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The Dutch, Scottish, & Indian people megathread (Driving economically)


Roman

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Used to get a fairly consistent 10 mpg equivalent out of a TK Bedford 214 on lpg. 16" wheels, 2.7 tonne tare weight, 6.5 tonne GVM.

Best I ever got out of my EN Civic with Hondamatic was 38 mpg but I always drove it hard. Sure 40 mpg would have been achievable if I'd been kinder to it. 

Austin 1300 used to get 33 mpg driven balls out everywhere.

XC wags with 4.1 and three on the tree was pretty consistent on 22 mpg. Torque for Africa though. I'd drive from Lookout Point in Dunners to Kaitangata without touching the brake or shifting out of top gear.

My first EA wags (four speed auto) did Whangarei to Porirua (802 km) on 78 litres being near enough to 29 mpg. Same car went from Romahapa to Gore with the reserve light on and took 82 litres to fill it up.

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I had a go at some "pulse and glide" in the Carina tonight.

 

Previously just under 7l per 100km was the best economy I've managed.

 

From tonight, 4.7l per 100km... Amazing difference!

I havent managed anything anywhere near that before.

That datalog though, hahaha

 

1h3xjqvt.ld3.jpg
 

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What methods are there to monitor/log fuel use with a carby?  

 

Somehow measure flow rate into the carb/ out of the tank?

A combo of tps, map sensor?

 

For me its hard to get an idea because most of my driving is mixed, little round town then open road out to the farm, i've thought about draining the tank and measuring fuel back in but running out aint fun!

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In that case I think the only practical way you can measure is to fill the tank back up to the "click" at the same gas station each time.

 

This. And use Fuelly, it's free and a convenient way to actually record what you're feeding the beast.

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From tonight, 4.7l per 100km... Amazing difference!

Ahhh nope I noobed my maths on that.

 

Was actually just over 6.

Didnt make as much difference as it does with the Echo.

Yet is a lot more annoying to do haha. 

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My v8 coon had only 1l more per hundy than workmates straight six coon of similar vintage.

I think our driving styles probably differed greatly but I had way more power on tap so it was worth the extra pingas.

 

Agree. Colleague with a V8 XD sedan (302 with 289 heads and automatic) was getting 25 mpg while I was getting 22 mpg from XC wags (4.1 manual). No idea what diff ratio he is running though. Probably a bit cruisier than the wags. There are a lot of coons in his past too and he frequently gives me cheek cos all mine are sixes and he reckons anything that big should have a V8.

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That reminds me. In about 2006, I had a '92 1UZ soarer. I went to Blenheim in the rain in a hurry, so I was taking it quietly-ish around the corners, and squirting it to about [redacted-illegal] on the straights on the way up. This turned in 8.4k/l (11.9L/100). Interestingly, I was cruising at just over the limit on the way home, and it only incremented to 8.6k/L (11.6L/100). I had been expecting a greater change in economy, but weather conditions changed, and perhaps there was some of the "Pulse and glide" effect Roman mentions improving the economy on the trip up.

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I think the benefit of the pulse and glide thing is that it lowers your average RPM to below what your final drive / gearbox / etc can actually acheive. Which you dont really get in an auto car because the revs drop when your foot is off the gas anyway.
 

In other news.
In some of the documentation for how the dual VVTI system works in the Toyotas. 
It adjusts the exhaust timing to allow exhaust gas back into the cylinder at cruising conditions, the reasons cited are internal EGR action but also reduced pumping losses.
 
Would be nice to have the dual VVTI version of my engine, free 10hp and better economy. 
 
Juts a pity that most of them are completely flogged out and in need of a rebuild by now.
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Not putting 1000mls of Moryes HD oil stabilizer in your crankcase or some other stupid thick oil helps with fuel economy.

 

Fitting a good set of extractors helps, Try Y's are very good for around town driving, when you put them on its like if before you were driving with the hand brake on a few clicks or the ignition retarded.   

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Simply knowing and understanding the characteristics of the engine you're behind will go a long way to improving your mileage.

 

I know my BT-50 at work makes it's peak torque at 2k, and peak power at 3k - It spends most of the day with a ton on the deck and 1 or 2 ton on the trailer...

Despite this, I can only think of one spot on my travels where I exceed 2800rpm.  Average consumption on this ute in particular is 9.0/100 - Not bad, but it's only 3 weeks old and still toight like a toiger.

 

The ute it replaced, an identical BT-50 3.2 5-pot with 299,000km on the clock was turning in low 8/high 7's per 100 under the same conditions.

Our in-store reps run these too, albeit in 4x4 wellside w/canopy and can't seem to better 9.5/100 despite never having any load at all in them.

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So it turns out the hilariously boxy looking Subaru XT is actually some genius aerodynamic masterpiece that spent countless hours in the wind tunnel during it's design.

Clocks in with a very surprising c.d. of 0.29

 

Pretty impressive for something that looks like its design was based on a tupperware container

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subaru_XT#Aerodynamics

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Your BT-50 is 2wd Alfashark? That can make a huge difference. As can running in 4wd all the time instead of just when you need it to get out of some place you really ought not to have driven into in the first place. We currently have 4wd Colorados and a 4wd Hilux at work but we rarely use them in 4wd.

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