VW T5 - can fuel economy be improved?

n1st

I have a 2007 VW T5 2.5tdi, fuel consumption is not great, 9L/100Km.

Is there anything that can be done in the engine, by a professional, to improve consumption?
I do not need all the power.
Any tips on driving this van to improve consumption? it does not have any display to show current consumption.

Most driving in at 50-80Kmph, country roads, without load.

vandriver

Back in the day,I used to drive one doing city centre deliveries.With the air con working,I usually got 22.5 mpg(12.5 l/100 km).
Nothing I ever tried improved this very thirsty van.(It was fast as f#@k though!)

biko

As you already know not to carry extra weight, I suggest
Make sure tyres are at correct pressure
Change air filter and clean the air box
At next service change spark plugs
Toss a fuel system cleaner into the tank
Drive like a granny

Mycroft H

Accelerate gently. Anticipate the road; reduce the times where you need to accelerate and brake. Acceleration is where you loose MPG.

Testacalda

n1st wrote: »

I have a 2007 VW T5 2.5tdi, fuel consumption is not great, 9L/100Km.

Is there anything that can be done in the engine, by a professional, to improve consumption?
I do not need all the power.
Any tips on driving this van to improve consumption? it does not have any display to show current consumption.

Most driving in at 50-80Kmph, country roads, without load.

How many miles on it? Have the injectors ever been refurbished or replaced? Worn or damaged injectors with a poor spray pattern will increase fuel consumption.

You could look into having it remapped, many people who provide that service seem to claim that it reduces fuel consumption.

Driving style is also a huge factor.

If there are any faults with the engine, such as EGR, turbo, etc... it will be effecting fuel consumption. You'd normally have a warning light or obvious proplem though.

Aslo; changing the spark plugs wont help your case! (TDI :pac:)

oinkely

Not sure that you are doing anything wrong, i average about that from my 2005 1.9 renault trafic. Big yolks need lots of fuel ;-(

fancy pigeon

Try looking up the stats for the engine and driving the van within threshold of it's max torque, speed and gear depending

911s

That’s not too bad, our old T5 2.5 auto averaged 12l/100km over 530,000 km. Driven easy hard or with trailer didn’t make huge difference. Current
Vito 190hp auto gives 7.3 driving easy but increases to 15l with trailer.

166man

It’s a 10 year old van with a 20 year old V6 engine - it’s not going to be economical. Checking tyre pressures and changing filters will give a marginal improvement perhaps, but no more than that.

If it’s very heavy on diesel and you’re driving it regularly without load, is the better question do you need a van at all?

A car-van such as a Golf Diesel would still have good room in the back, and would offer much improved economy.

Toyotafanboi

166man wrote: »

It’s a 10 year old van with a 20 year old V6 engine

The 2.5tdi is actually an inline 5 and came out in 2002.

That said, I agree it's probably not the most economical way to get around if you are usually driving unladen. Probably better off with a car derived van with a tow bar.

n1st

Thanks all.
I'll check tyre pressures, get it serviced check for improvement. As most of you have suggested there is not a whole lot that can be done, I actually do drive as carefully as possible.
By the way it is a camper conversion which I drive around for recreation in the evenings and weekends. I had wondered if I would have been better off getting the 1.9 version.

CJhaughey

My Ducato 2.3 H4LX gets 10.5l/100km and thats running near enough to 3t empty.