you are showing 38.0 with an average speed of 54 mph ...

As Shude says you can check distance run vs. fuel used. Only proviso there is that your distance run needs to be correct - if your new cluster thinks the van has gone further than it really has then that would explain the high MPG readout.

I would check the odometer over a known distance, and speedo against a GPS (steady speed, straight & flat road) to confirm all is OK there.

If the cluster derives wheel rotation info. from a gearbox sensor there is definitely scope for the setup to be incorrect because the 120 has a different rear axle ratio to the other models of 639:

109 - 3.727:1
111 & 115 - 3.273:1
120 - 2.923:1
 
Ringway - was there not suspicion that your van had been chipped at some point?

This might explain a higher reading?
 
As Shude says you can check distance run vs. fuel used. Only proviso there is that your distance run needs to be correct - if your new cluster thinks the van has gone further than it really has then that would explain the high MPG readout.

I would check the odometer over a known distance, and speedo against a GPS (steady speed, straight & flat road) to confirm all is OK there.
Didn't think of that! If the distance covered is out then the speedo is also likely to be out.
 
Good to here it's working.

I know what you mean about the MB dealers, they have no clue what there doing.
 
Spill the beans, what happened!
 
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I'm running mine at 36 PSI vs the plated 33 PSI.

Honestly, there's got to be something wrong with your display. As mentioned the extra-urban test is at 39 mph average speed and gives 37.6 mpg. Those 'book' figures are rarely achieved in the real world, yet you are showing 38.0 with an average speed of 54 mph ...

As Shude says you can check distance run vs. fuel used. Only proviso there is that your distance run needs to be correct - if your new cluster thinks the van has gone further than it really has then that would explain the high MPG readout.

I would check the odometer over a known distance, and speedo against a GPS (steady speed, straight & flat road) to confirm all is OK there.

If the cluster derives wheel rotation info. from a gearbox sensor there is definitely scope for the setup to be incorrect because the 120 has a different rear axle ratio to the other models of 639:

109 - 3.727:1
111 & 115 - 3.273:1
120 - 2.923:1


Thanks Bill.

I actually checked the distance against my TOMTOM which was running at the time after thinking it had taken a long time to cover the first few miles. It was spot on.

The clock came out of a 120 so should be fine.

I've brimmed the tank earlier today, but might add that consumption appears to down a little. My run last night started at around 9.00pm on a free-moving motorway and the dual carriageway and traffic lights were all in my favour, in that I didn't stop once.

I'd set myself a challenge to see (within reason) what sort of MPG was achieveable so it was a deliberate attempt to maximise.

In optimum conditions, I did occasionally see mid to late fifties and seem to recall 60ish in my 320CDI when trying to squeeze the maximum MPG from that. I've been searching for pictures of that, but have drawn a blank so far.

More testing to do. :)
 
Ringway - was there not suspicion that your van had been chipped at some point?

I know where you are coming from, David, but no real suspicion of chipping or remapping. It's just that my van was quicker than the Sport X I test drove the same day (and previously). Not really surprising though, because the "Oil Level too High" warning was flashing on the Sport X.
 
Good to here it's working.

I know what you mean about the MB dealers, they have no clue what there doing.

At the dealership from 10am - 4.30pm and nothing working properly.
Back the next day, 8.00am - 11.30am working in a fashion but miles incorrect and no MPG figures etc.

One of the mechanics had a small ball pein hammer in his side overall trouser pocket which whacked my passenger door (thankfully on the inside) as he walked past. He didn't say anything, and just took the hammer from his pocket and swiftly chucked it into a tool box. :mad:

I took the van to a mileage correction guy last night and the cluster was working perfectly with the correct mileage after 20 minutes.

Spill the beans, what happened!


I would if I could, and it would drop the dealership in the deepest mire, but someone would definitely lose their job as a result, so reluctantly, my lips are sealed.
 
It does make you think how they service these, if they followed my instructions it would have taken 1 hour tops.
I have the same with my heater, they could not find any faults, i go down the road to a guy with star and it's a clear as day, but MB had no clue, and could not see the heater valve fault.
Just glad I can do my own repairs and service!
 
It does make you think how they service these, if they followed my instructions it would have taken 1 hour tops.
I have the same with my heater, they could not find any faults, i go down the road to a guy with star and it's a clear as day, but MB had no clue, and could not see the heater valve fault.
Just glad I can do my own repairs and service!


I was referencing your thread to the tech from my phone, and he still couldn't get it. Makes me wonder if they prolong some jobs deliberately. He was actually fumbling around at times. I paid for four hours labour and feel robbed at that. I also had to go and get another spiral for them from another of their branches.

I agree about doing as much of your own service and repairs as possible. That's how I play it.
 
SPX knows a thing or two about Vito's and stuff he has an excellent tech too. Is there an opening for a Vito specialist out there. Gap in the market and all that.

Blackburn have a large commercial set up. Not sure if they know their beans from their backsides though.
 
SPX knows a thing or two about Vito's and stuff he has an excellent tech too. Is there an opening for a Vito specialist out there. Gap in the market and all that.

Blackburn have a large commercial set up. Not sure if they know their beans from their backsides though.


A lot of things I'll tackle myself, John, but when it comes to the commercial vehicle version of STAR, I'm snookered. A couple of likeable indies I can use just don't have the commercial vehicle STAR and Blackburn is too far, really.


Something I forgot to mention was that the mileage adjustment guy had left his STAR at his workshop, but still managed to crack it with a different machine in 20 minutes. The machine (according to him at least) cost a whopping £17,000. He earns £80k a year, so not a bad investment I suppose.
 
Just a quick add to this thread my old Vito 120 would give a very best 'average' of 30mpg in absolutely ideal conditions - very gentle acceleration - never exceeding 70mph - wasted on such a motor. Driving sensibly my average was 27.2. I now have the new Vito 116 Sport auto. Same driving styles give me a best of 44mpg on my 10 mile trip home - best ever mpg recorded tonight !!!! (10000 on the clock now) and never less than 31/32 mpg in 'normal' driving conditions. Mixed easy A and B roads plus some dual carriagway plus some heavy acceleration just to shut down the odd T5 owner from time to time. :)

Recent trip back from Somerset to Cornwall 144 miles each way with average overall trip speed of 58mph gave me 31mpg overall - Usually about 420miles before the refill warning from a full tank. Having had both the 205bhp V6 and the 164bhp 4cyl in Duoliner / sport trim I'm dead chuffed with the 116 and to date it's been faultless.
 

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