How to drive the Hilux V6 for economy --------- buy a Diesel
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Sorry just joking as I know how some of the Diesel guys like to hammer the V6 The 1GR-FE V6 gets a bad rap for fuel economy and there is no argument that if you put both the Gen 7 Diesel and Petrol side by side unloaded with the same size tyres and both driven for fuel economy or both driven like you stole it the fuel usage deficit would ultimately reflect the similar difference in the official combined fuel economy cycles = 9.3/100 for the Diesel and 13/100 for the petrol ----- Gen 7
In reality usageI have lots of mates with the Gen 7 Diesel and in-reality the "Fuel Usage" differential is not as bad when the V6 is not being flogged but the Diesel is being driven hard to keep up with the V6. With a whopping 33nw (1GR-FE Auto 376NW) more than the Diesel and a full 340nw for the petrol just off idle the V6 closes the gap with my mates who have to drive their Diesels hard to keep up with traffic which ultimately causes the Diesel to use more fuel than normal.
So in this instance it closes the gap to where the V6 is only using about 1 to 2 liters per 100klm more than the Diesel --- but the V6 has to be driven correctly to achieve this. You have to remember the V6 is up against it with 4.0Lt of engine compared to only 3.0Lt, and on top of this its efficiency is improved with "Turbo Charging", "intercooloing" and the two most important things compression ignition extracting more power and the fact Diesel has more energy.
Why did I buy the V6For me at the time (Diesel V's Petrol) it was a hard choice as I grew up on a Cattle Property and I was surrounded with Diesel fitters. But I was told by a Toyota insider at the time (2006) "go for the 1GR-FE V6 its bullet proof, made in Japan and comes from the same Lexus engineering heritage (derivatives of the 1GR-FE are used in Lexus and Toyota) and he was unsure of the new D4D's durability". As it tuned out he was right on all counts as some 1GR-FE's are now starting to see 800,000klms with little or no problems. Also you get the best Transmission (A750) out of all the Hilux range and more Torque and KW at all RPM compared to the Diesel. And environmentally this was the first true Pick-Up or work ute that was Euro 4 back in 2005 --- and no carcinogenic Diesel particulates to kill you
Also my V6 Hilux was $7,000 less than a D4D at the time and I did not have to wait for it and to top it off Diesel is now so much more expensive than petrol at service stations I have found using 2 Lt or more per 100Klm than the D4D is not an issue. Plus at the end of a 12 hour day its such a nice engine to drive home!
Torque is the equalizerTorque is so important to anything that hauls a load and the 1GR-FE was built specifically for that. If you look at the Toyota provided graph below the 1GR-FE is producing more Torque than the Gen 7 D4D just off idle - in fact the Diesel cannot match the Torque or Power of the V6 anywhere in its entire rev range. The 1GR-FE is amazing in the amount of Torque its able to create just off idle considering its not a "Diesel" and does not have some kind of "Forced Induction".
Below if you are a V6 owner your now probably starting to understand that to drive this engine correctly you need to use the low down torque and use revs only when needed like passing or embarrassing that Ranger driver ----- yes drive it like a traditional Diesel. Torque V's HPYou need both and both play a part in the drive-ability of any vehicle and manufactures try to give us the perfect mix - Drive-ability, Economy and load carrying. Conversely too much or not enough of either can severally affect economy and that is why when a trucking fleet goes to purchase a new Prime mover the Engine power and torque will be dictated by what loads they carry on a day to day business.
Torque and HP simplified --- so please dont hammer me this is very basicMax Torque is effectively what say a Power Lifter can maximum bench-press
Max HP is how fast that Power Lifter can bench-press.
So with that in mind and the numbers above that is why the V6 accelerates faster than the Diesel (in basic terms)
And here is where it gets interesting - at 343nw for the Diesel and 376nw for the V6 Petrol when you start loading up the vehicles its the V6 thats performance and economy are affected less due to being "Stronger". So if you drive for economy in the Petrol V6 you would have to be nailing the Diesel now to keep up and once again the difference in the fuel use closes but admittly the Diesel may or still use less - but not as much as you think.
Its like Mal Meniga or Lance Franklin - they run at the same pace loaded or unload
At 90, 100 and 110Klm my economy does not change but as soon as my mates in the D4D go over 90Klm their using more and more fuel. The faster you go the more wind resistance but with 33nw in total more then the D4D and 15nw more at cruise (100klm) 1GR-FE V6 is not affected by this as much as the D4D - but once again the gap closes and the Diesel may or still use less but not as much as you think.
How to Drive the V6 Hilux 1GR-FE for economy - a lot of V6 owners may already know but this is to help new ownersA lot of you already know but this engine was not designed with revs in mind --- in fact the "Redline Cut Defender" (a device to increase the RPM on the 1GR-FE) is a total waste of money and could cause your engine damage. Too much past the redline and this engine will start to develop piston slap - it was designed for low down torque and not high RPM with a longer stroke etc.
So here is the Graph again
You really dont need to see the other side of 3,000RPM and this engine is best driven for economy much under that.
I drive around the city perfectly keeping up with traffic without going over 2,000RPM
2,000RPM is the sweet spot for economy on the 1GR-FE engine and Toyota got the gearing just right with 1,880 RPM at 100klm and 2050 RPM at 110Klm. At this RPM and speed your now already producing a massive 15NM more than the Gen 7 D4D Diesel and you are just crusingSo limit your time above 2,800 RPM for fuel economy. Plus the ECU has been set up overly protected and if you move your accelerator foot fast the ECU notes this and it fuels up and can back off ignition. So for economy you need to watch how quick you stomp on the gas. I know personally how hard this is as it goes like a rocket but slowing your foot down you will use more low down torque and still be quicker than most of the traffic and your enconnomy will improve dramatically even going up to 3,000 RPM rather than hitting 4,000rpm every set of traffic lights for a similar result.
Also learn where your accelerator foot should be at 50,60,80 and 100klm so when the lights go green gently accelerate your foot to this point ---- never through it. You find most people think you need keep moving your foot through the gears then drop off once you hit the speed limit but this will use more RPM and more fuel for no reason.
Imagine you right foot is connected to a tap that controls the size of the hole to your wallet --- the more you open it the bigger the hole and the more money you give to the oil companies.
Use less RPM ---- try it as this engine does not like or need RPM -- its like a Diesel but you have the best of 3 worlds here 1: Low down Torque of a Diesel, High speed overtaking RPM when needed unlike a Diesel, and quite sophistication and running unlike a Diesel. . I'm not saying labour the engine hard when towing I'm suggesting to starting thinking differently about reving this engine hard all the time and you will find a massive improvement in economy.
Fuel E10E10 is a good fuel but ethanol has substantially less energy in it and you will not get the Klms out of a tank like you would on regular petrol and it will make your economy look bad. But as the E10 is the cheapest at the servo and is substancilly cheaper than Diesel you need to turn your calculations around and work on how many Klms you drive for a dollar of fuel.
Here is a good (but long) video test on this
https://youtu.be/CfEcZWwdjooFuel economy in actual costs - 1GR-FE V6 V's the D4D Diesel
Lets assume you don't believe the "in reality" example above and absolutely hammer the V6 here and suggest that every time you fill up the Diesel your getting a "Massive" 150 Klm more out of 70Lt than the V6 - and to make the sums simple lets say you get 500Klm out of the V6 and 650Klm out of the Diesel every 70Lt.
The ABS says we are paying on average 0.15c per Lt more for Diesel than Petrol and the average a vehicle does per year is 25,000Klm
With those figures the V6 will cost you an extra $400 per 25,000Klm in fuel per year. Now this is fuel alone and suggesting that the Diesel returns an extra 150klm per tank every time and does not take into account extra costs of servicing the Diesel.Lets take this further again - the ABS suggests that average ownership of a vehicle is around 80,000Klm and if this is the case and using the figures above and without taking into account the extra serving costs of the Diesel and using a worst case that the Diesel will achieve an extra 150klm per tank the V6 will cost you $1,280 more in fuel costs over its life --------for me and I mean no disrespect to the D4D but I really do enjoy more Torque and Power and the quite sophistication of the 1GR-FE V6 and it puts any suggestion of poor fuel Econnomy of the V6 into prospective Should I buy a 1GR-FE Petrol V6 Hilux, Prado etcYes 100% yes! and if your in the market for a 1GR-FE V6 Hilux or Prado its a buyers market.
Purchase priceBecause of the undeserved fuel economy flak the 1GR-FE gets you will find you can do deals. And if your buying second hand you will find you can buy a younger with less Klms 1GR-FE powered Hilux than a D4D for the same cash --- or you pocket the money for your possible fuel usage differential but at least you know you wont have to fork out massive dollars on Injectors, Injector pumps, stuffed turbo or a glued up stuffed engine that someone is trying to offload --- ok that last line was a little tough but if your budget is tight and your looking at a high Klm D4D you may find a V6 much more affordable and younger and less Klm inside your budget. But it's actually the 1GR-FE that will be the safer bet when it gets higher klm on it.
Example
A new member just had the same experience - for the same price they could buy either a 200k + Diesel or a 150k V6 in their budget. He found most of the Diesels had been rebuilt and the V6 in much better condition. In reality I would feel much more comfortable recommending a V6 with the same Klms as a Diesel due to it being such a reliable engine. But that's not to say you cannot find a well looked after Diesel ----
I really hate Toyota's "Unbreakable" advertising as I think it has caused a lot clowns to absolutely flog their Hiluxs then offload them before or as they start to have trouble. Reliability is the 1GR-FE StrengthsWith out a doubt if someone came to me today and asked what should I buy second hand in a Gen 7 Hilux I would say 1GR-FE V6 anytime and every time.
Can Fuel Economy on the 1GR-FE V6 be improvedNot by "Large Amounts" especially when you are already driving for economy and unloaded; the ECU is as lean as it possibly can be at 14.7 at this point. You can however increase the Torque with a TRD CAI and also correct exhaust which will in turn make improvements to fuel economy overall when loaded and unloaded. However the improvements are small but in engineering terms they are huge as we are not going to a smaller turbo charged engine.
TRD CAI viewtopic.php?f=81&t=27016Hilux V6 Exhaust Systemviewtopic.php?f=81&t=23730