Fuel and Oil Consumption, What Is Normal

Ira B · Post by **Ira B** » Fri Sep 18, 2009 5:43 pm

Just wondering what is typical fuel mileage and oil consumption for you guys.

My 81 Caddy is getting about 36 MPG around town vs 49 on the highway.
Burns about 1/2 quart every 1000 miles with 131,000 on the odometer.

82vdub · Post by **82vdub** » Fri Sep 18, 2009 5:58 pm

There's probably not a general consensus. You can't assume that everyone's engines here that have 130k miles on them are in the same condition as yours. I have a couple diesels out back with less showing on the clock that are dead. Why? I don't know, but they are dead.

My 82 with close to 360k on it uses about a quart every 1000-2000 miles and gets probably the fuel mileage as you listed. I don't check it very often, as it's hard (very hard) to fill the fuel tank to the top - twice - to accurately test fuel mileage. I would say yours is doing fine with those numbers.

Ira B · Post by **Ira B** » Sat Sep 19, 2009 12:21 am

82vdub wrote:There's probably not a general consensus. You can't assume that everyone's engines here that have 130k miles on them are in the same condition as yours. I have a couple diesels out back with less showing on the clock that are dead. Why? I don't know, but they are dead.

My 82 with close to 360k on it uses about a quart every 1000-2000 miles and gets probably the fuel mileage as you listed. I don't check it very often, as it's hard (very hard) to fill the fuel tank to the top - twice - to accurately test fuel mileage. I would say yours is doing fine with those numbers.

For sure.

I am also fortunate enough to have driving needs that are very well suited to this vehicle getting good mileage and tend to drive with a lite foot.
Just curious about the range of results other drivers here are getting.

Dallas · Post by **Dallas** » Sun Sep 20, 2009 5:49 pm

My 81 Rabbit with a 5 speed, N/A diesel gets around 38-40 mpg in town and 35-45 on the road if I take it easy. But, I usaully get in a hurry and mileage suffers greatly. Oil consumption is Qt to 500-1000 miles depending on idle time. On the hwy, 1000 miles easily. Mostly I use the car for delivering pizzas at my part time job.

hagar · Post by **hagar** » Tue Sep 22, 2009 10:38 am

Ira B : you asked " Just wondering what is typical fuel mileage and oil consumption for you guys." no I do not think I am typical.

63.2 MPG and next to no oil consumption. !983 Rabbit Turbo 1.6 L BUT , this is typical for hagar , read my lips.

and I like it. my lovely "Ugly Duckling".

hagar.

PS : ECO mode.

Ira B · Post by **Ira B** » Tue Sep 22, 2009 1:15 pm

That seems quite doable if everything is ideal.
Tire pressure.
Tuning.
Driving at best speed for MPG without stop and go.

Seems to me that the fly in the ointment for VERY high MPG with these cars is aerodynamics.
If I get some spare time I want to look into putting a VW 1.6 diesel transplant into a stripped down mid 1980's Honda Civic CRX. A much slipperyer and lighter car. I suspect it would get MPG in at least the 60's in normal use.

vanbcguy · Post by **vanbcguy** » Tue Sep 22, 2009 11:30 pm

I get about 30 MPG (7.85L/100km) and burn about a liter per 2500 km (about a quart per 1500 miles)... My driving is almost all around town though, lots of stop and go.

Driving to Penticton and back plus a bit around in town I managed about 5.7 L/100km (about 41 MPG)... Jezebel likes the highway a lot more than she does the city - geared too steep for where I drive really.

Oh yeah, just for reference, my '95 2.0L ABA gasser Jetta tended to burn about 10-11 L/100km (21-23 MPG) with the same route to and from work, same driving style, and even the same set of wheels.

JRM · Post by **JRM** » Sun Oct 04, 2009 3:44 pm

85' non turbo golf with 410k miles, re-ringed old ridged block due to lack of funds 50k ago:
45MPG and uses 1qt every 3k miles

Thomas M · Post by **Thomas M** » Mon Oct 05, 2009 1:46 pm

As far as technique for checking, this is how I do it.

I use the fuel gage to mark my starting mileage. I have studied the movement vs miles driven and can sort of tell when it is in the "middle", say of the 1/4 full mark. I then drive on for about 1500 miles, town and highway, and keep track of my fuel usage, returning to the 1/4 full mark. I then do the mileage calculation.

I hate filling that tank full at the station!!!

In my opinion, the little variation in exact marking of the 1/4 fuel gage mark is compensated for by such a long drive between checks.

Any comments??????

GreyRabbit · Post by **GreyRabbit** » Fri Oct 09, 2009 7:37 am

On my 260k NA engine I got about 35 in town and 45 on the highway, burning a q every 1000 miles or so.

Right now I've got an '82 caddy with a rebuilt '86 TD in it. I get 35 in town and 40-45 on the highway, worse if I look at the boost gauge or drive fast. Mileage decreases markedly past 65 mph.

3500 miles on the rebuild, burning no oil.

tylernt · Post by **tylernt** » Wed Oct 14, 2009 1:35 pm

I usually only have to add 0.5qt between 3,000mi oil changes on a 150K mile engine. Guess I am lucky in that department!

Fuel mileage runs 38-40MPG in 99% city driving, in the winter, on B20. I see a 2-4MPG improvement in summer.

crankpot · Post by **crankpot** » Sun Nov 01, 2009 8:42 pm

1981 caddy with fresh engine (24,000 miles)

44 mpg mixed driving with a/c on.
1 quart oil every 2500 miles.

Bob

kskirtz · Post by **kskirtz** » Mon Nov 02, 2009 9:18 am

92 ECO diesel with 173K, 15k on rebuild gets 32 in town and 43 on the highway. uses less than a 1/4 qt of oil between changes.

demon · Post by **demon** » Sun Nov 22, 2009 1:11 pm

48MPG is what I average, with adding Howes or Power Service every fill up. 300K miles on an 84 Jetta 1.6L TD. Leaking more oil than burning. But I'll get that fixed soon!

wolf_walker · Post by **wolf_walker** » Tue Nov 24, 2009 7:32 pm

Ira B wrote:

Seems to me that the fly in the ointment for VERY high MPG with these cars is aerodynamics.
If I get some spare time I want to look into putting a VW 1.6 diesel transplant into a stripped down mid 1980's Honda Civic CRX. A much slipperyer and lighter car. I suspect it would get MPG in at least the 60's in normal use.

Few years back I bought a lovely and bone stock 85 or so 1.8L 8v 5spd
Scirocco and schooled myself on K-Jet. With everything in darn near tip-top shape and a healthy motor I averaged 38mpg on regular unleaded.
For about a year, not just a tank or two. The great joke at the time was with diesel costs not only was my Scirocco cheaper to operate than a friends newish TDI, but it was faster.

I sold it and bought a mid 14 sec 5spd Volvo 740 turbo wagon that got about the same MPG as I'd always logged in my W123 chassis 300D mercedes, high 20's. Go figure.

Anyway, point being the Scirocco is dramatically more aerodynamic then than any of the other old cars. Be a lot easier swap than into the CRX.
I think a diesel, preferably a turbo so as to not be too much of an embarrassment, would be a lot of fun in one. Maybe one day.
I also think with a hand built 2L 8v with the right cam and compressions and fuel/spark management I can pull MPG in the mid 40's from gas in that car and a whooole lot more power on demand. But that's another project.

Former VWDieselParts.com Forum

Fuel and Oil Consumption, What Is Normal

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