W163 ML270 CDI - How to get better fuel economy..

[edgejedi]

...I know that taking my lead foot of the pedal may help , but having done this I find myself at a loss how to get better MPG than I am at the moment...am I maxxed out on MPG at 25 for an ML?

Ive turned off the rear climate control and turned off the ac (by pressing the AC off/rest button - I assume!)...Im really not bothered about aircon tbh.

Does anyone else have any tips for fuel economy settings by the in car controls....or otherwise?

Im hesitant at installing any chips (not the food lol) into the engine for fear of higher insurance costs which would of course balance out any savings that may be made I guess...

Any pointers appreciated

 

[x332race]

Really fiddling with the ancillaries on a car is going to make little or no difference to fuel consumption. You need to follow common sense procedues...make sure tyres are correct pressure and drive sensibly.

I have a C270 and get between 30-50mpg depending on where and how I drive. Your car is heavier but still would expect better mpg than you are getting.

 

[Rory]

What did you drive before?

You sort of have to let diesel autos drive themselves - just ease them along using the torque available. Any hint of "press on" motoring will murder the MPG. Also avoid stopping! Not always easy, but it takes a lot of effort (therefore fuel) for these cars to get going again.

When the car is moving and your foot off the gas you're using no fuel at all (it shuts off) so any opportunity to roll up to lights, junctions etc, rather than driving up under power and then braking at the last moment, will increase your MPG.

 

[edgejedi]

...I used to drive a 2.0 dti Zafira with stick before I fell in love with my ML...it may just be that I guess, getting used to it.

Its still killing me that I have to use the kickdown to make a quick start to get across a junction, with a seeming 1 or 2 second delay in response before the car then jumps into life like the Millenium Falcon going to lightspeed (wishes he had the latter lol).

I guess it could just be me adapting my driving style to an auto?

 

[BlackC55]

25MPG in the cold weather is quite normal for an ML270CDI. Turn the heated seats off, the AC and drive carefully at no more than 2000RPM. Make sure the filters are clean and the service is up to date.

A tuning box for economy will help.

 

[the1beard]

Check water temp if you're not getting up towards 90deg then you may need to replace the thermostat.

 

[The Pan Man]

I have to use the kickdown to make a quick start to get across a junction,
Are you driving in W or C mode? If so drive in S mode that will automaticly use first gear and get you away. 25 MPG for a 2 Tonne brick with a "Small Engine" is most likely about as good as it gets.

 

[edgejedi]

I have to use the kickdown to make a quick start to get across a junction,
Are you driving in W or C mode? If so drive in S mode that will automaticly use first gear and get you away. 25 MPG for a 2 Tonne brick with a "Small Engine" is most likely about as good as it gets.

Not sure that I have a W,C or S mode

MLs seem to just have the D mode (for drab).

I have an awful turbo lag pulling away from a junction which absolutely kills me. I go slow till the turbo kicks in a couple of seconds later, but thats just not quick enough sometimes in difficult scenarios at junctions....

 

[Adam230K]

If you're worried about fuel economy than you shouldn't have bought an ML.. its a 2.5tonne car! getting 25-30mpg is excellent if you think about it.

 

[edgejedi]

If you're worried about fuel economy than you shouldn't have bought an ML.. its a 2.5tonne car! getting 25-30mpg is excellent if you think about it.

...thats easy to say to be honest and we all buy the cars we want knowing some of the limitations and parameters. Thats like saying you bought an iPhone so you should be prepared to be strangled by Apple - nope - we have a choice and there are workarounds.

But we dont come here to make different choices - just to share solutions and tips...there are some great people here with such experience.

I managed to get 31mpg out of my 'brick' on a motorway trip recently - I was a happy man! :bannana:

(Shame was the diesel has gone up so much that any saving was negated in the long run anyway....hey ho...)

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

31 mpg is exactly what we get for 70-ish mph on the motorway in our ML270 CDi with cruise control on.

I recall breaching 35/36 mpg once but that was super-gentle driving with 55-60 mph and cruise control on.

I find that there's a momentary pause if I'm already rolling when flooring the throttle, but if I floor it from a standstill it goes like a scalded cat!!

 

[Meldrew2]

Not sure that I have a W,C or S mode

MLs seem to just have the D mode (for drab).

I have an awful turbo lag pulling away from a junction which absolutely kills me. I go slow till the turbo kicks in a couple of seconds later, but thats just not quick enough sometimes in difficult scenarios at junctions....

W163 MLs certainly don't have different modes. W (winter) mode is un-necessary on a 4x4, S (sport) mode wouldn't achieve much

I had a Y reg ML270 for a few years - I never had noticeable turbo lag - but I did experience the gearbox taking a moment to choose a gear. I got round this when I needed to, by manually selecting a suitable gear on approach to the roundabout (hold gear selector to the left for about 1/2 a second)

Your MPG sounds pretty average compared to what I got. What surprised me is when the ML270 was replaced, I got a good deal on a W163 ML350 (petrol) and the mpg on that has always been about 23-24 !

 

[vincenz]

W163 MLs certainly don't have different modes. W (winter) mode is un-necessary on a 4x4, S (sport) mode wouldn't achieve much

S is for standard

 

[The Pan Man]

Well guys if it does not have different modes and I would have expected STANDARD and WINTER or STANDARD and COMFORT 4x4 or not. For the un - informed Winter and Comfort start off in second gear. Then the OP cant be kicking it down from stand still because it would already be in first gear. It might be worth a gearbox reset to uneducate the box and see if that makes a difference. Other than that it must be some other problem. What is the mileage and when was the transmission fluid last changed these all might have something to do with the problem.

 

[Adam230K]

...thats easy to say to be honest and we all buy the cars we want knowing some of the limitations and parameters. Thats like saying you bought an iPhone so you should be prepared to be strangled by Apple - nope - we have a choice and there are workarounds.

But we dont come here to make different choices - just to share solutions and tips...there are some great people here with such experience.

I managed to get 31mpg out of my 'brick' on a motorway trip recently - I was a happy man! :bannana:

(Shame was the diesel has gone up so much that any saving was negated in the long run anyway....hey ho...)

Have you thought about getting it remapped?

 

[MJWright]

very useful info thanks

 

[Vlad]

Surely getting it remapped isn't really going to make a huge difference...at the end of the days its a heavy vehicle with barn like aerodynamics and a big rolling resistance. Its certainly never going to be a 32-35mpg averaging vehicle unless it sits on the motorway day in day out at 60mph.