D40 Fuel Economy

[redhotnavara]

Ok, but is it possible, from the figures most of you are getting, to go to figures I'm getting in a diesel with an added 2" lift, muddies, bar, winch, snorkel, roof rack, canopy and it being an auto? Plus feathering the throttle? I would understand if it was a petrol, but to get figures double or more?

I don't know what it did prior to the mods, it's a 2011 model and it went from the dealership straight to ARB for 2 weeks to get "one of everything". The dealer keeps saying it's the added weight, but there are others with similar setups and still way below 15L.

 

[steve1961]

I would be taking it to another dealer

 

[KraftyPg]

It's impossible for us to know exactly what the dealer has done in coming to the conclusion that it's 'the extra weight' but if he's plugged it into the computer and done the diagnosis that says the engine is preforming as it should there is little else he can do. Sure it sucks not to get a definitive answer and you could take it to a diesel mech and ask them for a diagnosis but there is no guarantee that they will find anything either.

Feathering the throttle also doesn't mean much on the internet because your idea of feathering could be completely different to someone else who is getting better figures.

The few things we do know from this and other threads are:
Many KC's have been reported to get worse economy that DC's despite being basically the same vehicle.
More revs = more fuel
Higher speeds = more fuel
There is an ideal rev range to keep the engine at to maintain better economy.
Cruise Control is shit for economy.
The driver has more negative effect on economy than the car itself does.

 

[steve1961]

Weight can't be the only factor , think about 1000,s of tradies buy these things , and load them to the max , as well as tow trailers , if they were getting 400 ks a tank or under , Nissan wouldn't sell one lousy unit and car sales . Com would be awash with navaras cheaper than great walls , there's got to more too it and if I was me , I would be squealing like a stuck pig !!!

 

[Black_Outlaw]

Cruise Control is shit for economy.

What's this based on?

But having said that, I recall a TopGear episode where Jeremy was taking a Diesel Audi A8 to see if he could get 1270km from a Tank of 75 litres... He quickly found that he used LESS fuel when driving it himself than on cruise.. Almost 8MPG better (went from 32 to amost 40MPG)

EDIT:
Here's the Ep for those interested.. http://www.flixxy.com/audi-a8-diesel.htm

 

[KraftyPg]

But what more can the dealer do if their own system reports no issues? I hate dealers as much as the next person but if the system reports nothing they can't just replace bits to keep the customer happy. If they did that there would be no new car sales because none of us could afford the purchase price.

 

[KraftyPg]

What's this based on?

Common sense

 

[siringo]

1 - I've used cruise control everywhere I go, even up hills.

2 - I've used my foot everywhere, even up hills.

3 - I've used cruise control on the flat and my foot up hills letting the hill slow the vehicle, not pumping more juice into it to make it go just as fast up hill.

Option 2 used the most fuel.

The difference in consumption between options 1 & 3, I found, was negligible.

 

[KraftyPg]

George drives the car blindly, his only job is to maintain a speed he doesn't care about revs or fuel used. A driver has to drive the same way in order to get economy figures as bad or worse than George. If a driver drives his car that blindly then it's hardly surprising economy suffers.

 

[siringo]

Ok, but is it possible, from the figures most of you are getting, to go to figures I'm getting in a diesel with an added 2" lift, muddies, bar, winch, snorkel, roof rack, canopy and it being an auto? Plus feathering the throttle? I would understand if it was a petrol, but to get figures double or more?

I don't know what it did prior to the mods, it's a 2011 model and it went from the dealership straight to ARB for 2 weeks to get "one of everything". The dealer keeps saying it's the added weight, but there are others with similar setups and still way below 15L.

No, there must be something wrong somewhere. I've got all those mods with 285/75x16 mud tyres (not sure what size yours are) and I get regularly low 12's.

I have a canopy that sits out about 6" past the outside of the cabin, that would create a bit of drag.

Make sure your handbrake isn't dragging.
Is your airfilter clean?
Take everything you can out and see what happens (that's free)
Slow down, I heard air resistance increases once you go over 90km/h for most vehicles, try driving for a week at 90km/h (that's free)
Go to another dealer
Remove your canopy, roof rack and bullbar, drive for a week and see what happens (that's free)

 

[Old.Tony]

Those figures are unbelievable. Mine can't even reach 400 km and the dealer says it's normal cause if the bull bar, muddies, canopy...

It's an auto though.

My 2009 D40 STX diesel can go past 700km on 80L of fuel no worries. Kerb weight is 2500kg (half a tank of fuel, two people, zero cargo). That's her in the sig at the bottom of this post - steel bar, winch, canopy, tub liner (thanks to a good friend), 45mm lift on the front, 85mm on the tail ...

Krafty's bloody right. There's a LOT of driver influence in fuel economy. There are several things that impact it - stopping and starting in traffic being the worst, because it's pure physics - you don't get 2T moving without expending a fair bit of energy.

The dealer will look at the car and see that "things are in spec" in spite of its excessive fuel consumption. My understanding was that some KC (Thai builds) had a programming issue with the ECU and Nissan had updated a couple, with the vehicle returning to what we'd consider "more decent" economy figures. It would be fantastic if we could quote the internal service bulletin number on that - so that you can go to your dealer and tell them to look it up.

In the meantime, try this as an exercise for just ONE tank of fuel:

* Accelerate by trying to keep the RPM in the 2500-3000 range.
* Don't exceed 95km/h anywhere

and see what that does for your economy.

 

[Eug]

I'll hit 9-10L/100 km regularly unloaded. Ease into the throttle off the lights and short shift at 2,000 rpm. If it's flat I'll often cruise at 1,500 rpm in a higher gear.

Towing the boat and loaded with camping gear I will shift at 2,500 - 3,000 rpm. With a bit more when going up an incline. That returns around 10-12L/100 km depending on headwind, etc.

I agree with the 95km/hr claim, in 6th gear that seems to keep you in the sweet spot just off boost.

Let the engine build the power. Putting your foot down more doesn't seem to produce any significant gain proportional to the diesel burnt. I always lose out against a petrol car, but always catch up behind on beside at the next set of lights.

 

[steve1961]

This makes me feel sick. Nissan must have changed some logic somewhere between the 2010 and 2012 releases.

My 2010 King Cab is lucky to get to 620 k's to a tank and that's running the thing almost dry.

But you don't know all this stuff before you buy them, no one does regardless of brand or model, it's just luck.

don't know what to say really

 

[longy509]

don't know what to say really

id say scangauge is lying LOL

 

[steve1961]

id say scangauge is lying LOL

I'd say your WRONG , when I refuel its to 1/10 of a liter to what's been used and whats pumped back in , and exactly the same mileage to what's been traveled on the odometer

 

[Old.Tony]

I'd say your WRONG , when I refuel its to 1/10 of a liter to what's been used and whats pumped back in , and exactly the same mileage to what's been traveled on the odometer

If you have a standard tank, that's 8.2LPHK and even for the new 4cyl engine, that's very nicely done.

 

[steve1961]

If you have a standard tank, that's 8.2LPHK and even for the new 4cyl engine, that's very nicely done.

Thanks Tony , and yes iam very happy with it ,STD tank , and my " new" engine has now done 26,000 k's , i carry very little weight , and most ks are country , but i still get around 800 around town , only time it dropped was towing a reasonably heavy trailer from South Aus , where it dropped to 670

 

[nathand22]

I'd say your WRONG , when I refuel its to 1/10 of a liter to what's been used and whats pumped back in , and exactly the same mileage to what's been traveled on the odometer

I do not know how you get those sort of figures, even though its factionally lighter then a dual cab i still could never dream of getting almost 1000km out of a tank, even if i unloaded it took off the roof racks and run my stock tyres i just dont think i could get my scangauge to show those digits.

what sort of revs do you change gears at? and how fast do you drive according to the speedo to get those figures?

 

[steve1961]

I do not know how you get those sort of figures, even though its factionally lighter then a dual cab i still could never dream of getting almost 1000km out of a tank, even if i unloaded it took off the roof racks and run my stock tyres i just dont think i could get my scangauge to show those digits.

what sort of revs do you change gears at? and how fast do you drive according to the speedo to get those figures?

Well iam no slouch , BUT i don't flog it and at the moment it does have STD tires on it , its a manual and i usually change at 2500-3000 rpm and i cruise on 100-110 depending on the speed limit , set by my gps , which is the same as the scanguage , i think iam one of the lucky ones that got a good engine , iam wondering how it will affect it when i put the 265x75x16 all terrains on it , i have a spare set of wheels though , so if plays too much havoc ill run road tires when i am not away , its got the egr mod done plus a 2.5 '' exhaust cat back with no muffler as well

 

[nathand22]

man they are great numbers thats for sure.
I have owned two D40's now and i cant get anywhere near what your getting, admittedly the new one is better then the 2010 thai but still not that good.
I do carry ladders and planks on my roof most days and have allot of extra weight in things like winch, bashplates, rear bar, sliders ect.
I do also notice an increase when i run the bigger muddies.

What is the GVM on the rego paper of the King Cab?