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    Why does the fuel consumption of my Mazda CX-3 keep increasing?

    Asked by Maria

    Every time I take my 2017 Mazda CX-3 for a service, it comes back with higher fuel consumption. At the moment, the consumption is 7.9 litres per 100km. I'm spending a lot of money putting petrol in the tank.

    Answered by CarsGuide

    1 Nov 2024 David Morley

    That seems odd, but there might be a really simple explanation. I’d love to know whether you’re calculating your fuel consumption by working out how far each tank is taking you, or whether you’re relying on the trip computer in the car’s dashboard. If it’s the latter, the reason for your higher figure after a service could be very simple.

    It could easily be that the mechanic test drives the car after each service to make sure everything is working as it should be. To do this, the tester is very likely to give the engine a couple (or more) acceleration runs with lots of throttle. It’s also possible the car is left to idle for a time for the engine to come up to temperature while the mechanic gets on with other things. Both these activities will lead to higher fuel consumption than you might experience in normal driving with no harsh acceleration or extended idling periods. Because the car’s trip-computer works out fuel consumption based on recent use, this treatment at the workshop will lead it to deliver a higher reading on the dashboard. That it happens only after a trip to the workshop is the big clue here.

    To test this theory, drive the car normally for a week and see if the fuel consumption number drops. If so, you’ve solved the mystery. If not, you need to return the car to the workshop because something is not right and is causing the car to use more fuel.

    Disclaimer: You acknowledge and agree that all answers are provided as a general guide only and should not be relied upon as bespoke advice. Carsguide is not liable for the accuracy of any information provided in the answers.

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