[vnabhi]

Here's a quick update on engine oil consumption by the Red Injun:

It's been 70 days since the 1 liter oil top up, and it has munched 1700 kms. I checked the oil level on a cold engine yesterday, and found it to be at the same level as it was soon after the top up. Therefore I guess there is no issue at all. In all likelihood, the oil was not fully topped up when the car was serviced in March 2018. I'll be more diligent in future when the car is returned after a service at FASS. I can see that i was charged for 4.1 liters of oil then.

Surprisingly, my daughter was charged for 3.9 liters of Engine Oil when she got her Figo tdci serviced at PPS Ford, Bangalore.

[hserus]

Approximately 4 litre oil capacity. And the oil filter will absorb about half a litre of oil when you pour. The pouring is done by eye rather than using a beaker or other precise measurement so .1 litre here and .1 litre there is normal and expected.

1700 km in 70 days suggests you did a highway trip - that will consume less oil than if you are exclusively driving in city traffic, especially Bangalore traffic.

Originally Posted by vnabhi

Here's a quick update on engine oil consumption by the Red Injun:

It's been 70 days since the 1 liter oil top up, and it has munched 1700 kms. I checked the oil level on a cold engine yesterday, and found it to be at the same level as it was soon after the top up. Therefore I guess there is no issue at all. In all likelihood, the oil was not fully topped up when the car was serviced in March 2018. I'll be more diligent in future when the car is returned after a service at FASS. I can see that i was charged for 4.1 liters of oil then.

Surprisingly, my daughter was charged for 3.9 liters of Engine Oil when she got her Figo tdci serviced at PPS Ford, Bangalore.

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by hserus

1700 km in 70 days suggests you did a highway trip - that will consume less oil than if you are exclusively driving in city traffic, especially Bangalore traffic.

No highway trip, but several trips to the airport, each of 70 kms. And also a trip to Chilkur temple, which is 60 kms both ways. I too was surprised that the car traversed so much in the city.

[hserus]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

No highway trip, but several trips to the airport, each of 70 kms. And also a trip to Chilkur temple, which is 60 kms both ways. I too was surprised that the car traversed so much in the city.

That's ok, 60-70 km of highway travel without too much clutch brake gearshift type activity is just fine for your car. It is the "crawl down MG Road at half clutch" type things that diesels hate even more than petrols do.

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by hserus

That's ok, 60-70 km of highway travel without too much clutch brake gearshift type activity is just fine for your car. It is the "crawl down MG Road at half clutch" type things that diesels hate even more than petrols do.

True, but this one is a petrol. As regards diesels, though they might hate crawling on MG Road, I find them easier to drive in such situations. I don't need to press the throttle at all, instead I only need my left foot pressing and releasing the clutch pedal to crawl on. I do have a Figo tdci to compare with.

[hserus]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

True, but this one is a petrol. As regards diesels, though they might hate crawling on MG Road, I find them easier to drive in such situations. I don't need to press the throttle at all, instead I only need my left foot pressing and releasing the clutch pedal to crawl on. I do have a Figo tdci to compare with.

Huge amounts of low end torque. I appreciate that in my Fiesta diesel. Useful sort of thing to have around. Though I don't do half clutch, just put it in first gear, crawl along and then once I stop put the gear in neutral. Clutch wear is a bit less that way.

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

For the first time in 11 years, the Red Injun gave me a slngle-digit FE, even though the driving route and conditions remained the same, with the only exception that the AC was used 100% owing to summer months. This apart, my son also used it for around 150 kms.

The FE was 9.9 on tanking up.

But even after that, the kms used plus the DTE were hovering around 425, which is far below the normal 470 to 480 reading i always used to get. Therefore, I tanked up again after 340 kms, and the FE improved to around 11. However, I checked the last service bill and discovered they had not changed the air filter. So off I went to Vibrant Ford on Friday, and got it changed for Rs 278. After that, the DTE plus kms used hovers around 450, which seems to be getting towards normal. I know DTE fluctuates, but I'll update this thread after the next refill.

Originally Posted by vnabhi

Here's an update on the FE. After plonking in a new air filter, I drove for 148 kms, which included two 66-km trips to the airport. The FE improved to 13.22.

After that, we had a high-speed 350-kms drive to Nagarjunasagar with other Team-bhpians. I tanked up a few days later when the odo was 456 kms. The FE was 13.72 kmpl.

However, as both the top ups involved a fair amount of highway driving, I'll post another one after doing my typical city stint. So far so good.

As nearly 6 months have passed from changing the air filter, here is an update on the F.E. :

1. July 8th: 13.22

1. July 12th: 13.71

1. Aug 1st : 12.41

1. Aug 28th: 11.71

1. Sep 11th : 12.42

1. Oct 8th: 11.04

1. Oct 28th : 11.58

1. Nov 7th : 12.99

1. Nov 18th : 12.75

1. Dec 6th: 12.30

So the FE did increase after the air filter was changed. Please note that the most recent figures are higher owing to a few airport trips on top gear, and also due to reduced usage of AC. I also drive to work during off hours: I leave at 245 pm and return around 11 pm, so that also has an effect.

Overall, very happy with the Duratec 1.6.

[krish3]

Wow. A 11 yr old car still giving great FE in Bangalore.

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by krish3

Wow. A 11 yr old car still giving great FE in Bangalore.

This is in Hyderabad, where traffic is less horrendous than Bangalore. When i was in Bangalore for a month with the car, the FE over a single refill was around 10.5 kmpl.

[rohitnp]

Great updates vnabhi. Great to hear your car is still going strong. It's been nearly a year since my last update. Due to the high fuel prices and the presence of a figo aspire tdci in the garage and my general preference for public transport these days my car has run only 5000 kms in the last year. No issues to report except a failed abs sensor. No update on mileage since I hardly take it out. Odo is currently at around 1,24,000. Still rock solid.

[fiestarry]

The 1.6 petrol is a real gem. My Fizz is doing very well too and is finding praise from even ardent critics. I am happy to see that your car is still doing well on the fuel economy front. Mine has seen a dip which could be caused by the air filter as mentioned in earlier posts. Ten years and doing well. Well built cars indeed.

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

Here's a quick update on engine oil consumption by the Red Injun:

It's been 70 days since the 1 liter oil top up, and it has munched 1700 kms. I checked the oil level on a cold engine yesterday, and found it to be at the same level as it was soon after the top up. Therefore I guess there is no issue at all. In all likelihood, the oil was not fully topped up when the car was serviced in March 2018. I'll be more diligent in future when the car is returned after a service at FASS. I can see that i was charged for 4.1 liters of oil then.
.

Here's another update. The car has traveled around 3600 kms from the oil top up on Sep 1st, and when I checked the engine oil level on a cold engine, there was not even a drop of one mm! So it does look like the oil was not topped up sufficiently when the car was serviced last March. I shall keep a watch soon after the annual service that is due this March.

On the FE front, the Fiesta still impresses me with figures like 14.3, 12.7 and 12.9 over the past 3 refills. And yes, there have been a few 66 km trips to the airport, and reduced use of AC owing to winter months: I use it only during my onward journey to work, and not on the return trip as that is around 11 pm.

The only issue I will need to focus on is the AC effect---it is now adequate, but I don't think it will be effective in summer. The people on the rear had complained last summer during peak afternoons, so i guess it might be the evaporator coil again. It was changed in the summer of 2015 for the first time, therefore the new one seems to be leaking a bit too soon. Or it could be some other AC part that is leaking. I'll visit the FNG over a weekend before summer and get that fixed.

I also anticipate clutch and suspension overhaul this year, as the stock clutch has lasted 76000 kms, and is beginning to show signs of wearing out.

[hserus]

Make sure you are running the aircon in closed air / recirculation mode. Make sure it is set to "automatic" if it is a climate control ac (both the left and right ac dial indicator lights will be lit).

Turn the rightmost dial (the one towards you) if you want to adjust the temperature, don't muck around with the left dial which is fan speed.

Then just turn the ac on or off using the AC button in the circular pattern of buttons between the two knobs.

That will let it run with optimum efficiency.

Also make 100% sure the cabin air filter has been changed, you need to strip the panel facing you (right side) under the gear knob, and the filter is behind that, so the dealership often won't bother at all.

Glad your oil issue seems to have been a non issue.

Originally Posted by vnabhi

Here's another update. The car has traveled around 3600 kms from the oil top up on Sep 1st, and when I checked the engine oil level on a cold engine, there was not even a drop of one mm! So it does look like the oil was not topped up sufficiently when the car was serviced last March. I shall keep a watch soon after the annual service that is due this March.

On the FE front, the Fiesta still impresses me with figures like 14.3, 12.7 and 12.9 over the past 3 refills. And yes, there have been a few 66 km trips to the airport, and reduced use of AC owing to winter months: I use it only during my onward journey to work, and not on the return trip as that is around 11 pm.

The only issue I will need to focus on is the AC effect---it is now adequate, but I don't think it will be effective in summer. The people on the rear had complained last summer during peak afternoons, so i guess it might be the evaporator coil again. It was changed in the summer of 2015 for the first time, therefore the new one seems to be leaking a bit too soon. Or it could be some other AC part that is leaking. I'll visit the FNG over a weekend before summer and get that fixed.

I also anticipate clutch and suspension overhaul this year, as the stock clutch has lasted 76000 kms, and is beginning to show signs of wearing out.

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by hserus

Make sure you are running the aircon in closed air / recirculation mode. Make sure it is set to "automatic" if it is a climate control ac (both the left and right ac dial indicator lights will be lit).


Glad your oil issue seems to have been a non issue.

Thanks ,but my Fiesta does not have a climate control, though it was the top end model in 2007. It looks like yours has it as it is the Global Fiesta.

I did get the AC filter changed last year, or in the one before that. Shall check it up again.

[hserus]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

Thanks ,but my Fiesta does not have a climate control, though it was the top end model in 2007. It looks like yours has it as it is the Global Fiesta.

I did get the AC filter changed last year, or in the one before that. Shall check it up again.

Change it at every 10k service interval or even every 5k km whether or not Ford asssures you it isnt needed.