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Thread: Best range / MPG you have done?

  1. #51
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    I am still getting used to the low "tankful of miles" on my 2000 Z3 M Roadster with the 3.2 L S52 engine. I am used to getting 50+ mpg and 600 miles a tank with my HCHII.

    With the M, it looks like I am getting about 25 mpg and 300 miles per tank.

    But it it is a whole lot more fun to drive!

    Greg
    Last edited by Tallyho322; 06-17-2017 at 10:46 PM.
    Tally Ho


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    1988 O'Day 322 sailboat - (unlimited mpg)

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  2. #52
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    Quote Originally Posted by fallguy View Post
    In my 3.0 coupe with an auto im getting 18mpg That's driving pretty easy around the city. I think the auto and 255/295 tires are sucking it back.

    I bet I get better MPG once I swap in the LS/T56
    Whoa! That's REALLY bad. I have the same engine, and I average about 30MPG (with "normal" driving) while getting over 300 miles per tank...and I'm supercharged!

    "You don't win silver....you lose gold."

  3. #53
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    Yeah I know it's crazy how bad it is. I'm sure something is up. But in a few months it's all being taken out... so don't now if I will spend any money know it.

    I think lots of people get 21-22 with the 3.0

  4. #54
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    Quote Originally Posted by fallguy View Post
    Yeah I know it's crazy how bad it is. I'm sure something is up. But in a few months it's all being taken out... so don't now if I will spend any money know it.

    I think lots of people get 21-22 with the 3.0
    21-22 MPG with the M54 is still off. that motor should be closer to 28-30 MPG with steady mixed (city/hwy) miles. If you're getting rid of that motor anyway, then it doesn't really matter. LOL. Looking forward to seeing the V8 build happen!

    "You don't win silver....you lose gold."

  5. #55
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    All numbers are in USA miles per gallon (not my usual metrics).

    2.0L, M52TUB20 roadster, Town 24.1 mpg, Highway run 29.7 mpg

    3.0L, M54B30 roadster, Town 19 mpg, Highway run 27.4 mpg
    1999 2.8L Z3 Roadster,
    2000 3.0L Z3 Roadster,

    There is only one thing more pleasurable than working on a Z3, that's driving it top down on a fine day.

  6. #56
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    My best mileage in my 02 S54 M Coupe was 26.5 MPG heading south on I-5 with the cruise control set at 70 MPH. I once got 305 miles on a tank, but that was with the low fuel light on for the last 20 miles as I went through the desert looking for a gas station. My norm with mixed driving is 22.7 MPG and about 240 miles per tank.

    Marty

  7. #57
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    Hmm, I only get about 23MPG with my S52. Is that mostly highway driving at 25 MPG?

    Quote Originally Posted by Tallyho322 View Post
    I am still getting used to the low "tankful of miles" on my 2000 Z3 M Roadster with the 3.2 L S52 engine. I am used to getting 50+ mpg and 600 miles a tank with my HCHII.

    With the M, it looks like I am getting about 25 mpg and 300 miles per tank.

    But it it is a whole lot more fun to drive!

    Greg

  8. #58
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    Z3 3.0 - X1 35i - X1 28i
    Drove up the east coast on Rte 95 Florida to New Hampshire averaging 27.3 with air going the whole time in my 01 3.0 manual roady.

  9. #59
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    Quote Originally Posted by healeydays View Post
    Drove up the east coast on Rte 95 Florida to New Hampshire averaging 27.3 with air going the whole time in my 01 3.0 manual roady.
    That's pretty good! I wonder--does your car have an on-board computer? How much, if any did the displayed mileage differ from mileage calculated at the pump?
    I seem to recall that my trip computer often indicates ~32mpg for my highway trips, but I have never calculated actual mileage higher than about 29mpg.

  10. #60
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    Mixed driving. I drive it to my office once a week, which is 117 miles round trip. Most of it on the interstate, but bumper-to-bumper many miles, then 70mph for a while. The rest of the time is driving locally, to the marina, errands, etc.

    i do tend to upshift as much as possible to keep RPM's down between 2-3k much of the time.

    My guage reads 1/2 full with 200 miles in the tank, but then it drops really fast until the low fuel light comes on.

    Greg
    Last edited by Tallyho322; 06-18-2017 at 09:48 PM.
    Tally Ho


    http://wcwebs.net/johnson
    1988 O'Day 322 sailboat - (unlimited mpg)

    2000 BMW Z3 M Roadster (25 mpg - but who cares)

    2019 Subaru Outback
    (30+ MPG)

  11. #61
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    Quote Originally Posted by danomite View Post
    Whoa! That's REALLY bad. I have the same engine, and I average about 30MPG (with "normal" driving) while getting over 300 miles per tank...and I'm supercharged!
    Apologies for off topic... But Danomite, how are you able to get 30 mpg? If you don't mind my asking, what is your current SC setup?

    I'm only getting 16-17mpg / 220(+/-)miles per tank with normal freeway/city mixed driving. - Not that it really matters since it's a weekend car, but I'm curious.

    And it's been like that from VFE stock (even less after stage 1.5) with stock differential too...
    Last edited by nevan; 06-25-2017 at 11:45 PM.
    2000 Z3 M Titanium Silver / Imola Red+Black Nappa
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  12. #62
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    The non-linearity of our gas gauges, my typical consumption:

    Gas Gauge = miles
    3/4 = 125 miles
    1/2 = 200 miles
    1/4 = 300 miles
    fuel warning light = 320 miles

    usually fill up at about 330, and it takes 11.5 gal, 29 mpg range

    2.3 Warm weather, E10 (pre ethanol I was at about 30 mpg )

    You wont believe me but I am so 'close' to my car, that I usually keep the mpg on the OBC and know/predict within a few minutes when it will change up or down..

    “Great wisdom is generous; petty wisdom is contentious.” 无为

  13. #63
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    For my car, it averages 20-21. Mainly city driving. 40-45 mph. It does not change with climate / traffic / type of fuel etc. Never tried pure highway driving. Always fill it around 180 miles. Light comes on around 200 miles.

  14. #64
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    The problem in these conversations is that everyone calculates these things differently. "I get X miles per tank" can mean that many miles until the light comes on, or until it gets down to 1/4 full and then people estimate how far it would go if they used that last quarter, or calculate miles per gallon and then multiply by the capacity of the tank, etc.

    Same for mileage: some use the OBC allby itself, some calculate with the gas gauge and the odometer, some calculate with the display of the gas pump and the odometer, etc.

    So, answers to these question are useless without the method for how you reach that conclusion.
    2001 Z3 3.0 Coupe--Sterling Gray/Sunroof Delete/5MT

  15. #65
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    1997 BMW Z3 Roadster 2.8
    97 Roadster, 2.8 L Std, average is 300 miles/tank, but highest ive pushed was 325 miles,Last 1/4, goes super fast.
    270 miles/8.24 Imp gal=32.76 MPG or 27.3 US MPG, always using Supreme, Traveling 80 MPH on 4 lane, or 45 mph on country roads, i see no difference in Mileage

  16. #66
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    I'm guessing you filled up, reset the trip odometer, then drove until you filled up, using the trip odometer to measure 270 miles traveled, and the gauge on the gas pump to measure 8.24 imp. gals to fill it up?
    2001 Z3 3.0 Coupe--Sterling Gray/Sunroof Delete/5MT

  17. #67
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    Quote Originally Posted by kornfeld View Post
    The problem in these conversations is that everyone calculates these things differently. "I get X miles per tank" can mean that many miles until the light comes on, or until it gets down to 1/4 full and then people estimate how far it would go if they used that last quarter, or calculate miles per gallon and then multiply by the capacity of the tank, etc.

    Same for mileage: some use the OBC allby itself, some calculate with the gas gauge and the odometer, some calculate with the display of the gas pump and the odometer, etc.

    So, answers to these question are useless without the method for how you reach that conclusion.
    Yes, I only calculate according to the amount of gas at refill, and specify MPG. The OBC is often quite optimistic.

  18. #68
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    Quote Originally Posted by Watch Carefully View Post
    Yes, I only calculate according to the amount of gas at refill, and specify MPG. The OBC is often quite optimistic.
    Same here... Miles with 1/2 tank X 2 as total miles. Then divided it by 13.5.

    I am not able to get realtime mpg as the MAF sensor is scaled with larger injectors... I wouldn't know how to factor in the delta with OBC. If anyone knows, please let us know how one can do so...
    2000 Z3 M Titanium Silver / Imola Red+Black Nappa
    2011 328i E92 Space Gray Metallic / Leder Dakota+Oyster
    Since 1987 12 euros / 2 kdms / 2 jdms
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  19. #69
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    I've had my 3.0i since 2004 and the mileage has been pretty consistent at 21 to 22 MPG mixed, with mostly suburban city driving. Add in a little more highway and its about 25 MPG. Long trips at about 70 to 80 MPH run about 28 to 30 MPG at best. Hard and juvenile type driving solely in the city has yielded about 19 at worst. Never tracked the car, but I bet it would be around 14. We used to have a 2001 330Ci with the same engine and it got up to 32 MPG, since it had taller gears. Fresh tank and reset trip computer and stead 55 MPH shows 33 MPG. Who drives 55 though?
    Steve
    '02 Z3 3.0i

  20. #70
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    I have been getting 18-19mpg mostly city driving.

    And I reset the trip meter every fill then calculate based on the amount I put in the tank. Mine is in KM and I get about 300km before the light comes on.

  21. #71
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    Quote Originally Posted by nevan View Post
    Same here... Miles with 1/2 tank X 2 as total miles. Then divided it by 13.5.
    This is exactly the kind of thing I'm talking about.....this calculation really can't be trusted. You're assuming that the miles covered in each fraction of the tank will be equal (eg, the first half is the same as the second half). It isn't that this *might* be wrong, it's that this is almost definitely wrong. Post 62 above is an example of this. Who knows what your tank reads at.

    While not perfect, the odometer on your car is probably one of the best gauges for this sort of thing because each mile it displays should be pretty close to every other mile it displays.

    The same can be said for the gauge on the fuel pump at the station when measuring the volume of gas consumed.

    The auto shut off point (ie, when the tank is full) is the other thing that should be pretty consistent, so long as you always try and fill up with the car at the same angle, such as with it always flat, or always at the same angle at the same station.
    2001 Z3 3.0 Coupe--Sterling Gray/Sunroof Delete/5MT

  22. #72
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    Quote Originally Posted by kornfeld View Post
    This is exactly the kind of thing I'm talking about.....this calculation really can't be trusted. You're assuming that the miles covered in each fraction of the tank will be equal (eg, the first half is the same as the second half). It isn't that this *might* be wrong, it's that this is almost definitely wrong. Post 62 above is an example of this. Who knows what your tank reads at.

    While not perfect, the odometer on your car is probably one of the best gauges for this sort of thing because each mile it displays should be pretty close to every other mile it displays.

    The same can be said for the gauge on the fuel pump at the station when measuring the volume of gas consumed.

    The auto shut off point (ie, when the tank is full) is the other thing that should be pretty consistent, so long as you always try and fill up with the car at the same angle, such as with it always flat, or always at the same angle at the same station.
    I agree completely. That assumption of the amount of gas used (or remaining) when the gauge reads 1/2 is of no use. The only reliable way to estimate MPG is to divide miles traveled (odometer) by fuel used (exact amount of refill, with the consistency mentioned above). To ensure consistency, I never 'top off' after the auto shut-off is triggered. I've gotten a bit particular about my fuel data since using the Fuelly app.

  23. #73
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    Quote Originally Posted by kornfeld View Post
    This is exactly the kind of thing I'm talking about.....this calculation really can't be trusted..
    Kornfeld, thanks for the words of wisdom. What you say makes sense to me. And I am sure you are right. - I will try that method next time.

    In honesy, i really didnt give much thought regarding it. And I am sure my estimation is considerably off from the actual too (which is good enough for me). But it probably wouldnt hurt to have more accurate mpg either.

    Learning something new everyday!

    So CHEERS.
    Last edited by nevan; 06-27-2017 at 09:49 PM.
    2000 Z3 M Titanium Silver / Imola Red+Black Nappa
    2011 328i E92 Space Gray Metallic / Leder Dakota+Oyster
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    - Zach

  24. #74
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    Because of the odd shape of the fuel tank, the fuel gauge is not linear...

    Not only that... but there's fuel tank characteristic curve programming in the cluster that further changes the needle behavior. I guess it's there to make the needle movement more standardized/linear to actual tank volume.. but it's far from perfect.

    It's possible to edit the characteristic curve data to make linear fuel gauge reporting, but it would take quite a bit of data collection and testing.
    -Abel

    - E36 328is ~210-220whp: Lots of Mods.
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    - 2016 Mini Cooper S

  25. #75
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    Calculated by dividing total miles per tank by amount filled up (I always stop at the first click).

    My drive is 95% highway (38 miles each way).

    I average about 20-22mpg. Last tank was 21.49mpg. Not bad considering I drive like a bandit, over 100-110mph for several seconds at a time.
    Cyrus Mistry

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