13 replies to this topic

[OllyD]

Hi guys, I've hit my few snags with my new little car Eugene. At the moment, he is doing a shockingly low MPG. I only bought him a week or so ago, and I've already put in £40 worth of tenners. Bearing in mind I couldn't have driven him for more than a combined hour or so, that's pretty awful. I having been racing it about either.

I've done a few searches (though searching for fuel and petrol is a needle in haystack :'( ) and all i could find was a suggestion to give it a service. I'm going to replace the oil and flush the radiator tomorrow, but is this likely to make any difference? I can't afford to get it rolling roaded atm, but i also can't keep spending this kind of cash on petrol. Anyone have any suggestions to sort out this problem?

Anything else you need to know, I'll answer as best I can.
Thanks boys!

[v8mini]

i know how you feel, mine dont give too many MPG either, but mine is probably 3 times bigger .

might be worth putting some fuel additive in to clean injectors / jets, are you doing town driving or motorway miles ??

[bert998]

changing the oil and flushing the rad isnt going to change the fuel consumption in the slightest. Start off
by checking the timing and also take the plugs out to see what colour they are. Im guessing they're
gonna be blackish which means the mixture is too rich. The mixture will need adjusting, seems like
maybe you should get a garage to do it as they will have the experience to do it for you in a few minutes.

[Big_Adam]

My El Gordo seems to be drinking a fair bit. Can't figure it out. Plugs are the right colour, mix is...good. Had it leaned out after the MOT.

Just a mystery of the univerce.

[Jordie]

leaks?

Check the float chamber/carb and petrol pipes for leaks and splits in the engine bay. It would soon evaporate with the heat once hot, so you might not see any drips.

Check the fuel line under the car too.

Are any gaskets blowing? Manifold? Exhaust? this wont be helping if there is.

Other then that, its having a play with the carb (if the timing is correct)

[overboost]

I found for cold weather driving, having the water heated inlet manifold working helped a great deal...

Plumb this in, get car to operating temperature and check the mixture levels, probably your fueling too high or its the fact that you have more stuff turned on like heaters, lights etc.

[mk=john]

Also check valve/rocker clearances, typical setting for a mini is 0.012", or 0.3mm.

Too large a gap could mean the valves arent opening and closing when they should. Dont try to correct this by compensating with timing adjustments. Before timing adjustment always ensure the clearances are set correctly first.

But this shouldnt make a big a fuel difference as you are explaining, but it will make a slight difference i guess.

[Protarmic]

I had the same problem as you! I spent 60 quid to get 200 miles, when a van with all my stuff in it cost 35 quid.. I discovered last week that my choke return spring is missing, so if i put the choke on it didnt return and the choke was constantly on, and if i pulled the choke out it just stalled. Maybe you have the same problem.. maybe you dont, just letting you know!

[fikus01]

what engine do u have olly draper?? 1275?? 998?? is it injection??

[stellis]

what engine do u have olly draper?? 1275?? 998?? is it injection??

eloo, i knw how you feel about the petrol, i have a tuned 998, thats jus drinks teh petrol, i do rag the enigne to get the most out of it, which prob dnt help, but i jus thnk, you gotta, i had a major problems, b4 hand though, and i found that fitting a new carb did the trick, my fuel economy rose, and performance improved, jus a though to try it

[bajan]

I think you should get your carb changed or get the jets or neddles checked.i am currently running a 1000cc engine with extractor and a 1300 head,and the gas is killing me,i contacted the guy wo i got the car from and he told me that the su on the engine is a twin and he had a neddle in it to suit a 1300 engine which he had the carbs on,you have many options,adjusting the carb,checking timing,plugs or as i said checking the neddle or jets on the carb

[OllyD]

Thanks for all the replys guys. I'm running a MG metro 1275 engine, with (i think) a HIF44 carb. It's also had an LCB manifold and K+N filter fitted. I imagine the gent who owned it before me had it turned accordingly to accommodate these.One thing I have noticed is that theres a connector that looks like it should have a tube coming off of it, that doesn't. Could fuel be leaking out of here somehow?

Of the two little connectors, it's the left one, directly in the middle.

Also, the engine bay smells quite a lot of petrol, and when it's running the bay also starts to smell of exhaust fumes. Is that normal?

[taffy1967]

Well it sounds like the vacuum hose is missing and on my 1990 Mini Cooper (Mainstream) which has basically the same engine as yours including the HIF44 carb, there's a little black plastic hose that runs to the top of the dizzy.

I've also got an LCB and K&N cone filter too plus a slightly richer needle (BDP instead of the standard BFY), but to date i've not had it set up on a rolling road to get it all optimized and i've only ever got it crypton tuned by a mobile tuner who does a pretty good job.

Mind you if I drive it sensibly I've been able to get as much as 50mpg on a good run and you should be able to achieve similar results too!

[taffy1967]

Right i've just checked the engine on my Mini and the tube on the left has the fuel pipe feed from the petrol tank (I imagine?) connected to it.

Whilst the tube on the right has the breather hose attached and the black rubber hose runs off to a Y piece with one hose attached to the crankcase breather (on the left hand side of the engine, just above the clutch housing) and the other hose attached to a breather on the right hand side of the engine, close to the radiator.

So from what you say it looks like your carburettor isn't connected up properly and isn't venting to the engine breathers?

If thats true then it needs to be sorted soon and I've also got a thin black plastic hose running from the front of my HIF44 carb to the little unit on top of my distributor. Yes it's the vacuum hose.

Also, the engine bay smells quite a lot of petrol, and when it's running the bay also starts to smell of exhaust fumes. Is that normal?

No it's not and it's because your engine breathers aren't connected.

Edited by taffy1967, 04 January 2007 - 08:05 PM.