1st Prado - Fuel issue (Newby Needs Help)

[jtowne7 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close jtowne7]

Hi Everyone,

Long time lurker, first time poster and I am hoping I can get some help as i recently purchased a 2008 Prado GXL (Diesel Auto). This is my 1st 4WD and I am a total newby to 4WDing, diesels and the like other than a little knowledge of Dad's 60 series Landcruiser that we used in the Pilbara.

I picked up the car and have only driven to work and back - 14kms each way of city driving, soft foot usually on the 60km/h roads with some 80km/h parts. I have also taken it out for a clean out run of just over an hour at 100km highway speed.

My issue is that the first tank clicked over halfway and swapped to the second tank at 690kms only! and now is near the final quarter of the second having done only 1100kms total. I am not sure what fuel was put in it prevously, have looked at the air filter which is brand new and clean as i thought this may cause a problem. Generally i use BP Ultimate for our CX-5 baby carrier and almost get the same kms from 30 L less in the tank

I was hoping to get more of 900kms from a tank, not less than 700, could this be dirty fuel? the cold weather? something else? I am really shocked and a bit concerned as it was serviced before i picked it up also.

It has done 224000kms and It has the small roof racks and no other mods other than side skirts and spare on the back that could add weight etc. It also has Pirelli A/T tyres if that makes a difference.

Any help would be much appreciated. Thank you

[Guest Close Guest]

1. Are you sure that the tanks were filled to the brim when you picked it up?
2. Fill up the tanks. Drive as per normal. Fill up the tank again and do the L/100km calc. Going by the fuel gauge is not an accurate way of gauging fuel economy.

[jtowne7 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close jtowne7]

1. Gauge showed just past F when I picked up.
2. I didn’t do the calculations as yet but was just worried getting under 700 for the first tank, even if gauge isnt perfect still seems low. I will definitely try the calculations though.

[Guest Close Guest]

Your comparing apples and oranges if your judging from a Mazda CX5. Smaller car, smaller engine, more economical. Your now pushing the aerodynamics of a brick through the air.

You have got 1100kms out of it so far, how much fuel went in if you've filled it?> Then figure out your economy from there and you'll have your answers on how far it will go on a tank.

How big are the pirellis? 70 series? if so your speedo will be likely reading high and your calculations could be up to 4-5% out.

[jtowne7 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close jtowne7]

1100kms is from full (both tanks - 180L) with only a quarter of tank two remaining, that’s my concern as I’ve read a lot of people getting 900/1000km from tank one only and I’m got less than 700 and just over 1100 for both tanks.
Am I being unrealistic to get that also?

I’ll have to check the Pirelli ATR size in the morning and get back to you.

[Pedro Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Pedro]

I have a 2007 GXL and have kept a spreadsheet from new .
These are some of the figures from my spreadsheet

Date	15/04/2018
kms travelled	1106
litres used	129
lpk	12
mpg	24
%fill	72%
nominal full tank kms	1542

As suggested above fill up to the top go for a long drive and then refill from same bowser.
You will find that the first tank holds more than 50% and my last fill , as above , got me a bit over 1100kms and based on that usage i would have expected to get 1542 from the 180lire tank.
Mileage achieved was much higher when newer but over the nearly 11 years the average nominal mileage comes in at 1661kms.
Get back to us after next fill.

[Guest Close Guest]

1100kms is from full (both tanks - 180L) with only a quarter of tank two remaining, that’s my concern as I’ve read a lot of people getting 900/1000km from tank one only and I’m got less than 700 and just over 1100 for both tanks.
Am I being unrealistic to get that also?

I’ll have to check the Pirelli ATR size in the morning and get back to you.

Have you filled it yet..? Your wasting your time if you haven't. gauges mean nothing in relation to Kms and economy.

[jtowne7 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close jtowne7]

I have a 2007 GXL and have kept a spreadsheet from new .
These are some of the figures from my spreadsheet

Date	15/04/2018
kms travelled	1106
litres used	129
lpk	12
mpg	24
%fill	72%
nominal full tank kms	1542

As suggested above fill up to the top go for a long drive and then refill from same bowser.
You will find that the first tank holds more than 50% and my last fill , as above , got me a bit over 1100kms and based on that usage i would have expected to get 1542 from the 180lire tank.
Mileage achieved was much higher when newer but over the nearly 11 years the average nominal mileage comes in at 1661kms.
Get back to us after next fill.

Thanks guys for the help, quick question...when you say fill up to the top and go for a long drive and then refill from the same bowser.

do you mean on the same day or like a week later or driven a certain amount of kms? I don’t tend to have big km drives at the moment. So can plan to do so to help with this.

[jtowne7 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close jtowne7]

Oh and brand of fuel make a big difference? I usually only use BP but Diesel I haven’t had as much experience. Any advice there?

[Pedro Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Pedro]

Not fill on same day . You have a big tank so do your refill after you have done say 800kms.
Using the same bowser simply to try and get the same level when filling.
I have used BP Ultimate since it was available
Mine has done 166,000kms

Might also be worth getting a scanguage https://scangauge.com.au/which I found to be very good at seeing the LPK when travelling, allowing me to ease back on peddle when it rose too high.

My Prado was first diesel I had owned and it got a bit of getting used to. I found easy on peddle was the way to go .

Pedro

[red hilux Member Find all posts View Profile Close red hilux]

is the car stock?

What accessories are on it?

How do you drive it?

Im running 1 size tyre up, full roof rack, bullbar, rear bar, draws, 4wding and bit of towing. I range from 1100 to 1250 for 150-160 litres.

I would think that if your stock and no roof rack etc. You get more out of it

[jtowne7 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close jtowne7]

Stock with only the small thin plastic racks.
pirelli Scorpion atr but standard size 65s
i drive like a grandma, soft foot as I want to conserve fuel as filling up is Gna kill the bank account and I have heaps of cameras on the way to work too.

Yeah I think so too which is why I was a bit worried the economy was so yuck. Will have to fill up and test myself

[GEEEXL Member Find all posts View Profile Close GEEEXL]

1 you wont be able to refill or use the full 180L as both tanks have a reserve amount that is unusable
2 kilometers per tank is not how you measure fuel consumption
3 Liters per 100 kilometers is hour you measure fuel consumption

welcome to the world of 4x4 - they are not cheap commuters - they serve a purpose eg towing or 4x4ing

[jtowne7 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close jtowne7]

Just an update on how I have been travelling. The latest tank was driving mostly to work and back which is around 16kms of city driving one way and one longer highway trip - 300 km total at mostly 100/110 km/h speeds.

I filled up this morning with the gauge almost at halfway but before it ticked over to the second tank.

Last fill up:
Date - 29/06
Kms travelled - 822
Litres used - 85.97
Litres/100km - 10.46

So it definitely improved from earlier, not sure if its driving with more caution on the pedal or better fuel or combination of both...

[Pedro Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Pedro]

LOoking a lot better.
Fed these into my spreadsheet and came up with

Litres Per	Miles Per	Kms/
100 km	Gallon	Litre

10.46 27 9.56