DPF and Fuel Economy

Seed205 · Tue Jun 11, 2019 11:42 am

So I've had my 2019 PX3 3.2 for about 12000km now

I have done the usual forscan mods from door chimes to auto start disable and Im actually not that happy with this new Ute. Coming from an 07 PJ with 470000km on the clock - all mine. Maybe my heart is still with the old girl.

But my major gripe is fuel economy and power. I just cant seem to get it down, it averages 12.5 unladen but real use is 13.2. It pulls about 8/9s around town and sips 6`s in 70 zones. On the highway at 100 it sits around 12 - 12.5 if I baby it for economy and if I push it out to 120 it creeps up to about 13.5 or 14.5 real use. I do around 600km a week on highways. If I dont try and get an economic tank and drive it like my old Ute. It ramps out to about 14.5 avg over the tank. Also when going up ranges and overtaking, it just doesnt seem to have the power id expect for a new ranger with more power and torque, if any at all its almost indistinguishable. And whats more is it is more economical in 5th and not 6th on the highway

Now my old Ute with now only 1-4th gears available will give me 9-10s consistent no matter where, when or how fast I drive, be in town or highways. When I had 5th and was fully loaded camping around Australia with about a ton of equipment ie fridges, water recovery gear, food, false floors etc. Id get 10-11s and thats even on dirt tracks and corry roards. And 8-9 unladen on the black stuff.

But here is a real kicker... When my PX3 is doing a DPF regen (during, not after) and the EGT temps reach 600c my power feels incredible, I can overtake with ease in 6th (something I cant do even with an overtaking lane in normal) and on top of that, the fuel economy drops to about 7-8's at 100 or 8-9 at 120 and maybe 10.5 going uphill. As soon as the regen has finished it resumes back to the normal crap figures I was getting and no power.
I have talked to my dealer and said they dont know what they could do and most people are saying the get the same figures whether auto or manual, and blame my bull bar and tyres.

If I compare the major aftermarket mods with my old girl. Both are manuals, have At 32's although the newer ones are pirelli 285 vs dueler 275. Both have ARB bullbars, sidesteps and rails, and long range tanks. So I cant accept this excuse.

Anyone else having the same problems or economy?

Seed205 · Tue Jun 11, 2019 11:49 am

Also my old girl is lifted too.

Its almost like that there is a faulty sensor somewhere giving a wrong reading the ECU monitors normally and adapts to that reading and ignores during a regen. But not faulted to the point it throws a fault

Tue Jun 11, 2019 3:07 pm

It's the luck of the draw, they are production built engines.

Some are better than others and I know of one in particular that gets driven properly and never gets below 12lts/100klms unloaded.

Then there is another that averages 10 doing the same.

Mine is okay towing a 2ton van to Alice Springs and back @ 102-104 kph.

: fuel.jpg (104.21 KiB) Viewed 625 times

: fuel.jpg (104.21 KiB) Viewed 625 times

Stewart · Tue Jun 18, 2019 12:30 pm

Gday mate,

Dont take this the wrong way but you do have L/100 and not Km/L in the setup.

My car is auto raised 2" and bullbar and dte on my dash reads 9.2L/100 and actual is 9.25L/100.

Yours being a manual i would have thought you would have got atleast that. It just sounds like it is maybe Km/L.

Seed205 wrote: ↑Tue Jun 11, 2019 11:42 am So I've had my 2019 PX3 3.2 for about 12000km now

I have done the usual forscan mods from door chimes to auto start disable and Im actually not that happy with this new Ute. Coming from an 07 PJ with 470000km on the clock - all mine. Maybe my heart is still with the old girl.

But my major gripe is fuel economy and power. I just cant seem to get it down, it averages 12.5 unladen but real use is 13.2. It pulls about 8/9s around town and sips 6`s in 70 zones. On the highway at 100 it sits around 12 - 12.5 if I baby it for economy and if I push it out to 120 it creeps up to about 13.5 or 14.5 real use. I do around 600km a week on highways. If I dont try and get an economic tank and drive it like my old Ute. It ramps out to about 14.5 avg over the tank. Also when going up ranges and overtaking, it just doesnt seem to have the power id expect for a new ranger with more power and torque, if any at all its almost indistinguishable. And whats more is it is more economical in 5th and not 6th on the highway

Now my old Ute with now only 1-4th gears available will give me 9-10s consistent no matter where, when or how fast I drive, be in town or highways. When I had 5th and was fully loaded camping around Australia with about a ton of equipment ie fridges, water recovery gear, food, false floors etc. Id get 10-11s and thats even on dirt tracks and corry roards. And 8-9 unladen on the black stuff.

But here is a real kicker... When my PX3 is doing a DPF regen (during, not after) and the EGT temps reach 600c my power feels incredible, I can overtake with ease in 6th (something I cant do even with an overtaking lane in normal) and on top of that, the fuel economy drops to about 7-8's at 100 or 8-9 at 120 and maybe 10.5 going uphill. As soon as the regen has finished it resumes back to the normal crap figures I was getting and no power.
I have talked to my dealer and said they dont know what they could do and most people are saying the get the same figures whether auto or manual, and blame my bull bar and tyres.

If I compare the major aftermarket mods with my old girl. Both are manuals, have At 32's although the newer ones are pirelli 285 vs dueler 275. Both have ARB bullbars, sidesteps and rails, and long range tanks. So I cant accept this excuse.

Anyone else having the same problems or economy?

Seed205 · Sun Jun 23, 2019 2:38 am

Yeah definitely L/100. I Got a PCM update, but didnt really do much, maybe half a litre off. Its down to about 13 now real usage. But still guzzles on the highway and sips around town. And I swear its better in 5th than 6th on the highway economy wise. It pulls no bettter up the range than my old PJ.

Some have said its a heavier Ute... Yes by 200kg. When you compare my PJ in a fully tour set up its actually almost 800kg heavier and still better economy. Its really starting to shit me. My old mans PX2 tow a (grey nomad's size literal max capacity) Van uses only a litre more than mine. Thats just not right.

Sun Jun 23, 2019 2:54 am

Looks normal to me. I get mid 12's highway and 14's towing.

Seed205 · Sun Jun 23, 2019 10:18 am

Then why after 12 years of technology advances and economy improvements, a new Ute thats supposed to be rated at 8.5/100 gets 13's on the highway and a 12y/o Ute that was rated at 9.7 when new, can still get 9.7 with the same aftermarket mods (no engine mods) after 420000km.

I find this rather dissatisfying and an annoyance.

Sun Jun 23, 2019 10:50 am

I'm probably the wrong guy to comment coming from a V8 petrol Lexus that gave a crippling 32 l/100 towing a 3t van!

GE350 · Fri Oct 11, 2019 1:18 pm

I find the fuel economy crap compared to my previous model PX2 without the DPF, I can only wonder in their wisdom the tune is poor and that the amount of burns the DPF completes is consuming the fuel. It can do 3 or 4 burns in a 3 hour drive. At 30,000km so far and not much better

allover · Fri Oct 11, 2019 3:04 pm

GE350 wrote: ↑Fri Oct 11, 2019 1:18 pm I find the fuel economy crap compared to my previous model PX2 without the DPF, I can only wonder in their wisdom the tune is poor and that the amount of burns the DPF completes is consuming the fuel. It can do 3 or 4 burns in a 3 hour drive. At 30,000km so far and not much better

Yep, i would have thought the DPF, sure there are those on this site that can confirm this when they removed their DPF. (anonymously of course

)

allover · Fri Oct 11, 2019 3:46 pm

Well thought i would go and check the Proven after posting on this site, opened it up and surprised to find it was just under the pipe opening at the bottom of the can which included the hose, drained it into a ice cream bucket, 2/3 water 1/3 black sludgy oil. Now what to do with it?. Remembered i have some cat litter, shredded pulped paper that i use to get rid of unwanted paint, ie add the litter to the paint until it forms a solid, then toss it in the rubbish bin for disposal at a tip, easy squizzy
Provens do work!!

Stormtrooper · Sat Oct 12, 2019 10:01 am

Hi guys,
I did a comparison last week with a mate of mine who has a PX1 late 14' with my MY17 and I was very disappointed with the results.

Both trucks are Wildtraks and carrying pretty much nothing but our clothes for a weekend away in the Southern Highlands NSW.
Both have same size rims and his has 305 tyres as opposed to my 285's.
I do have a rhino platform and a led roof bar he doesn't which would make some difference.

Filled up at prior to meeting up for the trip so both cars had full tanks, different brand of diesel but both full. We only live 5klm apart so not going to take that into consideration at this point.

Drive down and a little running around including some light off track he has 1/2 a tank left mine was on a 1/4.

We filled up this time at the same servo and even at the same pump he put 62 litres in I put just over 65l and we filled them both to the neck so we could do a better comparison this time.

From there we did exactly the same km, odometer was about 8km different over the rest of the trip so not sure which one is correct.
I ended up with 686 km to my tank with a computer read out of 10.7 km/100 with 15km till empty.

His was 678 km with 11.9 km/100 with 178km till empty.
I put 75.8 litres in the next day he is still driving on the 1/4 of a tank he had left.

I'm with you, I'm really disappointed with the fuel consumption on mine too.

Cheers,
Bob.

Sat Oct 12, 2019 2:52 pm

Fuel consumption shouldn't be a concern for a number of reasons.
They are production line engines/cars built to a price not a standard.
The +/- tolerances on production line engines is high compared to a hand built engine.
You can get a good or bad engine in any car built to a price.
My engine only has a mist in the Provent catch can after 16,000klms
I have seen others drain heaps of oil/water @ 5,000klms, obviously heavy breathing engines.
Not always that modern technology takes forward steps, it can also take a step backwards.
Fuel consumption never bothers me, if it did I wouldn't own a 4wd.

Josh L · Wed Oct 16, 2019 8:58 pm

I'm on Ross's thought train, especially with his last line.

The only time fuel consumption should really bother you (especially when in a 4x4 that weighs approx. 2.5t) is if it becomes abnormal for no discernable reason.

Vicusj · Thu Oct 17, 2019 11:34 am

Had a 2016 PX2, 3,2L, 6 spd, no DPF 34000km.
Now having a 2019 PX3 3,2l 6spd, DPF, 4500km.
Same daily usage of old and new vehicles during the week with +- 20km between work and home and occasional weekend usage. I don't tow or go offroad, so my cars have a pretty easy life.

PX2 was sitting at 9,4 l/100km lifetime avg on trip computer
PX3 now at 9,6 l/100km lifetime avg on trip computer

The PX3 does feel a bit snappier to me than the PX2, the way I imagine one of those throttle response enhancing gadgets would achieve. I also think that the gearbox mapping is a bit better on the new car, it has less of that "slipping" feeling in 2nd or 3rd. Might be a placebo effect lol

I am quite happy with getting the PX3; I was adamant originally to hold on to the PX2 forever and not wanting to go to a DPF model (my son had so many issues with his brand new 2,8 Hilux and clogged dpf and the dealer at the time just fobbing him off until he got rid of it with only like 20k on the clock and lost a fair bit of money). But I was given a PX3 loaner when got my PX2 serviced and was immediately sold on it based on the snappier throttle /acceleration feel, the gearbox changes that felt more decisive, and mostly the front end & steering dynamics and almost zero bodyroll around roundabouts. And all the extra gadgets /toys with the tech of course. I did not even test drive the 2.0l bi-turbo; my silly reasoning: I did not want to complicate my decision making process

Anyway, just sharing my experience.

Justjim77 · Sat Oct 19, 2019 11:26 pm

I too have the same gripe, after having a px1 2014 manual xlt from new to 106000ks trading into a 2019xls auto, the px1 pretty much sat at 11 all the time no mater what I did, it had all the extras, mods and upgrades ect... With px3 I’ve done about 10000ks so Not even run in yet but I can’t get it below 15!
I haven’t done nearly as many mods yet . A couple of things I have noticed though, when it was new it was a 800 k trip home I seen it on a pleasant 10.5 I was happy

and it’s was zippy.
But over the next few 1000ks seemed to get sluggish, which led me to grabbing an Idrive, that put some snap back into it.
Any how the sluggishness had me starting to think something may have been wrong ,Ford is no help when I mention it and just fob it of to bigger wheels ,bars ,canopies ect, so I came to this great forum for any other ideas and answers and looking into other settings and what not. It’s great I learn something every time I log in!!
So I have been monitoring everything I can with obdlink and I have noticed it does A Dpf regen a heck of a lot of times like 3 times a tank and it does seem to get some power back while it’s around 600^ burning of , also what is everybody seeing in turbo boost pressures? I have read and have heard they can be up around 29psi.. but no mater what I do I can’t get mine to go much past 19 maybe 20 if I’m lucky.. maybe I have a turbo problem? This would cause more fuel usage and sluggishness would it not ?
Anyhow like everyone else has said ,how much fuel I use doesn’t really bother me it is a 4x4 it’s just the fact it was good for awhile , and it’s advertised and sold as only using high 9s, and I can’t help but think something could be wrong with me new Ute..
Thanks for all the great info here Stewart and all the other contributors , any info or opinions would be much appreciated.
Cheers

Tezza · Sun Oct 20, 2019 5:40 pm

19 - 20psi is correct. No ranger is getting 29psi unless the turbo is upgraded....

Sun Oct 20, 2019 7:38 pm

Justjim77 wrote: ↑Sat Oct 19, 2019 11:26 pm and it’s advertised and sold as only using high 9s,

And that figure was attained in perfect conditions, downhill with a tail wind
All advertising to sell a car, not necessarily the truth.
Several I know have totally removed the DPF and fitted the appropriate exhaust & retuned
There have been mixed results.
A couple I went in had a noticeable improvement in pulling power and fuel economy.
But others with exactly the same changes took a step backwards, down on power and using more fuel.
All were done by the same company with the same parts and retuned by the same guy.
He has no idea as to why as yet.
My Ranger peaks @ 22psi boost.

Sun Oct 20, 2019 10:27 pm

Bigger wheels will certainly reduce acceleration & increase fuel economy.

m_attt · Sat Oct 26, 2019 3:33 am

Euro spec DPF/ADBlue ranger on bfg ko2's, 3.2 manual towing 3t plus average is 8.7 to 7.8

Sat Oct 26, 2019 8:55 am

m_attt wrote: ↑Sat Oct 26, 2019 3:33 am Euro spec DPF/ADBlue ranger on bfg ko2's, 3.2 manual towing 3t plus average is 8.7 to 7.8

That is hard to believe, very hard.....

Bala1 · Sat Oct 26, 2019 10:07 am

m_attt wrote: ↑Sat Oct 26, 2019 3:33 am Euro spec DPF/ADBlue ranger on bfg ko2's, 3.2 manual towing 3t plus average is 8.7 to 7.8

Is that L per 100km or Km per litre.

m_attt · Sat Oct 26, 2019 10:11 am

RossPat wrote: ↑Sat Oct 26, 2019 8:55 am
m_attt wrote: ↑Sat Oct 26, 2019 3:33 am Euro spec DPF/ADBlue ranger on bfg ko2's, 3.2 manual towing 3t plus average is 8.7 to 7.8
That is hard to believe, very hard.....

27-30mpg towing 3t plus, no reason to lie, tow for a living so need to know the numbers as it is my bottom line

m_attt · Sat Oct 26, 2019 10:21 am

Bala1 wrote: ↑Sat Oct 26, 2019 10:07 am
m_attt wrote: ↑Sat Oct 26, 2019 3:33 am Euro spec DPF/ADBlue ranger on bfg ko2's, 3.2 manual towing 3t plus average is 8.7 to 7.8
Is that L per 100km or Km per litre.

sorry turns out converter was using us gallon, not imperial gallon. its 9 to 10 but no trailer hits those figures easily

m_attt · Sat Oct 26, 2019 10:49 am

27 to 30 mpg towing Ill film it next time i go out.