Thread: 300tdi fuel economy

Originally Posted by simmo

Hi, I recently fitted re manufactured fuel injectors to the 95 Defender wagon, , shes done about 220,000 kms.

Cruising to Burnett heads and back the distance is 970 km by the trip meter, with some driving around Bundy thrown in.

I drove there on my 42 liter reserve tank , (420 kms ) and got 9.6l/100 kms.
and got 9.8 liters /100 kms on the way back with the main tank.

No roof rack makes a difference, i was maintaining good speed, keeping up with the traffic, EGT about 400 most of the time, I limit myself to 600 going up long hills at highway speeds and back a little off at 600.
I think the land rover trip meter has a 5% error compared to using a navigator etc. but even f you add 5% onto those numbers its still good.

The combination of the garret VNT, APT intercooler, and disco 2 Transfer case is a winner for me.

cheers Simmo

That’s pretty good. My 300Tdi average over the last 4,500kms was 10.70 litres per 100km with roof rack maybe 60/40 country urban split. Original turbo as far as I know and 290k on the clock.

Cheers Simon

Does sound like good figures, given the aero of the Defender.
My (auto) D1 is struggling now.
I used to average(over the year) in the 10l/100 range, I have a 7% trip meter error now(in my favour) so add 7% to the distance, due to over size tyres.

But roof rack kills it massively.
I have a flat roof rack, with the solid uprights .. didn't think it'd affect fuel usage so much .. but with the rack on(nothing up there too tho) .. it's now at ~12.5l/100.

I don't normally drive around with rack(only when/if needed) .. but I have to have it fitted for a little while longer as I have no room for it in the yard. Getting a shed built and shed build take priority.

I keep a detailed spreadsheet of fuel use(as well as all other costs) .. and according to my fuel data I see that I must have fitted the rack mid Jan.
early Jan fill used 10.5l/100, later Jan fill down to 12.5/100! and it's been hovering in the 11-12's ever since. Maybe some environmental effects in there somewhere, but predominantly the roof rack.

My 300Tdi D1 is the same. It was using 9.5 to 10L/100 during normal use. Add 1L/100 after the 2” lift. Add another 1L/100 for when I have the roof rack on and maybe 0.5L/100 when the rooftop tent goes on the rack. It soon adds up. I’m assuming drag losses would be similar in the Defender.

Originally Posted by cripesamighty

My 300Tdi D1 is the same. It was using 9.5 to 10L/100 during normal use. Add 1L/100 after the 2” lift. Add another 1L/100 for when I have the roof rack on and maybe 0.5L/100 when the rooftop tent goes on the rack. It soon adds up. I’m assuming drag losses would be similar in the Defender.

Have recently put on an aly tray and canopy replacing the steel tray. Think the consumption is a fraction better with the usual proviso of keeping around 100km/hr for aero drag limitation. Spray behind seems to be significantly more however may be the new tyres.

Originally Posted by dromader driver

..... Spray behind seems to be significantly more however may be the new tyres.

You can buy some 'stuff' to minimise spray.
wheel arch brushes that fit like an outer trim or an inner liner.

Originally Posted by AK83

You can buy some 'stuff' to minimise spray.
wheel arch brushes that fit like an outer trim or an inner liner.

Going to try some of the spray reducing mudflaps used on semi's. Was really bad at night as couldn't see behind to clear before overtaking.

Sounds like completely normal fuel consumption for a TDI.

"Red90

Sounds like completely normal fuel consumption for a TDI."

Yes I guess so, it depends what you base your cruising speed on. I could put it this way, I'm getting the same fuel consumption as I used to, except i'm travelling 10 km/hr faster.
I used to cruise at speed using the defender speedo, and was amazed at my excellent fuel consumption, below 10/100 kms, and was always amazed how people were driving so fast when i was doing the speed limit. Now I'm travelling at the same speed as everyone else.

After I got a GPS, navigator etc, i used the speed from that. It shows the land rover speedo consistently reads high by at 10 km/hr from 90 km hour and above.

I'm chasing a tacho from the states that uses the alternator magnetic field to give engine revs, you can get them in aussie, but pretty expensive.
By my reckoning at 110 km/hr I should be doing 2400 rpm with the disco 2 transfer case, versus 2800 with the defender transfer case. My EGTs are around 400 deg, but the boost is up around 14 -15 psi at 110, I think a true 110 km/hr is the maximum effective cruising speed of a tdi, the wind drag is too high above that. My lube oil pressure is sitting at 380-400 kpa depending on the ambient temperature.
the other day it was only 20 deg C.

My oil filled hubs were running all below 35 degrees, front diff 35 deg, back diff 50 deg, TC 65, R380, 70, sump 85.

The real benefit is how quiet the car is inside, compared to what it was before.
cheers simmo