E46 320i Fuel consumption

[Putrid4444]

Hey guys

Was wondering would fitting a K&N flat filter do any good for fuel consumption?
Its currently at 11l /100km, and im spending a small fortune just to keep her going with petrol.
I would throw in R200 or R300 there and in a day or two its pretty much gone ( and i dont drive the crap out it by the way )
If i fill the car up, which is like over R700 i dont even reach 500km.
The computer which tells me how far I have to go, just dives down radically.
Another thing is say now i had about 150km to go ( says the computer ) and I would stop at work, and then when I leave it would say 99km to go, its very frustrating.
So what i am asking is what would be a solution to better fuel economy?

Only thing I have done to the car is taken the back box off and put straight twin pipes. Maybe that is the reason, but would like some clarity if a K&N filter would work or if it would a waste of money, or if I should put another back box on ( which I would be very sad to do as I love the sound it gives now, lovely crackles and deep grunt )

:/

 

[Prev]

The e46 320 is not the most fuel efficient car but I manage to average 500 km's on a tank with mostly town driving. The trip computer accuracy is suspect at most times though :thumbs:

 

[cOlDFuSiOn]

This consumption seems to be in the ball park to me, also as PrevanP has states the onboard is dodgy work out the consumption yourself to know what the needle level really means about far you can still go.

I remember in the e90 320i's I had that I also got around 450km on a full tank in town. Was filling up twice a week in them. :fencelook:

Check the fuel saving thread that's currently going for some other advice: http://www.bmwfanatics.co.za/showthread.php?tid=48317

 

[Speedy]

As far as I know the trip computer works on your current journeys average, so if you were driving to work and averaged 10l per 100km it for example tells you you have 100km range left, but when you start the car if its been long enough and the average consumption has reset it will work on exactly what youre averaging at that point, maybe 11l per 100km then the range will instantly drop to 90km before you have even set off.

I personally think any fuel saving from a filter will be small and probably not worth the expense,

 

[Philip Foglar]

My Wife has the same car, and completely stock. The average consumption with mostly town driving (around Durbanville) is about 11 l/100 km also, so I don't think there is anything wrong with your car as such. But on the open road she is able to get as low as less than 8 l/100 km. Of course as soon as you return to town driving it climbs again. Now can't really compare it to my 330i, but for argument sake, it is sometimes a case of mine being heavier on fuel, and some cases the other way around. It really depends on how the cars are being driven and where, but in both cases, there is a big difference between open road and town driving when it comes to fuel usage.

We always reset the average fuel consumption meters in our cars so that it is relevant to the current tank of fuel etc. But the range to empty, as mentioned, is based on what sort of fuel is being used currently and since the engine was started up. So driving on the open road and stopping it will show a large distance remaining, start the car up from cold and sit in traffic for a few minutes, and it will show a much lower range. This will increase again once you are on the move again.

 

[Putrid4444]

Thanks for the response guys.

I noticed that even if i am slightly pressing down on the accelerator the needle spikes to 20l/100km and only once im in 5th cruising ( hardly pressing down ) it will be below or on 10l/100km.
I also stay in durbanville and work in bellville, but im always up and down, and when there is a bit of traffic like bumper to bumper and i would be riding in first gear to cruise along and I put the clutch in the needle would spike up and my revs would sometimes go to about 1500 and drop down and sometimes cut out its very strange. :/

So basically replacing the filter with a K&N and putting a back box on wouldnt really help ?

 

[Kyle]

Check your fuel filter, my 320i dropped from 14l/100 to 11.4/100 after replacing the filter., it was an auto though.

I also gave my AFM a good clean with some carb cleaner and replaced the spark plugs, try it out :thumbs:

 

[marnusn]

Has the fuel filter ever been changed on these cars??

I have a 2004 320i and on a full tank i get +- 650 KM on a tank and that is all town driving.
when i hit the Highway i get around 850 -950 to the tank.

Has the Catalitic converters been removed yet??
I have removed the 2 rears ones on my car at about 150k

I noticed a nice power increase and better consumption.

Just a Thought

 

[Putrid4444]

Has the fuel filter ever been changed on these cars??

I have a 2004 320i and on a full tank i get +- 650 KM on a tank and that is all town driving.
when i hit the Highway i get around 850 -950 to the tank.

Has the Catalitic converters been removed yet??
I have removed the 2 rears ones on my car at about 150k

I noticed a nice power increase and better consumption.

Just a Thought

Wow, thats quite alot hey, is it a Auto or manual?

No havn't done a decat, but the back box is out, With Dual pipes running from the middle.

The people at Masterparts say that a K&N will improve fuel economy a little bit, but I dont want to take their word for it before spending R550 for nothing.

Ye there was a little power increase, but I try not to rev the s**t out the car as it chows fuel, only sometimes do i get to high revs when im feeling gatvol of the traffic lol , it has a nice sound to it, sounds like that tin canny sound of a M3 just abit deeper. Love the crackles and backfire when it drones after you take your foot off lol

 

[marnusn]

Its a manual

I still have all original boxes, only removed the CAts only 2, there are 2 more just below the exhaust manifold

O and sometimes I drive it like I stole it :roflol:

 

[bmw328]

Its a manual

I still have all original boxes, only removed the CAts only 2, there are 2 more just below the exhaust manifold

O and sometimes I drive it like I stole it :roflol:

I really must agree with you!!!
The manual 320i I wraped around the trees were alot more economical than my 318I Auto.
According to the manual the figures should be:
Town - 12.5 l/100km
Country - 6.8 l/100km
Total - 8.9 l/100km

 

[GoCart]

A replacement air filter will not improve your fuel consumption, maybe if you pair that with a de-cat and some tuning can you expect a change. As you know, it has much to do with the way you drive. Try another type of fuel; fill up at a different garage…

 

[marnusn]

A replacement air filter will not improve your fuel consumption, maybe if you pair that with a de-cat and some tuning can you expect a change. As you know, it has much to do with the way you drive. Try another type of fuel; fill up at a different garage…

I mostly fill-up with engen, other than that I feels like a nice power burst when I do use BP

cheers

 

[lucian]

320i E46 2000.
Driving mostly from Durbanville to Bellville and back
Just around 10l/100km says the computer, and close to 600 on full tank.
If drive very modestly then under 10l.
On the open road 7.6 within speed limit or just over 8 if I'm in a hurry
Just had rear cats removed.

I noticed that the fuel consumption changes very quickly if I change my driving style.
Picking the right routes also helps a lot. It's the stop and go that's chowing most of the fuel.

PS: uses Caltex (get rewards from bank)

 

[Spiro]

My 320i 2004 model is super light as well...

Service regularly, Plugs where just changed, car is doing 190000+... does about 40Km's a day, and a tank of juice is stretched to about 2 working weeks, depends if the car is used on the weekend...


trip to durbs, 3/4 tank gets me 611km's to home in durbs, 1/4 left for messing around

return trip 1 tank, uphill is a biatch.... but car moves like new... whole car fully stock, no mods at all... except sound...

 

[Putrid4444]

320i E46 2000.
Driving mostly from Durbanville to Bellville and back
Just around 10l/100km says the computer, and close to 600 on full tank.
If drive very modestly then under 10l.
On the open road 7.6 within speed limit or just over 8 if I'm in a hurry
Just had rear cats removed.

I noticed that the fuel consumption changes very quickly if I change my driving style.
Picking the right routes also helps a lot. It's the stop and go that's chowing most of the fuel.

PS: uses Caltex (get rewards from bank)

Wow, now thats pretty much what I do, but it stays at 10.9-11L/100km. 0_o
Where did you go to remove your Cats , Powerflow?
If im not mistaken its about R700 ?

Ye the stop and go rapes my car, it cant handle it at all.

---

My 320i 2004 model is super light as well...

Service regularly, Plugs where just changed, car is doing 190000+... does about 40Km's a day, and a tank of juice is stretched to about 2 working weeks, depends if the car is used on the weekend...


trip to durbs, 3/4 tank gets me 611km's to home in durbs, 1/4 left for messing around

return trip 1 tank, uphill is a biatch.... but car moves like new... whole car fully stock, no mods at all... except sound...

Thats decent, mine is Almost at 190 000 also just had major service when i bought it in november, cost me quite a bit, all the piping and hoses cause the car would randomly cut out, which it still sometimes does in stop start traffic, if I must move forward in first gear then suddenly stop, then put the clutch in then the revs would jump then drop and cut out :/ , I had to replace the power steering pump the other day cause when I turned the wheels it would make this horrible shuddering sound and I couldnt turn that well, The alternator was also replaced. That was actually quite scary because I was driving along the N1 in peak traffic then took the durban road turn off but as soon as i got to the N1 I see the engine lights, Air bag and a few other lights turn on so I was like ok wtf, then when I took the turn off my dials actually froze and my breaks started to malfunction luckily I stopped off in edward street to see what was going on, switched the car off and tried to start again, Nothing! it was just all of a sudden, I just imagine now what if i was still going on N1 and that happened, bam accident :/

Anyway. F**k Petrol costs. lol

 

[lucian]

320i E46 2000.
Driving mostly from Durbanville to Bellville and back
Just around 10l/100km says the computer, and close to 600 on full tank.
If drive very modestly then under 10l.
On the open road 7.6 within speed limit or just over 8 if I'm in a hurry
Just had rear cats removed.

I noticed that the fuel consumption changes very quickly if I change my driving style.
Picking the right routes also helps a lot. It's the stop and go that's chowing most of the fuel.

PS: uses Caltex (get rewards from bank)

Wow, now thats pretty much what I do, but it stays at 10.9-11L/100km. 0_o
Where did you go to remove your Cats , Powerflow?
If im not mistaken its about R700 ?

Ye the stop and go rapes my car, it cant handle it at all.

---

My 320i 2004 model is super light as well...

Service regularly, Plugs where just changed, car is doing 190000+... does about 40Km's a day, and a tank of juice is stretched to about 2 working weeks, depends if the car is used on the weekend...


trip to durbs, 3/4 tank gets me 611km's to home in durbs, 1/4 left for messing around

return trip 1 tank, uphill is a biatch.... but car moves like new... whole car fully stock, no mods at all... except sound...

Thats decent, mine is Almost at 190 000 also just had major service when i bought it in november, cost me quite a bit, all the piping and hoses cause the car would randomly cut out, which it still sometimes does in stop start traffic, if I must move forward in first gear then suddenly stop, then put the clutch in then the revs would jump then drop and cut out :/ , I had to replace the power steering pump the other day cause when I turned the wheels it would make this horrible shuddering sound and I couldnt turn that well, The alternator was also replaced. That was actually quite scary because I was driving along the N1 in peak traffic then took the durban road turn off but as soon as i got to the N1 I see the engine lights, Air bag and a few other lights turn on so I was like ok wtf, then when I took the turn off my dials actually froze and my breaks started to malfunction luckily I stopped off in edward street to see what was going on, switched the car off and tried to start again, Nothing! it was just all of a sudden, I just imagine now what if i was still going on N1 and that happened, bam accident :/

Anyway. F**k Petrol costs. lol

---

Cats removed at Powerflow in Parow. Don't think the cats had to much to do with my fuel consumption cos it did not change a lot.
In hindsight, I will leave cats, if they're still ok. The smell and noise is just not for me, esp when I start the car in my garage in the mornings.

260K+ on the odo. Had power steering pump replaced some time ago.
That alternator story is scary. Sounds like it overcharged.