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Thread: 1.4 TDi 90, poor fuel economy problem

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  1. 1.4 TDi 90, poor fuel economy problem 
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    Hi,

    I have an A2 1.4 TDi 90 Sport (with the 17" wheels), which I love. I've had it from nearly-new and done about 45,000 miles in it. Over that time, the average MPG has been about 50-52 mpg in mixed motoring with plenty of town and rush-hour traffic. (Mileage checked by brimming the tank and noting the mileage for each refill). The trip computer usually reads slightly optimistically, at about 52-55 mpg average. On longer motorway runs, I have more than once managed a trip computer average of 69mph and 59.9 mpg simultaneously, which I thought was pretty impressive. Once, on a leisurely holiday pottering around the Cotswolds, we averaged 69mpg for a whole tankful.

    So, I'm reasonably confident that the car is pretty economical, as a rule.

    Unfortunately, for the last 6 months, the mpg has been getting worse. Now, we struggle to get 44 mpg average on the trip computer, even on trips which would previously have shown figures in the upper 50s. It's not a trip computer fault as we get proportionately less miles between refills as well.

    The only thing that has changed is that I changed the standard Michelin front tyres from 205/40 ZR17 to 205/45 VR17 Avons. This has massively improved the ride, like you wouldn't believe, and I'd be VERY reluctant to go back to the previous tyres.

    I don't think the tyres can be completely to blame, though. I might have expected a couple of mpg drop due to the gearing changes (though on a motorway run, they might also have improved for the same reason) and also the softer compound. More importantly, the mpg has continued to get worse but if it was all down to the gearing, it should have improved again as the tyres wore down.

    At first, we nticed that the car average had dropped below 50mpg, then it dropped below 48, and I mentioned it when the cambelt was changed. The dealer found no fault codes, so I don't think there is anything seriously wrong. It has continued to get worse, now it takes about 30 miles out of a full tank before the average mpg gets out of the upper 30s, and I simply can't get it to go higher than 46mpg at best. Current average is about 44 mpg overall.

    The Audi main dealer which services the car has drawn a blank, though they have assured me that there is nothing seriously (and expensively) wrong. They seem to think the mpg is in the normal range, though my experience over the last 45000 miles would seem to differ.

    Any ideas, out there?

    Thanks, in advance

    Steve.
     
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  2. Angry Re: 1.4 TDi 90, poor fuel economy problem 
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    Update:

    Car went 'bang' on a fast dual carriageway on 29 December. Sudden loss of power, struggled to maintain 55-60mph. Lots of smoke from exhaust and, by the time I found somewhere safe to stop, a clattering sound from under the bonnet.

    Waiting for a verdict from the dealer. Expecting a large bill.
     
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  3. Re: 1.4 TDi 90, poor fuel economy problem 
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    Sorry to hear that, keep us posted.
    Anthropogenic climate change, the biggest con inflicted on mankind since religion...

    Slava Ukraini
    !


     
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  4. Re: 1.4 TDi 90, poor fuel economy problem 
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    It's turbo failure. The dealer has quoted me a little over £2000 to have it replaced, not including replacement of the cat, and not including any other repair work that might be needed when they get it apart.

    I asked if Audi would be willing to make a goodwill contribution to the cost, on the grounds that:

    a) The car has always been maintained in excess of the Audi schedule, by the main dealer. It has covered only 48,000 miles since new and is just over 5 years old.
    b) everybody is telling me how rare this is, and how unlucky I have been, so presumably a fair subsidy, say 25-35%, from Audi to a good customer wouldn't bankrupt them.

    This request has been declined by Audi customer service. I asked them if they would mind explaining why. They said they would get back to me the same afternoon. That was two days ago and I've not heard a word since. The dealer, to their credit, seems a bit embarrassed that they can't help, and has been extremely helpful about the use of a courtesy car during the investigation and negotiations with Audi.

    The car is now with a specialist who comes highly recommended, and who has quoted me less for the job than I would have been prepared to pay Audi, if they had made a contribution. If they do as good a job as I've been led to expect, I'll name them when I get the car back.
     
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  5. Re: 1.4 TDi 90, poor fuel economy problem 
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    I hope they do an awesome job.
    Anthropogenic climate change, the biggest con inflicted on mankind since religion...

    Slava Ukraini
    !


     
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  6. Re: 1.4 TDi 90, poor fuel economy problem 
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    Quote Originally Posted by Crasher View Post
    I hope they do an awesome job.
    I've just been down to see them to talk about the work and, yes, I think there is a very good chance they'll do an awesome job. In which case, they'll get the opportunity to give it an awesome service on a regular basis, too.
     
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  7. Re: 1.4 TDi 90, poor fuel economy problem 
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    I've just picked the car up from Awesome GTi. Good as new and £800 cheaper than the quote from Audi, for a very careful and thorough job.

    Top blokes, excellent service. Another happy customer!
     
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  8. Re: 1.4 TDi 90, poor fuel economy problem 
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    Result!
    Anthropogenic climate change, the biggest con inflicted on mankind since religion...

    Slava Ukraini
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  9. Re: 1.4 TDi 90, poor fuel economy problem 
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cloth Ears View Post
    I've just been down to see them to talk about the work and, yes, I think there is a very good chance they'll do an awesome job. In which case, they'll get the opportunity to give it an awesome service on a regular basis, too.
    Good to hear you got it all sorted out. I would always go with a good independent garage rather than a main dealer myself. So, is your mpg back up to what it was? Do you think the drop in efficiency was due to the turbo not working properly?
     
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  10. Re: 1.4 TDi 90, poor fuel economy problem 
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    I've only done about 50 miles since getting the car back, and that's been fairly gentle driving, but no, the fuel economy problem doesn't seem to have been solved. At the moment, the mpg is hovering around 48-49 mpg (indicated) where I might have expected to get about 55 mpg driven as gently as it has been for the last 50 miles or so.

    It's early days, and it might change a little when the turbo is broken in and I use it normally, but I think it might need a little more attention. The guys at Awesome seem to think there are a few things worth checking-out, which is more than the dealer seemed to be able to offer. As far as they were concerned, if there was no fault code in the diagnostics record, there was nothing wrong with the car.
     
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