Petrol saving tips for a run to brissy?

XCwillo · 30-09-2010, 10:45 AM

Im heading to brissy on friday from Hervey Bay and was just wondering if theres any precautions i should take to save the most amount of petrol?
Im driving my 3 on the tree XC ute, 4.1 Litre 6 and theres nothing in the tray except for a spare tyre and my new gearbox.

Its a 4 hour run and money is a wee tad tight so im just wondering if there is any additives i should put into the tank and other tips ect.
Ill be running Premium 98 from BP

Cheers

TheInterceptor · 30-09-2010, 11:05 AM

Petrol saving in an XC? Well that could be a bit of a long shot...:P
Anyway, dont mash the pedals, drive smoothly as in slow acceleration and slow braking. Make sure your tyre pressures are correct aswell.
Thats about all i know at the mo but they do make a world of difference.

Premium seems to consume less aswell so thats good. I woulden't know about additives.

TS50 · 30-09-2010, 11:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheInterceptor

If Julia Gillard was the answer, how stupid was the question?
.

I like that
made me laugh

But to have a XC economical
Well try to go downhill as often as you can, they were never the most economical beast
No knowing the difference infuel cost up there
but based on Tassy prices
91 unleaded @ 128.9 , say 70 lts = $ 90.23
95 unleaded @ 135.9. say 69.5 lts = $ 94.45
98 Ultimate @ 148.9, say 68.5 lts = $ 101.99

So if you are purely looking at cheapness, still go the 91 or 95

jcxr · 30-09-2010, 11:22 AM

Pump the tyres up higher than normal, say 40psi.

Mr Hardware · 30-09-2010, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XCwilo

money is a wee tad tight
....
Ill be running Premium 98 from BP

Does not compute

It's a friggin 4.1. It will detonate pretty much whatever you throw at it. Just chuck in whatever fuel. 95 from a cheap place if you've got a bit of pinging.

Oh and 3 on the tree? 80km/h. Aaaaall day long. 80.

**Polyal** · 30-09-2010, 12:32 PM

Yeah bugger putting 98 in the thing, would make only a minor difference.

Got time to change the diff ratio..hehe

My advice to anyone driving a falcon, or any large car, is dont gun it to the next set of lights. Starting off is what kills heavier cars so try as much as you can to maintain speed.

Oh and keep the windows up!

casabonka · 30-09-2010, 12:41 PM

Also, having your windows up (without air con on) saved fuel - cant imagine its alot.
Also, get rid of extra weight in the boot/cabin that you dont need!
Oh and 95 v 98 - it'll be debatable if you'll save enough km's to outweigh the cost.

Have a fun trip!

flappist · 30-09-2010, 12:58 PM

Really, if you have to worry about fuel, take the train.

I have done that run about a bazillion times in many mnay different cars and in the big picture there is not a lot you can do about how much fuel you use.

Drive like Miss Daisy or Marcos Ambrose, you will still get held up and have to stop and start slow and accelerate all the way.

Just drive south until the sky turns brownish and smells and all the people look unhappy.

Then when you are finished turn around drive north until the sky is blue and everything is wonderful and you will be back.

flappist · 30-09-2010, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jcxr

Pump the tyres up higher than normal, say 40psi.

So trading fuel economy for road grip in a car that has very basic braking and handling being driven by an ab initio driver on a road with which he is not familiar is a good thing?

**Polyal** · 30-09-2010, 01:02 PM

Is 40psi that high? I always run 38 and ive never had any issues.

XR_Strider_GuY · 30-09-2010, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XCwillo

Im heading to brissy on friday from Hervey Bay and was just wondering if theres any precautions i should take to save the most amount of petrol?
Im driving my 3 on the tree XC ute, 4.1 Litre 6 and theres nothing in the tray except for a spare tyre and my new gearbox.

Its a 4 hour run and money is a wee tad tight so im just wondering if there is any additives i should put into the tank and other tips ect.
Ill be running Premium 98 from BP

Cheers

Time it so you don't (if possible) get into a traffic jam ie arrive at peak hour at your destination. A constant cruise is the best for fuel economy and not mention much less wear and tear.

ryanstev · 30-09-2010, 01:08 PM

Put the tail gate down.

XCwillo · 30-09-2010, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flappist

Really, if you have to worry about fuel, take the train.

I have done that run about a bazillion times in many mnay different cars and in the big picture there is not a lot you can do about how much fuel you use.

Drive like Miss Daisy or Marcos Ambrose, you will still get held up and have to stop and start slow and accelerate all the way.

Just drive south until the sky turns brownish and smells and all the people look unhappy.

Then when you are finished turn around drive north until the sky is blue and everything is wonderful and you will be back.

Gotta take the car cause' im getting the engine rebuilt while im there, pretty much the whole point of the trip hah.

using 91 is horrible for the engine, always has pre ignition and what not. we dont have 95 here in the bay (i dont think so?) so 98 is the option to start the trip off.

And 80k's the whole way?
Ive only ever done very few runs at 100k's and it runs really well, or is that too high of revs for the ol 3OTT?

Mr Hardware · 30-09-2010, 02:41 PM

why are you having the engine rebuilt if you're looking to save 87c on fuel?

Yes 80k the whole way, for two reasons. At 100k your car has to push a lot harder through the air than at 80.

Trust me, my ye olde commodore with its three speeder much prefers not to be pushed. Keep it at 80 and you might even do less than 15L/100klms!

TheInterceptor · 30-09-2010, 03:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ryanstev

Put the tail gate down.

haha, i beleive mythbusters tested this and it was busted.
Car would be designed to be more efficient with it up as thats how its was intended to be.

XCwillo · 30-09-2010, 03:37 PM

I got the tauna (seriously how do you spell it?) cover on so drag shouldnt be too much of a problem.

And yeah i get where ya coming from Mr Hardware, 80 it is!
Engine is getting rebuilt just to clean everything up, cant do it here cause i live ina duplex but dads garage has all the tools i need! and i also intent on sprucing up the engine bay to make it look atleast 6.4 times sexier

I just wanted some simple petrol tips because its the first time i've done a big trip like this and im not really concerned about the cost as much as i am the distance i get on the tank.

Fev · 30-09-2010, 03:53 PM

Tonneau cover*

Slip stream as much as you possibly can, and as much as you'd like to risk stone chips etc. That will make the biggest difference. Just don't tailgate, just sit behind them far enough.

malazn mafia · 30-09-2010, 04:02 PM

Find a truck and follow it (stay approx 1.5 car lengths behind). From personal experience the drafting from the truck consistently dropped the instantaneous LPG fuel consumption reading in the BA Turbo from 9.5/L 100km to 7L/100km.

Pretty sure thats why some kinds of birds fly closely in a V formation, to break the wind and save energy if I remember rightly.

Dave_Obsession · 30-09-2010, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by malazn mafia

Find a truck and follow it (stay approx 1.5 car lengths behind). From personal experience the drafting from the truck consistently dropped the instantaneous LPG fuel consumption reading in the BA Turbo from 9.5/L 100km to 7L/100km.

Pretty sure thats why some kinds of birds fly closely in a V formation, to break the wind and save energy if I remember rightly.

Slip-streaming FTW.
Also high tyre pressures will help.
And drive SMOOTHLY!

flappist · 30-09-2010, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XCwillo

Gotta take the car cause' im getting the engine rebuilt while im there, pretty much the whole point of the trip hah.

using 91 is horrible for the engine, always has pre ignition and what not. we dont have 95 here in the bay (i dont think so?) so 98 is the option to start the trip off.

And 80k's the whole way?
Ive only ever done very few runs at 100k's and it runs really well, or is that too high of revs for the ol 3OTT?

There is 95 at both caltex servos (pialba and urangan, bp opposite the copshop (although it is the most expensive petrol in the universe), boat club servo, torquay pub servo and the one out at eli swamp.

98 at bp, shell and caltex pialba.

Don't ruin you car by making it into a hybrid mess. It was designed to run on SUPER and leaving it standard will retain its "collecter" value.
Converting it to ULP, LPG or whatever will just make it and old junker with no value at all.

ZA-289 · 30-09-2010, 05:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flappist

So trading fuel economy for road grip in a car that has very basic braking and handling being driven by an ab initio driver on a road with which he is not familiar is a good thing?

My god are you serious?, Like it would matter between 32psi and 40spi anyway, like you say its not going to stop in a hurry at either pressure.

XCwillo · 30-09-2010, 05:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZA-289

My god are you serious?, Like it would matter between 32psi and 40spi anyway, like you say its not going to stop in a hurry at either pressure.

Plus im 18, me and my car are indestructable
180+ k's round every corner yeeeaaaahboiii!

Kidding!
So far ive got the following on my list
Petrol really doesnt matter what sort i have (its got half a tank of 98 in it atm so the rest with 91 or 95 wont do anything bad)
Tyre pressure at about 33?
No speed racer stuff whenever i stop, making sure to transition smoothly to each gear and build it up slowly

Draft behind people preferably trucks (yet keeping a safe distance)
80-90k's the whole way
mandatory KFC pit stop at caboolture BP (you mean someone didnt say that? :|)
Heres one i just thought of myself
If i get stuck in some crazy traffic (friday afternoon, end of school holidays) im just gonna leave the car off, and every time the line moves a metre or two, me and my mate will just push it those metres.
pushing and one start up burst > 20 mins of idling

Swordsman88 · 30-09-2010, 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dave93761

Slip-streaming FTW.
Also high tyre pressures will help.
And drive SMOOTHLY!

+1 more for slipstreaming. It does work. Just beware you will have to stick to a safe distance and will get some stone chips most likely. Oh and when it comes to hilly areas the trucks often struggle up the hill so you will have to slow down and that will cost you a bit so probably not best to slipstream in this scenario.

I've done a few highway trips recently (all in much newer model cars than yours) but it seemed to make a diff in those cases. A slightly higher tyre pressure than usual may help but i wouldn't go overboard you dont' want a blow out...remember tyre pressures go up quite a few pounds when you are pounding away for hours on the hot asphalt of the highway....

flappist · 30-09-2010, 06:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZA-289

My god are you serious?, Like it would matter between 32psi and 40spi anyway, like you say its not going to stop in a hurry at either pressure.

Yes I am serious.

If it would make no difference why would you change it?

You get better fuel economy because you have less losses due to friction.

Friction is the thing that makes you stop or go round corners.

**Revolver** · 30-09-2010, 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XCwillo

Heres one i just thought of myself
If i get stuck in some crazy traffic (friday afternoon, end of school holidays) im just gonna leave the car off, and every time the line moves a metre or two, me and my mate will just push it those metres.
pushing and one start up burst > 20 mins of idling

Thats gold!! Beautiful line.... Oh wait your not serious!

XCwillo · 30-09-2010, 06:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blue Beast II

Thats gold!! Beautiful line.... Oh wait your not serious!

Dead serious! hah
I already turn my car off at the lights if i know its going to be a while. and pushing the car rather then reving it to move it 3 metres seems prettttty logical?

**Revolver** · 30-09-2010, 06:59 PM

Look, it does seem logical, but the effort to get out, push, get in sit down, get out push again, would be counter productive.

You simply have to replace that energy in your body rather than the tank. & That usually costs more... I just turn it off when theres a collision. Or maybe Im just lazy... Ive thought about the pro's & cons of doing that myself. But came to the aforementioned conclusion.....

Mr Hardware · 30-09-2010, 07:02 PM

XCwillo, even your old petrol slurper wouldn't imbibe more than about about 1.5 litres per hour of idling.

ZDI-970 · 30-09-2010, 07:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XCwillo

Dead serious! hah
I already turn my car off at the lights if i know its going to be a while. and pushing the car rather then reving it to move it 3 metres seems prettttty logical?

incorect! revving your car will atract females, id rather have a female in the car than pretol lol...

**Polyal** · 30-09-2010, 07:11 PM

LOL I want a vid of this road trip now...