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1.8T B5.5 Gas Mileage...How to Improve?

20K views 42 replies 28 participants last post by  pippen 
#1 ·
Hello everyone,

Ok here's the deal, my daily commute is over 120miles (one way) and with the gas prices going up, anything i can do to improve the gas mileage would be great. Right now i get about 27mpg. Is there anything i can do to get better gas milage...Intake? Spark Plugs? TDI engine?.. :lol: ..any help would be greatly appreciated! :wink:
 
#3 ·
blieve it or not, most people do see an improvement of 2-3 mpg with a chip, unless of course you keep your foot planted to the floor. a k&n filter would help a little too.
 
#4 ·
blieve it or not, most people do see an improvement of 2-3 mpg with a chip, unless of course you keep your foot planted to the floor. a k&n filter would help a little too.

CHIP = low fuel econimy , why?
Once you got chipped you want to hear the turbo wristling .
and then WOOOOSHHHHHH.
damn i cant control it.
sorry i got a little excited ..
good thing i dont do drugs. i would't be able to quit. :D
 
#7 ·
I do about 75 to 80mph and it takes me about 2 hours to get home with no traffic. I could drive 60mph but i dont want it to take 3 1/2 hours to get to work/home. Wich chip do you guys think has the best mpg out there? Oh, and does changing to a higher octane fuel help increase the mpg? Right now i'm using 89 since the gas prices are so high, i dont feel any power loss or anything else different, but will the mpg be better if i use 91? ...thanks for all the help everyone :thumbup:
 
#11 ·
SROlmeda said:
I do about 75 to 80mph and it takes me about 2 hours to get home with no traffic. I could drive 60mph but i dont want it to take 3 1/2 hours to get to work/home. Wich chip do you guys think has the best mpg out there? Oh, and does changing to a higher octane fuel help increase the mpg? Right now i'm using 89 since the gas prices are so high, i dont feel any power loss or anything else different, but will the mpg be better if i use 91? ...thanks for all the help everyone :thumbup:
You will find that you get better milage overall if you travel at around 72-76 mph. Yea... sure 60 MPH saves fuel, but your driving for much longer... so you burn more gas overall. Put in some fuel injector cleaner, change out your spark plugs if they are dirty, top off the tires, and set your cruise control, and you should get around 31-33 MPG if most of your driving is at a consistant speed on flat surfaces. You will get better milage with 91, because your engine doesn't have to work as hard (constant retarding of timing and loss of a few ponies). I get 2-3 MPG more if I run premium than if I run 87.
 
#15 ·
I don't think there's really much you need to do. My Passat is pretty much stock - the only mod to the engine I've done was replacing the stock DV with the one from the TT. Other than that, I use Mobil1 0w40 oil, always use 93 octane gas, make sure the tires are properly inflated, and regularly check all fluid levels.

During the trip I made from NC to NJ this past Friday (spring break!), I averaged 37 MPG over a ~200 mile stretch. My average speed over that distance was ~60 mph, and the only reason it was that low was because I stopped a couple times. When I was actually on I-95 I was doing 75-80 mph. I probably got this mileage for 4 reasons: ASR was off, I wasn't using cruise control, AC was off, and the fan itself was off (air comes through the vents at high speeds anyway, so there's really no reason to have it running). Still, 37 MPG is pretty darn impressive ;)
 
#16 ·
You can ... stop complaining!!

Of course, I have a V6 so at the speeds you drive (which I do to) i am lucky to get 21 to 24 (depending on the length of the highway drive).

I know it doesn't help, but i'm actually jealous of your 27.
 
#17 ·
Couple of comments:

I find the MFA mileage reading to be very accurate. When I fill up, I'll set the nozzle speed on the second to slowest speed (gives me time to clean the windshield). If I don't top off the tank when it clicks off, the difference between the MFA and a hand calculation is well within 1% (I'm talkin' around .04 or .05%). If you top off, all bets are off. And I've got the spereadsheet to prove it on my '03 variant.

You will find that you get better milage overall if you travel at around 72-76 mph. Yea... sure 60 MPH saves fuel, but your driving for much longer...
No offense, but this doesn't make any sense to me...we're really talking miles per gallon, not gallons per hour. You could go 75 mph and get 30 mpg, or drive the same distance at 60 mph and get 35 mpg. It'll just take you twelve minutes longer drive the 60 miles in the original poster's commute.

Really, the secret here is using the right oil (synth and I'd think about Mobil 1 0w-40), keeping the tires properly inflated (I'm using 32 psi all around), use the correct octane (minimum 91 AKI) and stay out of boost. If you can use cruise control, you'll probably save money. If any of your commute is in areas with a lot of traffic lights, start anticipating the reds and the greens. Coast to a stop rather than getting to the light and hitting the brakes hard. Gently accelerate when you get the green. No jackrabbit starts.

It takes discipline to get better mileage. And it ain't all that much fun, but you can get the satisfaction of a higher average mpg reading.
 
#18 ·
I don't know what year your Passat is but on my 2003 GLS 1.8t, I have noticed an increase in gas mileage after I made the mod to open up the holes in the grille for the air intake.

Check this thread out for a picture and more info:

http://www.clubb5.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=597907&highlight=#597907

It is very difficult to pin point exactly how much of an increase in gas mileage I have seen but I would say somewhere between 1-3 miles per gallon. I definitely recommend it.
 
#23 ·
SROlmeda said:
.... I get 2-3 MPG more if I run premium than if I run 87.
hi,

Oh man,
whata kind of water are they selling in the US ?
Over here in Europe we use 87 Oct for cigarette-lighters.

we use:
Normal: 91 Oct (older engines, no more use in new models)
Super: 95 Oct ( normal engines )
Super+: 98 Oct ( high performance engines )
Shell V-Power: 100 Oct ( for the new VW or Toyota FSI-engines: quite expensive)
Diesel: for all those who wanna save ....

Do you really feed an 3.0-30V with 87 or 91 Oct ??.
Can't imagine that !

but back to topic:
If you wanna save fuel, the answer for your question is quite simple:
At the speeds you are driving, or better have to drive :) in the US, i think (... quick calculation ...) a VW-TDI engine will approx. have a consumption of 50 mpg or perhaps better ...

greetings from "old europe" :)

btw: in some european countries there are up to 60% of alle passenger cars running on Diesel. In Germany 40% of all the VW's sold in the last few years where Diesel's.

der
KolbenFresser
 
#25 ·
KolbenFresser said:
SROlmeda said:
.... I get 2-3 MPG more if I run premium than if I run 87.
hi,

Oh man,
whata kind of water are they selling in the US ?
Over here in Europe we use 87 Oct for cigarette-lighters.

we use:
Normal: 91 Oct (older engines, no more use in new models)
Super: 95 Oct ( normal engines )
Super+: 98 Oct ( high performance engines )
Shell V-Power: 100 Oct ( for the new VW or Toyota FSI-engines: quite expensive)
Diesel: for all those who wanna save ....

Do you really feed an 3.0-30V with 87 or 91 Oct ??.
Can't imagine that !

but back to topic:
If you wanna save fuel, the answer for your question is quite simple:
At the speeds you are driving, or better have to drive :) in the US, i think (... quick calculation ...) a VW-TDI engine will approx. have a consumption of 50 mpg or perhaps better ...

greetings from "old europe" :)

btw: in some european countries there are up to 60% of alle passenger cars running on Diesel. In Germany 40% of all the VW's sold in the last few years where Diesel's.

der
KolbenFresser
The US and europe use different octane calculations. 92 US is like 96 european. US uses RON. I'm not sure what europes is called.
 
#26 ·
Check your tires for proper inflation. If you have a Tiptronic expect a lower mileage than a 5-speed for some reason. My 5-Speed Audi gets 33mpg on the highway while my Passat Tip gets only 30mpg. Same engine, same chip. Tire inflation and premium gas is all I can say.
 
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