Turbo Diesel - Driving tips?

[longsville]

Hey guys,
This is my first turbo diesel, the GLX-R 2011.
I normally get around in a easy changing city car that does not mind a fair run of the RPM!
Is there any tips to driving the turbo diesel? Any hints on getting good power or economy.
Dont do any towning or anything usually city and highway cruising.

I did do a topic search and could not find and real advice on tips and read other sites for different older diesels and have a feeling a few things may have changed?

Cheers
Aleks

[al coholic]

Good question mate........I wouldnt drive a new generation diesel any different to any other car. Only thing I am mindful of is to let the turbo cool down for a minute or two after pulling up tho........even if the dealer reckons not to worry.

I do like to give mine a bootful more often than not...........but there are times when i do just cruise down the highway and this is obviously where you will get the best economy from any car............and i dont mean doing 70 in a 110 zone...........just take it easy on acceleration and gear changes.

in saying all that...........it certainly does seem to pot luck weather you have grabbed an economical triton or a thirsty one. There are some on here that have all the fruit fitted and drive like they stole it, and still return near stock fuel figures

[dougyglxr]

economy IMO is changin before 2000rpm and not goin over 110 should get 8. something, not sure cant baby it for any longer than 5 mins
Power, takeoffs- its very easy to think you have enough revs to dump the clutch and burn away from the lights in front of a SS commodore but you will hit the lag even tho your revs are up due to the load now on the engine
and the engine wont physically let you rev it in gear past 3000rpm ( which shits me to tears... )
on lining up against ss bring revs up to around 2k lil over, on the green, half release the clutch to keep revs above the 2k until you get the jump fully release clutch and you will be lookin for 2nd pretty fast...
then you have to fight the lag on every new gear going up which i haven't mastered yet and dont want to ride my clutch too much, does the trick in "winners lanes" i call em

[chick_magnet_0001]

in saying all that...........it certainly does seem to pot luck weather you have grabbed an economical triton or a thirsty one. There are some on here that have all the fruit fitted and drive like they stole it, and still return near stock fuel figures

i definitely disagree with this statement, its all about driving style for fuel economy in a diesel the less revs the less fuel you use(unless its laboring badly) the difference in mine is changing at 2400-2500 and just giving it 50%-75% throttle straight up compared to 1800 max shift points and feeding the power on slowly as the engine rpms build and using the torque not just the revs to get u moving(hard to explain) the difference is about 2-3L and that's with a very light triton with stock size tyres..

[longsville]

So essentilly if you want economy you ease the throttle and change at lower rpms? Is this because diesels are more comfortbale at lower rpm?
And if you wanna take the 'winners lane' (love that term) trial and error until you master the engine and gearbox i guess.....i dunno if its just me but i was amazed by the power in the triton and the pick up, i certainly feel the lag in changes but once the magic RPM is reached and the boost kicks in......they have some ' get up and go!'

[chick_magnet_0001]

thats spot on mate ill also add i change gears a lot to keep my engine at its most efficient zone: below 1800 and above 1200 or their about (50+/-) this is for my ML 3.2 remember not your punnie 2.5 with different turbo and different torque band

and you guys are forgetting to use your handbreak to get the launch, ive pretty much got it down pat so i just hear the rears fear for their life and give a mercy like yelp as they are scratched across the pebbles we call QLD roads when i feel like being competitive and go for the 100m merge lane at a set of traffic lights

Edited: because im an amateur speller

[Tony]

Just keep it in the lower end of the torque curve for best economy and drivability. No use either lugging nor revving the claw out of the modern diesel. With the Mn you will find the sweet spot between 1800 and 2200RPM

Cheers T

[Homer]

in saying all that...........it certainly does seem to pot luck weather you have grabbed an economical triton or a thirsty one. There are some on here that have all the fruit fitted and drive like they stole it, and still return near stock fuel figures

i definitely disagree with this statement, its all about driving style for fuel economy in a diesel the less revs the less fuel you use(unless its laboring badly) the difference in mine is changing at 2400-2500 and just giving it 50%-75% throttle straight up compared to 1800 max shift points and feeding the power on slowly as the engine rpms build and using the torque not just the revs to get u moving(hard to explain) the difference is about 2-3L and that's with a very light triton with stock size tyres..

Note that you will probably suffer more panel damage than is really necessary if you follow this method of driving as all the other normal drivers this doddering fool holds up all day will eventually lead to you being shunted off the road where you belong and maybe even a quick backhander in case you haven't got the message

This reminds me of a long overdue tradie/ute/4wd owner post I was going to make in the rant thread...

[reeldreamer]

Homer this is the turbo DIESEL thread mate.........keep moving mate nothing to see here!

[Homer]

Just providing a message on behalf of the community to those that don't go above 1800RPM

[trickydevil]

You guys are funny as...... I drive mine between 1500 - 3000 rpm, get about 11-12 around town, about 10-11 down the hwy. I find that feul economy depends greatly on what is playing on the ipod. Old style pearl jam & nickle back will make your economy suffer, slim dusty, wiggles, etc will improve you fuel economy but will end up costing you more in panel repairs as it will send you to sleep...........

Foremost being a diesel, some times you need to just DRIVE IT LIKE YOU STOLE IT...................

[fridgie]

Doesn't matter how you drive it mate, I drive mine like it's stolen all the time and get mid 10's. Others drive like their 80yrs old and not that much better economy.

No matter how you drive it, you'll ALWAYS beat the clowns who went for the petrol model

Edit: it would seem the harder you drive it the less chance of carbon build up Personally, I've never had a limpy, CEL or even had a code stored that didn't throw a light

[chick_magnet_0001]

in saying all that...........it certainly does seem to pot luck weather you have grabbed an economical triton or a thirsty one. There are some on here that have all the fruit fitted and drive like they stole it, and still return near stock fuel figures

i definitely disagree with this statement, its all about driving style for fuel economy in a diesel the less revs the less fuel you use(unless its laboring badly) the difference in mine is changing at 2400-2500 and just giving it 50%-75% throttle straight up compared to 1800 max shift points and feeding the power on slowly as the engine rpms build and using the torque not just the revs to get u moving(hard to explain) the difference is about 2-3L and that's with a very light triton with stock size tyres..

Note that you will probably suffer more panel damage than is really necessary if you follow this method of driving as all the other normal drivers this doddering fool holds up all day will eventually lead to you being shunted off the road where you belong and maybe even a quick backhander in case you haven't got the message

This reminds me of a long overdue tradie/ute/4wd owner post I was going to make in the rant thread...

mate its not about going slow.. its about shifting earlier and riding the torque curve in its lower portion (sits and waits for "chicky riding something" joke )


im waiting for your post in the rant thread homer...... just waiting i amm

[Diddy]

in saying all that...........it certainly does seem to pot luck weather you have grabbed an economical triton or a thirsty one. There are some on here that have all the fruit fitted and drive like they stole it, and still return near stock fuel figures

i definitely disagree with this statement, its all about driving style for fuel economy in a diesel the less revs the less fuel you use(unless its laboring badly) the difference in mine is changing at 2400-2500 and just giving it 50%-75% throttle straight up compared to 1800 max shift points and feeding the power on slowly as the engine rpms build and using the torque not just the revs to get u moving(hard to explain) the difference is about 2-3L and that's with a very light triton with stock size tyres..

I wonder who told you that info chicky

[chick_magnet_0001]

lol and i thank you now just to convert the rest of the forum that it does work

[dougyglxr]

Homer this is the turbo DIESEL thread mate.........keep moving mate nothing to see here!

love it
chicky,
well said mate, all of it!!!!!
havent done the handbrake job in the triton yet used to in all me v8's tho
will have a go on the black pebble roads tomorrow

[RHKTriton]

A sixth gear would be handy!

Be nice to see it idling down the freeway at 1800rpm when doing 110kph. Drop down spoiler for road work and a traffic clearing 40mm canon under the hood.

[Diddy]

What rpm's do the auto 4spd n auto 5spd sit on when @ 100kph

[Bad Kitty]

Mine (5sp auto) sits on circa 1800 - 2000 rpm @ 110.


Not that high homer, but was slightly off

[Homer]

I think you might mean 2200-2300rpm kitty?

[fraz91]

personally, i find best way to get decent economy is to just cruise. shift around 2200-2400 and dont go over 60% throttle. that being said, it's best to get up to the speed limit and then drop it into 4th or 5th, depending on how fast you're going (5th at 60km/h labours a bit too much for my liking).

as with all the others though, i do have the occasional thrash when scaring some arrogant kid in his rice-burning civic hatch off at a set of lights. DEFINITELY agree with the use of the handbrake, though i haven't really needed to. mostly just load the engine up on the clutch first (have a boost gauge to tell me so i know where my sweet spots are )

if you get a boost gauge for it, i find keeping it under about 10psi gives low-mid 9's for economy

[snowman]

What rpm's do the auto 4spd n auto 5spd sit on when @ 100kph

not exactly 100klm/h Diddy but i do know at 115 with my 32's i am doing pretty much 2375 RPM.

edit - 4 speed auto

[trickydevil]

5spd & 33's that's how i roll, 100km/h @ 2000 and 110km/h @ abt 2200. Thanks to extra gearing with the 33's.

BTW can't wait for my K&N filter, oooohhh baby, fridgie's sounded so good i just had to get one.

[Sky Miner]

although a bit of a old thread here's some food for thought, in my 2010 MN auto T/C with stock tyres and about 5km of strait open road it was time to find out what she can do in under 3km i was doing 185kmh 2850rpm and slowing, on a good day prob could have reached 190kmh now that is not bad for a little 2.5lts 4x4 its just chugging along nicely .
Our roads are pretty good up here so dont be frighten to open it up.
My (ex) hilux 3.0ltr 2wd was governed to 160kmh/4000rpm now that sux

[wilbo2]

Have the stock manual MN 2011 and I don't usually carry an heavy loads. The engine labours and shudders terribly when I'm trying to drive at 60km/h in 4th gear. Same with 80km/h and 5th but not as bad. It's right on the cusp of getting on boost it seems and 60 km/h is in no man's land. This means I spend much more time 3rd around town unless I want to speed and keep it between 65 and 70km/h in 4th gear. Do other MN drivers notice this or is just me? It doesn't feel geared properly to me. I have 9000kms on the clock. Will the engine 'loosen' up a bit?