your e30 is a gas GUZZZLER!

[smooth]

I agree with your advice I've heard early fueling is good and according to the e30 manual you shouldn't wait to last minute to fuel up. I did it this once to see exactly how far I could get her.

I forgot you have a cabrio, as well. You have a 16.4 gallon tank like I do. If it's like my old mopars the other gallon or so is in the reserve tank so while your needle went into the red you still had a gallon or two in the tank. I'm not sure how much is left when the warning light comes on but you do have a warning light that will come on after you drive around with your needle in the red.

Our cars (cabrios, not e30's) are substantially heavier than the rest (of e30's, not cars) , too so 18 mpg isn't terrible. btw, that's about what I get with a chip and 91 octane.

I've been driving cars older than my gf for my entire life so I've just learned to live with gas gauges that only tell me how much gas I have when I'm about halfway full. If the needle is to the left I'm either empty or full...all the way to the right and I'm either full or empty :)

or my favorite with my old datsun pickup was that the tank was either E for enough or F for "effed".

[scottinAZ]

Im getting about 23-25 on my cabbie with M40 swap, ZF trans, 2.93 rear end

Light comes on about 300 miles, takes 12-12.5 to fill it up.

[Kershaw]

it doesnt matter how much your tank holds. you'll never actually put that in, your tank should never be completely dry. not even possible to suck all the gas out of the tank due to the swirl pot. when your car dies you still have gallon or 2 of gas in there. and some e30s have 16 gallon tanks and some 14.

so... you fill up, let the gas nozzle click off on its own and then drive for a week. you fill up again, let the gas nozzle click off and then take your miles and divide by gallons filled up. it could be 10 gallons you used, or 11. or even 5. w/e. that's how much gas you used.

dividing the miles driven by the maximum hold of your tank is just stupid.

[RainierHooker]

My average is somewhere between 9 and 11 l/100km in the eta. I'm scared to think of what it is in the M.

[FunfGan]

I don't know exactly, but it was NOT good hahah.

[Mr. Tasty]

my 318is is a gas guzzler,kinda regret selling my civic that get 450miles on a full tank comparing to my e30.

this. I was able to get 35ish with a 2003 si hatchback on the freeway. About 27 mixed

[Ninz30]

it doesnt matter how much your tank holds. you'll never actually put that in, your tank should never be completely dry. not even possible to suck all the gas out of the tank due to the swirl pot. when your car dies you still have gallon or 2 of gas in there. and some e30s have 16 gallon tanks and some 14.

so... you fill up, let the gas nozzle click off on its own and then drive for a week. you fill up again, let the gas nozzle click off and then take your miles and divide by gallons filled up. it could be 10 gallons you used, or 11. or even 5. w/e. that's how much gas you used.

dividing the miles driven by the maximum hold of your tank is just stupid.

Thats actually the equation I used. After my road trip I filled up and it took 12 gallons. It had been 290 miles since my last fill up.

290/12=24.16 mpg

[J308]

Thats actually the equation I used. After my road trip I filled up and it took 12 gallons. It had been 290 miles since my last fill up.

290/12=24.16 mpg

Good to hear. I'll check mine and see what I get.

I wonder what effect lightening has on fuel economy? I'd like to know what the hall-of-fame lightness thread guys get when driving normally.

[mr.vang]

on a cold windy morning and i'm going with the wind, i manage to get 40mpg on a flat hwy, going speed limit.

[jaysee]

i used to get 40mpg hwy with my old 91 318i m42 , pretty sure it had a 410 lsd
i live in holland mi and could drive to detroit on a just over 1/4 tank (im pretty sure it had the 14gal tank the drive is almost 200miles, and id steady be going 75-95 (although im sure it was better twords 75

[tjts1]

i used to get 40mpg hwy with my old 91 318i m42 , pretty sure it had a 410 lsd

LOL yeah sure you did.

[Ayman]

well since you asked, 16.5 -_-

[CorvallisBMW]

Back in 2008 (2007?) they re-evaluated how the EPA does their testing and all #s were supposed to be revised down. I believe on the website you can see the city/highway ratings using both the old method and the new method (new #s will be lower)

Oddly enough my '91 525i was rated at 15/23 under the old method of testing, so it should have actually been even lower than that. Yet on the highway I could get 24 mpg on my daily commute. My new '12 Focus is rated at 37 highway but I rarely get over 33, and that's using the new method which is supposed to be more accurate.

/coolstorybro

[smooth]

don't you guys get that crappy oxygenated gas in Portland? I know in the southern parts like Grants Pass and Medford stations were still advertising they had non-oxy gas but that was quite a few years ago

[CorvallisBMW]

We have 10% ethanol year-round, but that's it IIRC