mjb wrote:

Well, your powering all four wheels for one, so its always going to be more inefficient than a comparable 2 wheel drive.

I've read that last point before on here, about negligible power to rear wheels. This is at odds with my understanding from various car sales staff at two dealerships, and more recently at my LRE session in Ashford. In all cases I was told that the power split fron & rear was 80 :20 on TR road setting, and 50 :50 for all other TR settings.  Life is not a dress rehearsal!

4eveRed wrote:

mjb wrote:

Well, your powering all four wheels for one, so its always going to be more inefficient than a comparable 2 wheel drive.

In regular mode (on models with terrain response), I understand the power to the rear-wheels is minimal (3%???) and only changes when the conditions dictate, so I'm unconvinced that this plays a significant part in the poor fuel economy.

4eveRed

[quote="Nick Jan"]Avtur,

I don' think the FL2 Auto has that feature as such. However, surely using command shift and selecting 5th or 6th will achieve much the same effect?
[quote]

Not so, the point being that whatever gear you are in a torque converter is never 100% efficient, it does not transmit all the input revs from the engine to the gearbox, so there is an inbuilt inefficiency. What the lock up device does is provide 100% transmission of engine revs to the gearbox. This feature usually works only on top gear, i.e. when cruising. A torqu converter is desinged to allow slipage between the engine and gearbox, thats what allows an auto to move off from a standstill. But that very feature is what puts the auto at a disadvantage in the efficiency stakes.

It seems the auto gearbox does have the lock-up function - and a clever one at that too!

Quote:

The Aisin Warner AWF21 six-speed automatic transmission features a fully integrated electronic Transmission Control Module. The module uses different gearchange maps, depending on whether the transmission is in full auto, sport or manual CommandShift mode, and when the vehicle is using one of the special Terrain Response programmes.

In sport mode, the auto transmission is programmed to hold low gears longer and to shift down more readily, to assist acceleration CommandShift allows manual sequential gearchanging When Terrain Response special programmes are engaged, different mappings are applicable, depending on the mode chosen. The Transmission Control Module also manages torque converter lock-up, which has different requirements depending on the selected Terrain Response mode.

Ok ... thx for explanation  Life is not a dress rehearsal!

Many thanks RW,

Thats what I was looking for!

I'll shout hello tomorrow evening as I pass Carlisle en-route to Prestwick, and again Tuesdays evening as I pass Carlisle en-route to Heathrow .... (in the FL2)

4eveRed I am shocked at your 21mpg Ok at Tong I got about 6 or 8mpg, but I was stuck behind avtur (sorry fella).

If you are getting such shocking mpg, dare I suggest you never slip the drive into neutral at the lights or junctions????? As not doing this will only burdon your engine, and add to your poor fuel. Driving mine hard in sport mode and doing town driving I get 25mpg, but I always knock it into neutral when I can whilst stationary. Just filled up to night, slowly slowly gentle throttle 20% town (0-25mph) stop start traffic lights; 30% rural (30mph-60mph plus junctions); 50% open road (60mph) .....returned 37.7mph.

Off to Dudly tomorrow from Bedford will report back

Last edited by carlfraz on 4th Dec 2007 9:12 pm. Edited 1 time in total

Carlfraz,

Thanks for the advice, but I do indeed knock it into neutral when I get the opportunity and I'm very light-footed on the accelerator...

Might have to visit the dealer and see what they suggest, if they will entertain the idea of it being a problem

4eveRed

I have a similar story. 21 mpg round town at the moment, mainly when my wife has been driving it in solid traffic - the auto seems to take a big hit. Generally I am very light on the throttle. Done 1600 miles.

Changed the oil to a Y-F recommendation last time back home (work abroad) and have now seen an improvement from 31 to 33+ overall. Auto FL2 now done 8k+, with most driving done between towns in W Yorks - up hill and down dale, with the odd expedition to France. Expect to see gradual improvement as rings bed in, but having said that, have noticed very good hill descent slowing, via C-shift, already. My FL1 took ages (maybe up to 20k) before this became really apparent.

Well the results you wanted or not........................drove to dudly using the command shift, getting into the higher gear asap.....journey from Sainsburys Bedford to Dudley..acheived 40.8mpg same journey home, less 3 miles on dual carrigeway using standard auto mode............achieved 38.2mpg

Avtur if you have achieved 37.7mpg over 20K plus miles..................you are a saint my friend cause I just could not do that....OK i am now in the auto which is a little heavier and in myokd old manual I got over 46mpg up to Newcastle..butto drive that steady..is a skill worthy of a saint and I DO NOT DOUBT YOU unlike some You can achieve these high figures if sensible...but sensible for most of us does not last...so Avtur I take my hat off to you you for your............perserverance plus you you have a cracking missis too how????

Carl, the secret to good mpg is 'Tantric Driving', its not inherently slow, but it is very controlled and focused on delivery of a final outcome !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Indeed I agree...but my simple mnd cannot focus for that long...the urge to press the peddle on the right overcomes fuel costs and the relief to see and hear 3, 4 even 5 thousand revs is a dream as you barrel along listening to Nickelback on amx volume with speakers aiding AC to push the air around the cabin

I've driven some great trips in the last couple of weeks.

Manchester - Perth - Inverness - Manchester - 820 miles - 41.1 mpg

Manchester - Aberdeen - Glasgow - Manchester - 770 miles - 38.5 mpg

Manchester - Prestwick - London - Manchester - 909 miles - 37.0 mpg

Covering distances like this it is very easy to collect mpg data; Believe me I DO NOT drive like Mother Terresa,