Thread: D3 or Jap 4x4

Originally Posted by theh33d

Hello folks

Enjoying the life of a D3 owner so far.
Driving home from work today sitting at 110 km/h and I was amazed at the refinement of the car, turned the stereo off and there is basically no wind noise to report which is amazing for such a large vehicle.

So can someone advise on using 91 octane fuel over the advised 95 octane?
Being Scottish always looking to save a buck or two whenever possible.

Has anyone experienced performance issues with using the lower grade fuel?

To save money follow the manufacturer's recommendation - PULP. Anything else is a false economy.

Originally Posted by letherm

My previous car was a Pajero V6 petrol. I did a test over about 9 months comparing E10, 95 and 98. I found that the extra cost of the higher octane fuels was more than offset by better fuel economy plus better performance as a bonus. I would not personally go below the recommended octane rating though. FWIW, our mechanic (very well respected around this area) said never to use E10 due to water issues. He had seen a number of petrol tank rusted and the only common factor was E10 fuel. Bottom line is you may save more by going for a higher rating. I ended up using 98 octane afterwards. My experience may not be the same as yours, and I know it's not the same car, but it's worth keeping a record to see whether you get the same result and act accordingly.

Martin

E10 also has about 3% less energy than 91 RON petrol, so you will use more.

Originally Posted by Nomad9

Hi DiscoMick,

I changed the alternator myself when I got home, have you ever done the alternator on a TDV8 RRS? If only the job was just a case of undoing the bolts and installing a new one. After I had changed the alternator I understood why the mechanic chose to fix the Land Cruisers and Patrols he had in his garage, two of each both waiting for parts, he was actually working on a Prado replacing the engine when he towed my vehicle into his garage.

For one he didn't have the parts they had to be ordered in, the alternator was $750 from Adelaide via express postage, mine broke on a Friday so it would be at least the following Tuesday before he was able to start my vehicle. He had never done one before and he just didn't want the headache of trying to figure it out I suppose, Oh and add at to that the battery was fried, couldn't even get the doors open at one point. No battery of the right size and power available. I think I have attached a picture of the location of the alternator, see if you think this is still a simple job, and this is after I have removed the wheel and the innr arch protector, and the earth straps.

Attachment 128507

Cheers Marty

Well that's a bit surprising to read. I found mine quite easy to change!

I found it easier when I had googled it see it done on YouTube and got some advice from people like yourself, when I first looked at the job before seeking any advice the job looked pretty daunting. Cheers Marty

E10 is nasty stuff, it leaves bad deposits, engines don't like it.

Years ago I read a comparison of petrol fuels, on an SUV that could handle 91 Ron. It still got better fuel economy with 95, and better again with premium. It turned out the cheapest fuel was the 95, but the premium was hardly different in cost. But the premium has detergents which clean things so it was the better thing to buy.

With my 1997 Prado 3.4 litre V6 ( a caste iron block truck engine), I tried high octane fuels and found no difference in economy. Then I found that it takes 4,000km for the Toyota computer to take advantage of higher octane. So I waited and eventually the fuel economy radically improved. It now gets about the same fuel economy as my D4 does. That is, when my D4 is towing a 2.4 tonne van. Before the D4, I had a Kakadu Prado diesel 150 with all the radar cruise and stuff. Gutless and noisy, it was quiet compared to the 1997 90 series Prado, but not nearly as nice to drive. It felt very heavy and ponderous. The Disco is heavier again, but it handles and feels great, and the engine and gearbox are glorious. I envied the 120 Prados but after the 150 series, I realised that perhaps Prados have been getting progressively worse.

Whoops - ran off topic

Originally Posted by theh33d

So can someone advise on using 91 octane fuel over the advised 95 octane?
Being Scottish always looking to save a buck or two whenever possible.

Has anyone experienced performance issues with using the lower grade fuel?

Firstly congrats on using a LR forum to justify the purchase of your Disco - smart move :-)

Years ago I experimented with PULP vs ULP in a 1989 VN Commodore (P-plater back then, it was my pride and joy). The car would idle rough when running ULP, steering wheel shaking, brake pedal pulsing, that kind of thing.
When I switched to PULP, it was smooth as silk. Changing back to ULP and the rough idle returned. Like others, I noticed a significant improvement in fuel economy when running PULP, though always felt that could easily be influenced by more/less, er, spirited driving as a young bloke.

I figure the higher tech engines in these cars are better suited to dealing with different octane levels, but still probably worthwhile running PULP or better.

I have seen E10 rated at 90, 92 and 94. Naturally I usually seek out the 94. Our Mazda 2 seems to run just fine on it.

Thanks again for the feed back. My D3 will be using 95 octane.