Hi. I am about to buy a 2000 4.0 Coupe, and womdered if anyone had experienced chipping to improve economy - hopefully without performance loss, as they claim!?

 

I recall posts from time to time about members trying chipping to improve performance but not ones from those looking for improved economy. Economy isn't usually high on the priority list for those choosing an XK8 and probably doesn't even enter the minds of those with an XKR!

Most of these chips arrive in a blaze of publicity, sell for a while and then disappear.

If there was a cheap and easy way to get both economy and performance increase, the proof would be headline news and everyone would be using it.

Graham

 

Good morning Graham. I think you're being unfair to us 'R' drivers.............. I always breath a tremendous sigh of relief for the future of the planet and mankind as a whole when I see over 15 mpg on the trip computer

On a more serious note, you're right. I certainly had no consideration for fuel economy when I bought mine. To me, it's all about being able to do 5.1 seconds to 60 and being able to cruise long distances in luxury. Oh, and being able to go from 70 to silly in less time than it takes to say 'I wonder how many gallons that used!'

It was also about fulfilling a long term dream of owning one of these fantastic cars.

I suspect that if I used mine as a daily driver then I would pay more attention to fuel consumption, but as I only do a handful of thousand miles a year it really doesn't come into it.

Andy

 

I agree with Andy I can get 22.9 as a average MPG. its the feeling you get when you see 2.6 MPG that`s the reason of driving an R
I only drive it 50 fun miles a week.

 

I'm never too worried about fuel consumption but must confess to an moment when I do North of England to southern Spain in two days and fill the tank four times to get there!

Graham

 

The non-chip ways to improve mpg (anticipate manoeuvres, avoid braking, lower rolling resistance tyres, etc) work.

Chipping won't because the only way to do it is to go leaner which causes serious damage. The PCM will intervene, too, and tends to try to stay in the correct fuelling region to avoid that damage!

 

Graham, I can appreciate that would be eye watering, but you are at least using the car for it's optimal purpose in my view, which is as a luxury GT in which to cross continents.

I can only dream of doing that at this moment in time, as I have two young children who are booked to leave the family home in six and ten years respectively!

Andy

 

Andy,

Sadly I've found even after they have flown the nest, they have a habit of dropping in from time to time as long as you have a credit bank balance, a full freezer and a better car than they can afford to run.

However, on the plus side, this has proved an incentive for us to be away from home more frequently.

Graham

 

Back when I was putting 600 miles/week on my 97, I was feeling flush and tried one of the $60 chips to see if it would make any difference in mileage. I was already getting 25 mpg (US gallons) if I kept it at the speed limit. This was a 4 hour non stop trip twice a week so I could be warmed up at fill-up, hit the freeway, and not have another cold start until I filled up again. In short, about the best drive profile you can have trying to get more mileage. I'm a control systems engineer so I goof with stuff like this. It was fun to try even though I wasted $60 and an afternoon wiring it in. The chip made absolutely no difference in mpg.

In city driving; it's a 4000 pound car, I'm not going to get more than about 18 mpg (USgal). Since you're looking at a 4.2 you'll get 3-6 more mpg than I get with my 4.0 AJ26.

Mike
..just ticked over 192,000...

 

my city drives of 5-8 minutes, with very little hwy use and even then for only 10 min had dropped my mpg to 10-12. Ugh. I will see what happens soon when 60 minute drives in curvy mtn roads are possible.