FTO Drivers Club, Western Australia

[wildfaye29]

Hi all, I drive a 2.0Mivec FTO. Experiencing not so good fuel economy.
Driving habits are 70% highway and 30% city. Have not changed driving habits for 6 years.
When the car was new(6yrs ago) could get 10km/l, wacking with mivec can get 9.5km/l.
typical fuel rates are as follows:
3/4full 200km. 1/2full 300km, 1/4full 450km. can left 1/8full tank at 550km than top up.

now can onli get 8.5km/l, with mivec wacking can onli get 8km/l.
typical fuel rates are as follows:
3/4full 130km. 1/2full 200km, 1/4full 330km. can left 1/8full tank at 400 than must top up liao.

Can anyone help? Very fustrated. now dun dare to mivec e car liao, too expensive on e wallet. I am sure the amount of money to get to rectify the fault is definitely cheaper than the cumalative EXTRA money spend on petrol the last 2-3 years.

The car is stock, even wheels. now just did 100k timing belt service and all related stuff.

Thanks all in advance for any advice!
Cheers!
Sam

I am in Singapore, BTW.

[RichardH]

Some random thoughts for ya...

...You'll laugh at some, but hey, you asked


- Any engine ECU codes coming up?

- Have you changed where you fuel it? ie. could somebody be nastily selling crap petrol as good petrol?

- Are you running lower tyre pressures these days? Sounds funny, but 32 front, 28 rear is far less efficient than say 37 front, 33 rear.

- Have you put a huge, weighty mountain of ear crushing ICE gear into it? Four subs, a boot-filling enclosure and huge drivers in the doors can really make for a heavy car!

- Does the air cleaner get changed regularly? Had an injector clean?


You never know... the funniest things cause big fuel usage changes sometimes. We suddenly got much better economy from our boring 'family' car when we removed the roo bar from the front!

- Rich

[wildfaye29]

- Any engine ECU codes coming up?
Not tried the ECU dianogsis yet

- Have you changed where you fuel it? ie. could somebody be nastily selling crap petrol as good petrol?
No one sells crappy petrol in Singapore

- Are you running lower tyre pressures these days? Sounds funny, but 32 front, 28 rear is far less efficient than say 37 front, 33 rear.
Running same pressures as from new(6yrs ago)

- Have you put a huge, weighty mountain of ear crushing ICE gear into it? Four subs, a boot-filling enclosure and huge drivers in the doors can really make for a heavy car!
No ICE, no rubbish in e car except for 2 umbrellas

- Does the air cleaner get changed regularly? Had an injector clean?
Air filter changed very regularly, Injectors too

Any more suggestions?

[BASSULA]

o2 sensor???

[wildfaye29]

HI, how does the O2 sensor work, where is it located? why would the O2 sensor affect the fuel consumption? Is it expensive to repair/replace?

Thanks!

[RichardH]

The oxygen sensor allows the engine ECU to control the fuel mixtures at idle (and part throttle as well, if I remember correctly). If it's telling lies to the ECU, it might run rich.

I'm pretty sure that when you run it at full throttle, the engine ECU uses preset fuel maps. The O2 sensor doesn't get involved.

- Rich

[wildfaye29]

So are u trying to tell me the O2 sensor is spoilt?
If so, y would it be spoilt?

[BASSULA]

o2 sensors do wear out over time

but not knowing much about the FTO fuel maps I cant say for sure, I guess usually from what I have found (other cars tho) is that after 10 or so years the o2 sensor starts to fail and you especially get these problems when hot...

It would definately be somethign to check in my mind but it maybe a lead to nowere as I dont knowt he FTO system very well..

cheers

[RichardH]

No idea, but my other car needed a replacement O2 sensor for no apparent reason.

But without getting a mechanic to check it out, it's really just going to be a question of "maybes"....

This is one reason why, before starting motorkhana participation in earnest, I took my baby to an EFI specialist, and got him to do a 1 or 2 hour "health check" on the car. Fuel rail pressure, pressure regulator accuracy, coil strength, etc. Just to make sure it was in top nick. Perhaps you should look for an EFI servicing business and get them to have a poke at the car.

- Rich

[wildfaye29]

Well I guess all I have to do now is to find some time n go to a garage n have the dianogsis equipment check out the O2 sensor...
keep u guys updated.

[wildfaye29]

Ok, guys, back with another query before i go to the workshop.

This current bad consumption i have is based on city and highway driving with speeds not exceeding 110km/h.

I have been on the Malaysian highways and gotten the following consumption figures. 130-140km/h constant for 2-3hrs. I manage to get 12km/l.

Would it still be the O2 sensor??

[BASSULA]

it is possible I guess.... again you have to rememebr that we are only guessing here...

o2 sensors work on exhust gas and therefore are actually screwed into the exhaust somewhere along the line.. what happens is over time they deteriorate due to the heat etc.

now at speeds over 120kms/h it may have preset maps as o2 sensors become unreliable at this point ?? (not very likely I dun think)

the o2 sensor at 120-140km/h is getting enough cool air to it at this speed to cool it down enough to get a proper reading???

There is a fe guesses...

the way most ECU's work (dont actually know about the FTO) is that on startup they run off a preset map untill the o2 sensor gets hot enough to actually make readings then swaps over.

1 more question, does the car idle funny stall etc when really hot?

IDEA: not too sure if it will work but will give you an indication if it is the o2 sensor. as most ECUs have a preset map for when they ae cold if there is a problem it will go back to the default map and a kind of "limp" mode. what I am proposing I have no idea of teh conciquences ok..

Next time you start the car UNPLUG the o2 sensor it WILL create a ECU fault and revert to the standard (startup map) you may also loose mivec at this time (again unknown) and drive around for 1 day to see what happens, if it goes down... then you found your problem... if not then you may have to look somewhere else..

hope that is of some help!

Again I take no responsibility if something goes wrong this is just suggestios from past experience with other cars..

cheers