Some things I learned this past holiday

[Clem]

1. A very loaded 4.8 with roof-rack and kayak will happily cruise at 175km/h with no stress.

2. A very loaded 4.8 climbs long steep hills at speed way better than an empty LC 76 with V8 diesel.

3. A very loaded 4.8 can suck fuel climbing hills at speed. :-)

4. Sometimes when the rain and mud is heavy and you're on an incline, the difflock is the difference between keeping moving and not.

5. I really need to find some mesh to put in the lower bumper to prevent small birds passing through and damaging the oil cooler (spent a few minutes today with a small screwdriver straightening the fins out again.

6. "Potholes" signs are meaningless to a Patrol.

7. I wish my fuel consumption was lower (best I got this time was 14.5/100km). :-)

[Tinus lotz]

All very true......if you go over 3000 rpm cruising your feul bill escalate big time.....
They need to change the pothole signs to patrol friendly road...

[Peter Connan]

The only times I have been close to pranging my Trollie have been when other motorists brake crazily for potholes. I tend to forget...

[Clem]

The only times I have been close to pranging my Trollie have been when other motorists brake crazily for potholes. I tend to forget...

Same here. It's a real issue.

[Kagiso II]

Eergister, gister en vandag AMPER die Prado se bek na combi looks veranner .. Sommer hier naby in BrentwoodPark Rd is n poaar gatte. Opgevul met klei, nou lyk dit erg maar is mooi gelyk -- en telkens briek n blikzmmmm dood so reg voor mens en bekruip die modder kolletjies

[Alex Roux]

1. A very loaded 4.8 with roof-rack and kayak will happily cruise at 175km/h with no stress.

I know of someone who used to pull a boat with his 4.5 at 170km/h. He struggled to managed more than 2km per litre.
I cannot think that it is the best way to treat that engine. You will also lose a lot of time gained filling up very frequently.

7. I wish my fuel consumption was lower (best I got this time was 14.5/100km). :-)

To achieve these figures, which would be excellent for any modern petrol engine pulling that kind of weight, you probably needed to have driven at the lowest speed that 5th gear can manage without being stressed. I would gess about half the speed you mention in the first post.

[Clem]

To achieve these figures, which would be excellent for any modern petrol engine pulling that kind of weight, you probably needed to have driven at the lowest speed that 5th gear can manage without being stressed. I would gess about half the speed you mention in the first post.

No Alex. That's the measurement from Johannesburg to Aliwal North via Ficksburg, Clocolan, Zastron etc. I travelled consistently in the speed range between 120km to 155km/h (mostly around 130km/h true speed and about 140km/h on the speedo). I filled in both instances (before I left jhb and at Aliwal) to where I could see the fuel where the cap screws in. Last year on that same section travelling in a similar way (I was moving it because we got away late) but with African Outback roof rack and child-size kayak I got very nearly 13l/100km. This year the car was naked - no roofrack etc on the way down. I was actually quite disappointed in the consumption of 14.5l/100km because I was expecting to better the previous number of 13l/100km.

Car was driven in "D" all the way. Stock standard machine with road tyres as it comes from Nissan.

Best
Clem

[Alex Roux]

Okay, fair enough
But I ahve not heard of such figures, given the way you drive, in a 4.8.
Sounds like the 4.8's reputation is all wrong. Or else your car is an exception for some reason.

[ricster]

That's very good consumption Clem, the 4.8's do have better power than the 4.5's and I think when rolling it can maintain the speed without pushing the motor as much.

If I drive mine over 120Km/h, it definitively isn't the most fuel efficient ( but it doesn't have any computers to adjust settings and fueling ), but drive between 115 and 120Km/h and my consumption improves dramatically.

[Clem]

Alex & Cedric, I don't know why the car's consumption is better than most (or even if it is as it is the only one I have owned and I am going on what you tell me). The only mods are Peter's bash plate in front for the steering gear and for the transmission. The rest is standard as per factory. I bought the car new and ran it in very gently and very carefully according to the instructions in the manual. Whether that has anything to do with it, I have no idea.

I do have friend who has had two 4.8's - the one around 2010 IIRC and the other a more recent machine (2012). He did say that he had noticed improved fuel consumption with the later car but that's just his impression - no data.

Anyway, I'm very happy with it and I do rather feel that the additional fuel consumption (as compared to a diesel) is more than justified given the benefits of the 4.8.