Colorado update

[Lucky_Phill]

Having now completed 35,000k's since mid July 2009, I have a handle on the rig.

It's a 3ltr turbo, intercooled diesel, manual dual cab.

At first the fuel economy was great at 9.3ltrs / 100 around town mostly. Now that it's almost run in, I have found the highway usage is 11.61/100. Not good at all. This measurement was done over the last few weeks when I traveled out to Roma a couple of times. The thing that has changed from new is a alloy tray went on and styleside is sitting in back yard. Surely the little bit that sticks out could not create that much drag to produce such bad fuel figures.

On the highway I was sitting on 2500rpm most times.

Also, the rear leaf springs are starting to flatten out and the shockies are making it ride like a yank limo.... boing .....boing.... very spongey.

OH, from my place to Roma is 488k's and takes 5 hours and 5 minutes ( with 2 stops ).


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[STUIE63]

Phil it doesn't surprise me that the economy changes by that much just with a styleside tray to a dropside tray . the extra drag from the wind will add up very quickly
Stuie

[Chimo]

Phil

I believe your windage is costing your extra 2 + lt / 100.

Theres only two ways to recover your economy, put the styleside back on or slow down a bit. of course you could always do both and really lower fuel consumption!

Also it sounds like things like springs and shocks wear quick on those Colorados, I finally put new shocks on the Patrol (GQ) after 18 yrs and now Ive lost the limmo feeling.

Cheers
Chimo

[Lucky_Phill]

Phil

I believe your windage is costing your extra 2 + lt / 100.

Are you saying I eat too many onions?????

I was told by 4 x 4 mech, that the springs and shocks would only last 6 months. Seems he was right.

Putting the styleside back on is not an option. Need the racks and space.

Then again, while I was in Roma I saw this little number:- secondhand.




and on closer inspection........



dang................and that's used.....FFS !!!! ouch !




LP.
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[Chimo]

Phil

Tell em they are dreaming and it not even a Patrol!

What about fitting an air flow enhancing deflector inn front of the protruding tray?

Maybe you could mock up a shape that clips onto the doors and runs from a few mm at the front of the door and bulges out to the rear so the blunt front edge of the tray is mitigated.

Should give a much better air flow, catch less mud off road and also give wildlife and pedestrians a fighting chance as they slide past the tray!

I can see it in my minds eye, how about you?

Cheers
Chimo

[Spaniard_King]

Phill I put a set of those Air bags under the rear of my ute.. made a hell of a difference to the ride concidering my springs were flat with the 500 od kg of gear I carry

Geez with that rate of KLM you wqill be lining up for another real soon eh.. just clocked over 22K meself..lol

[Dan5]

Have any of your Colorado's had the "water in fuel" warning light come on? and then go into limp mode?.....We have a single cab 4x4 at work and it's done it twice.......Also a mate's DMax d/cab did the same thing last week.....

It's a dodgy sensor so they say our's has been replaced twice now.

Dan

[Lucky_Phill]

No Dan.

Funny thing, I checked around prices for that Landcruiser. Found them new for $61,000... plus on roads.?

Then, I went to another well known " commercial vehicle " outlet in Brisbane and found same vehicle as mine ( exactly ) ..... and had 20k on clock and they wanted $3,600 more for that, than what I paid brand new. What the ??????

OH, Well Dan, I did have a couple of ' flutters ' in the Colorado. I stalled it and went to start it again, and it went into " limp " mode for about 20 seconds. Also, my indicator went into that fast flick thingie as if a bulb had blown, then stopped again....... Gremlins, I suspect.

Chimo.... are you suggesting I do the Mad Max wind deflector system, maybe a 50cal mounted under the bonnet for " special occasions " could do the trick as well.

For those that drive a Colorado, you'll know what speed 2600rpm is....

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[gone_fishing]

i had a 3l turbo rodeo for a work ute it got 13.5 l/100 and it had toolboxes and wieghed in at 2.9t that was all round driving and towing ..
check you tyre tyre pressure and run them hard
only got 30k out of the first set cracked up due to wieght and some heavy right foot action
and if your dealerships are as good as newwys check your
air filter fair chance never changed
springs going flat is ahhh for a new vehcile might need a upgrade but shouldnt effect economy to much unless you pushing it hard out of corners to maintain road speed
cheers

[Dan5]

No Dan.

Funny thing, I checked around prices for that Landcruiser. Found them new for $61,000... plus on roads.?

Then, I went to another well known " commercial vehicle " outlet in Brisbane and found same vehicle as mine ( exactly ) ..... and had 20k on clock and they wanted $3,600 more for that, than what I paid brand new. What the ??????

OH, Well Dan, I did have a couple of ' flutters ' in the Colorado. I stalled it and went to start it again, and it went into " limp " mode for about 20 seconds. Also, my indicator went into that fast flick thingie as if a bulb had blown, then stopped again....... Gremlins, I suspect.

Chimo.... are you suggesting I do the Mad Max wind deflector system, maybe a 50cal mounted under the bonnet for " special occasions " could do the trick as well.

For those that drive a Colorado, you'll know what speed 2600rpm is....

LP.
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Yeah ......just wondering if it was an issue elsewhere aswell.

I've driven the work one from Darwin to Alice and back.........My cruise RPM was around 3000-3200...... .......You do the Math.

They do go well for a rattly ol diesel.

Dan

[GBC]

Dunno what your final drive ratio is in the manual Phil, but 2500 rpm gets me about 127 kph in the auto?

So at slow flying speed in a housebrick that's guaranteed to be half full of paint, and have ladder racks (with ladders on?) - you're getting 12l/100 kms?

Quitchabitchin.

Springs and shocks? They all do that don't matter what brand. The stuff I got from CVS at Springwood is still going well - just ironman though.

Never heard of the fuel light thingo Dan5 - you might just be unlucky?

Edit: P.S. Phill, better bend over and get ready - every 40 thou's a major service.....

[PinHead]

I told ya Phil..you should have bought a Hi Lux..mine is just over 4 years old..230k on the clock and never misses a beat. Still on the original clutch..only changed tyres..one battery and brake pads.

Chimo..what is it with Patrol owners..son has an old heap of junk one..GQ I think it is..it is nothing but a bloody tractor. I would be embarrassed to be even seen in one of them.

[Chimo]

We will have to work on your self confidence wont we!
Peer group pressure can be a sentence but help is at hand.
C
C

[Chimo]

Phil

You should be able to dummy up a pair of nice true door deflector plugs and then after you pull the FRP version you can start selling them to others who also insist on driving bricks at high speed.

Cheers
Chimo

[Lucky_Phill]

Just watched Top Gear in Bolivia........... now I know why they invented the Colorado.


My clutch will not go 200k. Towing the Big Boat rig will see its demise sooner rather than later, but then again the Low Lux does have a much lower towing capacity than the Holden :huh:

So far I have got exactly what I expected from the Colorado, which fits the purpose for which it was bought.

I'll get the springs etc done before the big trip to Fraser in July.

Could also pop down to the local DOOF DOOF store and get some front spoilers and rear wings, for those long highway tours :wink:

LP
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