Fuel Economy on a Volvo 740GLE (2.3L petrol)

With increased fuel prices, my Volvo is now costing me £20 in fuel for every 105 miles, rather than the 150 miles, it was doing this time last year.

Is there an effective way that I can cut fuel consumption making the car more economical to run without spending more than £100. I want more miles to the gallon and I don't mind sacrificing performance to achieve this.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help.

Mark.

Reply to
Mark Hobley
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Sounds like something has changed significantly if your driving habits have not. Check the tire pressure, clean out the flame trap, throttle body, vacuum nipples, check/replace the cap, rotor, plugs, HT leads, check the injector flow pattern, O2 sensor, make sure the brakes aren't dragging and wheel bearings are ok. Does it have an automatic or manual transmission? Does overdrive engage?

Reply to
James Sweet

After you check the above, try making the following changes:

  • Inflate the tires to 5psi below the maximum rated pressure as listed on the tires. The will probably mean about 38psi. If the car oversteers, try about 35psi.

  • Try to accelerate as gently as conditions allow. The speed you cruise at doesn't matter as much to fuel economy as how fast you get to it.

  • Coast as much as possible. If it's an automatic, engine braking will limit this, but you can still do things like anticipate a light changing a block ahead, and take your foot off the gas early. If it's standard shift, you can coast quite a ways in neutral, espcially going downgrade.

  • Don't carry any heavy items in the car that don't need to be there.

Reply to
mjc1

With both our old 240 and with the 740, I noticed seasonal variations that were predictable. There are probably many possible explanations. Without special effort to keep in tip-top shape, mileage would vary between 19 and

24 mpg with the best in the spring and fall. One reason may simply be that your fuel formulations have changed. .
Reply to
bills

Yeah Petrol has gone from 90p to 105p per litre. Thats from $6.71 per gallon to $7.83 per gallon, if my maths is correct.

Check the tire pressure, clean out the flame trap, throttle body,

Ok, thanks for that. I'll investigate that lot (if I know what I'm doing).

Manual

Yes it does.

Its a 1989 2.3L Petrol vehicle. I wonder how it compares to other Volvos of a similar size and age.

Mark.

Reply to
Mark Hobley

Hah hah - You mean like my ex-missis?

That's good advise. I'll remember that one. :)

Mark.

Reply to
Mark Hobley

From your post, I assumed that the miles per gallon of fuel had changed, if that hasn't and it's simply the cost of fuel you're referring to, then not all of my advice applies.

They're all about the same. Automatic transmission is a significant penalty to economy, turbo models are generally a bit less due to the lower compression motor, and the extra power if you use it. None of these cars were ever fantastic when it comes to fuel economy but they compare favorably to cars of similar size and comfort level of the era.

Reply to
James Sweet

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