Hi
Just taken ownership of an X reg (2000) second generation 2.0 automatic 5-door Toyota RAV4 and I'm concerned about poor mpg, getting in the region of 18mpg. I think the official combined figure for this model is around 30mpg. Example, put in approx 4 gallons (£20) of petrol three days ago when the fuel warning light was on and the fuel warning light is on again after about 70 miles.
Most driving is short trips between towns approx 10 miles per day Monday-Friday, or town/A roads/motorways approx 25 miles at weekends, so nothing too excessive, no foot to the floor with the throttle and overdrive always on.
The engine management light has always been on since I took ownership, previous owner said that it has been on for years and at the last service the mechanic said that it related to a small problem with a heating fan running but don't know if that would warrant the engine management light being on?
Anyway, really dissapointed with the mpg so wondering how much Toyota will fleece me to run diagnistics to determine if there is a problem that would affect fuel consumption?
or if anyone has had experience of similar low mpg or can offer advice on what might be causing the poor fuel consumption I'd be interested to hear your thoughts/suggestions.
Thanks in advance.
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Neighbour gets 23mpg running around - it's a petrol manual.
Plugs, filters, oil change, dose of V-power (BP ultimate) ............ might be worth a try (+Italian tune up!!)
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Short journeys = cold engines = poor mpg.
Engine warning light? Could be anything from failed lambda sensor to blocked catalyst.
If the last ownere has been running around like that - and you have bought it in that condition - I would prepare yourself for:
a full service..
diagnostics
and repair costs
Service? £250 - minimum.
diagnostics - minimum £100
Parts? £100 plus.
I take it the car has some service history? If it has none and has been neglected - which it sounds like- the service costs could easily double.. or more.
Sorry to be so depressing.
It could have blocked filters, MAF sensor, etc etc
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I don't think you need be that negative at the moment! Its more likley to be something simple.
As the others have said, start with the basics,
-Make sure all the tyres are fully inflated.
-Make sure all the brakes are ok and not binding or sticking on, just jack the car up and turn them with your hand, they should turn fairly freely with little resitance.
-Change the air filter.
-Also (if its a petrol) look at the spark plugs, their condition and colour can tell you a lot (google or see haynes manual for full details). They might just be too old or the gaps may not be correct.
-Change the oil...old tired oil does not work properly and can reduce efficiency by a surprising amount.
It could be a combination of any one of these things, all are cheap and easy to fix at home.
I had a similar problem in my focus, turned out it just needed a new air filter and that one of the rear discs was slightly warped which meant that the brake was always slightly on.
Good luck!
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Manual 23 mpg - auto 18 mpg sounds about right to me.
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Yes I hadn't considered that, 18mpg isn't that bad considering the fact its a 2l auto....Still, a bit of a service should bring that up a bit.
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