Ever since I started driving my current Honda Stream, I’ve never been able to get any fuel consumption reading below 9.0l/100km (at least not under “measurable distance in reasonable driving conditions”). But this is what I got recently: 7.9l/100km. I was really happy. It wasn’t even wholly smooth going highway driving conditions. There were some bits of city driving, although much of it was indeed on the highway.
The fuel consumption meter is sure to get many drivers super engrossed on saving fuel. In fact, I think the fuel consumption meter kind of acts as a device to improve fuel efficiency. Some day, I guess all cars will have this by default, along with various options to get instantaneous readouts, average over 10 minutes, average since engine start, average since tripmeter reset, etc. Yes I know some cars have various ways to compute the readings, but I don’t think they have all the different computation variants together.
My Honda Stream’s fuel efficiency hasn’t been that good. It’s probably due to the bumper to bumper traffic that I get stuck in all the way to work, and part of the way home too. It’s far worse than the ordinary city driving. I don’t know what ultra-urban means, but I imagine my bumper to bumper traffic is also worse than what ultra-urban is. I think someone should just come out with a simpler way to convey fuel efficiency numbers so that we can easily share and compare between cars, and lay people can easily measure their own and meaningfully compare and “verify” the figures. In case you’re wondering, my “bad” fuel efficiency is like 11 – 12l/100km.
I pushed up the pressure in my tires recently. I’m not sure if it will have a measurable difference. I will see in my next tank full, when I’m back driving my usual routes.
Hi Zit Seng
I found Zit Seng’s Superwall when searching for FEL and would like to share some experience with you both past and present. Briefly, I am the owner of Max-Zone, a device that enhances a vehicles performance power by petrol, CNG as well as diesel (EURO IV c/w ECU)
It is extremely difficult to test a car’s fuel efficiency in extra-urban area where traffic is considered very heavy at less than 20kmph with many total standstill in between. In urban where traffic is moderate at speed of 30-50 kmph, the number of unpredictable stop makes it difficult to do a reasonable accurate test.
To get maximum fuel efficiency, a car must travel between 65-85 kmph. Below or above that will increase the fuel consumption. Car manufcturers actually use that speed to achievce stoichometric 1in the design of the internal combustion engine.
In testing a car, use the highway and travel about 30km at an average speed of 80-90kmph. Start off by topping up the fuel tank and note the odometer reading. Commence driving for about 30km and return to the same station and top up the fuel tank. Note the odometer meter reading and also the litre of fuel that you have just top up. That will give you a fairly accurate amount of fuel consumption per km.
Write to me if you have the time and we can continue to work on the fuel consumption topic. If you are agreeable, I would be most happy to install a Max-Zone on your car FOC on condition that you will help me in gathering datas on the device.
That is all for now and until then, happy working
With best regards
PT Loh
Managing Director
Equipment Engineering Pte Ltd
Tel: (65) 68979909