Prado TD fuel consumption - joy at last

Rubish conumptiion on my 2005 model as well, has shown some improvement as well. I've done 80,000Kms [and have fited a DP Chip as well to try to make some improvement.]

I'm happy for you to Richard - I've been trying forever to get 20mpg (14.1lt/100km) in my 4800 petrol Patrol , and once I almost got there , and was so disappointed when I got 14.2 instead.

I tried to comfort myself by saying that any result is not accurate to less than 1lt anyway , but I sort of new that the only reason I almost made it was cause I was probably on that side of the tolerance already.

Forgot to add, Prado has done 127000kms, stock standard as far as engine and suspension goes, only thing adding to consumption would be the alloy bar on the front..some say a snorkel increases drag too? Tyres are Cooper AT/R at 35psi.

Richard
given the current price of fuel I decided to work my consumption out a different way on my last trip. (7000 k's, some towing the van, some heavy4wd and some cruising just heavily laden)Instead of mpg or l/100k I worked out that the trip cost me 30.9 cents per kilometre. When you are sitting behind the wheel watching the k's roll over its a sobering thought that about every 3 k's you have used a dollar's worth of fuel.

tessa

I fixed my 2005 prado's woeful fuel consumption. Sold it and bought an 80 series td. It leaves the prado for dead and gets heaps better on the economy state. My prado td auto could not do better than 13.98 litres per 100. The 80 is down around 11.1

My 2001 TD auto usually returns around 13.5l/100km on a normal trip involving some 4WDriving.

Best was 10.4L/100km freeway (115km/h - gps corrected) run Wagga-Windsor-Wagga BFG's pumped upto 50psi....

Worst 20L/100km - dog trailer, roof rack both full, 2 adults, 4 kids, 2 dogs....Gundagai to Oberon trying to sit on 110km/h.....
Also got 20L/100km on recent trip Mansfield to Omeo via Wonnangatta in 4wd LOW 95% of the way!

BFG MT's bullbar & 3 roof bars

Cheers

My Prado is 2001 TD manual. Over the last 50,000 kms, it's averaged 11.3 L\100.

I track my fuel consumption in a spreadsheet and also run a trend line which shows that the fuel consumption has gradually improved over the last 18 mths. Perhaps as the engine wears more, economy improves (now 103,000 kms). That's certainly true with heavy diesel truck engines as they loosen up over time. Maybe I'm driving it better too. Over 100 kph, it's heavy on fuel. Prado has bullbar, snorkel, Cooper ST @40psi.

My brother has a 4.2TD Nissan and has stopped using supermarket diesel with a noticeable improvement in fuel economy.

- Peter

Interesting comments. Perhaps its the engine loosening up, using less supermarket fuel (I live behind a real servo), less right foot. But the funny thing is, when I first got the Prado it was getting 10l/100km without even trying.. I remember one tankful getting 31mpg in the old figures (which I relate to easier)

Anyway, I'm not complaining!

Richard
I don't know about the current series, but the 90 series has a manufacturer designed leakage from the main tank to the subtank. From the owner's manual -"Due to the fuel passage incorporated in the sub fuel tank system, the fuel in the sub fuel tank system increases as you consume fuel from the main fuel tank. This fuel passage is designed to encourage your use of the sub fuel tank from time to time so that the fuel pump within the sub fuel tank is properly lubricated."
The upshot of that is that when doing any consumption tests you should always use at least some of each tank and refill them both!
They don't tell you how much leakage there is, but it could be a real factor in determining consumption figures.

tessa