gas consumption

Susan Morgan · 08-05-2009, 09:15 AM

Hi,
I have just joined. I'm not usually a joiner but I need to share my fuel consumption problem to see if I am alone with this.
In the city I consistently get between 280 to 300 kilometers per full tank. My smart car is 2008 and I have had it since April 2008. It had a myriad of problems with the gear shift and ignition last winter so it was back at the dealership 3 or 4 times, in addition to the tune up. Each time I have told them about the high gas consumption, and I have the records to show them. I'm usually met with a variation on" there there dear, it takes a while for the car to settle in".
Any thoughts ?

Susan

The Rigger · 08-05-2009, 09:33 AM

That is high. Normally it takes 500-700Kms for the engine to break in and the mileage will improve, but I should think you've got that many kilometers (and then some) under the wheels by now. You ought to be getting 450-480 Kms on a tank, even in city driving, even in downtown TO...

Is there another dealer or service center you can go to, for a second opinion?

SubSlr88 · 08-05-2009, 09:50 AM

You might want to include what other types of driving that you do to receive a more accurate answer. But I average around 280 MILES to a tank with about 85 - 90% town driving (too small to call it "City" driving). So it sounds like you do have a problem of sorts. Whether it's your driving habits and style or the car needs to be sorted out . . .
And break in mileage is around 5000km not 500-700 as stated above. I just turned over 3700mi after a year . . .

John_H · 08-05-2009, 10:13 AM

If you predominantly have short trips in the Smart, the engine efficiency doesn't have a chance to establish itself; the engine needs to be warmed up to be at its peak.

The kilometers per "tank" description doesn't do us much good because different people will fill up at different times. How many liters (or US gallons for those uf us metrically challenged) to you get in a typical fill? If you fill up the first time you notice only 2 bars of fuel remaining, you're fill could be significantly different than 33 liters.

And what fuel do you use? Octane rating? Ethanol percentage?

mvaldes · 08-05-2009, 10:22 AM

FWIW, my mileage improved for at least the first 5000km and has been around 580 km per full tank since then. Assuming your measuring and math are correct, I agree with Rigger that's something's amiss and you need another opinion.