scottishpaul Posted January 31, 2011 Report Share Posted January 31, 2011 I am running a MY01 Passat PD130. I use it daily and cover around 26,000 miles a year. The car itself has covered 155,000 miles. It is regularly serviced. As you would expect, i am taking quite a hit with the hike in fuel prices and wondered if there is anything i can do to squeeze a few more miles out of a tank. By my calculations i am averaging about 54mpg at the moment. I have looked online at remaps, performance filters, induction kits but it all gets too complicated with lots of differing opinions. Can anyone assist with some plain and simple advice? Thanks. Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m4ttm4son Posted January 31, 2011 Report Share Posted January 31, 2011 Changing your driving style can be the cheapest way to save a few quid on your fuel bill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottishpaul Posted January 31, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2011 After completing various driver courses and refeshers over the past 12 years, through my employer, i think i can safely say that i am already doing that. I know that the weather has an effect. Last summer i managed closer to 60mpg. Unfortunately i don't have a clue when it comes to the tuning of cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m4ttm4son Posted January 31, 2011 Report Share Posted January 31, 2011 Skinny/ "eco" tyres? A remap might get you a couple of mpg, but not sure how much that will cost vs savings. Though you should probably be happy with 54mpg. Not much does more than that except new tech. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottishpaul Posted January 31, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2011 That's what i wondered. Don't want to buy a newer vehicle to wipe out it's value in a couple of years. Plus, i know my vehicle, having owned it since near new and it has never done me wrong. With the remaps i am more concerned about what stress it might put the vehicle under. Particularly the clutch although i am not heavy on the right foot, i save that for our other car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m4ttm4son Posted January 31, 2011 Report Share Posted January 31, 2011 If you choose a reputable remapper, they should provide something that won't stress anything too much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIDYDUBS Posted February 1, 2011 Report Share Posted February 1, 2011 (edited) I would go for a gearbox oil change first and a regular quality oil,say Castrol and filter change.54MPG is not a bad for a 130PD trust me. Id keep all the filtration and pipe work standard just make sure there are no splits or leaks. I managed to squeeze just over 830 miles to my tank when i owned my 130PD Passat estate.I used good tyres of which you can inflate up to 0.2 bar more but on those i used to have 2.6 bar in the front and 2.4 bar in the rear. I used that Millers fuel additive too with some benefits. Leave the filter standard.....just renew it and fuel filter....you could go for a tuneup box you may benefit ive not tried one.....i think Shark performance will give some good sound advice. Edited February 1, 2011 by TIDYDUBS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiser647 Posted February 2, 2011 Report Share Posted February 2, 2011 Best not to change the tyres to skinny jobs, as that might invalidate your insurance. 54 mpg from the 130 Passat is damn good! I used to get 55 or so from my 115 Bora and that was mainly motorway speeds at 60 - 70. I too do that amount of miles, but have upped to a 2.5 V6 TDi A6 quattro, so I know get 45. Tidy - can changing the gearbox oil make that much difference? My car is due a service tomorrow, so is it worth getting it changed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peakperformance Posted February 2, 2011 Report Share Posted February 2, 2011 I would only use a plug-in tuning box as a last resort. You would be much better off with a good quality custom remap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIDYDUBS Posted February 2, 2011 Report Share Posted February 2, 2011 Best not to change the tyres to skinny jobs, as that might invalidate your insurance.54 mpg from the 130 Passat is damn good! I used to get 55 or so from my 115 Bora and that was mainly motorway speeds at 60 - 70. I too do that amount of miles, but have upped to a 2.5 V6 TDi A6 quattro, so I know get 45. Tidy - can changing the gearbox oil make that much difference? My car is due a service tomorrow, so is it worth getting it changed? Its all friction at the end of the day old oil an all that to put it basic like...........depends what you got manual or auto? even in a manual code pose some benefit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottishpaul Posted February 2, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2011 Thanks to everyone for the comments. I visited a local Revo installer to ask about the economy side of a remap. He was fairly non-commital, and in fact getting any info about the pros & cons of a remap was like pulling teeth. He did eventually quote a figure of a possible 4mpg improvement if i was sensible about my driving. You would think that people would be glad of the business So, as yet, i am still undecided, weighing up the cost against any gains i might make. If anyone has seen improvements after a remap i would be interested to know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tipex Posted February 2, 2011 Report Share Posted February 2, 2011 I've had quite a few remapped cars over the years, and not one of them has ever had increased mpg as a result. None of them have ever been any worse once mapped, but I've never seen a gain. I would only remap if you actually want the extra power, otherwise it doesn't make economic sense to pay for a map, and if you want the extra power, chances are you'll use it, and then you'll see a slight drop in mpg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottishpaul Posted February 2, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2011 Thanks. That's kind of what i wondered. I think my mind is made up and i wil leave it as it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIDYDUBS Posted February 2, 2011 Report Share Posted February 2, 2011 I've had quite a few remapped cars over the years, and not one of them has ever had increased mpg as a result.None of them have ever been any worse once mapped, but I've never seen a gain. I would only remap if you actually want the extra power, otherwise it doesn't make economic sense to pay for a map, and if you want the extra power, chances are you'll use it, and then you'll see a slight drop in mpg. Sensible quote........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stooH Posted February 15, 2011 Report Share Posted February 15, 2011 Where I get my car serviced in Portsmouth (JKM) they have a statement on their invoices saying if you drive a Turbo Diesel VAG car they can save you money on your fuel bills with some of their remaps. I have no idea if it's any kind of 'performance' remap or just one with the aim of reducing fuel consumption. Might be worth a call for an enquiry? I'm surprised Shark90 hasn't shown up, i'm sure he'd have some decent input. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garcon magnifique Posted February 15, 2011 Report Share Posted February 15, 2011 Where I get my car serviced in Portsmouth (JKM) they have a statement on their invoices saying if you drive a Turbo Diesel VAG car they can save you money on your fuel bills .... That's easy. "Sell it and buy a modern diesel." There, sorted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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