Elite Viva Fuel Consumption

[Rajitha Kumarage]

I am using a Viva Elite 1000CC MT. Just done 1250 km. I'm usually driving in traffic. (Not heavy traffic). It does only 11-12 per liter. (in 1st 1000km, I never exceed 2500 rpm since the car is brand new). When i ask from Unimo, they say that the rates will increase with the mileage and they also checked the exhaust emission level and it was perfect. And I also notice that it is difficult to drive with 90 oct petrol (There was a little knock in the start). Then I tried with 93 oct (IOC - Extra premium) and it seems better. Please advice me on this.

[Sampath Gunasekera]

By the way dude, please note when a vehicle exceed 80kmph the Air resistance become much more powerful and your fuel economy will be badly affected. There is a sweet spot for maximum efficient. Usually it is around 70kmph. Also majority of Sri Lankan cars are under inflated, causing excessive fuel waste. Stick to your manufacturers guide for tyre inflation (the little sticker on driver side door)..

Dude, that is true. Concidering all points every vehicle has its own best speed. Previously I had a Japanese Alto HA11S Manuel with 660CC, it has its own best speed 60km. Once I could achive my ever best fuel economy 20.68km/l. But for Elite I think best spead is between 70 – 80 km.

[Ranga1977]

We are having two units of Perodua Viva Elite in my family. I also some times observed engine knock with 90 octane petrol and found this with both vehicles. Company asked me to use 95 Octane petrol and check. Yes, when I use 95 Octane petrol then never observed engine knock and got better pickup to. As 95 Octane petrol is costly, I also use 93 Octane (IOC-Extra Primium) now.

Is this mean with 93 Octane also you got better pickup and resolve engine knock issue? Also how much 93 Octane cost these days?

[g-unit]

These days I have pumped 95 Oct. I really enjoy my ride. No knock.. smooth engine sound. Nice acceleration. But the matter is the cost...

These days I have pumped 95 Oct. I really enjoy my ride. No knock.. smooth engine sound. Nice acceleration. But the matter is the cost...

Come on bro.. 95 for a Viva? You know you're just busting your hard earned money right? People pump 90 in their mercs and BMs and what not man. I personally know a guy who's been pumping 90 for his C180 Blueefficiency and done over 20,000 k.m still running smooth and no loss in power either.

On another note, is it just me or anyone else think it's just a little absurd that Un**o would bring a car down for the mass market at a competitive price and advice them to pump 95 to run them? just plain crazy.

[Sampath Gunasekera]

Is this mean with 93 Octane also you got better pickup and resolve engine knock issue? Also how much 93 Octane cost these days?

No. Concerning about pickup, I don't feel a difference between 90 octane & 93 octane. But engine knock is less when Octane 93 use. But there is a big difference when I use 95 Octane. Superb pick up , smooth running and no engine knock.

Price for IOC Euro3 (Octane 93) Rs.145/= per liter.

[Sampath Gunasekera]

Come on bro.. 95 for a Viva? You know you're just busting your hard earned money right? People pump 90 in their mercs and BMs and what not man. I personally know a guy who's been pumping 90 for his C180 Blueefficiency and done over 20,000 k.m still running smooth and no loss in power either.

On another note, is it just me or anyone else think it's just a little absurd that Un**o would bring a car down for the mass market at a competitive price and advice them to pump 95 to run them? just plain crazy.

I am also wondering why this happend to Viva Elite only. Even JapaneseToyota Allion runs nicely with 90 Octane.

But this is true. I have expirienced this issue with two viva elites in our family. Any expert please explain this....

(In Maruti Alto K1O operation manuel , they advised use only 92 OCtane or more. But Elite it is mentioned as 90 octane ????? )

Edited January 26, 2012 by Sampath Gunasekera

[lasithawicks]

Hi Shane10,

Im also using a 2011 Viva Elite. and using nitrogen from day one. I usually pump 25PSI. but once i tried about 28PSI, it's too bumpy and not so comfortable too. then again swiched back to 25. any of you guys on Nitrogen? and whats the PSI?

anyway on fuel, I do pump 95Oct. cos on 90Oct there's a knock. and it does around 11-12Kmpl on Kandana - Colombo.(usually heavy traffic on office hours)

Btw,

anyone know a 3rd party who imports perodua spares?

Edited February 8, 2012 by lasithawicks

[Ranga1977]

Hi Shane10,

Im also using a 2011 Viva Elite. and using nitrogen from day one. I usually pump 25PSI. but once i tried about 28PSI, it's too bumpy and not so comfortable too. then again swiched back to 25. any of you guys on Nitrogen? and whats the PSI?

anyway on fuel, I do pump 95Oct. cos on 90Oct there's a knock. and it does around 11-12Kmpl on Kandana - Colombo.(usually heavy traffic on office hours)

Btw,

anyone know a 3rd party who imports perodua spares?

Mate is your vehicle Manual or Auto?

Also according to vihicle specification you need to pump 29PSI. So is this mean when using Nitrogen we need to pump less air?

[varunatech]

@ varunatech - Interesting point which you have noted about "under-inflated" cars. I was told that Nitrogen inflated tyres perform better over normal air.

VIVA recommended inflation level guide is 29 for all 4 tyres. I just need to ratify if I'm to pump Nitrogen, should I still pump the same VIVA recommended level ?

Nitrogen has it's benefits. But questionable whether it will have a significant impact. Nitrogen is good when the tyres face extreme temperatures, race cars are such examples and Nitrogen is required. No Oxygen, no corrosion is a good thing, but for relatively new vehicles are not exposed t corrosion.

So far in my view Nitrogen is a nice to have but not a need to have for day to day running cars. Also please note that the normal air we pump carry 78% Nitrogen.

Weather normal Air or Nitrogen, your pressure is same. So stick to what manufacturer has stated.

[varunatech]

I am also wondering why this happend to Viva Elite only. Even JapaneseToyota Allion runs nicely with 90 Octane.

But this is true. I have expirienced this issue with two viva elites in our family. Any expert please explain this....

(In Maruti Alto K1O operation manuel , they advised use only 92 OCtane or more. But Elite it is mentioned as 90 octane ????? )

One clarification..............all the 121s, Vios, Axio, Allion and more or less all Japs are designed for Octane 91 or above. People just pump 90 and ECUs and knock sensor do the adjustment. But keep in mind they are all designed for Octane 91 and above.

Can someone please refer to the VIVA user manual and share what is the RON (research octane number) the manufacturer has recommended.

[varunatech]

Mate is your vehicle Manual or Auto?

Also according to vihicle specification you need to pump 29PSI. So is this mean when using Nitrogen we need to pump less air?

Weather normal Air or Nitrogen, your pressure is same. So stick to what manufacturer has stated.

[Ranga1977]

One clarification..............all the 121s, Vios, Axio, Allion and more or less all Japs are designed for Octane 91 or above. People just pump 90 and ECUs and knock sensor do the adjustment. But keep in mind they are all designed for Octane 91 and above.

Can someone please refer to the VIVA user manual and share what is the RON (research octane number) the manufacturer has recommended.

As fas as i remember in user manual it's given as octane 90 or above

[varunatech]

As fas as i remember in user manual it's given as octane 90 or above

If so it is good for the owners, if possible please reconfirm it. Thank you.

[lasithawicks]

Mate is your vehicle Manual or Auto?

Also according to vihicle specification you need to pump 29PSI. So is this mean when using Nitrogen we need to pump less air?

Auto.. No not like that.. PSI is PSI... but the manufacturer has stated for 29 for better roads i guess.. not the crappy colombo roads..

[varunatech]

Auto.. No not like that.. PSI is PSI... but the manufacturer has stated for 29 for better roads i guess.. not the crappy colombo roads..

I have seen the same idea of Sri Lankan vehicle users. Under inflating due to bad road conditions in SL. However this will have effects on Fuel economy, serous effects on safety when you travel fast and in rain, unnecessary tyre wear.

Have no offence to the under inflation/comfortable ride theory..........but personally I do stick to manufacturer recommendation. Safety and fuel economy are my prime concerns.

As a special note, when you take E01 or any future highway, or even if you are to travel out of Colombo on better roads at high speeds. Please inflate your tyres correctly. Never under inflate and run your car at high speeds. You will be at great risk.

[Sampath Gunasekera]

If so it is good for the owners, if possible please reconfirm it. Thank you.

Yes, it is confirmed. Viva Elite owners manual says RON shoud be 90 or higher.

[varunatech]

Yes, it is confirmed. Viva Elite owners manual says RON shoud be 90 or higher.

So why the agents ask to pump 95 and some users say with 90 it knocks. Has the manual stated wrong or what. If the car is designed for 90 it is great for the budget user, because 95 is a killer. But engine knock is undesirable at all.

[Shane10]

To all my VIVA ELITE comrades : I was browsing through the Perodua FAQ page & found this piece on RON 95 usage on Perodua cars in general. Trust this would come in handy <http://www.perodua.com.my/news-events/details/94>

I personally use RON 95, inspite the cost. I may be wrong, but my opinion is that if I can give the best, why not!

@ lasithawicks & varuntech : thank for your insight, I guess recom. PSI is the best usage here..

Cheers to all!!

[Sampath Gunasekera]

So why the agents ask to pump 95 and some users say with 90 it knocks. Has the manual stated wrong or what. If the car is designed for 90 it is great for the budget user, because 95 is a killer. But engine knock is undesirable at all.

Yes, I asked same question from Unimo. Do you know what they said? Fuel we get here in Sri Lanka is inferior quality and if you pump RON90 petrol , we may get RON 87 like that. May be we had some quality problems of petrol ago, but why this happens only with Viva Elites? I am not satisfied with their answer?

Now I use IOC Euro3 (RON 93) but still some times engine knok observed. I need more than 100 liters per month and RON95 is not affordable to me every time.

(Milage is 7500km and it is auto transmission) Specially I ovserved engine knock when climb a small hill. Some times observed even running on flat roads. When use with RON 95 petrol , engine knock absent and does superb running.

Experts, please gide me what should I do? Should I clean spark plugs or someting?

Edited February 10, 2012 by Sampath Gunasekera

[varunatech]

Yes, I asked same question from Unimo. Do you know what they said? Fuel we get here in Sri Lanka is inferior quality and if you pump RON90 petrol , we may get RON 87 like that. May be we had some quality problems of petrol ago, but why this happens only with Viva Elites? I am not satisfied with their answer?

Now I use IOC Euro3 (RON 93) but still some times engine knok observed. I need more than 100 liters per month and RON95 is not affordable to me every time.

(Milage is 7500km and it is auto transmission) Specially I ovserved engine knock when climb a small hill. Some times observed even running on flat roads. When use with RON 95 petrol , engine knock absent and does superb running.

Experts, please gide me what should I do? Should I clean spark plugs or someting?

For me you are experiencing classic Pre ignition knocks. The main issue should be 90 Octane. The other reason is chamber deposits which is not the case for you as your engine is very new and also the knock disappears when you pump Octane 95.

Preignition knock is "not good" though many Sri Lankan cars have it but people live with it. (Also note all engines some times do experience the Pre ignition knock and the knock sensor automatically retard for a moment to adjust the situation.

The issue here i, the agents or the Owners manual say RON90 or above but our users feel knock when they pump RON90. I have heard many stories about Sri Lanka petrol where RON90 is actually around RON87. I have no credible data for this.

If this is the case this is a serious issue. Much greater for other popular Jap and Euro cars here. Almost all cars for the last 8+ years came to hear are designed to run on RON91+ or RON93+. As you know our guys pump RON90 for majority f these cars due to price pressure. So all these engines end up with Pre ignition knock, lot of engine deposits and excessive pressure on valves and guides due to detonations.

I have no personal experience of using RON90 much except for one car I had, again it was YOM98. All other cars I had was pumped with RON 95 because the manuals and the manufacturer said so. I also do feel the price pressure, I cut down on my trips, do not like to use anything other than the manufacturer wanted.

As an idea for you, pump Octane 95 as it has no knocks. If not 90. After some time you may need to put a Fuel system cleaner like BG, WURTH, 3M, Valvoline etc....just to clean the chambers. Every 10K kms will be fairly ok.

[Sampath Gunasekera]

For me you are experiencing classic Pre ignition knocks. The main issue should be 90 Octane. The other reason is chamber deposits which is not the case for you as your engine is very new and also the knock disappears when you pump Octane 95.

Preignition knock is "not good" though many Sri Lankan cars have it but people live with it. (Also note all engines some times do experience the Pre ignition knock and the knock sensor automatically retard for a moment to adjust the situation.

The issue here i, the agents or the Owners manual say RON90 or above but our users feel knock when they pump RON90. I have heard many stories about Sri Lanka petrol where RON90 is actually around RON87. I have no credible data for this.

If this is the case this is a serious issue. Much greater for other popular Jap and Euro cars here. Almost all cars for the last 8+ years came to hear are designed to run on RON91+ or RON93+. As you know our guys pump RON90 for majority f these cars due to price pressure. So all these engines end up with Pre ignition knock, lot of engine deposits and excessive pressure on valves and guides due to detonations.

I have no personal experience of using RON90 much except for one car I had, again it was YOM98. All other cars I had was pumped with RON 95 because the manuals and the manufacturer said so. I also do feel the price pressure, I cut down on my trips, do not like to use anything other than the manufacturer wanted.

As an idea for you, pump Octane 95 as it has no knocks. If not 90. After some time you may need to put a Fuel system cleaner like BG, WURTH, 3M, Valvoline etc....just to clean the chambers. Every 10K kms will be fairly ok.

Thanks varunatech for your instructions.

[lasithawicks]

Yes, I asked same question from Unimo. Do you know what they said? Fuel we get here in Sri Lanka is inferior quality and if you pump RON90 petrol , we may get RON 87 like that. May be we had some quality problems of petrol ago, but why this happens only with Viva Elites? I am not satisfied with their answer?

Now I use IOC Euro3 (RON 93) but still some times engine knok observed. I need more than 100 liters per month and RON95 is not affordable to me every time.

(Milage is 7500km and it is auto transmission) Specially I ovserved engine knock when climb a small hill. Some times observed even running on flat roads. When use with RON 95 petrol , engine knock absent and does superb running.

Experts, please gide me what should I do? Should I clean spark plugs or someting?

Hi Sampath,

I've read somewhere that the IOC Euro III is RON91 not RON93.

[varunatech]

Hi Sampath,

I've read somewhere that the IOC Euro III is RON91 not RON93.

IOC Euro III just mention the letters 93, they never use the word Octane

For their 95, they publicly use the word Octane.

and I have never seen that they mention in any public article that Eur III is which Octane version. Can someone with more info shed some light on this.

[Rajitha Kumarage]

I went a long trip to N'eliya via Kataragama from Colombo pumped Oct 93. I have refilled at N'eliya. Reading was 17.4 Km/l...! But in the city..it does only around 12.

[Ranga1977]

I went a long trip to N'eliya via Kataragama from Colombo pumped Oct 93. I have refilled at N'eliya. Reading was 17.4 Km/l...! But in the city..it does only around 12.

Yours is a manual or auto?

Edited February 21, 2012 by Ranga1977

[Ranga1977]

I went a long trip to N'eliya via Kataragama from Colombo pumped Oct 93. I have refilled at N'eliya. Reading was 17.4 Km/l...! But in the city..it does only around 12.

How much is Oct 93 these days?