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Fuel Economy

Shepcobain said:
I am yet to pick up me E51 S1 3.5 V6, but I'm already nervous regarding the fuel consumption.
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It's only money. Converting your hard-earned cash into joyous motoring is a good thing!
 
Hi Simon. We are in interested in an LPG conversion. Whereabouts are you?
 
South Elmsall, which is just South of Pontefract from the direction you'd be coming. WF9 2DS.
 
OK thanks Simon. It will be a while until we get the money together!
 
OK Jackie
 
Does using the manual shift make a difference in economy?
 
Just worked my way through the whole thread (who needs to do real work anyway? :) ) - Really useful info and helps with my decision making, really want a 4x4 one but seems nowt is that efficient anyway, so meh! Just drive and smile.

If I see one for sale that is already LPG converted @Lpgc is there anyway of telling whether it was done by you? From what I've understood so far, there seems to be a good number of cowboys in the LPG game and I'd prefer one done by a real pro.
 
arcascomp said:
Just worked my way through the whole thread (who needs to do real work anyway? :) ) - Really useful info and helps with my decision making, really want a 4x4 one but seems nowt is that efficient anyway, so meh! Just drive and smile.

If I see one for sale that is already LPG converted @Lpgc is there anyway of telling whether it was done by you? From what I've understood so far, there seems to be a good number of cowboys in the LPG game and I'd prefer one done by a real pro.
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Anyone who had it done by @Lpgc would surely have kept the invoice, add that serves as his warranty....
Maybe I'm just anal retentive, but I keep every receipt, invoice etc file any work on my cars.
 
arcascomp said:
Just worked my way through the whole thread (who needs to do real work anyway? :) ) - Really useful info and helps with my decision making, really want a 4x4 one but seems nowt is that efficient anyway, so meh! Just drive and smile.

If I see one for sale that is already LPG converted @Lpgc is there anyway of telling whether it was done by you? From what I've understood so far, there seems to be a good number of cowboys in the LPG game and I'd prefer one done by a real pro.
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If the seller doesn't still have the LPG conversion receipt the simplest way would be to tell me the reg and I'd check my records.

If no receipt and it's had the reg changed since conversion send me some pics and I'll know.
 
RuskinStreet said:
It can shorten the life of the gearbox, so I have read...
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Don't see how really...

We could say that everytime something mechanical moves there's wear and tear, and to an even greater extent when clutches etc are involved... But on the flip side using manual shift won't necessarily mean more gear changes, and even if it does I doubt the wear and tear would be much more than leaving in auto mode.

Usually running in a lower gear will lead to more fuel use, but there isn't always a lot of difference with an auto because if you're using manual mode it's likely that the torque convertor wouldn't be locked up in auto mode anyway and higher rpm for same push at the wheels usually means less tc slip so maybe a bit of a gain in efficiency at least in terms of tc slip (still probably overall more of a drop in efficiency when the engine is pushing the car though). But as Kenzie implied, if in a lower gear when decelerating there's more chance of the engine's fuel being shut off during the over-run condition... Not that we should use gears to slow down but can get better control by dropping a gear before say a corner, and then in a lower gear if you do lift off the fuel might be shut off.
 
Lpgc said:
Don't see how really...

We could say that everytime something mechanical moves there's wear and tear, and to an even greater extent when clutches etc are involved... But on the flip side using manual shift won't necessarily mean more gear changes, and even if it does I doubt the wear and tear would be much more than leaving in auto mode.

Usually running in a lower gear will lead to more fuel use, but there isn't always a lot of difference with an auto because if you're using manual mode it's likely that the torque convertor wouldn't be locked up in auto mode anyway and higher rpm for same push at the wheels usually means less tc slip so maybe a bit of a gain in efficiency at least in terms of tc slip (still probably overall more of a drop in efficiency when the engine is pushing the car though). But as Kenzie implied, if in a lower gear when decelerating there's more chance of the engine's fuel being shut off during the over-run condition... Not that we should use gears to slow down but can get better control by dropping a gear before say a corner, and then in a lower gear if you do lift off the fuel might be shut off.
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I can't remember where I read it @Lpgc but, as always, I bow to your superior knowledge in all things mechanical and ECU related 👍
Personally, I see little point in having a "slush box" with a manual option, I'm quite happy to be wafted along by the bus in a gear of its choosing, it probably knows better than me!
 
RuskinStreet said:
I can't remember where I read it @Lpgc but, as always, I bow to your superior knowledge in all things mechanical and ECU related 👍
Personally, I see little point in having a "slush box" with a manual option, I'm quite happy to be wafted along by the bus in a gear of its choosing, it probably knows better than me!
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Its made for drivers like myself (hgv) so going up a steep hill you can drop gears to save loosing momentum not that that will happen often in a car but I have seen in like wise coming down hill car will start to run away and will opt for higher gears letting it run away even faster being able to override gives you better controll of the car my Elgrand is 2 difrent beasts when I drive daily and when I drive camping and will be a even more diffeent beast when towing only thing o wish vmvars had trucks don't is a exhaust brake aswell brakes disks and pads would last a life time
 
RuskinStreet said:
I can't remember where I read it @Lpgc but, as always, I bow to your superior knowledge in all things mechanical and ECU related 👍
Personally, I see little point in having a "slush box" with a manual option, I'm quite happy to be wafted along by the bus in a gear of its choosing, it probably knows better than me!
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Perhaps not so much an issue in the UK, but I have driven roads where if you let the auto box do its thing rather than using it manually you will burn out your brakes and crash. I change down manually not to slow down, but to maintain speed on a downgrade with only a light touch if any on the brakes, which apart from ensuring better fuel economy helps reduce brake pad wear as well as temperatures.

I have encountered an automatic gearbox that actually does this down change on hills itself - The Jatco gearbox fitted to the first generation Freelanders will, if there is no throttle input and road speed is increasing change down a gear. I was kinda hoping that this feature might have been on the Elgrand since obviously it also has a Japanese gearbox but unfortunately no.
 
Ian H said:
Perhaps not so much an issue in the UK, but I have driven roads where if you let the auto box do its thing rather than using it manually you will burn out your brakes and crash. I change down manually not to slow down, but to maintain speed on a downgrade with only a light touch if any on the brakes, which apart from ensuring better fuel economy helps reduce brake pad wear as well as temperatures.

I have encountered an automatic gearbox that actually does this down change on hills itself - The Jatco gearbox fitted to the first generation Freelanders will, if there is no throttle input and road speed is increasing change down a gear. I was kinda hoping that this feature might have been on the Elgrand since obviously it also has a Japanese gearbox but unfortunately no.
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I've been driving up to 50k miles a year for over 40 years and yet I learned more about gearboxes and engine braking in the last 40 minutes than I ever have in the last four decades. God bless the Elgrandoc and its members, love 'em to bits!
Special thanks to @Kenzie (Mary Poppins) and his truckers bible & @Lpgc who seems to know everything about everything!
As for me, I feel like I've made it up as I go along for nearly half a century lol
 
RuskinStreet said:
I've been driving up to 50k miles a year for over 40 years and yet I learned more about gearboxes and engine braking in the last 40 minutes than I ever have in the last four decades. God bless the Elgrandoc and its members, love 'em to bits!
Special thanks to @Kenzie (Mary Poppins) and his truckers bible & @Lpgc who seems to know everything about everything!
As for me, I feel like I've made it up as I go along for nearly half a century lol
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In my 14 years on the road iv done 2.1million miles
In your 40 years you've coverd 2 million lol

In my early years of driving I never uses to use the exhaust or engine breake when unloaded you carnt tell a didfrence bit loaded you cab see a missive diffrece so trips into Wales Scotland or the lakes ate very hilly and my car and caravan use ro weight 5500kg and you could tell the brakes wanted to give up by the bottom and no it wasn't overloaded and it's was loaded correctly for eve weight distribution ended up doing same in my personal vehicle as I did with my truck and found I dint need to keep having my I brakes to let the brakes cool down engine won't over hear as there is no load on the engine the high revs are caused by momentum and as I stated in s previous post it reduces fuel as its all run by momentum and not fuel compared to those that nock it in to neutral and coast this is the way I got 32mpg going to Devon that and reading the road ahead
 
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