excessive fuel consumption... what else can i do?

92subbie · Post by **92subbie** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 2:40 pm

hey everyone,

I have been experiencing excessive fuel consumption for probably 12months now and im really at a loss as to what else it can be. It is a '92 model L series with a EA82 motor and a Nippondensor dissy. Heres a list of things i have done or had done:
1. Carby had leaks around the throttle body shaft, had carby fully rebuilt by a carby professional.
2. replaced fuel filter
3. replaced dissy cap and rotor button
4. replaced spark plugs and leads
5. checked timing on several occasions and is at around 8-9 degrees BTDC
6. compression test and all cylinders around the 150psi mark
7. have adjusted idle speed and idle mixture (mixture done by ear)
8. checked vacuum advance unit and functions correctly (not sure how to tell if its operating when the car is running though?)
9. i checked the dwell angle however i dont know what this is supposed to be at seeing as it has a Nippondensor dissy that is a breakerless dissy.
EDIT: 10. replaced air filter :EDIT

What else can it be... i am getting 11-12L/100km which i think is terrible considering when i first got the car it would get 9-10L/100km. Its not like im doing stop start city driving, this is country km's with trips ranging between 15-30mins.

Can anyone offer any further information?

Thanks heaps in advance

Leigh

Wilbur · Post by **Wilbur** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 3:06 pm

Air filter clean ?
Any extra accessories added ?

92subbie · Post by **92subbie** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 3:06 pm

i should also add that its not like the car runs rough, (although occasionally when putting the foot down it does take a few seconds to respond). it runs and drives fine. Also i have found a lose rubber pipe that i have no idea where it goes. i believe it is coming off the fast idle mechanism? heres a couple of pics:

Also i found a pipe coming out of the air cleaner assy that appeared to go nowhere...

Should these pipes be going somewhere?

theclick · Post by **theclick** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 3:43 pm

the "This pipe goes nowhere" one in the third piccie is exactly that same as in my enduro

92subbie · Post by **92subbie** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 3:57 pm

ok thanks for that. i didnt think this one went anywhere but just thought id ask. i reckon the other one is supposed to go somewhere though...

theclick · Post by **theclick** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 4:01 pm

I can't find the component you are talking about.

Also, I was wrong, its the furtherest away of the 3 large pipes in my engine (see photo 3) that goes nowhere.

92subbie · Post by **92subbie** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 4:34 pm

the one you are talking about on my car goes into the rocker cover?

daveosubi · Post by **daveosubi** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 5:10 pm

Could it be tyre pressures, wheel alignment or bearings?

Maybe a hole in the exhaust or blocked cat, I dunno just trying to make things more complicated and give you more to look at

Ben · Post by **Ben** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 6:45 pm

A little less right foot?

BRUMBI · Post by **BRUMBI** » Fri Aug 31, 2007 9:03 pm

whats ya air fillter like and check if ya auto choke is accutly turning off it happend to me in my MY wagon

92subbie · Post by **92subbie** » Sun Sep 02, 2007 9:46 am

daveosubi wrote:Could it be tyre pressures, wheel alignment or bearings?

Maybe a hole in the exhaust or blocked cat, I dunno just trying to make things more complicated and give you more to look at

Tyre pressures are kept at around 36psi and are checked regularly. Havent checked wheel alignment or bearings, not too sure how to check wheel alignment. Havent checked exhaust thoroughly but doesnt appear to have holes in it. how would you check for a blocked cat?

92subbie · Post by **92subbie** » Sun Sep 02, 2007 9:48 am

Ben wrote:A little less right foot?

How can you not use right foot? L-series are a gutless wonder... im not saying i drive it hard, i dont, but if you have to get to speed quickly i will do so... well as quick as she goes anyway!

92subbie · Post by **92subbie** » Sun Sep 02, 2007 9:49 am

BRUMBI wrote:whats ya air fillter like and check if ya auto choke is accutly turning off it happend to me in my MY wagon

Air filter is less then 12 months old and is still fine. Auto choke has been checked numerous times to see if it turns off and it is working fine. a quick 2 minute drive around the block turns it off.

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Sun Sep 02, 2007 10:32 am

the ability of your distance measurer to still measure accurately?

sounds like you are using an ethanol blend fuel !!

92subbie · Post by **92subbie** » Sun Sep 02, 2007 8:20 pm

hey jono

i drive it to the same point on the fuel gauge everytime i fill up. i always fill it with just regular unleaded never touched an ethanol blend.

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Sun Sep 02, 2007 11:52 pm

wonder if you are being sold ethanol unknowingly. Many complaints been heard from people who try to do the right thing and use ethanol blends and get increase in fuel consumption, more so than justify the 'saving' in cents, not earth

tassyraider · Post by **tassyraider** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 12:43 pm

hi give it a compression test the motor my be a bit old
is the timing belts in proper alignment may of jumped a tooth
cheerz mick

daveosubi · Post by **daveosubi** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 1:04 pm

92subbie wrote:Tyre pressures are kept at around 36psi and are checked regularly. Havent checked wheel alignment or bearings, not too sure how to check wheel alignment. Havent checked exhaust thoroughly but doesnt appear to have holes in it. how would you check for a blocked cat?

I know one way of checking the cat is to see it it rattles, usually when first started. And a some what of a bodgee way to check the exhaust for leaks is to stick foot ever the end while running and listen for any noise of it escaping.

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 5:47 pm

daveosubi wrote:And a some what of a bodgee way to check the exhaust for leaks is to stick foot ever the end while running and listen for any noise of it escaping.

I did this "bodgee" way of finding an exhaust leak when i didn't get a road worthy for it first time round... dad and i couldn't find it until we stuck a gloved hand over the exhaust and held it there it the car stalled, after that we could hear the hissing and one of us under the car located where it was - along the top of the exhaust on the seam near the bend. I don't know how this guy heard it but he did and couldn't tell us where it was, just that it had a leak...

I also don't understand how an exhaust leak could dramatically change economy like that unless you don't have an exhaust...

The air cleaner assy pipe that goes no where isn't anything to worry about, my sister's car is the same and so was mine before i got rid of that engine. My thinking is that you have a vacuum leak that is not enough of a problem to make the car run rough at idle... does your car run hot at all?

I like jono's idea of fuel, but not that its a problem with ethanol, could just be dodgy fuel. I don't understand how adjusting the mixture by ear works... maybe this is the problem or your float level is too high...

I'm guessing now...

Bennie

92subbie · Post by **92subbie** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 8:29 pm

tassyraider wrote:hi give it a compression test the motor my be a bit old
is the timing belts in proper alignment may of jumped a tooth
cheerz mick

hey mick,

compression test has been done twice in the last 12months and both times all cylinders have come up consistent around the 150psi mark. engine is not old has it and the car has only done 130,000k's.

Also how could the timing belt affect this if i have set the timing correct using a timing light?