High Fuel Consumption....what's the deal?

tinytim · Post by **tinytim** » 04 Sep 2007, 14:35

Hi all.
I have another question for a V70 2000/2001 T5 184kw. I have only had the car a month an a bit and i have noticed it has very high fuel consumption. I am a very soft driver and hardly push the car. I do how ever do alot of stop go driving during the day and there is alot of traffic. I filled up the other day and the zeroed the trip meter and the needle is on the red bar now(light has not come on yet) but the car has only done 400km on the 80 litres. Can this consumption be right. the car has done 190 000km but has been fully maintained by Volvo up until now and the last major service was done +- 5000km ago.
Is this normal?

Post by **Ozark Lee** » 04 Sep 2007, 14:52

Is this normal?

Assuming your distance and consumption figures are accurate, no. 5 km/liter equates to 11.8 mpg which is about half of what you should be getting if you drive the car conservatively. Fuel consumption that poor would surely throw a CEL (Lambda) light as it is much to rich. Does your Check Engine Light / Lambda Light illuminate when you run the key to position II? The lamp may be burned out.

...Lee

tinytim · Post by **tinytim** » 06 Sep 2007, 12:09

Hi Lee

That is correct the check engine light comes on and stays on-it actually came on the day i bought it (about a month ago). When i spoke to Volvo and a firends of mine that have a volvo scrap yard they both confirmed that the catalytic convertor had been removed and a "normal exhaust" box had been fitted and this is why the light is on. Volvo told me that this is a normal occurance and they normally swithc the light off for their clients.

phoenix_iii · Post by **phoenix_iii** » 06 Sep 2007, 14:35

Maybe you have an underlying issue. Check codes... and SPARK PLUGS

Post by **MadeInJapan** » 06 Sep 2007, 15:01

They can switch the light off for you all they want (and charge you for it) but if the CAT is missing then it will come right back on again. Also with the missing CAT, the 02 sensors are responding strangely....probably the reason for your lousy mileage. It would be worth it to buy an after market CAT in your case and get this problem sorted at the root.

dejongmc · Post by **dejongmc** » 07 Sep 2007, 12:36

Yep, I recently had a bad Catalytic Convertor and replaced it. With a bad Cat your fuel mixture is too rich. After mine was replaced my mileage went up a bit, but from 20mpg to 21/22 mpg.

There is more to look at with your car with a mpg of 10.
PCV, plugs, sludge,....?

Did you read the OBDII codes?