Fuel mileage from a gasser?

mapleridge818 · Post by **mapleridge818** » Thu Sep 20, 2012 11:19 pm

I'm in the market for a Delica, probably a L400. I'm considering a gas instead of a diesel for a couple of reasons:

Cheaper to buy, they seem about $1500-$2000 cheaper than a diesel. $2000 in savings buys a lot of fuel.
I live ten minutes from work, so a diesel wouldn't even get up to temp, which can be harder on them right?

I can't seem to find any reliable numbers on mileage from the v6 gas model. I've heard from 17-27 MPG. 27 seems pretty far fetched to me. I know it depends on how and where you drive. I'm in the vancouver area, so it doesn't get real cold. I do city driving during the week, but highway on the weekends. I don't drive like granny, but I'm pretty good at maintaining speed and not accelerating up to red lights like some people.

I thought about the 2.4L gas engine, but I've got a 2.4L in my little 2wd, 2600lb nissan pickup, and it's about as slow as I'd like to go.

And just to compare, the L400 diesels are doing about 11L/100kms or 23-24 mpg?

delidemon · Post by **delidemon** » Fri Sep 21, 2012 6:41 am

I've been averaging 11-13l/100km depending on my driving with my v6. The higher end when I get stuck in downtown Vancouver traffic. My highest was 16l/100km when the back brake seized up and needed replacing. I figure I can get 400-500km per tank. Most of my driving is Vancouver airport to whistler and I like the gasser as I can average 110km/hr from horseshoe bay north. It takes me 1.5hrs from whistler to lionsgate(145km) and 1 hr through downtown to the airport(30km).

mapleridge818 · Post by **mapleridge818** » Fri Sep 21, 2012 5:32 pm

11-13L/100km seems very reasonable to me. The diesels don't do too much better. For all the shorts trips around town, I think I'll be better off with a gas. Thanks!

konadog · Post by **konadog** » Fri Sep 21, 2012 6:16 pm

When in that heavy traffic shut the motor off at long red lights - you'll save about 10%...

mapleridge818 · Post by **mapleridge818** » Fri Sep 21, 2012 7:34 pm

I've noticed the new BMWs do this automatically.
Any concerns of wearing out the starter motor, or causing any other premature failures on the engine?

403delica · Post by **403delica** » Fri Sep 21, 2012 8:35 pm

The stat i heard was 10 seconds of idling uses more gas then starting/stoping the motor

Evan

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konadog · Post by **konadog** » Sat Sep 22, 2012 11:33 am

I did this for years with my little Nissan pickup and only had to get the brushes changed in the starter once - No big deal I thought. Not sure about the time, but I've heard 10 seconds before too. Modern cars don't need the gas pedal pumped to start up so are much more efficient than decades ago.

romperroom · Post by **romperroom** » Mon Sep 24, 2012 11:00 pm

I have a 1995 low roof L400 2.4l gasser and I get about 450kms on a tank of gas. I do have a lead foot and that 2.4l engine responds like nobody's business. Those Porches sure hate being passed by a "minivan". I thought my van would slow me down......but it didn't :)

mapleridge818 · Post by **mapleridge818** » Wed Sep 26, 2012 7:08 pm

How big is the fuel tank?
A 2.4L 4cyl is responsive in a 4000lb vehicle? I guess I'd have to drive one, but man, it seems like it would be a dog. Is it geared really short? What's 100kph turning on the freeway?
I guess everything is relative. If you're used to a 5 tonne truck, maybe it is fast. I'm used to 2.4Ls in 2600lbs vehicles, and have been known to bolt a turbo on said 2.4L to make it a bit more "responsive"

Post by **nxski** » Thu Sep 27, 2012 10:50 am

Compared to my L300 the 2.4 is FAST! Compares to my 2002 civic 4dr it was slow.

I've also driven the 3.0 in a Mighty Max and it wasn't as quick as my Civic either (there are more problems with that engine as well)

romperroom · Post by **romperroom** » Thu Sep 27, 2012 3:20 pm

My fuel tank is 65L. I'm not sure what the gearing is like. All I know is my van drives like a fast car. I find myself cruising at 140KM + without the van breaking a sweat. It corners much better than a lot of cars I have driven in the past. I hit the 180' off ramp to my house at 110KM with no problems. My record from Nanaimo to Courtenay is 35 min (100km). As long as my wife isn't looking at the speedo, she cant tell how fast i'm going as the ride is super smooth!

I love my gasser! I have put 80,000 kms on it in the last 2.5 years and had many great adventures.

Any time you are in Nanaimo, come take the van for a spin.

PS. do you know what type of turbo would fit my engine? Need that on my wish list!

Elbrad · Post by **Elbrad** » Thu Sep 27, 2012 11:41 pm

Great to see another Nanaimo-ite here! I'm in the South end, pretty much Cedar.

mapleridge818 · Post by **mapleridge818** » Fri Sep 28, 2012 9:44 am

romperroom wrote:
PS. do you know what type of turbo would fit my engine? Need that on my wish list!

Any turbo will fit, it's just the exhaust manifold you need to make fit the turbo. I might be tricky finding a turbo manifold for your engine. Civics and 240sx etc get turbos put on them all the time, so there are a few aftermarket companies that make manifolds. Otherwise you need a fab shop to make one. I'd look for a t25 from a 300zx or 180sx. They are common and cheap ($200).
But putting a turbo on a vehicle is a major procedure, it's not just bolting it on. You need oil feed and return lines, intercooler and piping, bigger fuel pump (sometimes) and a way to regulate fuel, so you can feed it more gas, as it builds boost. There are lots of ways to do that, some cheap and easy like a SAFC, but if you do it wrong, you blow your engine up. Unless you can find someone that had done a turbo on a engine like yours, and learn from how they did it, you'd be doing a lot of figuring stuff out on your own, which can be challenging to say the least.

If you're getting 450kms to a 65L tank, that's pretty sad. That's like 14.5L/100km. From what I've read, that's worse than the V6. Mind you, I guess not everyone drives their van like a race car.

403delica · Post by **403delica** » Fri Sep 28, 2012 11:09 am

4 banger gas or v6 gas?

Evan

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romperroom · Post by **romperroom** » Fri Sep 28, 2012 11:23 am

4 bang bang bang banger!

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