D-4d Chip

[02skn]

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I wish other forum members would speak their mind more and then we might get a more open debate.

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Ok. I've been monitoring fuel economy of my wife's RAV since we got it at start of February. We've been getting about 38MPG, averaging about 380 miles before we fill it up (usually just as the fuel light first comes on). The OBC is saying just below 40MPG, so it's actually not far out in this case! This includes a bit of motorway driving, but mostly quite short journeys around town. We ain't got any aftermarket chips fitted (to my knowledge!).

This is quite a bit better than what I get in the Supra - since the start of the year, averaging about 20MPG. This is nearly all very short infrequent journeys - it absolutely kills the fuel economy. Of course, you don't have something like a Supra and complain about fuel economy - and in my opinion, the same applies to something like a RAV4.

It seems a few of us only achieve 370-380 miles out of our Ravs before the light comes on. Forum member Dave.M thinks there is something wrong with our cars to be getting such low miles.

Do you think your car is faulty or normal?

[mr wayne]

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Do you think your car is faulty or normal?

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I have no reason to think it's anything other than normal (although I do suspect we've experienced the very first vibration suggesting future DMF problems, but I don't think that'd effect fuel economy).

I was actually quite happy with 38MPG from such a big 4WD, but would obviously be happier with more!

[mr wayne]

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Do you think your car is faulty or normal?

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I have no reason to think it's anything other than normal (although I do suspect we've experienced the very first vibration suggesting future DMF problems, but I don't think that'd effect fuel economy).

I was actually quite happy with 38MPG from such a big 4WD, but would obviously be happier with more!

Also worth mentioning - as I said, we generally fill up around the time the fuel light first comes on. The average amount of fuel we've been putting in is around 45 litres (for about 380 miles). I believe that the tank capacity is 57 litres, and so there's still about 12 litres in the tank. 38 MPG is just less than 8.4 miles per litre. So, that's anything up to another 100 miles in the tank (totalling 480 miles). Also, with a lot of motorway driving, we'd get better than 38MPG, and so 500 miles out of a tank wouldn't be impossible. Don't think i'll try it though!

[02skn]

When i say we get 370-380 out of a tank it might be worded wrong. We always fill up as soon as the fuel light comes on. As you say above the reserve is 12 or so ltrs. Our mpg is very similar.

I will say again, the reason i questioned the ops claims where they have done 540 miles with just under a qtr of a tank left (maybe 15-16ltrs). This is remarkable mileage figures from only 40ish ltrs of fuel.

Off to West Wales today for the weekend. I will zero the clocks, fill her up and see what we get. 40ish would be nice. But it won't happen.

[anchorman]

The scangauge can only do the same as the onboard computer if it has no physical link to the fuel system, i.e. make estimations based upon electronic inputs. Its main advantage is that it can give more info than the onboard trip meter. In my brake development days I used to help manufacturers prepare vehicles for press (media) testing and although my work was focused towards brakes, they had to fit proper fuel flow meters into the fuel lines. Only those kind of gauges accurately measure consumption and only those kind of gauges are used in government consumption tests.

Pinky. Don't feel picked on! Many a time I've been "pulled up" on a comment I've made - sometimes quite rightly because I've made an error or misunderstood something, but its the nature of a forum. I'm sure there are some positive improvements but anyone with an analytical background will exercise caution when claims are made until some numbers emerge that are black and white test results - I think that is all 02skn is doing. So far you have only estimated the results based upon a very inaccurate fuel gauge. If you could fill it up as you did before and tell us how much fuel you used and the exact mileage (even the 10 miles or so before you zero'd the trip meter is difficult to work with).

Wollaston reckons he gets 38-40mpg out of his 4.2 but if he drops his speed from 70 to 50ish it goes well above 50mpg on his very long Continental journies.

I'm glad this forum only seems to get "healthy" debate. I've seen some locked and closed on R4W when it has escalated to near civil war!!! I don't know if the mod's have to do it often on the TOC?

Keep your chin up Pinky and keep giving us your opinion - look how much interest and comment you have evoked!

[02skn]

The scangauge can only do the same as the onboard computer if it has no physical link to the fuel system, i.e. make estimations based upon electronic inputs. Its main advantage is that it can give more info than the onboard trip meter. In my brake development days I used to help manufacturers prepare vehicles for press (media) testing and although my work was focused towards brakes, they had to fit proper fuel flow meters into the fuel lines. Only those kind of gauges accurately measure consumption and only those kind of gauges are used in government consumption tests.

Pinky. Don't feel picked on! Many a time I've been "pulled up" on a comment I've made - sometimes quite rightly because I've made an error or misunderstood something, but its the nature of a forum. I'm sure there are some positive improvements but anyone with an analytical background will exercise caution when claims are made until some numbers emerge that are black and white test results - I think that is all 02skn is doing. So far you have only estimated the results based upon a very inaccurate fuel gauge. If you could fill it up as you did before and tell us how much fuel you used and the exact mileage (even the 10 miles or so before you zero'd the trip meter is difficult to work with).

Wollaston reckons he gets 38-40mpg out of his 4.2 but if he drops his speed from 70 to 50ish it goes well above 50mpg on his very long continental journies.

I'm glad this forum only seems to get "healthy" debate. I've seen some locked and closed on R4W when it has escalated to near civil war!!! I don't know if the mod's have to do it often on the TOC?

Keep your chin up Pinky and keep giving us your opinion - look how much interest and comment you have evoked!

I hope you do not think i have picked on Pinky. This was never meant to be. I think maybe i asked the question a lot of other people where thinking but a little scared to write as offence maybe caused. If the chip really does what Pinky says then it could be £99 well spent by all D4d owners.

Once again Pinky. No offence meant.

[chatman]

Add my 2p worth to the debate... My D4D has had the new DMF and clutch done not long ago and all the fuel lines and high pressure fuel pump replaced (long story see other topics :!Removed!: :!Removed!: )

Any how.. my journey to work most days is mixed A & B roads and Motorway about 35 miles each way... few big hills and country roads... I average about 42mpg over this route and can squeeze about 400miles to a tank... no point in thrashing the RAV as it cost you in the long run... keep average speeds and about 65 on the motorway (M25 so this is good going :rolleyes: ) no matter how I try driving really slowly or like at the 55mph recommended best fuel economy range (tuck in behind a nice big lorry and let that drag you along) I can not get more than say 420 miles to a tank... So Pinky fitting this chip kit is brilliant.. but as mentioned before.. the fuel economy will depend on the vehicle. Mine has just nudged past the 90k mark now and has 8mm left on all tyres, again these will factor into any mpg calculations....

Brimmed the RAV on Wednesday this week and trip is showing 47mpg (we all know they over read and mine does by about 4mpg.. so use this as a guide.. Do find my self watching this when I'm driving just to keep it in the 40's......which I'm getting nearer too :unsure: :unsure:

[chatman]

I hope you do not think i have picked on Pinky. This was never meant to be. I think maybe i asked the question a lot of other people where thinking but a little scared to write as offence maybe caused. If the chip really does what Pinky says then it could be £99 well spent by all D4d owners.

Once again Pinky. No offence meant.

The fuel debate will always provoke some form of comment.. for and against.. these forums are great for finding out and debating issues affecting us all... no members are picked on or meant to in any way.. sometimes writing things comes across in a different way to saying it face to face.... pinky started a good topic we have just taken this to the next level.. I hope no one feels they are vindicated or feel that way... TOC and the RAV4 section prides it's self on good members and knowledgeable people offering there comments.....

Wait till the new road tax starts to effect us all, including vehicles made after 2001 ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) ;) but that's for a different topic not this one....

Pinky keep us posted on the RAV's workings with the chip fitted :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Because we all know the 5 door RAV's are more in numbers to the 3 door.... me not wanting to take this debate off topic in any way....

[Hoovie]

Personally, I am just gutted that there is no chip for the VVT-i

Re Forums, I am a member of quite a few DIY forums and the ones that have a good variety of questions and often controversial posts but never drop down to personal name calling are are the best out there. The ones that are Ego-lead and clickey become a waste of space

As far as this forum goes, I think the discussions and friendly banter in it are great and it is a very inclusive place to spend time

[bothwell_buyer]

Personally, I am just gutted that there is no chip for the VVT-i

Re Forums, I am a member of quite a few DIY forums and the ones that have a good variety of questions and often controversial posts but never drop down to personal name calling are are the best out there. The ones that are Ego-lead and clickey become a waste of space

As far as this forum goes, I think the discussions and friendly banter in it are great and it is a very inclusive place to spend time

Wot a shower of moaning meanies.......bet you don't even put a £1 coin into the supermarket trollies case it doesn't come out again!

Me getting at anyone - course I do. Theres no other way of expressing opinions without getting hackles up. Shower of shovelling grits!

Hoovie - ya wanna buy a chip? How much ye wanna pay? You pay me the money; I get you the chip....

Simply, on the petrol VVTi engine, the valve timing alters to suit...and things get governed by an engine management unit. All a 'chip' does is to alter bits of the settings.

Wot you can do is go one better and get an ecu with the capability of being mapped. Now, the ECU you have fitted may be able to be re-mapped. It might not have the flexibility.

On the 'ecu' on the 4.1, its a simplistic unit, well out of touch with modern technology. The next improvements to come for number 1 is a new airfilter and a mappable ECU so that we begin to tinker with the engine. The boost on the turbo is up around 1 bar, but we need to start on the ecu and improve the intake of air. Cost? £350 for the ecu and whatever for the filter - it needs it anyway.

[Hoovie]

I could pay you the £1 that I refuse to put in the trolleys

TBH, I am still wary of the idea of chipping a car. I know this has been discussed before, but there must be a downside as I find it hard to believe that spending £99 or so will get you BETTER economy & BETTER performance without taking something away from the picture (and maybe this will only be apparent 000's of miles down the road)

And you are in the friendly banter section as far as I am concerned, Bothy (or maybe I'm just thick skinned :) )

[chatman]

Wot a shower of moaning meanies.......bet you don't even put a £1 coin into the supermarket trollies case it doesn't come out again!

Na we don't have those...just for up near you Bothy. Stop you lot nicking them and using the wheels on yea 3 door RAV's :P :P :P :P

I can just go down to my local canal as there's plenty of trolleys freely available there, just may get my feet wet getting one

[bothwell_buyer]

Wot a shower of moaning meanies.......bet you don't even put a £1 coin into the supermarket trollies case it doesn't come out again!

Na we don't have those...just for up near you Bothy. Stop you lot nicking them and using the wheels on yea 3 door RAV's :P :P :P :P

I can just go down to my local canal as there's plenty of trolleys freely available there, just may get my feet wet getting one

I thought folk in essex ran around in trolleys now the house price has plummeted???

[local hero]

Wot a shower of moaning meanies.......bet you don't even put a £1 coin into the supermarket trollies case it doesn't come out again!

Na we don't have those...just for up near you Bothy. Stop you lot nicking them and using the wheels on yea 3 door RAV's :P :P :P :P

I can just go down to my local canal as there's plenty of trolleys freely available there, just may get my feet wet getting one

I thought folk in essex ran around in trolleys now the house price has plummeted???

Ah yes house prices might be falling, but Chatman can always put his tenants rent up, and if things get really bad he could always open part of his grounds to the public and charge accordingly..

[PinkMinkee]

guess we are just lucky then ;)

ravs done just under 95000 miles but mr t was kind enough to keep her for nearly 3 weeks and stick £4k's worth of parts on her a few months back, and as we only bought her in december she came with full service, mot and a years warranty (new tyres too lol) .....guess its like driving a new car, but without the frills ;)

shes a luvly girl to drive now and we wouldnt go back to anything other than 4wd, unless someone wants to buy me a brand new m3 convertible, my OH can't afford one of them ;)

incidentally my OH got an average of 20mpg from his supra n i was getting about 28mpg from my forfour brabus, apart from the yaris we had as a courtesy car from mr t, the rav is the most fuel economical car we have had for years, and its fun too , what more can ya ask :)

[chatman]

what more can ya ask :)

Another OH who can afford a M3 Convertible..... Maybe :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P

[shcm]

Working out the cost at todays price, about £1.20 a litre the mpg was in the mid 60's not just 60. I fought with myself for a few hours before posting as i do not like to question what the op says they are getting. It just sounds too unbelievable that a chip could give such an improvment in mpg results. We can't even get 400 miles out of a full tank in the wifes car . Must be magic.

60 mpg RAV? Don't know what all the fuss is about. :D

When I got to Warrington today, the RAV was reporting 65.5mpg. When I got back it was reporting 60.2mpg (head wind on way back I think - even though it is downhill :D ). Photographic evidence to follow. RAV is un-chipped.

Of course, I don't believe it at all. For a start, I know it's reading high by at least 8mpg. The 4.3s would appear to be worse in this respect than the 4.2 from what I can see. Plus, you have to emulate accelerating like an arthritic snail to do it. Yes, these things need to be averaged over many fill ups, with calculated figures not the vehicles own.

EDIT:

The evidence. Allegedly 60mpg-ish after about 174 miles. I take it all with a pinch of salt. Pity I didn't capture the 65.5 at the end of the first leg:

[anchorman]

Dust on the steering column cowl? More like faulty plastic!

[shcm]

Dust on the steering column cowl? More like faulty plastic!

:lol2: :lol2: :lol2:

Well, to achieve that consumption, it takes so long to get up to speed(?), that in the same time, all my skin cells had replaced themselves - hence the dust. :P

But you are right, that's no excuse. I'm sorry, my standards are slipping. Dust has now been removed. It won't happen again and I'm just off to severely chastise myself with a large branch from a Birch or other equivalent. :(

[PinkMinkee]

nowt wrong with dust, tis what keeps many cars safely attached to the roads these days, if theres enough of it ;)

[anchorman]

Don't go falling on your sword just yet shcm, mine was the same.

Must have been that 3 door typhoon tearing around the car park and kicking up dust!!!

[bothwell_buyer]

Mair like a wan legged disabled Scot haein tae puush RAvs aroon tae get a slot tae park. Even wee local Hero had tae sit in his RAV fur 4 hours fur the photos tae get taken.

An its ALL DOONHILL frae Warrington tae waur yer ga'in.

Ah'd tae fill up 3 times cos it wis uphill the whole way. Despite the prat in a GTI Golf thinkin he'd overtake me. Lost him jist aifter the traffic polis on the layby!!!!!!!!!!!!! An naw, they never bothered wi me as BMWs are crap at accelarating - even the M3. Wha wis it that wanted a BMW Mwhitever? The most hideous pile o scrap white metal seen this side o Khazakhsztan.

[shcm]

Don't go falling on your sword just yet shcm, mine was the same.

Must have been that 3 door typhoon tearing around the car park and kicking up dust!!!

Did it rain on your way back?

It was suggested that if it rains, you usually have to pull up until it stops :P. But then, do you have to wait for the road to dry out too? Must be a right pain in winter.

May as well remove the wipers and increase power to weight ratio. :D

[bothwell_buyer]

Don't go falling on your sword just yet shcm, mine was the same.

Must have been that 3 door typhoon tearing around the car park and kicking up dust!!!

Did it rain on your way back?

It was suggested that if it rains, you usually have to pull up until it stops :P. But then, do you have to wait for the road to dry out too? Must be a right pain in winter.

May as well remove the wipers and increase power to weight ratio. :D

waist o time - telt ye tae get rid o the twa doors

[tipiman]

chipped the rav last week, wasnt a particularly easy job as the cr sensor was in the worst place possible on the common rail. and the gap we needed to get into was only just big enough to squeeze ya hand in let alone fiddle around trying to disconnect the connection (the clip is underneath the damn thing)

anyway, an hour later its all sorted and boy what a difference both in performance and fuel economy. it drives like a petrol engine and the torque is wickedly powerful, and we managed 200 miles on just under half a tank of diesel, we reckoned on saving about tenner on what we would usually spend............next trip, in June, is to london, followed by a trip to bromsgrove so will be interesting to see how well it goes then :)

definately well worth the £99 me OH spent :)

Please Help I have a 2004 Avensis D4D 2.0 model, I have one of these chips with 3 wire connector to connect to common rail pressure sensor, howver I can find the common rail but I am stumped to find the appropriate connector on the common rail they all have 2 wire or six Please can someone help