My NX- Magic Happened on the way to Costco!!

[eucyblues]

OK - New NX

Drove from Canberra to the Coast just after delivery - approx 200k - the eco gauge got down to 9.5 l/100k (from 650m alt to sea level)

Coming back we averaged 10.1 l/100k - a bit disappointing but it's a new car etc etc

Have now done 840k and tootling around Canberra - never long enough to get a decent read on the fuel consumption

I have also been keeping an ear out on the engine noise and as with my old NP - it gets a bit more clattery with cold weather - Injector rattle can be heard although it's a bit more suppressed than in the NP

Three things then happened together - 2 of which involved fuel additives and while I'm not sure about the forum policy on naming commercial brands I will do so in this case as it is integral to the story

1/ I fitted an EGR 'stayshutter' (DIY)
2/ Yesterday I put about 140mls of Lucas upper cylinder additive in a full tank - I've had this stuff for a long time and used it only occasionally in the NP
3/ I ordered and received today a bottle of CEM CRD Fuel Enhancer (has been spoken about elsewhere in this forum) and put 10mls in the same tankful

So I have a muddled up experiment so to speak - never mind...

So today I drive to Costco - (about 9-10ks from home)....

Started up - drive away - the usage gauge starts off at 15.5 L/100k

I notice the engine has quietened noticeably - no discernible injector rattle - I swear it's true...

AND - My God !! The eco gauge reading starts dropping 10.5, 10.2, 10, 9.8, 9.6, 9.4, 9.3, ... by the time I've gone 8 k's it's reading 9.0 l/100k !!! - To be fair it is slightly downhill/mainly flat from my place to Costco but even so ...This has never happened before.

On the way back - peak traffic time - about six red lights - back up the hill - it climbed back to 10.0 after nudging back down to 9.7

I'm freakin' AMAZED !! - it's like someone has flicked a switch

Given most people feel the EGR stopper doesn't do much to alter the fuel economy (or noise of course) - it has to be the additive/s - one or both I don't know - that'll be the next trial...

[Dicko1]

Don't get too excited. Wait until you use about 3/4 of a tank and compare the litres used to the klms travelled. My gauge shows some brilliant mileages...if only they were true...Mine is a 2014 NW and I can average anywhere between 8klms to the liter to 10.5 klms to the litre...

[eucyblues]

I'll try not to get too excited - I am usually very pragmatic...

But the immediate difference was quite startling including the drop in engine noise

I've also done one fill-and-check (first tank refill)and the manual eco gauge reading was pretty much spot on (10.2 L/100k)

I can only wait and see....

[Nab]

I would be surprised if any of it had reached the engine by the time you had done 8km, the fuel lines, injector pump and filter would hold almost a litre!!! Whether or not the EGR has made a difference who knows...

As others have said check consumption after using a fuel tank of fuel otherwise your figures will be all over the shop.

Unfortunately you have no "standard baseline" to work against but fingers crossed your figures stay low!!! (until the mods start..)

[grhyso]

As the engine loosens up it'll use less fuel too. My NT averaged in the 8's around town and could get down in the 7's on the 35km drive home up the freeway back when it had no modifications.

[rotare]

That's great news.

But I'm a bit curious.

If the two additives went into the tank and the difference in sound (quieter) was noticeable when you first started..... surely you would agree it couldn't have been the additives that have made the difference? More specifically, at initial start up and idle the additives wouldn't have even made it to the engine to have any effect.

In regards to your fuel saving, factor also the cost of the additives your adding to each tank. You may find any perceived or real costs savings in diesel usage is offset anyways by the cost of the additives your now using.

Not trying to burst your bubble or dampen your enthusiasm, just saying.

[vladguan]

Fuel usage totally depends on how and where and when you drive it. On the way home after the rush hour, with mostly 60kph and some 70kph and 50kph and moderate acceleration and I got 8.6L/100km.

[eucyblues]

Yeah - I know I sounded like a schoolgirl but I was gobsmacked...

The quieter engine wasn't immediately noticed - it just crept up on me as I was driving - I was with my daughter and we were talking as we went along so it was some k's into the trip before I took notice...then the gauge numbers started dropping....

Time will tell of course

In terms of cost - well I don't expect to use both at the same time - it was just a matter of timing that it ocurred like that - The Lucas stuff is $20/litre and treats 600L - so say $3 per tank

The CEM is expensive $54 per 250ml - but the dose is only 10mls per 80L - so it's cheaper than the Lucas per tank at about $2 - I'm neutral when it comes to these things but I'll give them a go - and the CEM stuff had some positive comments from a couple of people on this forum

I used to sometimes add racing 2 stroke to the old NP - that's $13/L (down to $10 or so if you buy larger quantities) and @ 1:200 it was about $5 per tank but I was reading about the damage zinc can do to injectors so I looked for a replacement -

I figure I'll try the CEM alone on the next tank to see what happens

To be continued.......

[vladguan]

And just when I thought 8.6 was low, it got down to 8.2 on the way home. I reckon it would have gone below 8 if I did not WOT on two occasions, once to 60kph and the second time to 90kph.

[eucyblues]

WOT??
Wound Out Turbo?
Willingly OverTake?
World of Tanks?

[vladguan]

WOT??
Wound Out Turbo?
Willingly OverTake?
World of Tanks?

Wide Open Throttle

[erad]

Last week, I drove Cooma to Melbourne in my manual transmission NW. Speed limit all the way (by GPS, not the speedo). In the hilly country east from Bairnsdale, I was showing 8.0 L/100 km. Once out on the flat country west from Bairnsdale, it fell to 7.8 L/100, but beyond Morwell, the speed went up to 110 km/h, and consumption went up to between 7.9 and 8.0 L/100. The actual fuel usage as in No of Litres to fill and distance covered corresponded well with the indicated consumptions.

Then we hooked the caravan on and went to Tamworth. En route to Sydney, consumption was 11.9 L/100km, and then we went up the Putty Road - hilly. Overall consumption was 12.5 L/100. Caravan is a 16 ft Jayco Poptop. Speed was around 100 km/h. Coming back was a different story - gale force headwinds most of the way. Consumption 15.6 L/100. Not nice trip at all. I wouldn't want to pay the fuel bill like that too often. I could have slowed down and saved on fuel a bit, but it was so horrible that I just wanted to get home ASAP. Hence I floored it. Generally, towing on flat country with no wind, I get 12.2 L/100 with the caravan, and that is fairly good.

[eucyblues]

I'd be super happy with that..

[martialllaw]

Last week, I drove Cooma to Melbourne in my manual transmission NW. Speed limit all the way (by GPS, not the speedo). In the hilly country east from Bairnsdale, I was showing 8.0 L/100 km. Once out on the flat country west from Bairnsdale, it fell to 7.8 L/100, but beyond Morwell, the speed went up to 110 km/h, and consumption went up to between 7.9 and 8.0 L/100. The actual fuel usage as in No of Litres to fill and distance covered corresponded well with the indicated consumptions.

Then we hooked the caravan on and went to Tamworth. En route to Sydney, consumption was 11.9 L/100km, and then we went up the Putty Road - hilly. Overall consumption was 12.5 L/100. Caravan is a 16 ft Jayco Poptop. Speed was around 100 km/h. Coming back was a different story - gale force headwinds most of the way. Consumption 15.6 L/100. Not nice trip at all. I wouldn't want to pay the fuel bill like that too often. I could have slowed down and saved on fuel a bit, but it was so horrible that I just wanted to get home ASAP. Hence I floored it. Generally, towing on flat country with no wind, I get 12.2 L/100 with the caravan, and that is fairly good.

I wish I had that level of fuel economy.

[Quietguy]

WOT??
Wound Out Turbo?
Willingly OverTake?
World of Tanks?

With Out Thinking ?

David