Fuel Consumption

[steamhead]

My Delica gets only 12.8 L/100 km or about 22 mpg, doing mixed highway/city driving. I'm disappointed. It is automatic, new 235/75 R15 tires, has about 100,000 km., 1993, and starts and runs well.

Is this typical? Any suggestions?
Steve

[Schwa]

That's normal - don't believe those ads stating 25-30 mpg, they're too heavy to get that kind of mileage without pissing off most other drivers on the road. I'll be converting to WVO for some real savings in diesel consumption.

[marsgal42]

Gumdrop does 15 litres/100 km city, 10 highway pretty consistently.

My last road trip (the Kootenays, last week) came in at 10.3 litres/100 km. The best I've seen on an extended drive was 9.8 litres/100 km. This is thirstier than my old Jetta (10 city, 6 highway), but they are very different vehicles.

These things weigh two tonnes, are 4 wheel drive and have old-school mechanically injected diesel engines. You cannot expect miracles.

...laura

[patty]

I always assumed they were lighter then the average van/SUV?

[jessef]

I always assumed they were lighter then the average van/SUV?

1. not really compared to newer (bigger) van/suv's

2. less aerodynamics since they are shaped like a brick on wheels

I went through 2 tanks 50/50 city/hwy and averaging 10.5km/1L with 30x9.5 tires and I stomp on the pedal at times.

Best way you can lower your mpg or keep it low is to 'roll' up to cruising speed instead of pushing the pedal to the floor, excess 3k RPM.

Jesse

[delicat]

I've been giving my right foot a break... start slowly (I may piss a few youngsters?) and I try to roll the lights so that I'm always moving and not doing stop and go.

This simple driving style adjustment gave me a honest 10% fuel economy and a very "Zen" feeling... there's something to say about cruising instead of rushing!

As for Jfarsang stomping on the pedal and getting 10.5L/100Km good for him but a little hard to believe. Sure you're not thinking 10.5Km/L instead of L/100km?

But WVO is definitely the big winner here!

[jessef]

I've been giving my right foot a break... start slowly (I may piss a few youngsters?) and I try to roll the lights so that I'm always moving and not doing stop and go.

This simple driving style adjustment gave me a honest 10% fuel economy and a very "Zen" feeling... there's something to say about cruising instead of rushing!

As for Jfarsang stomping on the pedal and getting 10.5L/100Km good for him but a little hard to believe. Sure you're not thinking 10.5Km/L instead of L/100km?

But WVO is definitely the big winner here!

heh. the stomping on the pedal is far and few in between. sarcasm doesn't flow through these posts too easily

10.5L/100km is what I'm averaging with relaxed driving so to speak 50/50 city/hwy vancouver/whistler.

I have to say that this motor is very nicely tuned as well compared to the other 2 Delica's and Pajero's I've driven. It feels 'smoother' both in acceleration and cruising. I give CVI all the credit as they did the DelicaTune on this guy when I got it originally.

Jesse

ps. WVO +1

[mararmeisto]

My Delica gets only 12.8 L/100 km or about 22 mpg, doing mixed highway/city driving. I'm disappointed. It is automatic, new 235/75 R15 tires, has about 100,000 km., 1993, and starts and runs well.

Is this typical? Any suggestions?
Steve

Sounds like you're right on the money for fuel consumption - you're not really doing anything wrong. After 1865 litres of diesel and 15484km (combined highway and city) Moon Machine's managed a grand total of: 8.5km/L or 12.61L/100km or 19.99mpg (US).

As for all the other bits about "WHY?", well I'd have to echo the other posts: 4WD, 2 tonnes, rolling brick, nearly 20 years old, etc, etc, etc.

[JMK]

12.8l/100km is exactly what I got after I cleaned my injectors and represented an improvement over the previous 13.5l/100km I was getting.

I'm seeing lots of the available WVO SOurces dropping like flies daily as they make commitments for pickup. WIth the prices going like this, I predict that if you don't have your WVO source nailed down within the next few weeks, you will be out of luck. It makes the decision to convert now to WVO a tricky one if you haven't done so already.

[Green1]

After adjusting for my odometer's inaccuracy my average consumption since august when I started tracking it is 12.1 L/100km mix of city/highway.

[torchard]

Same here - I'm around about the averages quoted in this thread. And as with the other drivers, I've gained well in the city by being light on the pedal and being a little more strategic when driving. Yup, I trundle along like an old man, but I don't have to drive behind me ;).

[FalcoColumbarius]

The Miss Lil' Bitchi gets 8.5 Kilometres to the litre (25 MPG Imp.) in the city pretty consistently and between nine and ten per litre on the highway, depending on the terrain. I run the tyres at 41 PSI and use a fuel additive called "Howe's", which you can pick up at Lordco. It is cheaper if you buy it by the case than by the bottle. The fuel additive, apart from cleaning the jets, adds lubricity to the fuel which is lacking as more sulphur is taken out of Diesel 2 (i.e.; LSD & ULSD), lubricity adding kilometreage.

Falco.

[sid]

Sid here,

I have been keeping track too, and prior to Mardys injector work I was getting pretty crap mileage, like 15L/100k, lots of smoke too.

now after 4 tanks I average between 11.5-12.5L/100k depending on how much highway vs city, and i run a bit bigger tire too, LT265-15 around 34 psi, so I am happy, my van runs great and mileage appears within normal tolerances based on what everyone else is saying. I did find that i get better mileage, smoother idle and less smoke when I run Stanadyne additive at 2ml per litre of diesel. now that summer is coming i will experiment with some bio diesel in place of this additive, last year i ran about a b20 mix with good performance also, ill keep you posted.

[Erebus]

After 1865 litres of diesel and 15484km (combined highway and city) Moon Machine's managed a grand total of: 8.5km/L or 12.61L/100km or 19.99mpg (US).

I think you got the mpg wrong. I've got 12.6 L/100km, or 22 mpg (imp) or 18.3 mpg (US); after 12,207 km and 1618 litres of mostly city.

Of course, my conversion factors might be wrong. Online Conversion.com gives 22.4 mpg(UK) and 18.6 mpg(US) for 12.6 L/100km

[northvanmatt]

I have also been keeping track through out the past winter. I drive a lot between whistler and vancouver and MT baker and vancouver. My last trip, mixed city and highway driving(thats around north van and a trip to whistler and back) I got 10.6 liters/100 km. I am pretty happy with that. I have also had the delica tune at CVI and I noticed that my fuel economy has gotten better and a lot less black smoke.