Possible fuel economy mod

Possible fuel economy mod

Postby Jasonx on Wed Mar 08, 2017 6:01 am

Hi, I'm wondering if I have stumbled onto an easy fuel economy mod for my ml triton?... Story goes while driving I noticed that my truck was low on power, was on the highway holding 100 no problem, able to drive it up to speed no problem just felt like there was no turbo. The other thing I noticed was my economy was getting better and better.. It has been down to under 7l/100kms... I have a scan tool which gives me error 1106 i think, which is map sensor... Here is the funny thing, it it not severe enough to have the engine light come on. It happens to me about once every 2 weeks or so.. I simply hit delete while driving and hey presto power is back.... I now hope it comes on as it seems to save a bunch of fuel...
So here is my thoughts... Could you not simply put a switch to one of the wires on the map sensor to throw the code and use it while on the highway to bring down fuel consumption? It seems to work fine like that now, I just drove 40kms like it to work this morning, no engine light no issues just down a bit on power.. I can drive with traffic through town no problem.. Just wouldn't be over taking anyone... Anyway just a thought 3-4l/100 is quite a saving...
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Re: Possible fuel economy mod

Postby NowForThe5th on Wed Mar 08, 2017 6:35 am

Three things...

Firstly, I'm not sure that driving in limp mode is particularly good for the engine; and,

Secondly, if you're basing fuel consumption on the dash readout then I suspect you'll find that it is misreading because it isn't getting all the information it needs to make the calculation.

Thirdly, if it's as far down in power as you describe I'd suggest it is potentially dangerous in the event that you may need power to get out of a sticky situation.

If you were to get the problem fixed so the engine is running as it should, and then drive it as gently as it would have been going in limp mode then you'll likely find that your fuel consumption will improve anyway.

These vehicles are capable of quite remarkable economy. Admittedly the fuel consumption readout in the Pajero is as big a liar as that in the Triton, but I didn't have to disable anything to achieve this:

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Re: Possible fuel economy mod

Postby Jasonx on Wed Mar 08, 2017 7:32 am

Wow, I did think about this but I am getting more range also.. probably not as good as the read out is saying though... I only get 10.5l per/100.. has a 3 inch exhaust, no chip and I drive it pretty gingerly. I have also done the manifold clean in the last 10,000 but rarely can I get under 10l/100... Maybe the map sensor is faulty.. it is very intermitent and like I said no engine light, you don't even know it has thrown a code untill you plant your foot down.. weird
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Re: Possible fuel economy mod

Postby coughy on Wed Mar 08, 2017 4:20 pm

dont by a map sensor from oz they are a rip off i got one delivered for a heap cheaper... from over seas and works a treat
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Re: Possible fuel economy mod

Postby RHKTriton on Wed Mar 08, 2017 5:48 pm

I had time while mucking around with boost and the over boost would kick in limp mode. I also found the power was limited and likewise the fuel economy improved to similar low figures.

Being in limp mode shouldn't do any harm in its own right - its essentially there to protect the motor.

But..as 5th states, your not going to have power in an emergency.

I'm still keen to experiment with a switchable economy mode that could be interlinked with the loud pedal. So if you floor it, normal power would be available.
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Re: Possible fuel economy mod

Postby BillMcQuade on Thu Mar 09, 2017 2:19 am

RHKTriton wrote:I'm still keen to experiment with a switchable economy mode that could be interlinked with the loud pedal.


I have this already, it's called self control. Unfortunately, it only works intermittently, and for short periods of time :lol:
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Re: Possible fuel economy mod

Postby Jasonx on Thu Mar 09, 2017 5:56 am

coughy wrote:dont by a map sensor from oz they are a rip off i got one delivered for a heap cheaper... from over seas and works a treat


Where overseas? I haven't found one under $400 here
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Re: Possible fuel economy mod

Postby Jasonx on Thu Mar 09, 2017 6:00 am

BillMcQuade wrote:
RHKTriton wrote:I'm still keen to experiment with a switchable economy mode that could be interlinked with the loud pedal.


I have this already, it's called self control. Unfortunately, it only works intermittently, and for short periods of time :lol:


The figures I achieved in limp mode were far greater than I can achieve when driving in normal mode (trust me I'm driving like miss daisy to get the figures down)... The mod I'm talking about is just for highway type use, not for around town where I agree it is advantageous to have the power.. As for damage to the motor.. Well it is getting oil pressure, still being cooled and getting enough fuel to run smooth I can't see any damage resulting at all.. Engine is under much less stress.
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Re: Possible fuel economy mod

Postby BillMcQuade on Thu Mar 09, 2017 6:22 am

Jasonx wrote:The mod I'm talking about is just for highway type use, not for around town where I agree it is advantageous to have the power.


There have been quite a few occasions where I have suddenly needed to put the boot in to avoid an accident on the freeway, mainly from lane drifters. I want full power, without having to fumble with a switch, etc.


Jasonx wrote: Engine is under much less stress.


Not really, the engine is under less stress when it is operating with the optimum amount of fuel, injection timing, boost, etc. Limp mode is not the optimum setting.
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Re: Possible fuel economy mod

Postby RHKTriton on Thu Mar 09, 2017 7:22 am

The only way to get near the limpy consumption figures is to fall off a cliff. :lol:

Ultimately, all of us that have gone to the dark side and drive 4x4 dual cabs instead of regular cars have to accept that these vehicles' prime design parameter is for work duties, not a highway cruiser or econo transporter.

Having observed the effect on fuel economy, of just having ski bars and/or ladders on the roof, I'm keen to experiment with the air flow under the vehicle. These chassis/body designs are a mess compared to where regular passenger cars have evolved to.

Its a considered balance between economy, weight, reliability and cost when doing any mods.

If your fuel consumption is really high in a commuting situation, it may be worth investigating purchasing a little buzz box for that purpose. Some have found they come out in front, even taking into account paying off the second car.
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Re: Possible fuel economy mod

Postby Crash486 on Sat Mar 11, 2017 5:57 am

Do those accelerator pedal mods offer an eco mode? Would that do the same thing?
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Re: Possible fuel economy mod

Postby RHKTriton on Sat Mar 11, 2017 6:59 am

Put a block of wood under the pedal, don't wear safety boots when driving, etc. :lol:
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Re: Possible fuel economy mod

Postby NowForThe5th on Sat Mar 11, 2017 11:00 am

RHKTriton wrote:Having observed the effect on fuel economy, of just having ski bars and/or ladders on the roof, I'm keen to experiment with the air flow under the vehicle. These chassis/body designs are a mess compared to where regular passenger cars have evolved to.


Absolutely.

Here's a couple of pics of the underneath of my Paj, with the full bash plate setup. As you can see the underneath is now basically flat and smooth, at least as far back as the transfer case. After installation I found an immediate economy improvement of around 1 litre per 100km. Clearly just by improving and smoothing air flow.

Click to view larger picture

Click to view larger picture

A long time ago, I'm talking back in the '70s, there was a replacement accelerator pedal spring that you could buy. It had two stages - first was normal resistance, then second stage needed quite a lot more push. The idea was that if you could feel the change in resistance you'd stay in the easier section and thus reduce your fuel usage. I always thought it was a pretty good idea, so you could have full throttle when you needed it but would tend to drive a bit easier most other times.
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Re: Possible fuel economy mod

Postby RHKTriton on Sat Mar 11, 2017 7:48 pm

Looks way too clean under there Chris! :lol: Very neat.

Do you only drive on footpaths?

I was just reading about Fraud's 150 the other night, where there is an air slit vent below the headlight to allow air into the front wheel well. This then streams out over the wheel to form an air curtain, improving aerodynamics.
I'm thinking a similar setup could be achieved using the fog light holes.

A rubber seal between the tub and body may also help.
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Re: Possible fuel economy mod

Postby NowForThe5th on Sun Mar 12, 2017 2:17 am

Yeah, it was near new then. Not quite so clean now and the bash plates have more than a few scratches on them.

I'm sure that there are lots of little improvements like this that can all contribute to better fuel economy. I was talking to a customer recently who looked under the Paj and said that is similar to what the drifting guys are doing, except they're going all the way back and exiting through the rear bar to improve down force. Smoother air flow works for them too, not so much in economy but in speed and handling.
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Re: Possible fuel economy mod

Postby RHKTriton on Sun Mar 12, 2017 8:35 am

The young guys with their jacked up cruisers and patrols, huge rack with the widest spare tyre on the roof always make me laugh. Like this :lol: :lol: :lol:

Must have shares in the oil industry.
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Re: Possible fuel economy mod

Postby BillMcQuade on Sun Mar 12, 2017 12:09 pm

RHKTriton wrote:The young guys with their huge rack


Do you mean the girlfriend in the passenger seat? :lol:
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Re: Possible fuel economy mod

Postby NowForThe5th on Sun Mar 12, 2017 3:31 pm

:lol: :lol: That's her rack. He just has temporary access rights.
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Re: Possible fuel economy mod

Postby RHKTriton on Sun Mar 12, 2017 7:13 pm

Well, the experts suggest keeping the windows shut for best aerodynamics. Gravitional disturbances caused by a local rack could distort the air flow around the vehicle. Just a hypothesis. :lol:
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