1992 Volvo 740 wagon MPG

What is everyone getting for MPG with their Regina wagons? Mine is all stock and very well maintained. I've done plugs, air filter, 02 sensor, IAT sensor, alignment, installed the air dam below the motor, and have checked all vacuum lines for leaks which there are none. The best I ever get is 23-24 on the highway cruising at 65-70. I rarely go above 70 because it goes above 3000 RPM's and which then puts the M Cam out of its torque range pretty much. I have a T cam that I want to put in it to get some more power. I've heard that helps low end power but would that also help MPG's? I've heard of people getting 27-28 on the highway with their regina cars but mine has never come close. The car has 226k on it so its not a really young motor and I just had a low mileage aw-71L installed. Is this normal for wagons and if it is lower what can I do to improve it?

https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/PowerSearch.do?action=noform&year=1992&make=Volvo

1992 wagon, manual or auto - 26 Highway.
On a good day.
No passengers.
Downhill.
With a tailwind.

My 1990 sedan gets around 30 mixed (mostly highway to/from work), but that's with our bigger Canadian gallons, eh. Converted to those tiny US things, it would be around 25. Throw in some traffic, some spirited driving, a few fat friends, some Ethanol in the gas, and mileage will go down.

Highway only, 27-28. All my 940s have averaged 24-25 mpg. I mostly highway drive.

From your description. It seems like you don't have overdrive workinig. You should be at about 2500 rpms at 70mph. At least that what 240s and my friends regina car does.

I have the same car and get 28/29 highway, that?s driving like a old man with the car unloaded.
Fully tuned, synthetics in engine, transmission, differential.
Those rpm?s do sound kinda high, I?ll check mine next time

dl242gt said:

From your description. It seems like you don't have overdrive workinig. You should be at about 2500 rpms at 70mph. At least that what 240s and my friends regina car does.

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That?s weird yours is only at that 2500 rpms. My overdrive definitely works as does the lockup converter. Maybe they changed it for some models???

oldnfast said:

I have the same car and get 28/29 highway, that?s driving like a old man with the car unloaded.
Fully tuned, synthetics in engine, transmission, differential.
Those rpm?s do sound kinda high, I?ll check mine next time

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If you can check your rpms that?s would be great! I use synthetic oil and drive pretty old man like haha. Most of the time the car is unloaded as well. I want to do a compression test on my car. It is really slow. I know Regina cars aren?t meant to be fast but sometimes mine feels super slow.

chronicrhythm said:

That?s weird yours is only at that 2500 rpms. My overdrive definitely works as does the lockup converter. Maybe they changed it for some models???

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They run almost exactly 3000 RPM at 70 mph. Both the turbo and NA. The NA has lock up, which eliminates the slip in the auto trans, however, it has lower rear end gearing which makes it run almost exactly the same RPM at 70.

The Regina car I drove for a while averaged around 22-23 over 5500 miles, mostly suburban highway commuting back at that time, with some city driving and few weekend trips mixed in, and this was at 5000'+ altitude which helps boost MPG, so it's apples to oranges comparing to you in CT near sea level. Best tank that car got was 26.5 but usually less, even on the highway. http://www.fuelly.com/car/volvo/740/1991/v8volvo/201384

These cars and engines just aren't built for fuel efficiency (or speed in the case of the NA motors) by modern standards. Antiquated engine and transmission designs moving a big RWD car. They're not bad if you take those factors into consideration. Ratio of MPG to performance isn't great, but ratio of MPG to utility measures (passenger and cargo space) is pretty good, at least for the wagons.

For comparison's sake, my otherwise similar automatic 745 TD has averaged 27-28 over the last 60,000 miles of almost all stop and go city commuting, more like 32 on highway trips with tanks above 34 every now and then. Better, but still nothing to really brag about. Point is it's still a big square RWD car that does pretty well for its size and old technology but it will never win any MPG competitions regardless of what engine is under the hood. http://www.fuelly.com/car/volvo/740/1986/v8volvo/31991

Low to mid 20s is about right for your setup. Those who say they routinely get closer to 30 are probably cherrypicking their data. Realistic MPG numbers can only be taken over an average of thousands of miles, single tank calculations are generally meaningless.

My ‘93 Regina wagon would routinely get 29-30 mpg going from Pittsburgh to RI. Around town it was more like 24.

I must ask what size tires are you running? If I've read correctly the lock-up converter of the AW71L won't lock-up unless overdrive is engaged.

chronicrhythm said:

If you can check your rpms that?s would be great! I use synthetic oil and drive pretty old man like haha. Most of the time the car is unloaded as well. I want to do a compression test on my car. It is really slow. I know Regina cars aren?t meant to be fast but sometimes mine feels super slow.

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I was mistaken, mine is also 3k @ 70MPH

Put an early A cam in from a carbureted 240 ( or get an IPD version ) - would have to slot the rear to accept the distributor but they give a bit more power where needed without being too aggressive. Also, betting a turbo model would in fact get somewhat better mileage due to not dipping into the throttle as much - something has to give when moving a heavier rather less than aerodynamic vehicle at speed with only 114 odd h.p!


I believe yours might have an electric fan - getting rid of the clutch fan does help a bit, cuts engine noise for a fact. That is why I like the late 1994 - 95 940 Turbos - with the IPD cam, KL Racing intercooler and of course using synthetics in the engine, trans., differential and with the lock up AW 71L it is actually quite decent, have yet to actually do a test run on mpg but it takes less throttle to maintain highway speeds which in turn is beneficial but yes, they will never be considered fuel misers.

v8volvo said:

These cars and engines just aren't built for fuel efficiency
...

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93-944 Rex-I/Regina with AW71L....below 45mph, RPM will drop when coasting (foot off throttle)....one can get around 25mpg city, if vehicle kepts moving with soft accelerations and light footed braking...30mpg highway @ 60mph or less.

>Realistic MPG numbers can only be taken over an average of thousands of miles,
>single tank calculations are generally meaningless.

About 25mpg on average, but most all driving is rural/highway miles, with rebuilt 84B23F high compression engine

Let's see, 26 year old vehicle kicking butt, mpg wise...many newer vehicles get much lower mileage, btw.

Btw, my 93-240 is getting around 30mpg highway @<60mph....with a dead O2 sensor

Sure, if you can keep speeds under 60 mph, many vehicles are capable of decent mileage. Someone with a low speed highway commute might see high 20s average. But that's a rare scenario for regular operation, most folks have either some stop and go and low speeds, or a highway commute with much higher speeds, both of which kill real world mpg. The numbers you quoted are more or less a best case scenario and few others will have the right circumstances to replicate them, except for hypermilers.

v8volvo said:

most folks have either some stop and go and low speeds...

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Stop and go consumes the fuel....I'm looking ahead at traffic lights, and attempt to keep vehicle moving. I'm not running AC, which also assists in lower fuel consumption.


JANUARY 11, 2018 "U.S. vehicle fuel economy rises to record 24.7 mpg: EPA

WASHINGTON/DETROIT (Reuters) - The fuel economy of new U.S. cars and trucks hit a record 24.7 miles per gallon in the 2016 model year, a government report said, even as some automakers had to buy credits to meet federal requirements.

The EPA report measures real world fuel economy, which is less than the values listed on new vehicle window stickers.
=========================

Also, EPA: Highlights of the Automotive Trends Report

lummert said:

I must ask what size tires are you running? If I've read correctly the lock-up converter of the AW71L won't lock-up unless overdrive is engaged.

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Great question, I have 215/55/16's on Hydras. I checked with a GPS and at Highway speeds its pretty much dead on with the GPS and the Speedometer.

Also thanks everyone for the input. I definitely don't think I'll be seeing mid to upper 20's. Especially now that I got a job that is super close to home so I won't be doing highway driving. Can't complain about that! I think I want to put a different cam in though because it is a slug off the line and I feel I have to give it a lot of throttle to get it moving. There is a 92 740 Turbo wagon near me that has come up for sale near me and I almost want to get it for that extra power but I have put a ton of work into my car and feel like it would be a bad decision to get rid of the car that I know works well and is fairly rust free. I also need a new exhaust soon. Would it be a good idea to invest in the IPD exhaust or does that not really offer much benefit?

chronicrhythm said:

...215/55/16's

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For city environments mainly...smaller diameter tires, and/or re-gearing rear end will increase fuel economy a pinch.

Previous owner, not the flipper, of my 1990-244 put smaller diameter tires on, and its "peppy" but I will change tires to OEM size, for winter driving.

RE: aw-71L

Below 45mph, transmission will go into a 'coasting mode' with engine RPM dropping when foot is taken off of accelerator. Fuel mileage will increase if this can be mastered, and if your drive allows for coasting.

Footnotes:

1. 1958-?60 Rambler American - Popular Mechanics observed 34 MPG when the Rambler American was driven at a steady 30 MPH, but the Scot became thirstier as the speed increased to 70 MPH and mileage dropped to 19.5 MPG.

2. The 1959 Pure Oil Trials were conducted from Los Angeles to Miami, featuring 2,837 miles (4,566 km) covering over all types of terrain and driving types, where a Rambler American with overdrive set the all time NASCAR-supervised coast-to-coast average economy record of 35.4 miles per US gallon (6.64 L/100 km; 42.5 mpg‑imp).[98]
...
...
However, the most astounding demonstration was the record set in the Pure Oil Economy Trials, another NASCAR-supervised event: 51.281 miles per US gallon (4.5868 L/100 km; 61.586 mpg‑imp), which AMC sagely noted, "No car owner should expect to approach in everyday driving."[19]