What is your mileage/km ?

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BongoBongo123
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What is your mileage/km ?

Post by BongoBongo123 » Sat Feb 06, 2016 11:30 am

Mine is a 1995 and have 148,000kms (91,000) on the clock. I am imagining this is at the lower end of mileage for the year but wondered if anyone else has lower for a 95 reg ?

I am going to hazard a guess that mileage could be a fairly big factor in fuel economy, which would also depend on servicing I imagine.
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Re: What is your mileage/km ?

Post by Bob » Sat Feb 06, 2016 3:38 pm

Ours has about 170,000 kms.

Diesel, 4wd. I wouldn't think mileage of itself would greatly influence MPG, filters in good condition would.
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Re: What is your mileage/km ?

Post by BongoBongo123 » Sat Feb 06, 2016 5:31 pm

I am trying to comprehend why I can manage such good MPG and others struggle. These diesel Bongo's cannot be that different from each other.

When I did the brimming method I checked the mileage covered on google earth it was within a few miles of my kms to miles calculation. So as far as I can check it is not my fuel used vs miles traveled calculations. There is nowt to be gained from making such things up.
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Re: What is your mileage/km ?

Post by callum » Sat Feb 06, 2016 6:33 pm

ours has done slightly less mileage than yours Bongobongo, it is also a 1995. 4wd, diesel. You know how i feel about my mpg! I too have done the brimming technique to get a true representation.
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Re: What is your mileage/km ?

Post by mikeonb4c » Sat Feb 06, 2016 6:55 pm

BongoBongo123 wrote:I am trying to comprehend why I can manage such good MPG and others struggle. These diesel Bongo's cannot be that different from each other.

When I did the brimming method I checked the mileage covered on google earth it was within a few miles of my kms to miles calculation. So as far as I can check it is not my fuel used vs miles traveled calculations. There is nowt to be gained from making such things up.
Interesting one. Not many bother to hold to the speeds you used and on road conditions you selected but many have reported 30+ mpg and might well have managed 40+ mpg at your speeds. For the rest i wonder if fuel pump/injector performance could vary?
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Re: What is your mileage/km ?

Post by scanner » Sun Feb 07, 2016 12:58 am

mikeonb4c wrote:
BongoBongo123 wrote:I am trying to comprehend why I can manage such good MPG and others struggle. These diesel Bongo's cannot be that different from each other.

When I did the brimming method I checked the mileage covered on google earth it was within a few miles of my kms to miles calculation. So as far as I can check it is not my fuel used vs miles traveled calculations. There is nowt to be gained from making such things up.
Interesting one. Not many bother to hold to the speeds you used and on road conditions you selected but many have reported 30+ mpg and might well have managed 40+ mpg at your speeds. For the rest i wonder if fuel pump/injector performance could vary?
I think I'm right, but don't you have a manual box?

If I'm right the BIG difference is that you can hold 5th gear as long as you want - most of the rest of us can't and we haven't got a 5th anyway.

Around town there is no way we can get near your economy. but we can get a bit closer on a long run when the autobox locks up and stops slushing the oil around - that means staying above 37mph.
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Re: What is your mileage/km ?

Post by cmm303 » Sun Feb 07, 2016 9:46 am

I'm with you Scanner. I often want it to change up before the auto deems appropriate. I am no real expert so forgive me for muddling some detail (esp power vs torque etc) but fundamentally an auto box responds to demand for extra power by changing down. Fine for a petrol engine which develops torque higher up the rev range. Not great for a diesel where max torque is at lower revs and drops off drastically as revs increase. I.e. The ideal would be to hold a higher gear in spite of more throttle, opposite to what an auto wants to do. I think I'm saying an auto box and Diesel engine aren't ideal mates!!
Still love my auto though.
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Re: What is your mileage/km ?

Post by scanner » Sun Feb 07, 2016 10:36 am

cmm303 wrote:I'm with you Scanner. I often want it to change up before the auto deems appropriate. I am no real expert so forgive me for muddling some detail (esp power vs torque etc) but fundamentally an auto box responds to demand for extra power by changing down. Fine for a petrol engine which develops torque higher up the rev range. Not great for a diesel where max torque is at lower revs and drops off drastically as revs increase. I.e. The ideal would be to hold a higher gear in spite of more throttle, opposite to what an auto wants to do. I think I'm saying an auto box and Diesel engine aren't ideal mates!!
Still love my auto though.
I've often wondered if it would be possible to adjust the throttle position sensor to reduce the sensitivity of kick down.
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Re: What is your mileage/km ?

Post by mikeonb4c » Sun Feb 07, 2016 11:05 am

Mine's a 2wd autobox and around town on my short cold engine runs the figures (which i don't check much) are probably in the low 20s. If i drive to Leeds, for example and do 65-70 mph, i've had 32 mpg and generally 30mpg. But on a couple of occasions of mainly motorway driving, one of them driving to the gliding club near Thirsk, i've had over 40mpg by keeping to 60mph indicated max (with an occasional burst at 70-75 to overtake). It is said that the manual box is undergeared, so that whilst it may be persuaded to give better mpg in cog swapping situations, the autobox can do better provided it is able to stay in top gear.
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Re: What is your mileage/km ?

Post by scanner » Sun Feb 07, 2016 11:47 am

mikeonb4c wrote: It is said that the manual box is undergeared, so that whilst it may be persuaded to give better mpg in cog swapping situations, the autobox can do better provided it is able to stay in top gear.
Undergeared in 5th that is.
Being able to choose the lower ratios yourself AND so decide at what speed to select 5th means that in all other situations it can be overgeared if you wish.

It would be nice to have a manual lock up switch on the autos, so that it was possible to stop the box kicking down once you were over 40mph.

40mph in lock up top is just about peak torque on a diesel, so there should be no need or reason for a diesel to kick down at all above that speed. If you do to drop a gear to get past a Nissan Micra/Honda Jazz (or similar) quickly, you could use the Hold button.
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Re: What is your mileage/km ?

Post by mikeonb4c » Sun Feb 07, 2016 11:53 am

Sorry yes should have made it clear i was referring to 5th gear. I do agree also there's some unnecessary and uneconomical revving with the autobox: the manual has to be better around town i think but i love having an autobox Bongo - less driving strain and the left hand can be used for other duties :-)
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Re: What is your mileage/km ?

Post by Northern Bongolow » Sun Feb 07, 2016 12:28 pm

the manual box can get into 5th at 30mph comfortably but at motorway speeds it needs another gear, it runs at about 3-400 revs higher per same road speed and the turbo comes in slightly sooner.

i wouldnt swap my manual box for nothing. 8) 8) .
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Re: What is your mileage/km ?

Post by scanner » Sun Feb 07, 2016 12:31 pm

Northern Bongolow wrote:the manual box can get into 5th at 30mph comfortably but at motorway speeds it needs another gear, it runs at about 3-400 revs higher per same road speed and the turbo comes in slightly sooner.

i wouldnt swap my manual box for nothing. 8) 8) .
Re manual boxes perhaps I am confusing BB123 with NB. :?
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Re: What is your mileage/km ?

Post by BongoBongo123 » Sun Feb 07, 2016 2:42 pm

mikeonb4c wrote:Mine's a 2wd autobox and around town on my short cold engine runs the figures (which i don't check much) are probably in the low 20s. If i drive to Leeds, for example and do 65-70 mph, i've had 32 mpg and generally 30mpg. But on a couple of occasions of mainly motorway driving, one of them driving to the gliding club near Thirsk, i've had over 40mpg by keeping to 60mph indicated max (with an occasional burst at 70-75 to overtake). It is said that the manual box is undergeared, so that whilst it may be persuaded to give better mpg in cog swapping situations, the autobox can do better provided it is able to stay in top gear.
Glad you can do 40mpg as well ! I am not on my own then : )

Our Bongo is automatic transmission. I think it is driving style, speed and my fave double dose of fuel treatment. The lower speed is critical, for many they would find it frustrating/boring, maybe there is also some kind of aerodynamic equilibrium at circa 50-55mph whereas the brick like aerodynamics start causing greater consumption at 60mph and above through wind resistance.

As I say there seems to be a quietening of the engine and gearbox around 50-55mph ish meaning least friction and maximum movement for energy consumed in fuel. I reckon anyone could do 40mpg if they went at 50-55mph max and held it there. You try it your economy will go through the roof if you want it to.
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