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Team WorldTour
Samba Member
Joined: September 02, 2010
Posts: 2426
Location: Der Vaterland
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 Posted: Mon Dec 24, 2018 1:49 am Post subject: Re: Terrible, atrocious, pitiful fuel economy... |
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| jimf909 wrote: |
| It's astonishing that this thread has gone on for four pages based on gas mileage measured poorly over about 60km. |
Really? I think (collectively) we can quibble for days about the smallest minute details....
_________________
1990 Feldjäger Syncro AAZ
Click to view image
H6 Subaru Engine Swap Thread
WV2ZZZ25ZFH094138(x)/ WV2YB0257LH057308(x)/ WV2ZZZ25ZLG113270/
"Where am I going? And what am I doing in this handbasket?" -Nicodemus Jordan
When All Else Fails: Lather, Rinse, Repeat! |
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Abscate
Samba Member
Joined: October 05, 2014
Posts: 22670
Location: NYC/Upstate/ROW
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| Posted: Mon Dec 24, 2018 4:58 am Post subject: Re: Terrible, atrocious, pitiful fuel economy... |
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| Team WorldTour wrote: |
| jimf909 wrote: |
| It's astonishing that this thread has gone on for four pages based on gas mileage measured poorly over about 60km. |
Really? I think (collectively) we can quibble for days about the smallest minute details.... |
I disagree. Weeks at least. A fortnight for tires, months over oil chamgeintervals
Merry Kwanzakadan , Everyone!
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jimf909 
Samba Member
Joined: April 03, 2014
Posts: 7474
Location: WA/ID
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| Posted: Mon Dec 24, 2018 5:16 am Post subject: Re: Terrible, atrocious, pitiful fuel economy... |
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In that case, I don't believe anyone has mentioned using 5-30 synthetic Amsoil. That'll be good for 3-5 mpg minimum! And the radio antenna, that should extend no more than 6".
Happy holidays, everyone!
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- Jim
| Abscate wrote: |
Do not get killed, do not kill others.
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Current: 1990 Westy Camper - Bostig RG4, 2wd, manual trans w/Peloquin, NAHT high-top, 280 ah LFP battery, 160 watts solar, Flash Silver, seam rust, bondo, etc., etc.
Past: 1985 Westy Camper - 1.9 wbx, 2wd, manual trans, Merian Brown, (sold after 17 years to Northwesty who converted it to a Syncro). |
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Abscate
Samba Member
Joined: October 05, 2014
Posts: 22670
Location: NYC/Upstate/ROW
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| Posted: Mon Dec 24, 2018 5:54 am Post subject: Re: Terrible, atrocious, pitiful fuel economy... |
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Ha! This should be good for another 10 pages
Are the fuel line magnets aligned with the Earths field?
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dobryan
Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2006
Posts: 16505
Location: Brookeville, MD
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Jeffrey Lee
Samba Member
Joined: February 04, 2014
Posts: 1488
Location: Wisconsin
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| Posted: Mon Dec 24, 2018 9:04 am Post subject: Re: Terrible, atrocious, pitiful fuel economy... |
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| Indeed. Even on the Samba, seldom has so much (5+ pages of speculation, criticism, accusation, poor reading skills, worse typing skills, irrelevant anecdotes, and wild-ass-guessery) been made of so little: "I don't really know what my fuel economy is, or how to figure it out." |
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Jake de Villiers
Samba Member
Joined: October 24, 2007
Posts: 5911
Location: Tsawwassen, BC
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AZ Landshaper
Samba Member
Joined: February 08, 2009
Posts: 1698
Location: The Old Pueblo
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| Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2018 7:00 pm Post subject: Re: Terrible, atrocious, pitiful fuel economy... |
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My testimonial from a recent trip to some hotsprings. On the way out my engine never reached full temp. I used 2.5 tanks of gas to get 421 miles. Replaced my thermostat and on the way home I used less than 2 tanks of fuel and had much better acceleration. Way out was probably in limp mode. Way home...cruising. Diff of 10+ mpg vs 16.
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Support Small Business.
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85 Weekender w/ EJ22
Previously
64, 71, 72, 73, 76, 81, 84, 85 & 87 Campmobiles and Westfalias
and a 67 bug.
Last edited by AZ Landshaper on Sat Dec 29, 2018 8:25 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Paulbeard
Samba Member
Joined: July 10, 2015
Posts: 2604
Location: Seattle
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| Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2018 7:29 pm Post subject: Re: Terrible, atrocious, pitiful fuel economy... |
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| OldBlueSyncro wrote: |
| dobryan wrote: |
| O2 sensor is important for efficiency. |
Could it really cause my fuel economy to be this bad though? |
Mine went from 16 mpg to 22mpg after I refitted an O2 sensor. Plenty of other posts to corroborate the effects of the ECU having a good O2 reading.
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Currently -> Frida: 87 Tizian Red (mostly) Vanagon GL Westfalia w/ 2.0L ABA conversion
Formerly -> Steward of a 73 Super Beetle (Beater) and 67 Beetle 1300 (Little Max) both names by POs
— dhaavers |
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0to60in6min
Samba Member
Joined: November 27, 2006
Posts: 3417
Location: OR & CA (Oregon/California)
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| Posted: Fri Dec 28, 2018 11:27 am Post subject: Re: Terrible, atrocious, pitiful fuel economy... |
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don't forget to empty the Summer air in your tires and fill them up with Winter air... winter air is denser thus you will gain some mileage...
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Team WorldTour
Samba Member
Joined: September 02, 2010
Posts: 2426
Location: Der Vaterland
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| Posted: Fri Dec 28, 2018 1:04 pm Post subject: Re: Terrible, atrocious, pitiful fuel economy... |
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What if you left the Winter Air in the tires from last year? Do I still have to change it? Could that be the reason I had a hard start condition last July?
_________________
1990 Feldjäger Syncro AAZ
Click to view image
H6 Subaru Engine Swap Thread
WV2ZZZ25ZFH094138(x)/ WV2YB0257LH057308(x)/ WV2ZZZ25ZLG113270/
"Where am I going? And what am I doing in this handbasket?" -Nicodemus Jordan
When All Else Fails: Lather, Rinse, Repeat! |
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0to60in6min
Samba Member
Joined: November 27, 2006
Posts: 3417
Location: OR & CA (Oregon/California)
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| Posted: Fri Dec 28, 2018 4:53 pm Post subject: Re: Terrible, atrocious, pitiful fuel economy... |
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| Quote: |
| Could that be the reason I had a hard start condition last July? |
not sure about the hard start condition... but if you bring it to the dealer they will tell you your engine was tuned for dry Summer air... and it will cost you a bunch to get it tuned to Winter air...
btw the Winter air they advertised for the tires are Imported from the Black Forest in Germany...
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OldBlueSyncro
Samba Member
Joined: April 24, 2018
Posts: 206
Location: British Columbia
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| Posted: Fri Dec 28, 2018 9:38 pm Post subject: Re: Terrible, atrocious, pitiful fuel economy... |
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Sorry for the late reply guys. We had no power over Christmas because of windstorms.
Saw a couple people asking about my tire size. I'm running 225/75/15's. Those definitely dont help with fuel mileage.
I really think I've got a thermostat issue. That along with the lack of an o2 sensor gotta be my biggest culprits.
Thanks for all the info. I've learned a ton about my rig thanks to this site and you guys. |
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dobryan
Samba Member
Joined: March 24, 2006
Posts: 16505
Location: Brookeville, MD
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OldBlueSyncro
Samba Member
Joined: April 24, 2018
Posts: 206
Location: British Columbia
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| Posted: Fri Dec 28, 2018 11:22 pm Post subject: Re: Terrible, atrocious, pitiful fuel economy... |
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| dobryan wrote: |
That and only a few miles
driven at a time and warming up
before driving. Can you help us out and drive it for a longish drive and get an mpg? We’ve got nothing better to do than speculate for 5 pages.  |
Haha unfortunately you guys are gonna have to wait! I wont be home.till the 5th... |
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AndyBees
Samba Member
Joined: January 31, 2008
Posts: 2332
Location: Southeast Kentucky
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| Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2018 8:12 am Post subject: Re: Terrible, atrocious, pitiful fuel economy... |
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Wow! What a long Thread in just a short time.
My 84, with the 1.9 WBXer, blew out the O2 sensor while we were on a 250 mile round excursion. Besides the loud noise coming from the bung hole, performance was horrible and I could almost see the gas needle falling.
So, yes, as many have stated, a properly functioning O2 sensor is .......... well the obvious, extremely important.
When I installed the TDI in my 84, I also installed the Jetta Cluster. Addressing the function of the Speedometer was important to me. I used a Dakota Interface which is adjustable. With me driving and the wife observing the GPS and in control of the Dakota Interface, we were able to set the Speedometer extremely close to accurate, which is about 2 MPH fast just like in the Jetta with the Odometer being about 99% spot on. Example: on a 11k mile road trip, there was only 17 miles difference in the Odometer and the GPS. Another road trip over 12k miles had almost mirror results.
So, as others have indicated, the only factor left in determining MPGs is doing fill-ups to the top, tank after tank. Compiling the data in a spreadsheet or just something simple will provide a running average. I did this with my 2000 Jetta TDI for almost 16 years.
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'84 Vanagon Tin-top, ALH TDI. 1989 Tin-top
1983 Air-cool, 225k miles, 180k miles mine. Seven trips to Alaska from 1986 thru 2003. |
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OldBlueSyncro
Samba Member
Joined: April 24, 2018
Posts: 206
Location: British Columbia
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| Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2019 12:53 pm Post subject: Re: Terrible, atrocious, pitiful fuel economy... |
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So I haven't taken my van for a proper burn yet since being back.
But I've been trying to figure out this running cold issue. It's been about -15c here lately. Last night I pulled the thermostat and it's got an 87c thermostat and it wasn't stuck open. Could the spring maybe be fatigued and is opening too soon? I boiled it without a thermometer and it started opening about a minute before it started to boil. Not a proper test but it seems to be working well enough to let my engine get warmer than what it's getting now.
I know for sure that it's running cold because the heater never gets the cab nice and warm. The temperature of the cab only gets to a tolerable temperature.
Could it just be too cold outside for this engine? Should I try the old cardboard over the radiator trick? |
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shagginwagon83
Samba Member
Joined: February 07, 2016
Posts: 3803
Location: VA/TN
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| Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2019 1:08 pm Post subject: Re: Terrible, atrocious, pitiful fuel economy... |
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5°F is pretty cold. Just wanted to put the conversion here for fellow special Americans.
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Brandon
"Jo Ann" - '83.5 Westfalia EJ22e w/Peloquin
Instagram @joannthevan |
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E1
Samba Member
Joined: January 21, 2013
Posts: 6569
Location: Westfalia, Earth
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| Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2019 1:08 pm Post subject: Re: Terrible, atrocious, pitiful fuel economy... |
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I have to ask just one more time if you've pulled, reviewed, replaced, or contemplated those four things at the ends of wires that look like this:
https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g40894...Maine.html
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‘84 Westy, 2.1L with Digijet, 5.43 R+P, GT Gears
"Adding power makes you faster on the straights.
Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere."
— Colin Chapman |
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OldBlueSyncro
Samba Member
Joined: April 24, 2018
Posts: 206
Location: British Columbia
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| Posted: Wed Jan 09, 2019 2:31 pm Post subject: Re: Terrible, atrocious, pitiful fuel economy... |
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I haven't... It sucks standing in one spot and touching metal when it's -15c (5f) out haha. |
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