[swift_guy]

Maruti Swift Zxi (Pre-facelift 2014)

Odometer (Start) - 10631 km
Odometer (End) - 11282 km
Fuel filled - 38.74 L
Distance travelled - 651 km
Average FE - 16.8 km/L
Average FE on MID - 20.8 km/L (for entire 11k kms)
Usage - Driven in mild Delhi traffic with a very light foot, under 60 km/h, without AC

I wasn't getting good figures from the start. FE improved by 2-3 km/L after 4k kms on odometer, after which it has settled to 14-15 kmpl. This time I went to efficiency mode and moved to top gear from 40 km/h onwards. Despite reports that it harms the engine, it works!

Should I continue driving like this, in very low 1.5-1.7k RPM range most of the time?

[itsashishsharma]

Originally Posted by swift_guy

This time I went to efficiency mode and moved to top gear from 40 km/h onwards. Despite reports that it harms the engine, it works!

Should I continue driving like this, in very low 1.5-1.7k RPM range most of the time?

Question is, do you need this kind of economy? Clearly, your running is not high, so saving on fuel by moving to 5th gear at 40kmph won't be advisable. It's simply not required, and ruins the driving pleasure too.

[Turbohead]

Originally Posted by swift_guy

This time I went to efficiency mode and moved to top gear from 40 km/h onwards. Despite reports that it harms the engine, it works!

Should I continue driving like this, in very low 1.5-1.7k RPM range most of the time?

First things first! Are you sure you're lugging the engine? Lugging the engine is caused by the untimely detonation of the fuel in the cylinder. That causes a lot of vibrations/ knocking.
If you feel it's just a bit if hesitation, then that's not lugging. The engine may not be producing adequate torque to pull the car at that particular RPM, more so in petrol car. Driving at 1000-1300 RPM may not be lugging the engine at all. Your lugging the engine when you're driving below the idle RPM( that sentence is purely my view. Could be totally wrong. People still are not sure about lugging and its effects.)( mods remove this if necessary)
Speaking of driving at very low RPMs , it's not so advisable. Driving at the adequate gear is important. It gives the necessary amount of power to take an emergency manoeuvre, gives more power along with better engine braking. It's safer too.
If you want more mileage, clean/change the air filters at regular intervals. Check the air pressure regularly. Remove unnecessary weight. And don't forget to service the car at the right time. Let's not forget about defensive driving along with a lot of anticipation. Hope it helps.

[Kushal_Gupta]

Well My Chevrolet Spark Gives
city 13kmpl with A/C 15kmpl without A/C
Highway 16 kmpl with A/C 17 without A/C
There is one time it gave me 21kmpl when i was cruising at 80-90 KM/hr on the GT Road. This is the highest.

[printh]

Originally Posted by Turbohead

Speaking of driving at very low RPMs , it's not so advisable. Driving at the adequate gear is important. It gives the necessary amount of power to take an emergency manoeuvre, gives more power along with better engine braking. It's safer too.
If you want more mileage, clean/change the air filters at regular intervals. Check the air pressure regularly. Remove unnecessary weight. And don't forget to service the car at the right time. Let's not forget about defensive driving along with a lot of anticipation.

Spot on!!!
I have personally tried about the validity of the first point in my usual route - a mixture of NH,SH and district roads + town traffic at around same timings & day of the week (to roughly eliminate traffic bias).

Case 1: drive very sedately with minimal braking at around 90 kmph in NH,70 kmph & 55 kmph in SH & district roads. (Engine around 1200 -1400 RPM in the above roads With very early up shifts ,just short of lugging.
FE: 22.5 kmpl

Case 2: similiar speeds and braking style but up shifts at turbo spool up zone =1800-2000 RPM. However,the raise in engine speeds was gentle and gradual in lag zone and slight push once turbo spools. No stomping pedal to metal starting in the lag zone itself.
FE: 22.1 kmpl.
Considering the error due to bias and variables,the difference would be within 0.5 kmpl which is very insignificant for a person like you with low annual mileage.
(Assumption considering your petrol vehicle)

So,theory aside(of which I have not much idea about) ,practically I have experienced that up shifting at proper RPM gives you good pick -up,smoother ride,great FE and finally good for engine and gearbox components too. My case was a Diesel engine. So,in your case up shift can be in the range of 2500-3000 RPM I guess.

[swift_guy]

Guys my actual running is ~1300 km monthly, I started driving the Swift from mid 2015 and it had clocked 4k km then.

Originally Posted by itsashishsharma

Question is, do you need this kind of economy? Clearly, your running is not high, so saving on fuel by moving to 5th gear at 40kmph won't be advisable. It's simply not required, and ruins the driving pleasure too.

Well, why not?
Who doesn't want a lesser fuel bill?

Originally Posted by Turbohead

First things first! Are you sure you're lugging the engine? Lugging the engine is caused by the untimely detonation of the fuel in the cylinder. That causes a lot of vibrations/ knocking... ... pressure regularly. Remove unnecessary weight. And don't forget to service the car at the right time. Let's not forget about defensive driving along with a lot of anticipation. Hope it helps.

Originally Posted by printh

Spot on!!!
I have personally tried about the validity of the first point in my usual route - a mixture of NH,SH and district roads + town traffic at around same timings & day of the week (to roughly eliminate traffic bias)... ... for engine and gearbox components too. My case was a Diesel engine. So,in your case up shift can be in the range of 2500-3000 RPM I guess.

Really good posts. I am not exactly lugging the engine. Shifting to 5th gear at 40 km/h is not as bad as it sounds; there are no vibrations (or knocking, which would happen at something like 15 km/h in 3rd cog) and it is like being just a shade away from lugging. In my case, the difference was close to 1.5 kmpl (earlier 15 and now 16.5+) and I did not actually feel that the engine or gearbox was taking a hit. It just felt very relaxed and soothing for the engine, while lugging is when the engine behaves like drowning person!

Anyway, I had tweaked my driving style and upshift points considerably for that mileage test. I maintain a light foot mostly but upshift at 2.2k RPM normally. And I think I should stick to my earlier habit to prevent any engine or gearbox damage.

[itsashishsharma]

Originally Posted by swift_guy

Well, why not?
Who doesn't want a lesser fuel bill?

You got a 10L ₹ car and you want to save 300-400 bucks per month by keeping to lower RPMs? Come on, enjoy driving and keep it in the right gears. This is just an obsession with FE numbers, just forget it please.

[sivadeep]

Fiat Punto MJD75 Emotion
Total Distance: 22000 km
Highway/City: 10/90 %
Average highway speed: 80 kmph
Average city speed: 30 kmph
AC : 50% of the time
Average FE: 19.2 kmpl

[dchahal]

Chevrolet Beat LS TCDI
ODO: 16700 kms
Highway/City: 50/50%
Max Speed on Highways: 90-100kmph
Max Speed in city: 40-60kmph
AC: Summers 100% I Winters 1%
Average FE: Summers 16-18 kmpl I Winters 20-21 kmpl
Method: Tankful to Tankful
Tyres: 175/65 R14 Michelin Energy XM2
Tyres Pressure: 32-34 PSI
Driving Style: Sedate

[TheStranger]

TATA Manza Quadrajet 1.3 Diesel

ODO ~ 21000 kms
Highway / City - 20% / 80%
Relatively low traffic density on the city roads I drive, not the core/inner city roads.
Measurement Method - tankful to tankful (for the last 1&1/2 years)
Fuel from BP COCO pump only.
Bridgestone OEM tyres.
City average FE - 18 - 18.5 kmpl
Highway Average - 21 - 22 kmpl
Driving style - Sedate

[vikred]

Originally Posted by swift_guy

Maruti Swift Zxi (Pre-facelift 2014)
Average FE - 16.8 km/L
Average FE on MID - 20.8 km/L (for entire 11k kms)

I drive [almost] the same car. MID figures, as reported by you and as tested by me, are actually ~4kpl for than tankful figures.

Originally Posted by swift_guy

Usage - Driven in mild Delhi traffic with a very light foot, under 60 km/h, without AC

I wasn't getting good figures from the start. FE improved by 2-3 km/L after 4k kms on odometer, after which it has settled to 14-15 kmpl. This time I went to efficiency mode and moved to top gear from 40 km/h onwards. Despite reports that it harms the engine, it works!

Should I continue driving like this, in very low 1.5-1.7k RPM range most of the time?

For this engine, upshifting at 2,000 rpm is NOT lugging. More so after taking your parameters like "zero AC", "driving alone" (assumption) and "city driving" into consideration.

From my personal experience, 1.5k rpm is not lugging in the given scenario. But when the load increases (more passengers, AC on, driving on inclines, temperatures rise), it will become lugging.

[swift_guy]

Originally Posted by vikred

For this engine, upshifting at 2,000 rpm is NOT lugging.

That was reassuring.

More so after taking your parameters like "zero AC", "driving alone" (assumption) and "city driving" into consideration.

Yes I was driving alone.

From my personal experience, 1.5k rpm is not lugging in the given scenario. But when the load increases (more passengers, AC on, driving on inclines, temperatures rise), it will become lugging.

At 1.5k RPM, the engine feels relaxed but at 1-1.2k RPM ranges, the vibrations and shuddering start entering to the cabin and I guess that is when it would be called lugging. Next time I will note the RPM at which I moved to 5th cog (for that mileage test) as I don't think that the revs would have been less than 1.3k RPM. I have moved to normal style now, upshift at 1.8-2.2k RPM in all gears, except the 2nd cog which I take till 2.5-2.8k RPM to enjoy the power surge.

[Aakarsh]

My Alto lxi has clocked 1,15,000 kms till date.
It's a 2008 dec model. Last tankful, it gave an average of 22.85 kmpl.
10% AC
25% city
75% highway

I am worried that why the average is so high.
Is it a matter to be worried about or am I being paranoid?

Is it harmful to the engine ?
Any inputs ?

Regards
Aakarsh

[Dream Catch]

Car: Maruti Ciaz VXi+
Date of Purchase: 20th December 2015
First Free Service done around 850 KMs
Note: During the first 1000 KMs (run in) driven by keeping the revs below 2K, still driving with revs close to 2K.
Usage: 100% City (Mostly driven on Delhi's ring road)
Mostly Chauffeur Driven
FE: Please see the attachment

[vinit.merchant]

Originally Posted by Aakarsh

My Alto lxi has clocked 1,15,000 kms till date.
It's a 2008 dec model. Last tankful, it gave an average of 22.85 kmpl.
10% AC
25% city
75% highway

I am worried that why the average is so high.
Is it a matter to be worried about or am I being paranoid?

Is it harmful to the engine ?
Any inputs ?

You already have run it for 1.15L kms, what do you have to worry? Unless it is the first time you are getting such FE?

Nevertheless, High or low FE usually has no impact on the Engine life. Driving style is.
If you are lugging the engine, it will impact the engine life. But I do not think so, because contrary to the popular belief of high gear and very low speeds gives good FE, if you are not in the right gear, you get much lower FE.

You are doing well.