Fuel and mileage

20focus05 · 07-10-2006, 11:32 PM

Have many of you had probs with pinging? I have to run on 98ron to stop it
and at the moment I am on 8.4L/100 city driving. when I have done interstate I have got down to 6.4

08-10-2006, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 20focus05

Have many of you had probs with pinging? I have to run on 98ron to stop it
and at the moment I am on 8.4L/100 city driving. when I have done interstate I have got down to 6.4

I'm hearing you. I have bad pinging, PULP gets rid of most of it, but even on 100ron fuel it'll ping on the uphills if you let off the accel and reapply briskly.

I normally range from 9.2 driving hard around the suburbs, 7.2 driving into work (20kmh crawling on the freeway uses little fuel!) and around 6.5-7.5 on normal speed freeway runs (6.5 at around 100kmh, 7.4 at around 125kmh). Average on a tank is around 8.4 like yours.

pertuan · 08-10-2006, 12:46 PM

I'm still getting rather high usage. 10-10.5L/100km. I drive from Randwick to City everyday though... that probably has something to do with it. THe fact that I do short runs. Mind you, I don't drive like a grandma either so that probably doesnt help my mileage either.

JD2004 · 08-10-2006, 01:02 PM

Yeah im getting 20L/100km

Ok i drive the XR5 very hard, but thats just the way life goes.

Luke

Uni · 08-10-2006, 07:42 PM

i've been getting an average of 9.6, but thats on 91 RON (no pinging issues

) and doing mostly very short stops... i havent reset the fuel consumption in a while either, i tend to get better fuel consumption figures than mum does when she drives it

Uni/.

Pieoter · 09-10-2006, 12:08 AM

If you guys are pinging even running high octane fuel my guess would be your laboring the engine (Low rpm, high load). If this is the case shift down a gear laboring is bad bad bad.

In the focus I would get down to 5.8 on the highway (Using the trip computer)

Stugots · 09-10-2006, 12:33 AM

I filled it up for the first time yesterday and I'm around 9.5L/100kms. I remember the dealer saying it'll get better after about 10,000 when things loosen up more.

When I drove out of the showroom, the car had half a tank and I managed to get 300kms with 120kms of range left when I filled it up

09-10-2006, 07:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pieoter

If you guys are pinging even running high octane fuel my guess would be your laboring the engine (Low rpm, high load). If this is the case shift down a gear laboring is bad bad bad.

In the focus I would get down to 5.8 on the highway (Using the trip computer)

It'll ping at 4500rpm on pulp if uphill and i put the foot down...

Fuel pump problem.

20focus05 · 10-10-2006, 12:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pieoter

If you guys are pinging even running high octane fuel my guess would be your laboring the engine (Low rpm, high load). If this is the case shift down a gear laboring is bad bad bad.

In the focus I would get down to 5.8 on the highway (Using the trip computer)

I'm up in the revs to like black is,
the weird thing is sometimes i go say in 3rd from 2k no pinging it then pings abit at around 3k then goes away.

owens · 10-10-2006, 01:20 PM

Hey guys. Is pinging kind of like a rattle noise in the engine?

I get this when for example I'm going up a hill, 3rd gear around 60km's if I have the foot steady on the pedal no worries, but if I pump it a bit I get this rattle. Is that called pinging?

Uni · 10-10-2006, 07:57 PM

yep... it means the fuel is detonating before the spark plug fires, usually a fair distance from TDC. its pretty bad for the engine if its allowed to continue, it fouls spark plugs, buggers pistons and bearings.. generally pretty bad

Uni/.

owens · 10-10-2006, 09:31 PM

wow. I better get it checked out. I took it in to get looked at once but they said that they couldn't find anything... but it's been happening for a loooong time.

20focus05 · 10-10-2006, 10:26 PM

sound like squashing cellophane, crinkly

Uni · 10-10-2006, 11:01 PM

realistically they cant do much for it, the problem is usually solved by using higher octane fuel

wat have u been running when it pings?

Uni/.

owens · 11-10-2006, 12:12 AM

All i've run in it is premium unleaded or optimax., nothing below 95, but usually 98.

Pieoter · 11-10-2006, 12:44 AM

Something not right with everyone getting the pinging issue. You'd think Ford would have taken the test focus up a hill during development.

11-10-2006, 12:54 AM

On 91 ron it'll ping more than network adminstrator. (geeks will get it)
95 will do it mainly when putting a bit of load on the engine, lower than 4000rpm
98 wll be similar, but on uphills.
Only pings a few times on 100ron mainly on acents under load with 1/2 or less in the tank.

plee · 11-10-2006, 09:32 AM

I've had pinging the couple of times running 91RON, no problems on 95RON, average 8.2l/100k fuel consumption, so am pretty happy with that.

owens · 11-10-2006, 11:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlackLS

On 91 ron it'll ping more than network adminstrator. (geeks will get it)
95 will do it mainly when putting a bit of load on the engine, lower than 4000rpm
98 wll be similar, but on uphills.
Only pings a few times on 100ron mainly on acents under load with 1/2 or less in the tank.

That's funny... when I read your post I had 2 continuous pings going on my other monitor.

I haven't noticed if it happens more at a certain fuel level... but I'll keep an eye on it.

Stugots · 11-10-2006, 01:40 PM

Any chance it could be the way which it was run in? I'm trying to keep the revs above 2k in all gears and that sometimes means cruising at 70+ in 4th. Sure you'll use more fuel but allows for some variance through the revs and I think keeping a motor in it's optimal powerband (and it's kinda narrow on the focus) is good protection/wear in.

More revs · 12-10-2006, 10:02 AM

I just run this stuff

http://www.unitedpetroleum.com.au/index.asp?pgID=66

No trouble with pinging, and it's 4c / l cheaper than 91 RON.

I think the ethanol content improves combustion somehow because the car runs rich and fluffy on Optimax.

I see no noticable benefits from other 98 RON fuels either - I just keep coming back to Plus.

photn · 12-10-2006, 10:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stugots

Any chance it could be the way which it was run in? I'm trying to keep the revs above 2k in all gears and that sometimes means cruising at 70+ in 4th. Sure you'll use more fuel but allows for some variance through the revs and I think keeping a motor in it's optimal powerband (and it's kinda narrow on the focus) is good protection/wear in.

try for a week or so to Belt the ever loving crap out of it. then see if you get the pinging?

whippet_zetec · 12-10-2006, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JD2004

Yeah im getting 20L/100km

Ok i drive the XR5 very hard, but thats just the way life goes.

Luke

deadset thats about the same fuel consumption you get from a V8....lol.

Stugots · 12-10-2006, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by photn

try for a week or so to Belt the ever loving crap out of it. then see if you get the pinging?

Hmm, did I say my engine was pinging? But I do like your suggestion.

Uni · 12-10-2006, 03:04 PM

this pinging problem is very curious indeed, has anyone tried speaking to Ford about it? im just thinking there may be a new ECU map out, which mine and a few other people (Stugots etc) got because their cars are only a few months old...

Uni/.

photn · 12-10-2006, 03:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stugots

Hmm, did I say my engine was pinging? But I do like your suggestion.

not you in particular, just a sujestion that may help.?

Stugots · 13-10-2006, 03:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uni

this pinging problem is very curious indeed, has anyone tried speaking to Ford about it? im just thinking there may be a new ECU map out, which mine and a few other people (Stugots etc) got because their cars are only a few months old...

Uni/.

Possibly. My build date was april 06 from memory if anyone wants to take that as reference.

I had a good chance to test it today coming out of the Bondi Junction Westfield's carpark going up the ramp under load, no knocking that I could hear and tank is a bit under half full.

Couple more things I've noticed, clutch is very twitchy, like it's either in or out. I don't know if the springs stretch over time making it more forgiving but it's hard to get a nice friction point with alot of play if you know what i mean.

also, the handbrake should be on the drivers side.

and what's that cavity in the dash below the steering column to the right? what can you put in there?

Off to the RTA to get my Euro plates at lunch time

photn · 13-10-2006, 09:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stugots

Possibly. My build date was april 06 from memory if anyone wants to take that as reference.

I had a good chance to test it today coming out of the Bondi Junction Westfield's carpark going up the ramp under load, no knocking that I could hear and tank is a bit under half full.

Couple more things I've noticed, clutch is very twitchy, like it's either in or out. I don't know if the springs stretch over time making it more forgiving but it's hard to get a nice friction point with alot of play if you know what i mean.

also, the handbrake should be on the drivers side.

and what's that cavity in the dash below the steering column to the right? what can you put in there?

Off to the RTA to get my Euro plates at lunch time

at 230 in the morning i doubt the RTA is open lol. and its not lunch just yet hehehehe.

Stugots · 13-10-2006, 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by photn

at 230 in the morning i doubt the RTA is open lol. and its not lunch just yet hehehehe.

Hehe, Yeah I was going to say 'tomorrow' but that would technically be Saturday. I'm sure most others knew what I meant.

13-10-2006, 10:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stugots

I had a good chance to test it today coming out of the Bondi Junction Westfield's carpark going up the ramp under load, no knocking that I could hear and tank is a bit under half full.

Couple more things I've noticed, clutch is very twitchy, like it's either in or out. I don't know if the springs stretch over time making it more forgiving but it's hard to get a nice friction point with alot of play if you know what i mean.

also, the handbrake should be on the drivers side.

and what's that cavity in the dash below the steering column to the right? what can you put in there?

Off to the RTA to get my Euro plates at lunch time

Good you have no pinging.

Clutch just need to be broken in a bit. The pedal being so soft doesn't help.

I'd rather it where it is, its in the perfect position for me ergonomically. If it was on the drivers side itd be too crampt to do handbrakies.

That cavity is good for putting your wallet in I find. Its meant for the Ford diagnostics plug as it would look a bit crap for the plug to be sitting on a flat surface of the dash. It can't be under the dash coz it'll get in the way of the pedals

Congrats on the euro plates