bad fuel economy

[mick kerr]

Hi there all
It has possibly been discussed before, But I am searching for some ideas and or solutions.
Navara st 2010, very happy with it except for the fuel economy.
I carry some where between 400 and 600 kg on any given day, I am experiencing really bad fuel economy, when working with the load in I would expect it to be not the best, how ever since day one I have never hit 500km per tank on average I get 400km 440km at best.

Recently went on a trip to the gold coast, with no gear and just few cloths and kids ( a lot less than normal) the best range I got over the 2500km travelled was 450km to a tank.

Disappointing???

Any one got any suggestions to rectify this issue or any possible causes.

She has been serviced every 10k and runs well, blows no smoke and has plenty of power, but is really thirsty.

Cheers Mick

 

[nathand22]

Mick hit search and you will find a thread of about 50 pages on this exact thing.
or look in the d40 section. I think its in the general section, under D40 fuel economy.


OK ill be nice here's the link http://www.navara.asia/d40-general-chat/39-d40-fuel-economy.html

happy reading.
nathan

 

[joe2006]

When you say you got 400 or 440ks to the tank, is that until the low fuel light came on?

How many litres did it take to fill? How fast were you travelling?

P.S or see above

 

[KraftyPg]

Right foot, weight, mods and many other factors will contribute to your economy and with limited information it's impossible to give you accurate help. Nathan's link is about the best help you can get.

But also take into account that there is no "magical" figure a car should attain and just like no two cars are the same no two drivers are the same, even if you say you're a light footed driver unless you can compare it directly to other drivers it's still hard for anyone to say if your light foot is the same or better than anyone elses.

You could try the ECU reset which is probably described in Nathans link (if not search for ECU reset) but as far as I'm concerned that's counter productive given the way the ECU works but hey some people swear by it and it doesn't hurt anything.

 

[mick kerr]

that is to an average 65 -70 ltrs
Think it works out to 14ltr /100km

 

[mick kerr]

thanks for the info
will look into all the options.

 

[KraftyPg]

14's aren't good but they aren't the worst quoted on here if it makes you feel better

Have a read through any of the economy threads and you might find some tips and ideas on how to conserve fuel, or just get really pissed off and want to trade the Nav in on a Toyota.

 

[joe2006]

Driving in a "spirited" manner, I reckon I could get mine in the 14's. I can also get in into the 10's & even squeeze into 9's if I drive in a lethargic manner (not too fast & gentle with the pedal). This of course may not apply to you however there is just no way of knowing.

My thoughts are that if I use the power I pay.

I was thinking of a chip for the sole purpose of better towing performance however I know that unless I am towing, the extra power gained from a chip is a waste because I rarely use what is already available.

Anyway much has been said about the issue of economy in the other threads & another with people such as myself rabbiting on just makes a mess.

Mind you it's a bit late me saying that after I have crapped on

 

[justdrinkbeer]

I had the same thing on my last one, but up around 18l/100km, couldn't get past 370km to a tank. Did the EGR mod and totally changed it, fuel came down to 14l/100km and performance picked up a bit too.

 

[WoodyD40]

that is to an average 65 -70 ltrs
Think it works out to 14ltr /100km

Thats about what i get if i just drive to the speed limit, with the family in the car and some stuff thrown in the back.

BUT >>>>>

If i back off the throttle a bit and kind of drive to the scanguage, I know i can get the economy right down into the 10's without too much effort. the real trick is to keep the revs below 1900 when cruising and dont try to accelate up hills and slopes when on the highways. It takes a lot of practise (and a hell of a lot of patience) to drive like that.

Even so, I still dont drive as slow as KraftyPG

 

[KraftyPg]

No one drives like me because all you silly buggers seem to want to be somewhere at some time, I don't have deadlines.

However I would suggest 99% of people could save fuel in any car they drive by learning how to listen and look at what their car is telling them, tools like Scanguage help but they aren't necessary.

Given so many of us actually spend the majority of our time at 80kph or less (don't remember the exact figure but it has been tested) fuel savings can be made purely by concentrating on revs. Using something like a SG it is easy to see that you can be cruising down a road at the legal 80kph and with a very slight foot movement you can maintain the same speed but alter the revs. It's entirely possible in many cases to drop 100RPM without changing speeds then inadvertently pick those revs up again without changing speeds and a large majority of drivers would do this constantly on any trip.

Learn to find that sweet spot with less revs and the same speed and any driver can save fuel. Driving for economy is not just about driving slower it's about driving smarter and paying attention to the vehicle and what it tells you.

 

[joe2006]

I'm still thinking about the sweet spot.

 

[Peeeeda]

I pumped my tyres up when I drove from Melb to Brisbane recently with a full load. I put 40 in the front and 55psi in the rear. Forgot all about it and wondered why I was getting 660k's from 70 litres instead of the usual 550k. Checked the tyre pressure placard one day and oops... should be max of 32psi and 38psi at the rear. Reduced the pressure and back to 550k's from a tank now

 

[KraftyPg]

I'm still thinking about the sweet spot.

The sweet spot is obviously different in every car and will no doubt vary over time and is not really something any one of us can wok out with a calculator and a graph. Sure we can all look at power curves and the like and make assumptions but the true sweet spot in a car is found by listen and thinking about what the car is telling you by way of revs and speed, tools like Scangauge help but a tacho and a good ear is really all you need.

I pumped my tyres up when I drove from Melb to Brisbane recently with a full load. I put 40 in the front and 55psi in the rear. Forgot all about it and wondered why I was getting 660k's from 70 litres instead of the usual 550k. Checked the tyre pressure placard one day and oops... should be max of 32psi and 38psi at the rear. Reduced the pressure and back to 550k's from a tank now

I've never run my tyres that high but tyre pressures definitely make a difference to economy just like they make a difference to ride. With the number of different tyre brands and their sizes often being mentioned as a contributing factor it should also be mentioned just as often that tyre pressure are just as big of a factor.

 

[Tappet]

All great points and do make a difference.
One of the big factors, is read the traffic.
Every time you have stop thats nearly 2 tonne mass you have move from standstill. Even just avoiding a complete stop will still save fuel. There are other factors to, do really need all the gear in your car all the time. Every brake application, more fuel. Steering input, more input more drag.
And you still don't have to drive like a hated Volvo driver to do it.

 

[KraftyPg]

Traffic is a big factor, I can't believe the difference in economy I was getting between Perth traffic and Melbourne traffic. Even in peak hour Perth traffic I was getting low 10's into high 9's while at the same time listening to the radio where people are bitching about how heavy the traffic is. In Melbourne Sunday morning traffic is heavier and even on freeways the stop start kills trying to get any sort of economy.

 

[MAD D40]

My rig was tare weight 2500 with steel bar winch and steel tray. I had a long range tank. Each time i filled it I would put in 130 - 140 lt no matter how I drove Highway, town, Hard or crusing I would get 900km a tank before fuel light came on.

I kept a 40psi in all tyres and ran 265-70-16s Bighorn mddies.
And dont forget the little oil burners run 20 pound boost also.
Still its better than the 500km I get out of 145 litres of petrol in my 100 series.

 

[BravoBrad]

Still its better than the 500km I get out of 145 litres of petrol in my 100 series.

Rather than fill it, pour the 145litres over it and set it on fire. It will work out cheaper in the long run.

 

[joe2006]

The sweet spot is obviously different in every car and will no doubt vary over time and is not really something any one of us can wok out with a calculator and a graph. Sure we can all look at power curves and the like and make assumptions but the true sweet spot in a car is found by listen and thinking about what the car is telling you by way of revs and speed, tools like Scangauge help but a tacho and a good ear is really all you need.

I'm sorry but at the time my mind had drifted away from cars

 

[MAD D40]

Rather than fill it, pour the 145litres over it and set it on fire. It will work out cheaper in the long run.

Funny you say that, thats exactly what my D40 needed. Even the Nissan dealer got sick of seeing the thing come back in for warranty work.
Much happier with my cruiser but of course everyone has their own opinions.