# BMW 1 Series 116i - MPG



## red0ed (Nov 19, 2021)

Hi there,
I've got by BMW 1 series 116i which I love, but the fuel economy is not great on it. Its a 2.0 Petrol, and is averaging 31mpg. With fuel prices increasing constantly, this is one of the main reasons why I am thinking of selling it. 

But I was wondering if there is anything I can do to make it more efficient. I don't drive like an idiot in it, but the mpg is still only early 30s. A couple of friends have suggested getting it remapped, but I'm not sure if it is worth it. 

Any suggestions?


----------



## Autoputzer (Mar 16, 2014)

31 MPG with imperial gallons is about 25.8 MPG with US gallons. That's what I get with my 535i and with Frau Putzer's G01 X3 xDrive 30i, although the X3 does more short trips.

Manual or automatic? Does it have EcoPro? (maybe started with 2014's). 

The OE map is probably optimized for fuel economy.

Accelerate slowly, upshifting as early as possible.. but not earlier. If it's a manual, plan your stops whenever possible and coast up to them in neutral (not in gear with the clutch pedal pressed in, that wears out the throw-out bearing.

Bump up the tire pressure to maybe 10% over what the decal says in the front tires. BMW low-balls the front pressure below that ideal for even wear. They do that to improve ride quality. With one or two people in the car and little or nothing in the trunk, the car still maintains a just about perfect 50/50 weight distribution. So, for even tire wear, the front and rear pressures should be about the same for a square setup, or the rear about 10% lower with a staggered set-up.

Yeah, gas prices are higher in the UK. I paid $5.50/US gallon when I was over there in 2001. The Interwebs says it's currently $8.40/US gallon over there. It's approaching that here in California. Even at that price, fuel is a small part of the cost of driving a newer BMW. The first three years of depreciation is brutal. On my 535i it was $1.04/mile. Your current fuel cost are about $0.33/mile.

Here in the US we measure octane rating in Anti-Knock Index (AKI) BMW recommends 91 AKI, which is about 95 RON. Don't use higher octane than is recommended. It doesn't improve performance or fuel economy in street use. It does help on the track, though.

91 AKI is not available in much of US. So, I mix 2/3's 93 AKI and 1/3 87 AKI to make my own 91 AKI. That saves me about $4/tank or about $1000 over 100k miles.


----------



## Atyn (9 mo ago)

red0ed said:


> Hi there,
> I've got by BMW 1 series 116i which I love, but the fuel economy is not great on it. Its a 2.0 Petrol, and is averaging 31mpg. With fuel prices increasing constantly, this is one of the main reasons why I am thinking of selling it.
> 
> But I was wondering if there is anything I can do to make it more efficient. I don't drive like an idiot in it, but the mpg is still only early 30s. A couple of friends have suggested getting it remapped, but I'm not sure if it is worth it.
> ...


116 or 118i are 1.6L or 1.5, 120i is 1.6 or 2L
Is the tailpipe very sooty?

My 116i 2014 with 85k had a tailpipe that looked like a 1990 diesel when I bought it and the mpg was mid 30s at best.

I changed the plugs, maf and pre cat O2 sensor which resulted in over 40mpg and a clean tailpipe.

This weather, and with a MHD remap I see high 40s daily, over 50 some days and this is short journeys, with numerous villages, junctions and hills.






ModelYearsEngine- turboPowerTorque114i2012-20151.6 L N13 inline-475 kW (101 hp) at 4,000 rpm180 N⋅m (133 lb⋅ft) at 1,100-3,900 rpm116i2012-20151.6 L N13 inline-4100 kW (134 hp) at 4,400-6,450 rpm220 N⋅m (162 lb⋅ft) at 1,350-4,300 rpm2015-20191.5 L B38 inline-380 kW (107 hp) at 4,500-6,000 rpm180 N⋅m (133 lb⋅ft) at 1,250-3,900 rpm118i2012-20151.6 L N13 inline-4125 kW (168 hp) at 4,800-6,450 rpm250 N⋅m (184 lb⋅ft) at 1,500-4,500 rpm2015-20191.5 L B38 inline-3100 kW (134 hp) at 4,000-6,000 rpm220 N⋅m (162 lb⋅ft) at 1,250-4,000 rpm120i2012-20151.6 L N13 inline-4130 kW (174 hp) at 4,800-6,450 rpm250 N⋅m (184 lb⋅ft) at 1,350-4,500 rpm2016-20192.0 L B48 inline-4135 kW (181 hp) at 5,000 rpm290 N⋅m (214 lb⋅ft) at 1,350-4,250 rpm


----------

