PATROL 4.8 GRX Chip, map and freeflow

Engines and Engine Systems
Mystical_Beast
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PATROL 4.8 GRX Chip, map and freeflow

Post by Mystical_Beast »

Hi Guys

Firstly just to congratulate everyone for a very informative and fantastic forum.
Thanks to the regulars for your warm welcome.

As mentioned on my Introduction..
I have spent many hours on here reading up as much as possible and it is nice to be able to identify with the South Africa feel to the various posts.
I am pleased to have joined what is really an exclusive club of Patrol owners and if nothing else I am sure we’re individuals who follow our own minds than subscribe to popular wisdom.
I guess that’s how we ended up as Patrol owners?

Speaking of which, there is so much one could find fault with the Patrol, especially the quality of Interior components but I personally am in love with my new Vehicle.

I found a 2008 4.8 GRX model with less than 65000 km, now on 67k, and while I probably paid way more than I should have, so far she has checked out fine.
I bought her impulsively on a Friday evening and it was raining hard, so her bodywork and other imperfections were well disguised.
I had looked at others and was disappointed and this one felt right.
Downside, the Patrol was black.
So I took the opportunity to do a complete colour change and am really happy with the result. Gun metal Grey.

One thing I really tried hard to find definitive answers to were performance enhancements. Having had a Super-Charged Colt before would have loved to have gone this route but just cant justify that spend anymore.
On the whole many seemed to say the 4.8 didn’t do well with being chipped.
Some having gone that route and then removing it.
I am a firm believer that you get what you pay for or at least enforce your right to get what you paid for.
So while there are many options as to whom to use I have always used Rob Green for a diverse variety of cars and while they are pricey I find them thorough.
I spoke to Graham, widely recommended on here and he certainly advised against chipping of the Patrol.

So my first post is really my opportunity to share my experience in this regard.
When I got my vehicle I found her a little lacklustre, but figured it’s a big heavy car.
I was also most interested in what real world fuel consumption would be.
My first drive to the farm was an economy drive, but on the 340 km distance there I can’t recall anyone passing me, so I was within general traffic flow parameters.
The car was completely standard and I did 15.5l/100 which I though was fantastic seeing everyone mentions 20.

Now having had her chipped with a free-flow exhaust, I kept the standard air-filter because of what I read on the forum, travelling a little quicker than before but still trying to do an economical trip I achieved 14.1/100.
Driving between 110 and 130, and up to 140 overtaking.
The attached maps will once and for all, I believe, prove the benefit of mapping a car by a competent tuner.

I then did the same 340 km trip again but this time a combination of steady pace and spirited drive, twice hitting the speed limiter at an indicated 200km/hr.
Fuel consumption 16.8l/100 km.
The thing is, my particular patrol would never have got to 200, I have not driven others, so no basis for comparison, but at 200, which is a true 190, there is still more available, so I will be having that limiter removed.
I see 200 km just as I am about to touch 4000 rpm so still way off the limit.
In fourth gear she now will pull cleanly all the way to 5000 rpm which is very close to 200.
I’m not sure that a Patrol will do this Standard and would be interested in experience of others.

I did tell Rob Green that I wasn’t interested in peak power, which is normally what a tuner sells you. You can’t drive these things at 5000 rpm.
I wanted torque, because that’s what provides your tractability and the exhaust designed for torque has turned my car into a completely different vehicle.

I would highly recommend it, it’s just better all-round.
With the extra power available, it has smoothed the cruise control noticeably.
However I feel the cruise control really only works properly at indicated speeds in excess of 130.
Crazy trying to cruise at 100 and having it change to third for a hill.
I can’t see how that’s going to be economical.

But set it at at least 130 and it’s a pleasure, the slightly higher revs mean it hardly even goes to 4th and in my experience never went to 3rd.
Having said that I doubt I will be using cruise control much at all.


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Mystical_Beast
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Re: PATROL 4.8 GRX Chip, map and freeflow

Post by Mystical_Beast »

Forgot to mention

If you look at the Torque Curve.. Peak is at 4000 so she should hold herself well doing 200.
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Chris Skinner
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Re: PATROL 4.8 GRX Chip, map and freeflow

Post by Chris Skinner »

Hey Julian - welcome to the forum.
Those numbers look very interesting indeed, I did ot think its possible to get such an improvement.
Can you maybe describe in more detail exactly what has been doe to your troll - I think I would be interested in such an improvement.
Mystical_Beast
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Re: PATROL 4.8 GRX Chip, map and freeflow

Post by Mystical_Beast »

Hi Chris

There are so many different schools of thought pro and against and I am more driver than crew.
So if a modification makes a car more driveable then I am all for it.

I have read so many posts about a chip with a free-flow system or just the exhaust and no chip and everyone is entitled to their own experience.

My opinion is that the two are a package deal.

All 4.8 Patrol graphs that I have seen have a horrible slump right in the mid-range as evident on the torque graph I posted.
Mine may have been particularly bad.
There is no other way to alter that without a chip, and all a chip does is allow the tuner to modulate, air, fuel and timing to optimum performance and reliability.
It stands to reason that an engine performing optimally will be most economical.
My experience is just that.

I am blown away at how much of a difference this has actually made.
For an example, I did the same work to my Range Rover and saw minimal improvement which means the car was close to optimum already.
But on the Patrol its at least a 20% improvement and one needs to study the graph to interpret real world results.
For example, at 2500 rpm I now have over 400nm of torque where you need it, to cruise at 120 and have her hold that in top gear.
I find that cruising at 130 is even better as the torque converter tends to stay locked up at that speed and so minimal loss of thrust through the auto gearbox.

I apologise for a long winded answer but in short I did all fluids, including a complete gearbox flush.
I bought none of it from Nissan, but researched it carefully and anyone interested in what I used is welcome to contact me.
As for performance I didn’t want to spend money on a whole exhaust system but RG asked if they could build me a proper system and I relented.
The secret is having a good restriction after the down-pipes to create back-pressure and thereafter free-flow with boxes to keep the sound in check.
No drone whatsoever.
Will post some pics of the system.
And a chip to make sure it all was working nicely.

There are many suppliers of piggy back chips which have pre-written maps, I am not in favour of those at all, but obviously that’s way easier than hours on the Dyno for the tuner.
Neither am I in favour of split maps, which you switch over for different conditions.
I want a map that works for all functions/aspects of the car and that is achieved by correctly plotting the map on the Dyno.
Rob Green know what they are doing and as I have done many vehicles with them I could talk to them on a package for forum members if there is enough interest.
They will be more expensive than your corner exhaust place but you get what you pay for and if you want quality workmanship without the loss of reliability I’m prepared to pay a premium, knowing if they mess up they will stand by their work for as long as it takes to get it right.
Its not the noise of the exhaust you want to be paying for, I don't want a noise, I want performance.

My experience with them is a Supercharged Colt that I have sold that used to push out 186 kw on the wheels and tow like it was nothing.
I had over 200 000 km on that car and any problems I had were my own doing, just pushing a little too hard.
Two 530 diesels which I still have as well as a RangeRover Sport which on a 1000 km trip returned an average of 12.2 l/100. Not bad for a 4.4 litre V8

Yes I am not checking my exact distance with a GPS but the parameters remain the same. An improvement is an improvement whichever way you measure it.

While I may wax lyrical, the reason for this is that in my research on Patrols in this forum there was perhaps a bit of ignorance around chipping and definitely a lot of bias against taking something good and making it better.
I was nervous that I would destroy already expensive economy through chipping as I have read that others have seen no improvement.
All I can say is I can stick to the speed limit and even do a bit more with a lot of steep hills and still return 14.1/100 on a trip with a severe headwind for half of that distance.

What is of more importance to me is that I can now tow and have even more available for overtaking. Or sit cruising at a steady 150 and still return acceptable economy.
And wow if I want to do 200 I can do that quickly.

The more powerful the car the safer it is to drive.

Julian
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Chris Skinner
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Re: PATROL 4.8 GRX Chip, map and freeflow

Post by Chris Skinner »

Thanks for the response Julian.
I am interested in better performance too.
Did they do a full new branch on the exhaust?
Can you give me an idea of the cost breakdown for chip exhaust etc (please send me a pm if you don't want it on open forum)

I wonder if anyone else has had similar experience with 'chip' and 'exhaust' mods....???
Mystical_Beast
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Re: PATROL 4.8 GRX Chip, map and freeflow

Post by Mystical_Beast »

Hi Chris

Manifold and down-pipes original. Original Manifold is very good I believe.
Exhaust starts at first flange where down-pipes all come together.
Unfortunately I don't have the cost as I he hasn't had a chance to do the Invoice as yet.

My car is going back there to do some suspension bushes to get rid of a shimmy at 100 km/hr and I doubt I'll see anything until after that.

My guess is around 12-15 k for the exhaust and chip alone.
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Re: PATROL 4.8 GRX Chip, map and freeflow

Post by vanhack »

I would love to hear a sound clip of the exhaust. The local authority is very strict on exhaust modifications, mostly they don't want noise from the exhaust systems, especially from patrols as a lot are driven hazardously here.
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Re: PATROL 4.8 GRX Chip, map and freeflow

Post by Herrie »

Welcome Julian!! :salute: :salute:
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Kiri
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Re: PATROL 4.8 GRX Chip, map and freeflow

Post by Kiri »

...picking up an old but very useful and interesting post.
I recently had the 4.8's exhaust replaced by a bloke that build it by welding together 2.5" mandrel bends and pipe.
The down pipes were also replaced with larger pipe. Not sure the size. The old downpipes are amazingly small diameter....
All boxes are new freeflow boxes. Sound has gone up but acceptable.
There is a noticeable increase in performance and the consumption is better by 0.5 km/l

Are there any more that have gone the 4.8 CHIP route with success??
I'm close to the PE area and only know of SAC that does the Unichip with a dyno run.....??
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Re: PATROL 4.8 GRX Chip, map and freeflow

Post by Rocstompa »

Kiri, only came across your question now.

I had the unichip fitted to my 4.8 a few years back at the same company you referring to. All I found was that my consumption got worse and I removed it within a year. Did give more power but not without problems, I had to replace a cracked manifold which if I remember cost a small fortune, Nissan dealer then told me that when they removed the manifold and ran the car there were flames coming out the exhaust with apparently unburnt fuel. If I remember the vehicle felt more sluggish at low revs then power came in quickly making for an unpleasant drive. My 2c only.
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