Fuel economy

What consumption are you getting with the 200 Series, Laurie?

And if you don't mind me asking, why do you need a GVM upgrade to tow your van? Is your van over 3500kg?

cheers

I tow with a Mitsubishi Canter 4x4 dual cab truck, 300lts water, Honda 420cc Quad and 2 full size tool boxes combined size 1.2deep x 900 high and 1.8 wide both chockers, towing a 20' BT with a 3" raised ceiling, 5 water tanks in total.

Our 17,000kms trip around the paddock we averaged 4.3kms per litre

Some thing to compare against

I use litres/100km, so for the sake of an easy comparison, 4.3 km/litre is 23.5 litres/100km.

This is a post I put on the Factory Forum which I'll re-post here:



BEING KIND TO YOUR LC200 GEARBOX (and your wallet).

I just had my Scangauge upgraded so it could display the Transmission Fluid Temperature (TFT). If you recently purchased a Scangauge it will display TFT after you enter the appropriate parameters, but older ones, like mine, need to be upgraded.

Image Could Not Be Found

If you haven’t got one, you can buy them here:
Site Link

The parameters to enter are:
TXD: 07E121D9
RXF: 032100000000
RXD: 2808
MTH: 00010001FFD8
NAM: TFT

We just spent a few days out in WA’s north east wheatbelt exploring the granite rock outcrops with two other BT owners and I took the opportunity to experiment by driving to keep the temperature of my transmission fluid low.

It is a real education and flies in the face of my long held belief that low revs/tall gear were best for touring, economy and kindness to the vehicle.

Toyota recommends towing in S5. Driving in Sports mode allows the Torque Converter to lock up, given the right circumstances. It won’t lock up in Drive (D).

Now I prefer to drive at about 90kph. If I drive at 90 in S5, the TC will not lock up and the Scangauge shows these approximate figures:
RPM: 2300
L/100kms: 24
TFT: 85 to 90°C

However, if I drive at 90 in S4, the Scangauge shows these approximate figures:
RPM: 2200
L/100kms: 18
TFT: 60 to 65°C

18 litres/100km is 5.6 km/litre.

That is a real fuel saving and is being very, very kind to your transmission.

In the case of the 17000km trip referred to in the post above, using $1.50 per litre, that's a saving of $1275, and that's a conservative cost per litre.

Can readers double check those savings, I've had the calculator out twice and my head is hurting....

The only way I can get similar good figures in S5 is to speed up to about 100kph where the TC will lock. But I find that uncomfortable touring and it is very hard to keep the TC locked at that speed. Any slight incline or headwind will unlock the TC in S5.

The really interesting thing is that changing down (from S5, TC unlocked, TFT at about 85°C) to S4, you can see/feel the TC lock by the RPM dropping about 200 revs, the TFT readout drops very quickly to about 60°C, within a minute actually. And the fuel consumption improves by about 5 or so L/100kms.

So I think most of my towing will be in S4 from now on, and my Cruiser will thank me for it.

Thanks Stephen
I have a scan gauge fitted but still trying to work out the readings so your figures helps a lot.
You get all this info on the gauge but with nothing the compare it with it takes some time to work out what it means. It's good to have this baseline data.
On the GVM front I'm going to talk to Lovels they do the upgrade to 3800 kgs

Which is not as good as what I've already put under her but putting springs and shocks without paperwork does not mean a thing!!
Even the fitters said the Lovel gear isn't as good as the Kings springs and Bilsten struts.

That's life
Cheers
Laurie

After reading the figures on whether to drive in "sequential" or "drive" curiosity got the better of me, So i got the cruiser out (200) and went for a run. I came back with very different figures. "ie"
At ninety klms per hour in drive the vehicle is doing 2000 rpm
At ninety klms per hour in S5 the vehicle is doing 2000 rpm
At ninety klms per hour in S4 the vehicle is doing 2300 rpm
With my basic knowledge of mechanics i don'tsee how the engine can do less revs in S4 that it does in S5. I was under the impression that the lower the gear, the higher the revs? Maybe technology has finally beaten me.
HELP!!!!!!!!
Cheers Spydor & Robyn
P.S. Stephen
I hope that is not your scan gauge with 129 mph (206.4 klms p/h) showing on the readout.

Hi All
Greg good to see you have jumped in, when you the BF Goodridge 70profile tyres on did you notice a jump in your fuel usage?
I believe my fuel jumped when I fitted them.
I saw on LCOOL someone said he was using 20% more fuel when he fitted BF Goodridge 70 profile tyres.
Have you done a GVM upgrade or just put heavier gear on?

Hi All
I have had my 200 series for 2 years and haven't towed the van until last week with it.
Previously I have towed the van on all occasions with an F250.
Lets just say I am one very disappointed 200 series owner.
Firstly I have used it primarly for work and I have now done in excess of 90,000kms.
1st mod, chip and exhaust as I found the engine response to be very disappointing after all the hype. I have had no trouble and would recommend this to any one. The car is now completely different and quite responsive to drive. The fuel consumption is very little different, if anything slightly better. Fuel consumption on average 11.8 l/100kms. Majority of travel on open road at 95-100km/hr ( not good)
2nd mod, suspension upgrade, my passengers in the rear were continually complaining of the car rolling all the time and feeling car sick. We normally have 4 in the car travelling 50kms per day to work. I have put king springs with tough dog shocks again big difference, much better ride.

Towing the van (19ft just on 3.1tonne)
At 95-100kph in S5 and TC locked majority of the time fuel consumption 4kms/l.
On one leg from Denham back to Geraldton into strong wind for about half the leg we used 115l for 425kms 3.7kms/l. In 4 years with my F 250 I never saw the fuel consumption get so low. In actual fact if my fuel consumption was less than 5 kms/l I was disappointed.
The other major disappointment was how much the van moved the 200 series around in the wind or when passed by a road train etc. This just did not occur with the F250.
My recommendation to any one who is going to spend considerable time with their Bushtracker on the back would be to stay away from the 200 series and opt for a Chevy or F250/350.

Regards
Roger

could'nt agree more Rodger the Warren

we spent heaps trying to get a 100's up to the mark all failed

next thing was another axel

brought the Chev instead

works a treat

cheers

Geoff

when you have a bigger van Ern from my experience affraid thats about it mate

cost us heaps to find that out too mate

cheers

Geoff

ern1943

Rereading my post I cannot see how you can interpret it as saying "you can only safely tow a BT with a truck like the F250 or Chevvy."

For your clarification, what I was attempting to state was that -
1) being over GVM is less likely in a suitable F250/350/450/Chevy, etc, as they have larger mass limits and
2) given their longer wheelbase, they are more stable towing than the shorter wheelbase 4WDs

As well as the F250, I still have a Series 80 FTD which I use with the Tvan and which I was going to use with the BT. I had the towing limit raised to 3500 kg but in the end it was the GVM, even when raised to 3240kg, that was the limiting factor. I simply could not legally carry the required water, food, etc for self sustained, long distance outback travel.I suspect that many people would get a bit of a shock if they put their fully loaded rig over the weigh bridge.

My understanding is that in some states, the police often take the crashed (4WD) vehicle to the nearest weigh bridge for checking if it has been involved in a roll over as overloading (particularly of the roof rack) is apparently becoming a significant factor (plus inexperience).

As to the increased use of weigh bridges by the police (not the "scalies" as you call them) I have personally witnessed one of them and was told of the Pt Wakefield one by a camper who said his vehicle had been one of those weighed. I personally think it is a goood move by the police. I think I could confidently say that we have all seen vehicles and trailer/caravan combinations that have been over loaded. As an example, we saw one Series 80 up at Tibooburra which I reckon would have tipped the scales at close on 4T. With 5 adults (there alone goes the GVM), the back crammed with gear including fridge, water, etc, a bullbar with a winch and festooned chains and a roof rack piled high with gas bottle, extra fuel, swags, etc, it was an accident waiting to happen.

Cheers
Andrew

Hi All
I have been a Toyota fan for many years, first a 60series then an 80 series followed by a 100series and now a 200series all diesels. In between the 100series and 200series I had an F250.
During the first monthes of owning each Toyota I have been very happy/impressed with the car except for the 200 series. I also have an MC licence and have driven many Road Trains for a number of years.
In my opinion apart from the disappointment of the fuel consumption for the 200series I don't believe it is very well balanced car. I found the 100 series much more stable and less affected by wind when towing the van.
When I first got the 200s 2 years ago, a friend with a Nissan Patrol ute broke down and I went to his rescue with a tandom car trailer. On the return trip home I got to 80kph and the trailer took of from one side to the other, this was a little unsettling as I wasn't expecting it to occur at anything near this speed. I slowed down and waited a while then accelerated again and sure enough the same symptoms.
Then last week when towing the van for the first time I found that the 200 series moved much more than I would have liked and more than I can remember the 100 series moving. In particular when passing a truck or in a cross wind.

So I have a question for people with 200 series, how many other people have had similiar experiences that have unsettled them.

Regards
Roger

Chev silverado 2500 HD way to go 5 T tow 500 kg ball weight 17 l to 100 k @ 1500 revs 1100nm torque better economy than Sahara twice the power all this towing 21 ft BT 4 t unreal now 2012 model even better every one should have one Barry

Chevy has exhaust obrakes heated and cooled leather seats $120000 ring Performax my mobile 0428751939 if you want some help BT Chev I have owned both Sahara and chev