Low gas mileage on '99 328i? - United Bimmer Community

**xTheJokerx** · 02-23-2007, 07:49 PM

Is it normal to get 15-18 mpg on a '99 328i sedan driving local on LA street? When I floor it a few times, it drops down to 13 mpg... What the hell

ghead:

witeshark · 02-23-2007, 08:37 PM

I guess it could be in city traffic

**doughboyea** · 02-24-2007, 05:44 PM

The SPECIFIC 328i E46 from 1999 has a max HWY only gas consumption of a little over 30mpg. That is assuming of course, no hills and you never hit traffic.

In the city, you can expect that amount to drop drastically as 328i will guzzle down fuel if you are lead footed. On my daily 30mi commutes to work, I average 26mpg mainly highway with traffic.

SOOO, to answer your question, no, 15-18 is not normal for normal driving, but, if you are flooring it, then, yea, of course it's going to be in that range.

To overcome this, learn your car's optimal operating range. Learn the position of the gas pedal that will give you what your looking for. Use the gauge on the cluster to determine what optimal is. It will take some time getting used to, but if you really are concerned with mpg, then that's what you'll need to do. Also check your air filter, tire pressure and oil. Small things added together could reduce your mpg.

Hope this enlightens you, though, don't forget, you are driving in LA, which, when I was there, had the most traffic I've ever experienced. So being as such, stop and go traffic will also kill your mpg.

Dough

**xTheJokerx** · 03-03-2007, 11:06 PM

I will try not to floor it and see the MPG. When I floor it and stuff, I get about 12-13 MPG...

O btw is it better to fill my gas tank to about half way so the car wont be too heavy, therefore more MPG?

**Kistoni** · 03-03-2007, 11:46 PM

Other way round, as the fuel pump is cooled by the petrol, so don't let it go bellow 1/2 tank. Sounds crazy, but true...

nick_318is · 03-04-2007, 12:48 AM

Drifting your car will decrease your MPG

I imagine LA traffic with a lot of stop and go will also decrease it.

**Dudesky** · 03-04-2007, 06:01 AM

I don't think it's that unusual. There are a lot of variables to consider. First and foremost, the way gas mileage is determined is an antiquated system, so you will hardly get the rated mpg. It can also depend on what type of fuel you're buying. Many folks refuse to buy premium gas, but they don't understand that lower grades can actually lower your miles per dollar . . what you put in is what you'll get out of it. You may have innaccurate or malfunctioning sensors/components that are throwing off the air/fuel ratio. If you suspect this, throwing money for an inspection could save you $$ in the long run, and avoid bigger problems later. And lastly, BMW isn't exactly known for their fuel economy. And a half or full tank isn't going to matter; Kistoni is right- the fuel keeps the pump running cool, you should never wait too long to gas up. Hope this helps!

**xTheJokerx** · 03-04-2007, 06:01 PM

I am still quite confused on gas filling. So I should never let it pass the 1/2 mark? I don't understand why (Im a bit slow). And also, I got a 28 MPG driving freeway @ about 70 MPH, sounds about right.

**Dudesky** · 03-04-2007, 06:24 PM

The fuel pump, which is submerged in the gas tank, relies on the gasoline to keep its motor from overheating and burning out. What we're saying is that you shouldn't wait till you're below 1/4 tank to fill up. The usual agreed mark is somewhere between 1/4 and 1/2 tank. Below that and you'll wear out the pump prematurely.