Terrible MPG in 128i

[the_limey]

Picked up 2010 128i AT a month ago. CPO car with 27K miles.

So far I've been averaging 16mpg (computer and manual calculation).

I'm mostly tooling around on a short commute (<5miles) in LA traffic with 100 miles of freeway last weekend (real time MPG on freeway at 75mph shows 22mpg).

This is worse-than-expected fuel economy.

I filled up yesterday and 14miles later the fuel gauge is down 1/8. This just doesn't seem right.

So, my question is: What common engine problems could cause inefficient mileage? My understanding is the CPO process would have meant the car had a through inspection just last month?

[631twentyeighteye]

Another member posted about this a while ago, go to the dealer and have them update the computer to a newer flash that greatly improves the fuel economy. you can ask for plugs/fuel system cleaning at the same time and see if they cover it.

[Zeros and ones]

I usually get 16 mpg when I am flogging the car. California drivers have extremely heavy foots. We like jack rabbit starts and we want to get to our destination as fast as possible.

I get 25mpg on the street and 28 on the highway in my 128i. My advice.. go easier on the gas. As soon as I did that, my mpg went skyward.

[Section147]

Originally Posted by Zeros and ones

California drivers have extremely heavy foots. We like jack rabbit starts and we want to get to our destination as fast as possible.

What about the 50% of the lunatics out there puttering along silently at or under the speed limit in their hybrids feeling good about
themselves for being "green"?

[Zeros and ones]

Originally Posted by Section147

What about the 50% of the lunatics out there puttering along silently at or under the speed limit in their hybrids feeling good about
themselves for being "green"?

hahaha... yes absolutely yes. They piss me off so much. I even see them on the freeways now doing 50.

[rking117]

Originally Posted by Zeros and ones

I usually get 16 mpg when I am flogging the car. California drivers have extremely heavy foots. We like jack rabbit starts and we want to get to our destination as fast as possible.

I get 25mpg on the street and 28 on the highway in my 128i. My advice.. go easier on the gas. As soon as I did that, my mpg went skyward.

I guarantee that your foot aint as heavy as mine and I get much better eco than that. We are avg around 26 - 28 but we arnt in stop and go traffic like in CA.

[the_limey]

I'll be asking the dealer to make sure the computer has the latest fuel mapping. As well as checking all sensors etc.

So far the dealer has been pretty useless* and won't budge if the key doesn't report an error code (I suppose that's the only way they can bill it back to BMW as warranty?)

*Taking 3 days to replace a broken USB socket (after 2 days telling me the Aux input isn't broken... well, duh, USB and Aux are different things), not replacing panelling in console after that fix, forgetting to put back on valve stem caps and suggesting that I ensure dial is 'pointing at blue' when I asked why AC wasn't as cold as on my other cars.

[Zeros and ones]

Originally Posted by rking117

I guarantee that your foot aint as heavy as mine and I get much better eco than that. We are avg around 26 - 28 but we arnt in stop and go traffic like in CA.

I don't understand why you need to have made this into a competition. I only stated to the OP what it might be from my own experiences and how people drive in cali and secondly we are getting the same gas mileage. I have even gotten upward of 33 MPG on long trips and that was with two other people in the car, luggage's in the trunk and AC at 50 percent. As I have said almost every person here in cali wants to freaking race from a dead start. This last fact alone will drop gas millage considerable. Lets talk about how people pass in Cali too. Gas peddle to the floor every single time. That impacts gas millage a lot too.

And also I ONLY get 16 MPG when I am flogging my car. That means I hit red line every single time in every single gear. Regardless if it is from a complete stop or I am already moving.

Originally Posted by the_limey

I'll be asking the dealer to make sure the computer has the latest fuel mapping. As well as checking all sensors etc.

So far the dealer has been pretty useless* and won't budge if the key doesn't report an error code (I suppose that's the only way they can bill it back to BMW as warranty?)

If the dealer does not budge at all and you are sure that it is not your driving style, take your car to GT International Motors and talk to John. I have been taking my cars to him for a good while and he is a super honest mechanic. he is a bit cheaper than the dealer, not by much though, but if there is anything wrong with the car, he will tell you and get you fixed up. He only installs OEM parts for the car and has an outstanding warranty; 2 years or 24,000 miles.

[the_limey]

Thanks for the GT reco!

I've been quite gentle on the gas... never getting much above 2.5K RPM.

That said, as you said it is stop/start LA traffic.

[zamboni]

Originally Posted by the_limey

Picked up 2010 128i AT a month ago. CPO car with 27K miles.

So far I've been averaging 16mpg (computer and manual calculation).

I'm mostly tooling around on a short commute (<5miles) in LA traffic with 100 miles of freeway last weekend (real time MPG on freeway at 75mph shows 22mpg).

This is worse-than-expected fuel economy.

I filled up yesterday and 14miles later the fuel gauge is down 1/8. This just doesn't seem right.

So, my question is: What common engine problems could cause inefficient mileage? My understanding is the CPO process would have meant the car had a through inspection just last month?

I had the same question why the fuel gauge drops so fast even with 20 miles after fuel up, was it accurate or that big of fluctuate on fuel gauge.