Petrol saving tips for a run to brissy? - Page 2

smally289 · 30-09-2010, 09:09 PM

Buy a dash mount vacuum gauge and keep that sucker (no pun intended) as high as you can while maintaining a reasonable speed. Low vacuum = more fuel.
As others have said, make sure your tyre pressures are good (34 to 36 should be plenty) and also make sure the tune is good (plugs, points, timing and air filter).

XRATE-UTERUS · 30-09-2010, 09:14 PM

sell your car if your worried about fuel .

**Revolver** · 30-09-2010, 09:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XRATE-UTERUS

sell your car if your worried about fuel .

Fantastic post. A genuine contirbution, really constructive. Best you read willo's other posts too....

Road_Warrior · 30-09-2010, 09:37 PM

This thread is scaring me.

XCwillo · 30-09-2010, 10:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Polyal

LOL I want a vid of this road trip now...

So doing that now!

As for the vacuum gauge thats a bloody good idea!
I'll see if i can source a cheap one before tommorow arvo
But buying it just for the trip might seem rather ironic, you know, spending $70 to save $4 on petrol hah. But defiantly being taken into consideration, cheers man.

Oh and uterus!
I should deffs sell the car and double me mate on my pushy to brissy
think off the savings!

dave351cid · 30-09-2010, 10:24 PM

friday afternoon traffic should not be that bad heading south into brissy, everyone else will be heading north for the weekend.

you should get there on one tank so wait till you get into brissy where the fuel is cheaper.

OLDFORDNUT · 01-10-2010, 03:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr Hardware

why are you having the engine rebuilt if you're looking to save 87c on fuel?

Yes 80k the whole way, for two reasons. At 100k your car has to push a lot harder through the air than at 80.

Trust me, my ye olde commodore with its three speeder much prefers not to be pushed. Keep it at 80 and you might even do less than 15L/100klms!

actually falcon 6 engines usually get best economy when cruising at between 95 to 105kmh,80kmh the whole way is likely to get him cursed at by everyone and hold traffic up to a point where road rage might become an issue,(except the 30 km section either side of Gympie where 90kmh is the limit now,and as for 3 speed what diff is there between a 4 speed and a 3 speed on Hi-way, they both have a final drive ratio of 1 to 1,
best advice xcwillow is buy your petrol at Maryborough where its 5cents a litre cheaper,with your tyres at around 34-36lbs and drive smoothly in each gear,and leave Hervey Bay after 6am so you dont arrive near Brisbane in peak hour traffic.there you go you just saved probably 8cents a litre with those simple steps and with the added bonus of not ****ingoff every other driver around you,80kmh on Hi-way great advice(NOT)

landau460 · 01-10-2010, 06:18 AM

Use everything everyone told you before me and you will get as good as you could economy.
If you know how to get advancement/ timing outta ya dizzy will get more use out of the premium 98 but if you dont leave the 98 out.
Be good if you got a pee shooter carby too.

66GT · 01-10-2010, 06:44 AM

I just returned home to the Gold Coast from Cairns. you need to be aware that it is currently still QLD school holidays & that the gray nomads (granny, grandad & caravan in tow escaping VIC's cold) are out in force. They tend to average 80-90km/h. Due to the heavy rains recently there are potholes everywhere & local councils are out there with their stop go signs reducing traffic flow frequently. We were stuck just south of Rocky with the ARMY truck collision & had to take a mud road to bypass - all up approx. 4hours. Also near Nambour a nose to tail involving 3 or 4 cars, with 1 ending up in the centre ditch/drain, another hour while they pulled it out.
Be curtious, use your indicators, drive safe & don't take unnecessary risks when overtaking & keep a constant view of oncomming traffic both in front & from behind. Enjoy the drive.

sgt_doofey · 01-10-2010, 07:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XCwillo

its got half a tank of 98 in it atm so the rest with 91 or 95 wont do anything bad

If you put 91 or 95 in it, it could cause damage. This is because your car was built to run on Super/Leaded fuel which was 98 octane as well. If you value your engine, then I'd put in 98 + valve saver.

Mr Hardware · 01-10-2010, 08:22 AM

Nah leaded was only 96-97 octane
and 95 plus some flashlube is good enough

mik · 01-10-2010, 09:43 AM

i would`nt stay behind a semi for any length of time unless you like very small stone chips (ie like sand blasting) happening to your windscreen, drive normally but smoothly, anticipate traffic lights, run decent fuel.

sgt_doofey · 01-10-2010, 10:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr Hardware

Nah leaded was only 96-97 octane
and 95 plus some flashlube is good enough

Really? I always though it was 98? Oh well, learn something new each day

TheInterceptor · 01-10-2010, 10:41 AM

If leaded was 96-97, then woulden't 98 be fine without additives?

ute83 · 01-10-2010, 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheInterceptor

If leaded was 96-97, then woulden't 98 be fine without additives?

The additive is to cover the loss of lead that was in super.

TheInterceptor · 01-10-2010, 11:31 AM

was 98 leaded aswell?
Well, i dont know everything about the "old days" in the fuel scene..
Although i do put in 98 + valvesaver in my '83 subie to be on the safe side. Was just curious if i could get away without putting in the additive..i can get a bit lazy/unpatient tryin to pour out the right %

chop54 · 01-10-2010, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XCwillo

Im heading to brissy on friday from Hervey Bay and was just wondering if theres any precautions i should take to save the most amount of petrol?
Im driving my 3 on the tree XC ute, 4.1 Litre 6 and theres nothing in the tray except for a spare tyre and my new gearbox.

Its a 4 hour run and money is a wee tad tight so im just wondering if there is any additives i should put into the tank and other tips ect.
Ill be running Premium 98 from BP

Cheers

DO NOT USE BP its crap use CALTEX 98 , My xr8 on BP GETS 20/100 ON CALTEX 17/100

prydey · 01-10-2010, 11:46 AM

mate - just drive normally. don't worry about being miss daisy or ultra conservative. its only 3-400km journey so any fuel saving advice would be lucky to yeild more than 1 or 2L/100km better than driving normal. thats about 6L saving or not even $10. seriously its much easier than trying to drive in what often is a very frustrating manner.

as for slipstreaming heavy vehicles. don't do it. they can feel the extra drag and some won't be impressed. a little flick of the steering wheel and the trailer wheels will 'accidently' run off the road a bit and shower you with rocks. some won't care but thats the risk you take.

Mr Hardware · 01-10-2010, 11:47 AM

chop54, where anecdotal evidence becomes hard fact!

And theinterceptor/ute83, octane alone is not enough to emulate super, you need flashlube or equivalent for lubrication to avoid valve seat recession.

flappist · 01-10-2010, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chop54

DO NOT USE BP its crap use CALTEX 98 , My xr8 on BP GETS 20/100 ON CALTEX 17/100

Hmm, my GT-P used to average 13 l/100km on BP ultimate over 85,000km and my F6 averaged 12 l/100km over 105,000km on the same fuel.

ute83 · 01-10-2010, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr Hardware

chop54, where anecdotal evidence becomes hard fact!

And theinterceptor/ute83, octane alone is not enough to emulate super, you need flashlube or equivalent for lubrication to avoid valve seat recession.

That's about what i said.

**GasoLane** · 01-10-2010, 02:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flappist

Just drive south until the sky turns brownish and smells and all the people look unhappy.

He's going to Brisbane Flappy not Sid-en-nee

Quote:

Originally Posted by prydey

a little flick of the steering wheel and the trailer wheels will 'accidently' run off the road a bit and shower you with rocks.

Thats called a "Gravel Sandwich"

Cooper69S · 01-10-2010, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OLDFORDNUT

80kmh the whole way is likely to get him cursed at by everyone and hold traffic up to a point where road rage might become an issue

good point. sometimes it's obvious that people are driving slow to save money. I don't think causing frustration by holding a heap of people up just so that you can save $10 (or less) is a very good idea. I sometimes feel like pulling alongside, tossing $10 in the window and telling them to hurry up.

noosacuda · 05-10-2010, 05:13 PM

I drove down there on saturday from Bundy, what crap trip! Usual 3hrs to Nambour was ok, then stopped at Beerburrum in traffic for 2 1/2 hours!!! Bloody milk truck fell over! So that dropped my miles/gallon to 12.5,usually at least 16mpg! Joys of driving a 2100kg,440ci 6 pack DINOSAUR!
As for your trip, drive steady and DON'T speed up in the overtaking lanes if your planning on doing 80kph all the way.

Swordsman88 · 05-10-2010, 05:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by prydey

mate - just drive normally. don't worry about being miss daisy or ultra conservative. its only 3-400km journey so any fuel saving advice would be lucky to yeild more than 1 or 2L/100km better than driving normal. thats about 6L saving or not even $10. seriously its much easier than trying to drive in what often is a very frustrating manner.

as for slipstreaming heavy vehicles. don't do it. they can feel the extra drag and some won't be impressed. a little flick of the steering wheel and the trailer wheels will 'accidently' run off the road a bit and shower you with rocks. some won't care but thats the risk you take.

Good point about the savings. The trips i did were over 1500km one way so i'd say it was more significant in that case.

Can't say i agree on the slipstreaming comment from my experience. Provided you don't get right up their bum (i.e. they can still see you at times in teh mirrors) i can't imagine they give much of a crap. I quite like running with the truckies because they know what they are doing and don't vary their speeds all the time (save for hills obviously).

On a recent run up to FNQld i was in a WP Fiesta (yes i know very small car for out there but it was under ferry) and ran a few kays behind a truck. After a while i decided he was not quite going fast enougth for me so i tried to pass but no joy. Then on the next straight bit of road (albeit with a big drop in the middle of it where i couldn't see what was coming) he 'indicated' it was safe to pass. Alot of people dont' seem know that truckies do this and of course you should never blindly trust them but it was clear that at the height he was he could see into the dip and there was no-one coming. So after passing i gave him the old alternate indicator flash in thanks and he responded with a flash of the headlights. So much nicer than mucking around with the caravan brigade.....

Was pretty funny though running around a truck in a Fiesta....talk about david and goliath!

XCwillo · 10-10-2010, 12:35 AM

okay so i took off last friday arvo and was a pretty bloody good trip there!
Made it all the way to eagleby from Hervey bay on one tank at a constant of about 105 and there was no problems, sept for the traffic near the gateway due to the roadworks, was sitting still for quiet a while.
But on the trip back i had the new 4 speed in and was a lotttt better in response time and on the fuel, i mean a /lot/ better!!
i got back to the bay with about a quarter of a tank left!
absalutely loved the drive in the old XC, it was so smooth and thumbs up everynow and then, all up was pretty great trip.