Low fuel mileage concerns: 9.1 KM/L

[AyAyron]

Hi, I have a Mirage 2012 CVT with AS&G feature. Its currently at 60k KM and giving me 9.1 KM/L. Not sure what the issue is. Here are some relevant specs/info:
Maintenance:
1. Engine oil + filter has been changed every 5k KMs
2. Transmission fluid changed recently, at 59k KMs
3. Throttle body got serviced/cleaned at 55k KM
4. Tires are 185/60 R15 maintained with nitrogen only at 34 PSI (tire max is 36 PSI). These came with the car its a second hand import from Thailand
Driving:
1. Environment is extreme urban. Lots of speed bumps, lots of red lights.
2. Not aggressive, try to keep the ECO bar at 1-2 bars minimum always
3. AC is on all the time due to hot weather

Is 9.1 KM/L normal given the above? I understand that 23-25 KM/L are ideal conditions but was expecting 15-17ish. Is there anything else I should be looking for to fix?

[Space Wolf]

I think you've got the wrong units. 9.1km/L is bad, but 7km/L would have been even worse. Given your environment I would expect 18-22km/L, but maybe I'm underestimating the traffic.

[AyAyron]

Yes you are correct I have the wrong units. I posted numbers L / KM instead of KM / L. I have edited my post accordingly.

As far as traffic goes, not driving at a slow crawl, average speed touches 40-60 KM/h between stops usually. Its just a lot of stops.

[Space Wolf]

9.1km/L is bad, and would concern me. Yet it is hard to say if there is something wrong with your car. When your engine is idling during stops, it uses gas without generating kilometers. Further, each time you use your brakes you are throwing gas out of the window. Ideally you'd never brake, but let it coast to stop. But I can imagine that's impossible in extreme urban traffic.
In my experience the AC doesn't matter much. On a trip which gives me 27km/L without AC, I think I get around 25~26 with AC. So, assuming that my average speed is 80km/h, it costs me around 0.2L/h. Of course your AC will have to work harder.

[Fummins]

Are you using real-life economy numbers or are you just going off what the car is showing? Mine(2014 cvt) shows around 9-10L/100km when I first start out and doesn't really come down until after 5-6 mins of driving.

[AyAyron]

To Spacewolf: Yes, I am concerned and would love some guidance on what to look for or where to start as I have covered the basics already. I have auto stop and go (car turns off on complete stop) so idling is not really an issue, which makes 9.1KM/L even more worrisome.

To Fummins: Real life economy numbers. Odometer reading before and after difference divided by fuel refill.
(new odo - old odo in KM)/fuel refill in L

[defensivetackle99]

To Spacewolf: Yes, I am concerned and would love some guidance on what to look for or where to start as I have covered the basics already. I have auto stop and go (car turns off on complete stop) so idling is not really an issue, which makes 9.1KM/L even more worrisome.

To Fummins: Real life economy numbers. Odometer reading before and after difference divided by fuel refill.
(new odo - old odo in KM)/fuel refill in L

This may not help but mine has CVT and it gets really bad gas mileage when driving below 30 mph with complete stop, idle, and go, heavy brake, especially with the A/C on at 61’F.

Turning off the auto circulation function and or keep the A/C on at 75’ F helps prevent drastic loss in MPG.

Maybe check the glovebox and see if there’s something clogged?

[7milesout]

AyAyron - Based on everything you posted, yes your numbers are low, but seems possible given your conditions.

DT88 - I don't know how changing the settings on the HVAC will help your mpg. Maybe I'm wrong. I don't believe we have a variable output compressor, but I may be wrong. In my understanding, if the A/C compressor is activated and running, your mpg is effected exactly the same no matter if it is on Fresh or Recirc, if you have the temp on 61 or 82 (or whatever the max is), or if the fan is at max or min.

So meaning: If you run at 61° Recirc and max fan (AC ON) and driving smoothly at 55 mph, and then the only thing you change is changing your setting to Fresh and turn the temp up to 70° (AC ON) still cruising at 55 mph ... your mpg would not vary. That's what I think anyway.

Turn the AC OFF, and your mpg WILL go up.

[mohammad]

AyAyron - Based on everything you posted, yes your numbers are low, but seems possible given your conditions.

DT88 - I don't know how changing the settings on the HVAC will help your mpg. Maybe I'm wrong. I don't believe we have a variable output compressor, but I may be wrong. In my understanding, if the A/C compressor is activated and running, your mpg is effected exactly the same no matter if it is on Fresh or Recirc, if you have the temp on 61 or 82 (or whatever the max is), or if the fan is at max or min.

So meaning: If you run at 61° Recirc and max fan (AC ON) and driving smoothly at 55 mph, and then the only thing you change is changing your setting to Fresh and turn the temp up to 70° (AC ON) still cruising at 55 mph ... your mpg would not vary. That's what I think anyway.

Turn the AC OFF, and your mpg WILL go up.

Assuming you had the digital temperature control thingy(I dont even have A/C) wouldn't changing from fresh to recirculate or choosing a warmer temperature result in the compressor cycling on less often and/or for shorter periods of time as it needs to do less work to cool the already somewhat cool air?

[Space Wolf]

I have auto stop and go (car turns off on complete stop) so idling is not really an issue,

That surprises me. I didn't take AS&G in consideration as it doesn't work in my car when AC is on. Which means, yes, the engine is stopped, but is started again within a few seconds when the automatic temperature control decides it needs AC. And then it won't stop the engine again within the same stop. Maybe it's different when you have manual AC?