I have had my car since 1st September 2006. It had just over 7000 miles on the clock when I bought it. The fuel MPG indicator was showing about 34 MPG.
Until about a 2 months ago it had only gone up to 34.8 MPG. Over the past two months I have limited my driving to keep the revs down to 2000 and the MPG has slowly risen and I am now at the dizzy heights of 36.3 MPG (Mileage is now 17600). I have to say that having to drive this way, to obtain a better fuel consumption, is not what I had expected from a supposidly PRESTIGE car. The other problem I have is the same as others in that the car cannot be put into 6th gear unless you exceed the speed limit without the car juddering and the mirror vibrating.

I phoned the dealer last week about this probleand he has booked the car in. He advises me that there is a recent fix which has been put out by Lexus to improve the fuel economy. This is a change to the programming of the engine management computer which is purpotred to increase the fuel consumption.

I would like to know if there is anyone else out there who has had this work carried out and if they have found an improvement. Also if it has had any effect on the 6th gear problem. I am a bit wary that it might just be a bit of computer "wizardry" that is being carried out.

I will keep you notified on the outcome.

Macnorec

Hello Macnorec
Just bought a new is220d se, dealer said it would take around 10k miles before i would see good fuel return.
Currently averaging 37mph, i dont do (sunday driver syndrome) but i dont drive like a traffic cop on speed either.
Reckon you should see what the dealer comes up with. As for 6th gear, The way the gearing has been set up (low ratios) i reckon you will always need to be over 2k revs to use 6th, bit like an overdrive on the old MG

This has been covered a kazillion times on this forum...but it's an evolving story...I know your car has done over 17k, but I take it you haven't had any mods (5th Injector, ECU etc)?

In a normal diesel, you can generally use a higher gear and get better fuel economy - with the torque you can hardly tell...with the Lexus diesel it's a slightly different, if not mixed situation...the power band is narow and the garing high, not a good mix...

The car needs the ECU mod - you will find that it responds slightly better low down, the flat spot is helped a bit, and the car feels quicker through any gear. It's a mod that is recommended by Lexus so you shouldn't worry about getting it done. What you might find is that your economy won't improve unless you change your driving style. I've found that you have to use a higher gear when you wouldn't have prior to the mod - the car will reward you with better economy, but it'll only be conmfortable on the right roads....

With the 220d, you have to be patient. Before 10000 miles, using a higher gear can mean worse economy. For example, until 5000 miles or so, you will see better economy at motorway speeds in 5th then you will in 6th, and on A roads, sometimes it better to use 4th when jammed behind a 50mph truck...

Once I got to beyond 10000 and after the mod, I found that using 6th at 70 has become more economical then 5th. Less vibration and better all round pull to overtake...It was definitely worse before... But even then the handbook states that 6th should only be used beyond 75mph, so there is no point in expecting this car to go up a hill (even a slight gardient) at anything other than 5th...what is unknown is whether that section of the Handbook is officially now out of date with all these mods...???

Check out J.T's thread...http://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/forum/index.php?showtopic=42940

2 final things:

1) Has anyone purchased the (TTE?) chip, increasing output to 200+bhp, and if so what is it like?
2) Lexus can't make too many wholesale changes to the ECU as the CO2 output/Euro5 (if it is compliant) could change for the worse....so it would be in their interest to "relaunch" the car with a mod'd chip as a different variant...they may well, for all we know, be forced to do that...especially if too many people complain and they have to do mod after mod.....

PS - evilweasel - just seen your post asking the same question, soa TTE chip is not available (BLAST)

No - unfortunately not yet, maybe not ever. I think it was a bit of a PR exercise by Lexus when they got wind of the Alpina 320d.. I might save my 2000euro for the kit if it does materialise and eventually (wife permitting) chop in for a 450h as I had one all day today and they're awesome - in both engineering and performance. I can put up with the small boot and large loan for that kind of car.



On the mileage thing I only get around 41mpg if I'm lucky and sub 35's if I'm not. I remember mentioning some while back that good quality diesel affected the mileage. I'm not so sure now as I ran for a while with BP ultimate, and then without - although not scientific I just got the feeling there was no real difference.. What I have noticed though is that you seem to get better MPG when the weather is warm. Hot days = good mpg in my book, even when the aircon is on full blast.

I think most of us on the forum have realised that the 220d is just heavy on fuel - maybe because of the weight of the car,maybe because of injector and ECU maps, maybe because of the supposed euro 5 rating (confirmed?). Even so I still enjoy driving mine - comfortable, quiet, swift, great audio, lots of toys, still fairly rare, and even after a few dropped balls, good customer service. I still would buy another...(450h!)


Thats my 2p anyway.

I drove a D3, and to be honest it was just a 320d Sport (Badged as Si) with a few cosmetic aids. I had really high hopes and would have chopped my car in for it just for the looks, 'cos think they do look subtly different than a standard 3 series, especially with the full badge kit.

The drive was a bit disappointing....it was much quicker from a standing start than a 220d, very "sharp" but the dreadful ride and lack of proper toys made it seem very expensive IMHO...

There was also a flat spot and peaky power band too, not disimilar to the 220d in some ways...

I couldn't justify getting one...though the 450h is an exceptional car, true enginering masterpiece as you say! Smal boot, big loan...hhhmmm, sounds like my IS220d!

OK guys - update:

Took the car yesterday for a 250 mile round trip - no traffic and mainly Dual Carriageway, fast A road and Motorway journey...


Journey there - from full tank at 70 using 6th wheer practicable with cruise used and A/C on - 47.3 mpg

Journey back - 60 all the way 5th gear, A/C on and cruise used, 51.2mpg!

That's a Tank Average over 250 miles...so yes, if you are prepared to drive a man of the cloth, then yes indeed, 50+ mpg is readily available on a run...or over 780 miles on a Tankfull...

Now that's more like it...though boringly slow...the car is so refined at that slower speed, that you can sit back, stick the volume up to 40 and listen to some fantastic music/harmony. Very pleasurable...and only 10 minutes slower getting home than normal...welll worth it I thought!

PS - if your car has >10k on the clock, and can't do this, then I fear you may need a dealer visit for the latest re-config...and remember - mine has had the 5th Injector changeout and only the first officially issued ECU remap, not the 2nd which is in tandem with a new EGR and Cat...

I have had my 220d since June this year and it has now done 4.5 k.

I have just driven from Penzance to Leeds at 75mph on cruise control, 6th gear (1400 revs) & a/c on, virtually the whole distance averaging 62 mph over the journey. The tank average for this journey was 53.5 mpg. I had no problem with acceleration or anything else, this 410 mile journey was a dream to drive in 6:45, it was so smooth and comfortable I felt that I could have got back in the car and driven back to Penzance and still not felt tired on my arrival. On the whole drive only saw another 2 x IS cars underlining it's status as a car that is still relatively rare and noticeable on the road

From new the car is averaging 41.7 mpg and I do a mixture of town and motorway driving.

As far as I am aware the car has had no mods so why do I appear to be achieving a much higher than average mpg than most other drivers?

Hi Jamboo and All

I’ve been following this issue now for quite a while and thought I’d add my 2p in. My car is now 19 months old and is approaching 50k. The average mpg is 35.7 up from 32 back in November last year. Things had settled down until the beginning of last month when the car began running very sluggishly, big dead spots and very lumpy. Traveling down the A50 the car went into safe mode and I managed to limp the car into Lexus Leicester. They had my car for 3 days trying to figure out what was wrong, anyway I’ve got it back now but it’s running terrible. The car is going in next Friday for its 50k service but sounds like the ECU mods need rerunning. I’m pretty much deflated by this car and was just counting down the time until my pcp ends next September as I feel legally I don't have a leg to stand on.

Harry - good luck buddy!!

I take it you've been down the LGB route and complained, so it's worrying. You'll be out of warranty soon enough. It's in your interest to get this fixed now as I'm sure you know.

Had my 220Dse for 4 weeks now, averaging high 30s mpg, mixture of town and motorway driving, at speed limits (or slightly over on Motorways..)

Not 100% happy as used to 46+ in old car but sooner have the luxory

Interesting (and should I be telling anyone this)......last week had to make a mad dash from Oxford back to Weston Super Mare due to major work issues.....took just over an hour on motorway all the way, so work out for yourselves, I was flying - averaged over 45mpg on way back!

On the way up, driving 'normally', averaged 38.9mpg

First time coming back I've really used that 6th gear - and more interesting, first time I have seen the dials go red......didn't even know it went from amber to red......

And no, I don't make a habit of being a naughty little boy driving recklessly.....had little choice that day.......

No, but just ordered a Speedkit from Speedkit.de. We'll see what happens; or not