Intro and 740 queries

[Mudhook]

Hi there.

Great site. I've been running a 1886 2.3 740GL estate for the last three years but had to dump it recently at 170,000 miles with mounting MOT exhaust and clutch problems.

I've acquired very cheaply an '89 2.3 injected 740GLE estate with big miles (210,000) and it may not make the MOT grade. I bought it in a bit of a rush because I just couldn't find a newer non-turbo 740 or 940.

Questions:

Fuel consumption from carb 740 was 33 miles per UK gallon, driven carefully. My 2.3 injection only does 28 - 30 at best. Is this normal?

When did the 700/900 series become all-turbo on the 2.3 engine? I'm really not keen on turbos - given the hi-milers I usually drive - and don't need the extra power. I'd guess about 1992. Can anyone confirm that?

Seems to me that Volvo made a good machine worse and worse with increasing sophistication, auto boxes and turbo power. 33mpg is acceptable mileage; sub 30mpg is not. What is the last of the great unblown 740/940s.

Many thanks for any responses.

Regards, Mudhook.

PS Someone let me know if I should repost this on the 900 board.

[Citizen.Agfa]

Wotcher.
I recently sold my '87 740 2.3 GLE Auto estate because I could no longer put up with 16m.p.g. on local runs; on long runs it was fine, 34m.p.g. but as I only did a couple of those a year it had to go.
Regards, Nick H.

[alsner]

Hi, I own a 89 740 GLE 2.3i estate manual, and true around town driving is terrible for fuel consumption (still cheaper than a bus/taxi and less hassle than walking esp with kids), having owned 3X swedish SAABs (all pre 1990) all of them only delivered 18-20 mpg around town (carb, injection and full turbo). Sum up town driving not efficient never was and never will be.

On a run I get around the 25-32 approx but this depends on so many things; what kind of road it is, the traffic, weight of my right foot, hills, weather, tyre pressure, tracking, air filter, tuned properly and everything else that can affect a car performance economy wise. Its just cost me nearly a tenner to go 75 miles (chelt - herefordish and back, cross country) but I had the whole family, wellies, coats, large dog on board. It was comfortable, safe, quick and those heated leather seats.

In my experience big Swedish motors have never been very fuel efficient and bear in mind these cars in their day were not targeted at poor people with astronomical fuel prices (the majority of which goes to Mr G.Brown the B*****D).

Saying all that if I had to commute to work I wouldn't take my trusty Volvo.

[JustCruzin]

Hi there, very new so apologise if this is amateur. I have a 1988 740GL (B200E) which has done a mere 59000 miles- You may think this a hoax, clocked back, insane etc.... The truth is that my father owned this from new and handed it over to me last year- he hardly ever drives.

Anyway, with this babe I get 270-290miles from a full tank. I don't know this works out to MPG. This is with about a 50:50 mix of urban and motorway driving. Is this good or bad???

[dodgyken]

My B200E engine 87 740GL Estate returns around 27mpg on average - sometimes it can get to 30mpg (32mpg was my best on a whole tank of 70-75mph motorway driving) - but most of the time 25-29 is the norm.

Big heavy car, relatively underpowered = poor economy. Also the technology is 18 years old - you get the same economy from a T5 or V70 R with the added bonus of performnance

[ivor940]

But you have no depreciation cost and no loan payments.

ivor940

[dodgyken]

Originally Posted by ivor940

But you have no depreciation cost and no loan payments.

ivor940

You do sound very like my girlfriend!!!!!!

I calculate my old tank to cost me 0.58CHF/KM (41ppm) - a 2003 V70R would cost 1.71CHF/KM (119ppm) - those costs are based on 15000km per year and allow a generous amount for tyres, servicing and MOT.

I then have to work out how much a smile costs/is worth

[Mudhook]

"Anyway, with this babe I get 270-290miles from a full tank. I don't know this works out to MPG. This is with about a 50:50 mix of urban and motorway driving. Is this good or bad???"

Not very good. around 400 miles to a tank works out at around 30mpg.

Thanks to all for the responses to my initial query. Looks like I need a few things for an MOT but nothing too serious, so I shall spend a bit and hang on to it.

Regards, Mudhook

[dodgyken]

Originally Posted by Mudhook

"Anyway, with this babe I get 270-290miles from a full tank. I don't know this works out to MPG. This is with about a 50:50 mix of urban and motorway driving. Is this good or bad???"

Not very good. around 400 miles to a tank works out at around 30mpg.

Thanks to all for the responses to my initial query. Looks like I need a few things for an MOT but nothing too serious, so I shall spend a bit and hang on to it.

Regards, Mudhook

270-290 miles is slightly less then I get for a tankful - to me that is when I hit the read - at 11 gallons - I normally get 270-310 miles per tank.

[740-estate-nut]

hi there,
I have to say, that I had a 940GL with the b230f engine, and I got about 320 on a tank, but if I was really economical, I could stretch that to nearly 500..
not going over 2500rpm, engine braking on hills instead of foot brake, evenly inflated tyres...At one stage, I put €10(euros) of unleaded into the car, from empty, and drove 102 miles..(from Mullingar, County Westmeath in the Republic of Ireland, to Omagh, County Tyrone - Northern Ireland

On my 740Gl with the b200E engine, I was lucky to get 250 out of a tank.. but in saying that, I only filled the tank twice before it died...(long story)

I now have a 740GLE TD with the D24T engine.. This is the mother of all cars... Me, personally, with an overweight right foot, can get about 360 out of a tank of diesel..(Bio), and my fiance will get closer to about 550 per tank... God love her, she's scared of the turbo, and that kicks in about 2200rpm... In my opinion, get a diesel, and run it on biodiesel..It's cheaper, exhaust gases smell like the local chippie, and it cleans your engine at the same time..
Simon