Technical Punto Slow Down on M6

[catalepticstate]

I travel to Manchester every few months to see family.
I drive from Birmingham to Manchester and on the way, I notice that my car only goes to 60mph (FLAT OUT) on a strech of road that does not look "hilly" but it acutally is abit of a uphill slope.

I was wondering why my car struggles to get any more speed?
As I stated the road is not really a hill.
Is there something wrong with my car? Because the other cars on the road all whizz past me, looking at me all angry and such.

Is there anything I can do to make it faster?

 

[rallycinq]

Any lights coming on on the dash?

Cheers

SPD

 

[mrcarrots]

I drive the entire length of the M6 9-10 a year and I too have noticed there is a bit that my car doesn't like.

It doesn't seem that steep and if i hit that bit going at sensible motorways speeds then I can keep going around 70. However if i get stuck before something or have to brake I end up doing 60-65 too.

Obiviously not sure if it is the same section as you (trying to remember exactly where it is), but if it is I think it is a little engined car thing and not a problem.

 

[udtrev]

Could you get up it quicker by dropping a cog ?

 

[Nickmitbm]

I travel to Manchester every few months to see family.
I drive from Birmingham to Manchester and on the way, I notice that my car only goes to 60mph (FLAT OUT) on a strech of road that does not look "hilly" but it acutally is abit of a uphill slope.

I was wondering why my car struggles to get any more speed?
As I stated the road is not really a hill.
Is there something wrong with my car? Because the other cars on the road all whizz past me, looking at me all angry and such.

Is there anything I can do to make it faster?

60 mph??man thats slow!!I don't have an active sport(got a sporting) and mine feels hard going over 160kph(that should be like 100mph) on slightly upway roads but..60??I dunna a lot about mechanic stuff , but I'd say there's sth going wrong!Did it always happen to you each time you traveled?How many hp does your engine produce??And since there are no warning lights on the dash , maybe bad fuel??Or too much wind running against you??Or maybe a mechanical fault , (like going on 3 out of 4 cylinders) that your car hasn't noticed...

 

[catalepticstate]

Any lights coming on on the dash?

Cheers

SPD

Hi no lights on the dash at all.

 

[catalepticstate]

Could you get up it quicker by dropping a cog ?

I havent tried dropping a gear.
Although I have just come back from Manchester this morning.
And on the way there lastnite, It did go to 60 at that same streach of road, but I was doing around 80 to test if I could hold the speed.

It kept it at 80ish for a bit till it felt like it could not take no more :'(

So I eased of the gas and let it go to 60 and then tried going to 70, took a while. But got there killing my petrol.

Also something off topic...
Last week I put unleaded low sulphur 97 petrol in from Texaco and it lasted me 50mpg instead of my normal 38-41mpg consumption.

What type of unleaded is better for my Active Sport?
And what is the difference?

 

[catalepticstate]

I drive the entire length of the M6 9-10 a year and I too have noticed there is a bit that my car doesn't like.

It doesn't seem that steep and if i hit that bit going at sensible motorways speeds then I can keep going around 70. However if i get stuck before something or have to brake I end up doing 60-65 too.

Obiviously not sure if it is the same section as you (trying to remember exactly where it is), but if it is I think it is a little engined car thing and not a problem.

I think its before the Cheshire Sign, probably near stoke, theres alot of greenry.

Feels like your going through Sherwood Forrest :-s

 

[Doug Inman]

sounds to me like its only runnin on 3 cylinders if its eating your petrol too!

 

[Jonnio]

Slow up a hill seems normal to me lol. Had an 8v trying to get past me just before J15 the other month and it wasn't happening.

40mpg doesn't seem too unreasonable either. Depending on how you drive it.

 

[Anfield]

if your in 5th gear thats why, not enough revs which means no power.
if youve got the same ratio gear box i have in my punto drop it to fourth or even 3rd. i can get 90mph but thats limiter in third so youve got a lot of play in 3rd hope this helps.

Also a good service could help. plugs leads oil n filter etc

 

[Dan89]

What I'd do is find the power curve graph, look at the rpm you are doing at these speeds and that should answer your question unfortunately

Edit: Had a quick look for the Bravo 1.2 16v:

At 3000rpm 42hp
At 4000rpm 61hp

For the 2.0 20v:

At 3000rpm 75hp
At 4000rpm 107hp

This is the problem with little engines I'm afriad

 

[Nickmitbm]

Also something off topic...
Last week I put unleaded low sulphur 97 petrol in from Texaco and it lasted me 50mpg instead of my normal 38-41mpg consumption.

What type of unleaded is better for my Active Sport?
And what is the difference?

The best one is super unleaded , like shell v power racing or BP ultimate.The problem is that they're way too expensive..
Using such petrol , cleans the interior of your engine , reduces fuel consumption , increases engine power(Don't imagine you're gonna go as a rocket though , we're talking about 1-2 bhp from constant 1-2 month use).Best of all is that clearance issue , as it really makes your engine more reliable.I use super unleaded about once a month(or two months) depending on my wallet situation...
Super unleaded has 99-100 octanes while normal one has about 95.

 

[MikeSalt]

My lowly little 55s will continue to pull up the M6 J15-16 hills at 70MPH in 5th gear no problem at all. If I put my foot down it will pick up too. I am running BP Ultimate however, and have been for three years.

One thing to check is the age of the spark plugs. When mine were on their way out, the low-end punch was dented, requiring a cog-drop to get me up that same hill. New plugs and it soon came back to normal.

 

[ChrisUK]

Drop down to 4th gear and rev its t**s off. I had a punto 8v as my first car I had to do the same. Unfortunatly the 1.2 8v 60hp is only one step up from a Honda lawn mower .

But as said make sure if you haven't already that its been serviced, new oil, plugs etc etc.

 

[catalepticstate]

Drop down to 4th gear and rev its t**s off. I had a punto 8v as my first car I had to do the same. Unfortunatly the 1.2 8v 60hp is only one step up from a Honda lawn mower .

But as said make sure if you haven't already that its been serviced, new oil, plugs etc etc.

I have done a part service.

Only oil and oil filter.

Arent the prices of super unleaded the same price? and does the mixing of petrol mess up the engine?

 

[rallycinq]

Check/replace your air filter as the first point of call.

Cheers

SPD

 

[ChrisUK]

Aye and Sparkplugs won't hurt either (cheap too).

 

[DaveMcT]

Drop down to 4th gear and rev its t**s off. I had a punto 8v as my first car I had to do the same. Unfortunatly the 1.2 8v 60hp is only one step up from a Honda lawn mower .

But as said make sure if you haven't already that its been serviced, new oil, plugs etc etc.

Assuming its been serviced properly the 1.2/60 is a perfectly good engine (for what its intended to do) - you just have to use it properly. Small engines need to rev to make power so as already said simply drop to 4th gear. Dont be scared to rev it - too slow uses more fuel and the engine wont last as long.

Failing that buy a bigger car (or a diesel), but all engines have a "happy speed".

 

[pk090]

The best one is super unleaded , like shell v power racing or BP ultimate.The problem is that they're way too expensive..
Using such petrol , cleans the interior of your engine , reduces fuel consumption , increases engine power(Don't imagine you're gonna go as a rocket though , we're talking about 1-2 bhp from constant 1-2 month use).Best of all is that clearance issue , as it really makes your engine more reliable.I use super unleaded about once a month(or two months) depending on my wallet situation...
Super unleaded has 99-100 octanes while normal one has about 95.

i dont know if you read the article in a magazine (cant remember which one though).

The magazine did a test one 2 cars (brand new subaru imprezza and a brand new citroen C1) both cars had tanks drained and filled with £10 worth of standard shell fuel. They were both rolling roaded. The scooby (was a uk import standard model so was roughly 240Hp and the C1 i think is about 55 hp.) The scooby hit 239 hp on the dyno and the C1 hit 55. The tank was drained again and then filled with the same amount of V-power high octane stuff from shell. they dyno'd again and the C1 gained no HP bonus or torque gains and the scoob gained 6hp. im sure that this was a fair test (fair as can be) but seems a bit pointless to use optimax and v power when there are no benefits on such a small engined car.