[RunsLikeADeer]

Hello, new MKVI driver posting. I'll start with some historical data:

My previous daily was a MKV (BRM) 5SPD jetta sedan that I continue to love.
Modifications were numerous:
Malone 2
PD140 w/ dumb actuator
Full EGR removal
ASV failed and was removed
16" alloys
mufflerectomy (rear can only)
Sick burgundy headliner

Prior to playing peekaboo with a deer on the blacktop, the car delivered, unfailingly 40-42 MPG in the winter depending on how long i let it warm up. On long trips to the atlantic coast, she gave 45+ mpg driving 75-80 indicated (72-77 actual - with the flow of traffic) up and down hill mountains, no matter how hard I romped on it, and that was hard, I drove the poop out of her, she always averaged 42mpg over all. winter, summer, foot deep snow and knobbies (snow tires) the moon.
She put up with all my abuse and sipped fuel oil thriftily. She WANTED to be romped and stomped and thrown around

Now, due to the deer fun, I have the '11 JSW. 60k miles
I drive much more sedately, as any station wagon would reasonably ask. I keep the 17" alloys at 38-40 PSI (all seasons leaning to snow tire tread, pretty blocky)
I top out at about 30.7 MPG average, actively trying to drive economically. This kind of hurts my feelings, coming from such a thrifty car before.
I've checked for dragging brakes, one did at first, when I was getting 25mpg right from the dealership, but that is repaired and no longer drags.
Checked for low tire pressure, alignment issues, excessive treadwear- I'm confused. It seems most people are getting much better mileage, even if not in the 40s, at least mid 30s.
Could it be the PO drove low and slow and the DPF is sooty and pulling lots of recovery time? No codes to see in the MFI or VCDS.
does the car just not like me?

Feel free to ask any questions and thanks for reading through.

 

[DBubba65]

Not knowing exactly the condition I figured I would ask...I purchased a 2012 about 6 months ago and found the following deficiencies. As we all know during the fix our cars were stored for a long time with little fuel in them. As a matter of fact when I test drove mine it had 10 miles to empty and all service lights were coming on.

Air filter - should be changed at 40K or sooner if driven in dusty conditions
Fuel Filter - When was it last changed?
Fuel treatment added to clean up any gell or algae growth? I use silver power service your mileage may vary
Are your outside temps below 80? I noticed my mileage dropped significantly in cooler temps.
70 mph per hour is max for fuel economy. I have found sweet spot is 65-70 for over 40 mpg
Anything more than 2k rpms in town drops my mileage down to 30. Heavy throttle in town is a fuel waster.
Are you carrying any extra cargo in the rear or have a roof rack? Both will reduce mileage.
Have you witnessed active regens of DPF since you purchased car? If so they should occurr every 130-170 miles based on my experience.
Any CEL (Malfunction lights on)?

Sorry for the long list of questions but since I bought my car, had the HPFP fail and cause all injectors, pumps, etc replaced and most recently the EGR cooler become plugged and the replaced the DPF as well the car runs significantly smoother and economy is up quite a bit in my 100 miles of mixed city and highway driving since (fuel consumption on MFP is currently sitting on 40.5. My next regular long road trip is on Monday, curious to what my new mileage might be after replacement of all these potentially fuel robbing failed parts.

D

 

[RunsLikeADeer]

Dbubba65,

Thanks for the reply.
Admittedly, I haven't been as circumspect as I usually am, time hasn't been on my side lately. But-
The air filter looked fairly good, its next on my list for replacement. It was clean-looking without much fouling in the pre-filter.
Fuel filter is unknown- its more involved a process than the BRM, so I haven't cracked that egg yet.
I've been running diesel kleen + cetane boost, no algicide though. I've run a couple tanks through, 50 miles of driving per day for me.
Temps up here are still low, but the only impact i saw with the BRM was from letting it "warm up"before leaving the house.
Now I usually suck it up and start and go. The same rules seem to apply with the CJAA
My driving speed, ah, well. I'm very impatient and dumb. I try to stick to 70-75, I'll take that hit.
Same for intown driving, Im much more tame with the wagon, but the lead foot strikes from time to time.
No rack, nothing in the trunk except cables and a change of clothes usually.
I don't really know what to look for in a REGEN, I've heard there is a smell, but I wouldn't know it. I'm sure its happened?
No CELs to speak of, checked with VCDS to be sure.

--As an update, what I DID find, and it was a "doh" moment, the dealer I bought the car from put 50-series tires on the 17" rims. I thought they just looked funky because they were snow tires, but they were the wrong size tire all along.
I swapped on my old car's 16" rims with Vredestein all seasons after the big melt we just had and my morning/evening commute average is sitting at 35/38 MPG respectively. Thats a big jump from 30, and even with, perhaps, less conservative driving.

I'm sorry to hear you had a HPFP failure. That makes me sad, the whole situation really, that VW would put out such a feeble product. At least they provide support now, in the form of warranty...

I am thinking of doing some long term maintenance-easing upgrades- (a buzzken pipe and a malone stage 2 with ECO) I know how some members of some boards feel about those things, but the tax returns are in, my home of record requires no inspection, and the benefits outweigh the burden on my soul. At least to me.

Mostly I miss the BRM. despite its flaws, it carried me to the cusp of 200k, all over the eastern half of the US, and never, ever, left me stranded.
Hell, it drove me home with half a deer jammed in it.