Thread: fuel usage and litre/100km

Originally Posted by clubagreenie

Since everyone here seems to be a diesel head.

I looked at my purchase on the basis that I know far more (read everything) about petrols and rover V8's especially. By comparison I know about the function of diesels but side of the track repairs and just getting it running would be beyond me (but not beyond learning). .

Now I know (well and truly) the V8's have their dramas but I never seem to suffer that greatly at the cash register.

That was a brave posting ,wait for it

I think particularly in rural areas if petrol had the tax rebate /advantage then the farmers would be using petrol over diesel

Brave is one way to describe that. I'm staying out of that one, I'll take my non standard of measurement and exiting this building

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Originally Posted by clubagreenie

So question is, does the fuel savings of diesels (in LR's in particular) make up for the additional costs when something goes wrong. In particular I'm thinking heads (seem to need replacement/upgrading when failing HG's), fuel cooler o-rings and leaks. All the things that seem to crop up as dramas.

Absolutely.
You may have also noticed that petrols aren't immune to head problems and have a few unique problems of their own.

If you're paying the same price for fuel, but using between 50 and 150% more it stacks up pretty quick.

Originally Posted by chopper

That was a brave posting ,wait for it

I think particularly in rural areas if petrol had the tax rebate /advantage then the farmers would be using petrol over diesel

It would take a major cost disadvantage to make farmers use petrol. Petrol engines are not suited to agricultural (or even offroad) usages. The care and maintenance alone is shocking.
Surrounding me (I live surrounded by orchards and vineyards) are dozens of these: https://www.google.co.nz/search?q=hy...=1920&bih=1080
They are the only remaining petrol powered machines. Powered by 10-15hp stationary petrol engines.

They are the bane of every orchardists fleet. They go out of tune between summer and winter or even with temperature swings between cold mornings and warm mid-afternoon. They foul up spark plugs and they chew through fuel at about 8x the rate of a diesel.

Hence I said,

Now I know (well and truly) the V8's have their dramas but I never seem to suffer that greatly at the cash register.

my offroad fuel economy was surprisingly good doing the border track and little desert. I do the fuel economy over a full 78 liter tank or 42 liter on my subtank. A lot of the ground is hard clay or packed shallow sand. I put the good economy down to very low wind resistance, traveling at 40 -50 km/hr. Even on a trip through the Victorian high country. I never see 7l/100 km, but have done 9 -10 l/100 kms. The superb defender aerodynamics come into their own at low speed.

The same thoughts were going through my head AFTER i bought a diesel defender and throught how gutless it was etc. I paid a premium for a diesel landrover, compared to a V8 County. My friend had one, a lovely car. But looking back over 15 years of ownwership, I'm glad i bought a Tdi, I don't think I ever had a car cheaper to operate and maintain, or as reliable. I never had any problems except when on a rare occasion my car went to a workshop to have the cam belt done, I was too busy at work to do it. ( subsequently $2,500 repair job, 2000 km s later). But apart from that I guess I allow about $1000 /year for maintenance. The maintenance is oil changes and fuel/air filters, do the tappets.
You can do a 10000 km service on a defender on a weekend, including the axles and gearboxes swivels etc.

I don't know where the high cost of diesel maintenance is - in almost 500,000km, apart from filters, oil and routine adjustments, I have had to replace front and rear seals, sump gasket, O-rings on the pipe to the oil filter, one check of injectors and pump, and a few thermostats.

There may be high maintenance costs on some engines, but certainly nothing to do with the simple fact that they use diesel rather than petrol. Same way some petrol engines have a lot higher maintenance than others.

John

I recall reading awhile back now, so numbers may be different now but it said for a petrol engine to work out cheaper than diesel.
The price of diesel had to be 15 cents more expensive than petrol and I can't see that happening so I think it sage to say diesel is more economical