Mileage

Rider, I have not driven a petrol Navara so cannot comment on personal experience but if I have the model correct the article below suggests your findings may be typical.

http://www.carsguide.com.au/news-and-reviews/buyers-guide/nissan_navara_d40_2005-2008_buyers_guide

Hi Riderau,

I have no experience with that vehicle so cannot comment on specifics but when you tow there is always a price to pay for the convenience the van affords.

I get somewhere in the region of 23L/100K so your figures would please me no end however the performance the petrol motor gives is worth the extra cost, for me at least.

You may save on fuel if you go to a diesel but there are other costs associated with diesel ownership and at the end of the day they are line ball on running and owning costs according to those that have done the sums.

A hyclone ????, others can comment on the specifics of those devices but I will say that the general consensus is that they are not effective.

Cheers, Bruce.

You'll probably get a little better on higher octane fuel but it will cost the same overall. I had a V6 petrol Pathfinder (probably the same motor) and your figures look good to me.

Your figures look great to me.
And when you end up traveling at a realistic speed on main roads it is going to be even thirstier.

You can chip it, hiclone it, upgrade exhaust, lighten it and any number of perceived economy measures to ease yr troubled mind but you'll just end up throwing more money at it instead of putting it in the tank, as well as lowering yr resale value.

Welcome to petrol towing...

I agree with all others...14 to 100 is pretty good really.

But I think it might be closer to 15.5... 383km / 60lt = 6.38km per lt = 15.67lt per 100km.

Changing the "chip" or modding the computer by flashing it, will not improve things.

The two main things that govern mileage is the driver and the O2 sensor. But you have to consider what you are trying to do. In this case, tow a 17ft van. I would think anywhere between 13 to 16 per 100 is OK....If you work it out, I think you will find you are getting 9 to 11 per 100 when not towing.

If you really want to try and get the mileage down, there are 2 legal things you can do and one not so legal thing :)

1. Check your driving habits. Even though you are towing, you can still get the engine up to it's sweet spot without gunning it. In traffic, like towns with stop start, just ease along. On open roads use as much power as you can to get to your cruising speed without forcing the engine. Let the engine do the work without forcing it. Look for it's sweet spot...You will notice when you get to a cruising speed that your engine likes, the RPM will drop and it will hold the speed, that is called the sweet spot.

2. Most mechanics will not change the O2 sensor at service time...Most OEM's suggest changing the O2 sensor every 100,000 km. There is no harm changing it more often. Generic brands are very good and a lot cheaper than OEM brand. A generic should be around $50...The O2 sensor "sniffs" the exhaust and from what it smells, tells the computer exactly what air/fuel mixture is needed. Because this little thing has it's "nose" in the exhaust, it gets dirty and burns out.

3. Not quite legal...But very common. Hammer out the guts of your catalytic converter. For this you need to have some mechanical knowledge. Remove the CAT and with a long screwdriver and a hammer, chisel out the ceramic type honey comb structure inside it. This will leave you with a straight through pipe...This will give you more power (very noticeable more power !!) less fuel consumption and faster exhaust extraction...Use a face mask or dust mask, that ceramic stuff is not good for you :)

To all you kind people that replied to my question on fuel economy. I thank you very much. By the sounds of things I should be grateful for what it is achieving at present.

As for the catalytic converter I think I will leave it alone, the power that I get from the old girl now is enough without killing my self lol. Once again thank you all, and may you all have fair seas and following winds .

riderau