Mondeo 1.8 SCi Fuel Consumption

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Mon 29 Nov 2004 17:11
Mondeo 1.8 SCi Fuel Consumption - Dave E
Any body out there that can give me an idea of whether I am barking up the wrong tree, with what I perceive to be low MPG for my Mondeo?

Considering the SCi engine with a 6 speed box is supposed to be more fuel efficient, I a bit miffed to find I am getting less MPG than the 2001 Zetec it replaced. I am averaging between 27.5 - 29.5 per gallon, where as the previous Zetec gave me between 31-35.

My local dealer has reset the Engine Management, there words not mine and it has made no difference. It has been back in again and all they have said is that there is a new software upgrade in February that may resolve it! My nephew works for another dealer and when I got this car he said that there were a number of this model in and out of the workshop for the same reason.

The type of mileage is mainly motorway driving to a max of 80mph. I work 13 miles from home and start work at 05:00, so I very rarely need to change gear once I am on the move. More or less the same for the home journey, although I do get a bit of stationary traffic once I am almost home. Outside work use is the usual visits here and there and so on but it is never used for short hops to shops. I don't thrash it so I am not wasting fuel there.

Are my expectations too high?
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Mon 29 Nov 2004 17:22
Mondeo 1.8 SCi Fuel Consumption - Pugugly {P}
I wouldn't think so.The Office hack, a 10 year old 160k Cav (2.0 16v) returns between 35 and 38. And it gets hammered. Figures provided by fleet managment software.
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Mon 29 Nov 2004 18:08
Mondeo 1.8 SCi Fuel Consumption - cheddar
Reckon the SCi should be more economical than than your Zetec, be it 1.8 or 2.0. Are you going by brimming the tank or trip computer? If the latter the computer might be faulty. However my TDCi trip computer is pretty accurate perhaps reading 1 - 2 mpg higher than the actual.
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Mon 29 Nov 2004 19:49
Mondeo 1.8 SCi Fuel Consumption - Dave E
I have never paid any mind the trip computer, mainly becuse the functions are so basic. The information it provides is erratic at best so I just use it for the temperature. I have used brim to brim at the same pump at my local supermarket on more than one occasion. It is the same every time and makes for depressing motoring.
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Mon 29 Nov 2004 19:50
Mondeo 1.8 SCi Fuel Consumption - Dave E
Excuse the bad grammar at the start of the last message. The mulled wine has just kicked in!
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Tue 30 Nov 2004 09:23
Mondeo 1.8 SCi Fuel Consumption - SP
Dave, Yes sounds like something is wrong to me. I've got a Mk.2 1.8 and have averaged 38mpg over the last 7000 miles. My journey to work is ~16 miles, but includes a number of stops. On a longer journey or on the M'way the mpg is a just over 40. The Mk.3 is a bit heavier, but I wouldn't expect that to make a huge difference to the steady speed figures.
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Tue 30 Nov 2004 15:24
Mondeo 1.8 SCi Fuel Consumption - cheddar
I have never paid any mind the trip computer, mainly becuse
the functions are so basic. The information it provides is erratic


The trip in my TDCi is pretty accurate in respect of MPG, average speed, range etc (albeit not as comprehensive as some, for instance those in the pre '02 Vectra)) if yours is erratic it could be a pointer to there being an underlying problem.
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Wed 1 Dec 2004 14:01
Mondeo 1.8 SCi Fuel Consumption - blank
Is the car run-in yet? If so, I would agree with others that the fuel economy seems rather poor. If not, perhaps it will improve with time?

Andy
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Wed 1 Dec 2004 19:25
Mondeo 1.8 SCi Fuel Consumption - Dave E
The car has done 17k miles now. Ford have acknowledged there is a problem by offering a software upgrade but not until February. I have worked out that the difference in petrol costs between what I think the MPG I should be getting opposed to what I am actually getting, is costing me in the region of £10-15 a week with the mileage I do.

Approximately 75% of the miles I do are on the M60 cruising between 60-80 mph. So I would expect to be getting around 40+ to the gallon not as I have mentioned above. The car's history prior to me owning it is a bit dubious as it came from Ford's own demo programme. It has had it's scheduled service as per the manual and again I do not and have not ever hammered the car. Would abuse in the car's early day's cause high fuel consumption now?
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Thu 2 Dec 2004 13:40
Mondeo 1.8 SCi Fuel Consumption - blank
By spooky co-incidence I have a brand new Mondeo 1.8LX as a hire car today. I have driven this morning up the M20 then M25 to M4 and 20 miles or so along the M4. Average economy has been roughly (according to the computer) a pretty impressive 38 mpg. I've now worked out how to reset the computer (OK, OK I was tired early this morning) so I will report back on the returm journey. This morning was clear traffic and cruise control at 77mph until the M25, then the ususal slowness thereafter.

Does the fact that this car only has a 5-speed box mean that it's a Zetec rather than SCI?

Andy
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Thu 2 Dec 2004 19:06
Mondeo 1.8 SCi Fuel Consumption - cheddar
Does the fact that this car only has a 5-speed box
mean that it's a Zetec rather than SCI?


The SCi engine is currently Ghia and Ghia X only (I think), it is direct injection and offers lower emissions, it is also slightly more powerful than the std 1.8, 130ps v 125ps.
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Sat 20 Nov 2010 18:57
Mondeo 1.8 SCi Fuel Consumption - transylvaniantraveller

I used to drive Ford's & change them every 10,000miles as part of the lease agreement, from 1999 through to 2007. I remember taking an unused 1.9 diesel to Calais & back, from Warks, & returning 17mpg. yes, you read that correctly. Even at the end of my 10k ownership, I was only getting 38mpg, but I drove fairly quickly & mostly on B roads. Friends had older cars of the same engine & got 60mpg from teh same. Dont underestimate the effect of running it. It makes a big difference. However, 5-7k in & you should be at least doing ok, if not well. If not, complain!

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Thu 2 Dec 2004 14:29
Mondeo 1.8 SCi Fuel Consumption - linac eng
Look closely at ford fuel consumption figures for the Sci compared to the standard 1.8. You'll notice that the SCI is in fact LESS economical at extra-urban speeds than the std indirect injected car.
SCi would appear to offer benefits at urban speeds (29MPG vs 25MPG)
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Fri 3 Dec 2004 10:24
Mondeo 1.8 SCi Fuel Consumption - blank
OK, my return journey yesterday. Traffic pretty heavy through the M25 roadworks and the rest of the way, so little point bothering to do more than 70mph. I set the cruise to 70 when I could get that fast and drove gently the rest of the time. Resultant fuel economy for the 90mile journey - 43.5 mpg. Who needs stinking diesel?!

Andy
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Tue 7 Dec 2004 18:22
Mondeo 1.8 SCi Fuel Consumption - Dave E
Back to work so I indulged my self by continually resetting the MPG computer.

On the stretch going to work on the M60 it read 45mpg, at an average speed of 73mph.

Coming home again along the M60 at an average speed of 65mph, mpg 54.5.

After leaving the M60 and joining the A34 and the B roads home, with a max of 40 mph, the rest around 20 mph, the consumption was 27.5 mpg

The above is typical of the daily/weekly mileage I do and trying to calculate an average from the above is suggesting around 45 mpg, which is nothing like the 27-30 I am actually achieving. Then again can the data provided by the computer be relied upon as accurate.
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Sat 20 Nov 2010 20:43
Mondeo 1.8 SCi Fuel Consumption - over30
You dont need to continually reset the trip computer.

The mpg figure is an 'average' of the cars fuel consumption

The computer will give more accurate results, if you just reset it once, then leave it.

If you keep resetting it, the mpg figure goes back to zero, until the computer can recalculate your average mpg, which will constantly change anyway, depending on the type of journey, and how much throttle you give the car when accelerating.

My previous car was a 2001 Ford Focus 2.0i ghia, it returned '33 mpg' based on the trip computer readings. I never reset the computer.

The Mondeo is a heavy car, so from a 1.8 petrol, the mpg figures you have quoted would seem about right.

If you are after fuel economy go for a TDCi diesel, they are quicker off the mark and cheaper to tax.
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