Fairmont Ghia AUII - Fuel Consumption

brayza · 29-03-2007, 11:11 AM

Hi,

I recently bought a 2001 Ford Fairmont Ghia AUII Series Sedan (auto).

While I've only had it for about 3 weeks, I'm somewhat concerned about fuel consumption.

I'm only getting about 17 litres per 100Kms (mainly city driving).
I'm not driving it all that hard either.

According to the specs and what I've heard, it should be getting at least 13 litres/100km.

Thoughts guys?

What could be the possible causes of this? And is there anything that I can do about it?

regards,
Brayza

AU dude · 29-03-2007, 11:45 AM

Is it a i6 or v8?

brayza · 29-03-2007, 11:53 AM

It is the i6.

AU dude · 29-03-2007, 12:02 PM

May need to change plugs and leads. Or O2 sensor could be stuffed, sending bad or wrong signals to the ecu, causing increase in fuel consumpution.
How many KMs are on the clock?
Is it blowing any smoke out the exhaust?
Does it idle rough?
When was the the car service last?

brayza · 29-03-2007, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AU dude

May need to change plugs and leads. Or O2 sensor could be stuffed, sending bad or wrong signals to the ecu, causing increase in fuel consumpution.
How many KMs are on the clock?
Is it blowing any smoke out the exhaust?
Does it idle rough?
When was the the car service last?

about 165,000km on the clock.
Not blowing any smoke out the exhaust, well I haven't ever noticed it doing this anyways...
Car was serviced at my local garage (not ford dealer), just recently as in a few days ago. Seems to idle ok.

regards,
Brayza

**Mechan1k** · 29-03-2007, 12:21 PM

I'd look at either cleaning or replacing the o2 sensor first.

brayza · 29-03-2007, 12:31 PM

So I'm right in my thinking that its using more fuel than it should?
I'm clueless when it comes to the technical side of cars, so I'll have to get my mechanic or someone else to clean and/or replace the o2 sensor.
Or should I take it to my local ford dealer?

sbcb · 29-03-2007, 05:58 PM

Gidday mate I have an AU1 Fairmont Ghia, done about 8000km since I picked it up about 50/50 city/road and reset the trip computer when i got it, current average 11.0lt/100km. Is your all city running letting the car warm up? They take a while to warm up and use quite a bit more fuel on cold running. Previously I had an AU2 XR8 200Kw auto which at its worst city only running would still do about 15.5lt/100km. So yes your car is either doing all cold running or something like what these guys have mentioned is crook.

Open road trips these things should hit 8-9lt/100km, lower spec and thus trimmer AU models do even better. I've filled up from an open road trip on a few occasions and seen nearly 800km on the DTE.

AU dude · 29-03-2007, 06:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sbcb

Gidday mate I have an AU1 Fairmont Ghia, done about 8000km since I picked it up about 50/50 city/road and reset the trip computer when i got it, current average 11.0lt/100km. Is your all city running letting the car warm up? They take a while to warm up and use quite a bit more fuel on cold running. Previously I had an AU2 XR8 200Kw auto which at its worst city only running would still do about 15.5lt/100km. So yes your car is either doing all cold running or something like what these guys have mentioned is crook.

Open road trips these things should hit 8-9lt/100km, lower spec and thus trimmer AU models do even better. I've filled up from an open road trip on a few occasions and seen nearly 800km on the DTE.

Its best as soon as you start your car is to drive it. By letting it idle, the engine is the only thing warming up, so things like brakes, diff and gearbox arent getting up to running temp.

Driving it normally and keeping the rpm under 2000 is what should be done for the first few kms. So slow acceleration and long braking mainly.

Brayza: Put your car into economy mode. Its a switch locate near the shifter surround. When activitated a econ light will come up on the cluster. This will shift gears earlier and slower.

sbcb · 29-03-2007, 06:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AU dude

Its best as soon as you start your car is to drive it. By letting it idle, the engine is the only thing warming up, so things like brakes, diff and gearbox arent getting up to running temp.

Driving it normally and keeping the rpm under 2000 is what should be done for the first few kms. So slow acceleration and long braking mainly.

Brayza: Put your car into economy mode. Its a switch locate near the shifter surround. When activitated a econ light will come up on the cluster. This will shift gears earlier and slower.

Yep I agree, didn't imply to leave it idling just meant the fact is they are slow to warm up so if its all short runs your doing then it will be a sad fact for your car that increased fuel consumption will go with it.

AU dude · 29-03-2007, 06:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sbcb

Yep I agree, didn't imply to leave it idling just meant the fact is they are slow to warm up so if its all short runs your doing then it will be a sad fact for your car that increased fuel consumption will go with it.

Sorry, sbcb, when I sometimes read a post I quickly scan through it and didnt process it to well.

Stupid brain goes into over load

:

sbcb · 29-03-2007, 08:09 PM

All sweet I'm the same, regardless I think we all agree brayza needs his car checked, his lt/100km is what wheels/motor mag gets from FPV & HSV V8's when they belting them. Ye ol AU Fairmont should do a lot better.

HLC · 29-03-2007, 08:31 PM

when i bought my fairmont AU2, it was returning retarded economy like that.

i just reset the computer and get down into the 12's/100 depending where/how im driving.
if that fails, replace the o2 sensor.

brayza · 29-03-2007, 09:31 PM

Hi guys,
Thanks for all the responses.

Been heaps since i left work earlier today.

I may have "jumped the gun" a bit tho :-)

Just filled it up tonight because the fuel light was flashing on the main dash board and i'd been resetting the LCD one for a while!

I figured it must nearly be bone dry.. But when I refueled it, it could only take about 50 litres. And its supposed to be a 68litre tank. So i guess that means that I got more like 14 litres/100km. (got 355km on tripometer before refilling). Which is not so bad.

The earlier post from sbcb, re: short trips and car not fully warming up, could be valid as I'm driving it around Hobart which means lots of short sharp trips compared to the mainland! :-)

Anyhow, some more testing/driving is probably required before coming to any real conclusions about fuel consumption.

However, theres obviously some problem with the fuel meter and its readings/warnings. Giving me all these warning and still had like another 18 litres in the tank! lol.
I also noticed that it took awhile to get from reading full (on the dash display) to 3/4 full. But went down progressively faster from there. Flew from half way down.
Anyone else experienced this on this model or similar Fairmont Ghia's?

regards,
Brayza

aok47 · 30-03-2007, 08:12 AM

If i fill mine i can sometimes travel up to 100km before the needle moves from FULL...

...at the start when i didnt know any different i was wrapped, until the needle started to rapidly drop afterwards!

cheers

AK

james22 · 30-03-2007, 08:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brayza

Hi guys,

I also noticed that it took awhile to get from reading full (on the dash display) to 3/4 full. But went down progressively faster from there. Flew from half way down.
Anyone else experienced this on this model or similar Fairmont Ghia's?

regards,
Brayza

Hehe, same thing on both my falcons. I thought when I bought the Xr "This is great on petrol" I drove all the way from bathurst to orange and the gauge didn't even move. Once I was in town, the gauge dropped to 3/4 and plummeted from there lol

SSVPom · 30-03-2007, 10:34 AM

My AU2 Ghia VCT is returning very similar figures to yours, just about 400kms per tank around town giving 15.5-16 L/100kms, and I also can never fill up more than 55 litres, even with the fuel light on and trip computer shouting at me!!

I've had it checked over (diagnostic check/injector check/service) and have found that nothing is wrong, however i'm considering replacing the O2 sensor as a matter of course having read that it could be making the car run too rich.

Basically, the VCT AU Falcon gives all of the performance of a standard 6, but the thirst of a modern day V8! Great...

:

Bushbasher · 30-03-2007, 11:49 AM

Having read the thread I've noticed that nobody has mentioned the water temp sensor. If it's stuffed then the ECU will continue to think the engine is cold and keep feeding it extra fuel so it's like driving around with the choke on all the time. Had this problem with my old EL a while back as well as the thermostat stuck open so not allowing the motor to warm up for the same result. If your temp guage sits really low then it may be as simple as the thermostat stuck open and if the water temp sensor is dead or faulty, same result, ECU thinks engine is cold and drives on choke in effect.

Bushbasher

**Mechan1k** · 30-03-2007, 11:54 AM

It's actually the Cylinder Head temp sensor .. the Coolant Temp sensor was discontinued in the E-series. On the AU's there's a blank space under the thermostat ... whereas the E-series had a fitting in the bottom thermostat housing.

If the CHT sensor fails the car would run really crap ... and will put the auto in limp home mode as well (due to not knowing what the temp is).

I found this out after testing it on my ute (using a different temp gauge in place ... ECU doesn't like it) ... the bugger locked in 3rd.

Bushbasher · 30-03-2007, 12:49 PM

Thanks for that Mechan1k, that explains why it wasn't mentioned up till now , it doesn't exist

: haha. Guess I just assumed they were the same as EL. I've only just recently upgraded to AU so I guess I still have plenty to learn about whats' what under the bonnet.

**Mechan1k** · 30-03-2007, 12:52 PM

Tis cool ... I have been thinking about installing the EL/EF lower thermostat housing (as it mounts the same as the AU) ... and using the Coolant Temp sensor fitting and mounting a seperate Water Temp gauge ... just for testing purposes as well ... allows an easier way of tapping a temp sender that looks factory as well.

Most of the stuff is the same ... or similar ... but there are still some differences as well ... enough to be annoying.

I was looking at tapping a T-piece into the back of the cylinder head and running a temp gauge along with the factory CHT sender as well ... but there bugger all room to put a T-piece in and I doubt it will fit either.

Also looks like a Pain in the preverbial too.