car burning excessive fuel?

Jordan5372

Hi all

I have a 1998 corsa b 1.2 8v

Last Thursday i filled the car to the top. 43 litres it took (46 litre capacity )

i drove from Ashbourne to Donegal on Friday travelling on the motorway, through cavan, eniskillen, up to pettigo then into Donegal. I then drove from Donegal to Ashbourne the same route Sunday morning.

A total of 279 miles. My fuel guage is now on the red and fuel light is on.

according to this : http://www.ultimatespecs.com/car-specs/Opel/3344/Opel-Corsa-B-12i-8v.html

i should be getting 707km out of a tank of fuel which rounds up to 440 miles.

What is going wrong?

Car had NCT in Jan and passed everything, it has always been like this. Fuel filter has been changed and spark plugs and oil has been changed, tyres are pumped to correct pressure.

why am i not getting 400 miles to a tank of fuel?

Ronnie Beck

You burned roughly 40 litres in 400km so 10 litres/100km which is 25mpg or so. Fairly bad alright. Very heavy right foot, excessive weight, misfire from engine? Does it feel underpowered particularly from a standing start?

Jordan537

yes very underpowered from standing start, if i put my foot to the floor it will creep along for a few seconds before any power kicks in, very dangerous at junctions.

Shakti

a 98 1.2 hauling itself for a prolonged period at 120kmph on motorways results in drastically reduced mpg,

Jordan537

i was doing around 100km on the way there on the motorway, on the way back i was doing 120-140km

Bpmull

From your opening post you think your car should get 707km to 46 litres that's 44 mpg I don't think you'll ever see that in a petrol corsa. From your figures you went 450 km and burnt approx 40litres that's 32mpg. Which is abit low but not really shocking. Were you doing 120kmh plus on the motorway if so that is probably why the car would burn alot of fuel at higher speeds.

Shakti

were you being chased on the way back?:eek:

Jordan537

Shakti wrote: »

were you being chased on the way back?:eek:

somecreep

Its the motorway driving, burns fuel like mad in lower engined cars

Mar4ix

i was driving to Letterkeny area, fully loaded, 4 seats occupied and boot full of luggage, i cant remember what mileage was, but remember after calculation was 6.5 liter to 100 km , average 100 km/h speed, with some overtakes. its petrol, 1.8 lean burn engine '98 toyota avensis (7A-FE engine) .

Bpmull

Mar4ix wrote: »

i was driving to Letterkeny area, fully loaded, 4 seats occupied and boot full of luggage, i cant remember what mileage was, but remember after calculation was 6.5 liter to 100 km , average 100 km/h speed, with some overtakes. its petrol, 1.8 lean burn engine '98 toyota avensis (7A-FE engine) .

That's almost 44mpg serious going for a petrol car loaded but again it was 1.8 so wouldn't be under as much pressure as a 1.2 corsa

Ronnie Beck

Jordan537 wrote: »

yes very underpowered from standing start, if i put my foot to the floor it will creep along for a few seconds before any power kicks in, very dangerous at junctions.

That would do it. You need to get that sorted. Could be your ignition coil or a sensor.

Ronnie Beck

somecreep wrote: »

Its the motorway driving, burns fuel like mad in lower engined cars

rubbish pub talk.

Done 400km with two people and 2 dogs in a 1 litre mpi polo for 45 euro. That's about 7.5l/100km or 37mpg. It was 75% motorway and the rest back roads and nationals(Galway to Meath). Motorway at 115km/h average and the rest 100km/h and flying on the backroads too.

dgt

That engine has 44bhp from the factory and goodness knows what nowadays. It's quite slow at best. Brim the tank, watch your right foot and calculate the results

Dord

dgt wrote: »

That engine has 44bhp from the factory and goodness knows what nowadays. It's quite slow at best. Brim the tank, watch your right foot and calculate the results

44bhp? :eek:

dgt

Dord wrote: »

44bhp? :eek:

Yes, 44bhp. Here's a racing clutch for one :rolleyes:

I had one and haven't a good thing to say, so I won't say anything

Bpmull

dgt wrote: »

Yes, 44bhp. Here's a racing clutch for one :rolleyes:

I had one and haven't a god thing to say, so I won't say anything

If its only 44bhp :eek: then there is probably nothing wrong with it would just be slow to take off. I'm surprised op is even able to get 140kmh out of it although I suppose there light which would help. Is the 1.0l even less than that bhp wise ?

dgt

Bpmull wrote: »

If its only 44bhp :eek: then there is probably nothing wrong with it would just be slow to take off. I'm surprised op is even able to get 140kmh out of it although I suppose there light which would help. Is the 1.0l even less than that bhp wise ?

I'll never, ever forget the day I was driving up this hill in it and the wheezing pathetic excuse of an engine staggered to pull it halfway up and wouldn't go any more. I had to ring my dad and get him to tow it. Beyond hateful, I'm getting mad even thinking about that retched piece of scrap.... :mad::mad::mad:

I don't understand it though, the 899 Sei flew up and down it for years no problems, why didn't the Corsa?

The 1.0 Corsa has 1 less cylinder and had 50bhp, should be torquier

Jordan537

dgt wrote: »

I'll never, ever forget the day I was driving up this hill in it and the wheezing pathetic excuse of an engine staggered to pull it halfway up and wouldn't go any more. I had to ring my dad and get him to tow it. Beyond hateful, I'm getting mad even thinking about that retched piece of scrap.... :mad::mad::mad:

I don't understand it though, the 899 Sei flew up and down it for years no problems, why didn't the Corsa?

The 1.0 Corsa has 1 less cylinder and had 50bhp, should be torquier

you are joking about the hill?

Bpmull

dgt wrote: »

I'll never, ever forget the day I was driving up this hill in it and the wheezing pathetic excuse of an engine staggered to pull it halfway up and wouldn't go any more. I had to ring my dad and get him to tow it. Beyond hateful, I'm getting mad even thinking about that retched piece of scrap.... :mad::mad::mad:

Reminds me off hill in new Ross I used to go up regularly with the astra. In the cars the defence the hill is ridiculously steep and long to. But the astra would only go up the hill in 1st :eek: I mean revving it out in first and dropping to 2nd very quick then foot to the floor and the car would drop speed like a stone and stall if you didn't drop back. Usually had abit of weight in the back to which didn't help. Remember a galaxy stalled in front of me one day and started to roll back that was fun I though she was going to have to roll down the hill and start again 5 attempt it took her. Anyway now with the focus it will go up the hill in third and pull the whole way up the hill. Some difference in the two considering they are both 90bhp.

dgt

Jordan537 wrote: »

you are joking about the hill?

Sadly, I'm not. I wish I was

It's the only car that failed to get up that hill in the dry, I'll never understand it. Sure some small engined cars will die down a bit, others will die a lot but it absolutely staggered up (even after travelling at 80kms beforehand) wheezed and coughed then just died. The embarrassment of having to ring "I can't get up Stackallen to Gorman Lough. No I don't know what's wrong it just won't pull itself up. Can you tow me..."

I look after my cars, it was no exception. That day was the first time I absolutely saw red in a car, I was really that disappointed

dh0011

when was the car serviced last?

CiniO

Shakti wrote: »

a 98 1.2 hauling itself for a prolonged period at 120kmph on motorways results in drastically reduced mpg,

Oh come on.
OP is getting 10l/100km or worse.

My dad has 1.0 corsa, and I've been travelling 600km motorway routes in it at 140 - 150km/h (which is about the maximum), and I've been still getting around 7 maximum 8 l/100km. (very far from 10).

There is definitely something wrong with OP's car.

Jimmy Garlic

dgt wrote: »

I'll never, ever forget the day I was driving up this hill in it and the wheezing pathetic excuse of an engine staggered to pull it halfway up and wouldn't go any more. I had to ring my dad and get him to tow it. Beyond hateful, I'm getting mad even thinking about that retched piece of scrap.... :mad::mad::mad:

I don't understand it though, the 899 Sei flew up and down it for years no problems, why didn't the Corsa?

The 1.0 Corsa has 1 less cylinder and had 50bhp, should be torquier

You are seriously saying it wouldn't go up that hill in 3rd, 2nd or even 1st? Ah now, pull the other leg. If it couldn't then it mustn't have been firing on all cylinders.

I had a 1.1 fiesta many moons ago. It was slow and crude but it could manage to get up any hill.

dgt

Jimmy Garlic wrote: »

You are seriously saying it wouldn't go up that hill in 3rd, 2nd or even 1st? Ah now, pull the other leg. If it couldn't then it mustn't have been firing on all cylinders.

I had a 1.1 fiesta many moons ago. It was slow and crude but it could manage to get up any hill.

It's exactly what I'm saying, it whinged and cringed up the hill and stopped dead :rolleyes: I preferred not to pull my leg by pushing the damned thing and instead called for help

I honestly don't care if people believe me or not, not in me to force my experience upon them, their choice. I know myself what happened that day, the sheer agro of being stuck with a car that wouldn't go, the thoughts running through my head as to why this happened.

If you want to call me a liar then fine. But if you come back here with a similar story I wouldn't jump to that, stranger things have happened out there. Been there, done that

Ironically I had a festy too and loved it. No major problems with it

CiniO

dgt wrote: »

I'll never, ever forget the day I was driving up hill in it and the wheezing pathetic excuse of an engine staggered to pull it halfway up and wouldn't go any more. I had to ring my dad and get him to tow it. Beyond hateful, I'm getting mad even thinking about that retched piece of scrap.... :mad::mad::mad:

This reminds of of a first thing I remember in my life.

It's unusual, but the earliest thing in my life I remember is when I was 3 years old, and we went on holidays with my parents in their Fiat 126p.
Hotel was on a big hill, and last 100metres before the hotel road was very very steep.
My dad tries several times, but car just couldn't make it and died with every try.
Eventually my mum asked if reverse gear wasn't shorter ratio, and once they tried to climb it in reverse - it worked. We got there.

And it's really true - that's the oldest memory I have from childhood.

That's probably why I became motorhead

Ronnie Beck

dgt wrote: »

I'll never, ever forget the day I was driving up this hill in it and the wheezing pathetic excuse of an engine staggered to pull it halfway up and wouldn't go any more.

That was all the italian scrap metal in the boot :pac:

@OP do get your car sorted. If it's stuttering at junction's it has issues.

Mister Jingles

Ronnie Beck wrote: »

rubbish pub talk.

Not really, he does have a point.

Jordan537 wrote: »

i was doing around 100km on the way there on the motorway, on the way back i was doing 120-140km

Not good figures there OP, the car should be doing better then that but not by much I reckon.

Nearly all 1.0 - 1.2 have short gear ratios therefore will not take too kindly to traveling at motorway speed, and by that I mean 120 - 130 km/h not 100 km/h (which some consider motorway speed).

My Micra used just under a 1/4 of a tank traveling from Finglas to Moynalty the other day using the M3 (or the €€ road as I call it) averaging 130 km/h at 4000 rpm in 5th as far as Kells. Wasn't too impressed by this but not shocked either.

On the way back I took the old N3 which is now downgraded to 80 km/h and for the most part I stuck to the limit and used roughly a 1/4 of what I had originally used going up and pleased I was.

When you get the chance OP take a long-ish trip but try not to go over 100km/h and see how things go. It should give you a better idea of it was really just because of driving at high speeds or not.

Jordan537

although my car is only 44BHP i do think it could get up a steep hill. I have a few times gone up a really steep hill with a load of turf bags in the back. This hill here.

http://maps.google.ie/maps?hl=en&ll=54.669203,-8.092482&spn=0.006738,0.021136&t=h&z=16&layer=c&cbll=54.669134,-8.092602&panoid=DrYTvri8DTb-Tmef6RizIg&cbp=12,69.72,,0,9.78

and that is me coming out the farm entrance you see on the right, if i have an empty load i can also get up in 2nd gear.


i drove to Donegal like it was an eco run. Not going above 3k revs and keeping a steady speed, gauge was abit above half a tank by the time i got there.