BT50 / Ranger fuel economy?

Joined: 30 Dec 2002 Location: Adelaide

Has anyone with a 3.0l turbo diesel BT50 or Ranger worked out their fuel economy?

A relation has recently bought one (SDX dual cab with 5 speed auto) and the economy leaves a bit to be deisred compared to the window sticker/ claimed figures by Mazda. Roughly it's using 15 litres/ 100km.

Joined: 04 Jan 2008 Location: gold coast

I've got the XLT ranger in auto and i'm around the 15L/100 also, and that's with the ute empty.
My 2wd ranger which carries close to a tonne all day every day gets around 9L/100.

Joined: 30 Dec 2002 Location: Adelaide

Is your 2WD the same 3.0l engine or the 2.5l?

I warned them when buying not to expect the claimed figures (windscreen sticker and brochure said IIRC high 9.xl/100km, Mazda website 10.4l/100km), but 15l/100km is way off the mark. It isn't getting driven hard from what I've been told either.

He's not impressed given the salesman also said it would get around 10l/100km.

Joined: 04 Jan 2008 Location: gold coast

The 2wd is the 2.5 manual

I was expecting a couple of litres above the sticker, but not around 5.
Seems the manual 3lt is the way to go for economy, i think the stall converter in the auto is a little to high.

Joined: 30 Dec 2002 Location: Adelaide

I've just discovered that thread on 4WD Monthly, it seems a few auto owners are doing significantly worse than others for economy. Confused

Joined: 21 Apr 2008 Location: GOLDCOAST

heh guys
ive got a bt 50 d/cab manual and drive from pac pines to coomra every day its about 9 klms each way and i get about 9 litres to 100 klms and ive only done about 6000 klms so engine not run in fully as ive been told about 10,000 klms to run engine in also ive put a performance control box in the common rail injection cost $ 440 from ebay the power is up heaps and fuel ecomony is better but i think autos are worse on fuel compared to manuals thebest i got on trip to nossa and back was
760klms per tank that was beach driving and i have heavy right boot
the control box does help i find
thanks brendo

Joined: 30 Dec 2002 Location: Adelaide

Out of interest I did some data logging using an OBDII interface and software on my laptop yesterday. We went for a 10 minute drive around the suburbs (nothing overly spirited, just going with the flow mostly) and averaged 27l/100km Shocked

going by the software.

It's going in this week and they're going to have a look at it. Even on long trips it's using over 15l/100km.

Joined: 30 Dec 2002 Location: Adelaide

An update. The software I was using for datalogging apparently won't work for diesel engines, it was only giving a figure because the BT50's use a MAF meter (but of course diesels run at a different AFR so the calculations will be all wrong.)

Anyway, it went into the dealer during the week and they were told there were recent software upgrades to be uploaded. Apparently the auto trans shifts a lot better now and it seems to drive better, but only time will tell if the economy has improved.

Joined: 30 Jan 2007 Location: newcastle

i dont have any figure's as such but i know when i drive the boss's bt50 3.0l and give it some peddal the fuel gauge goes down quicker than my 4.5 gas'd gu..

Joined: 01 Feb 2006 Location: Brisbane

G'day guys I have a bt-50 dual cab its 7weeks old and I have just clocked up over 12,000k on it I bought this as a company car and I have been traveling from yatala to Innamincka and couldn't be more happy with how well its gone. I get about 300-400k out of a tank but that is with 3 big fellas all their tools and clothes and towing a trailer with more tools cable drums which would way around 300kg and four gerry cans of diesel and 1 gerry can of petrol the car also as an arb bullbar side rails and side steps arb canopy and roof rack the car is fully packed and road consist of blacktop, sand, rock and mud.

after two trips this is the damage report so far

1.central locking keeps locking the car even with the keys turned on to accessories.(that was quite fun being out there in the middle of nowhere)
2. smashed the back canopy window due to rocks bouncing of the trailer
3. their seems to be a plate on the side of the fuel tank that has snapped and is flapping on the side of the tank
4. mazda installed the towbar and the wiring loom cable ties smashed of causing it to get damaged by rocks and blowing fuses and so on
5. smashed front windscreen cause by some dickhead that hopped of the road onto the dirt and cause a rock to flick up at us when the road was wide enough to fit three cars across it cussing

6. lost a couple bolts holding on to the canopy.

Everytime we have driven out Innamincka we have broken axles, had flat tyres and springs have broken out of the shackles on our trailer which usaully happens 2hours after hitting the dirt road so as you can see
not to bad considering its been 12,000ks of extremely bad roads

driving from brisbane to yatala I can squeeze 650k out of a tank and still have 10litres left

Joined: 30 Dec 2002 Location: Adelaide

After an ECU update they're now getting 12.6l/100km. Better, but still not too flash.

Joined: 17 Aug 2007 Location: Gold Coast

I have a Ranger 4X4 XL automatic dual cab with high ARB canopy. 20K on the clock.

Average 10.8L/100km. 60% highway. speedo indicates over-read by 4% according to GPS.

I'm not a big fan of the auto though...... second gear is a waste of time and it's wierd how it drops into idle mode at 80km/h with no throttle and when brakes applied! Lacks engine braking.

Why is the fuel tank capacity so small - and why is it located at the lowest ramp-over point?

Duncan.

Joined: 08 Jul 2007 Location: bris

auto dual cab around 11/100km

Joined: 09 Jan 2008 Location: pt talburpin

iv just got me a bt-50cab chass
2wd. can anyone help me with mods for more power?
k&n dont do a air filter for the 2.5 or 3.0l yet
and i dont wnt to up the boost as its only got 18km on the clock
and have just been told thay are pron for blowing heads is this true?
i dont wnt to void the warrant

thanks heps

Joined: 30 Dec 2002 Location: Adelaide

PFJ wrote:

IWhy is the fuel tank capacity so small - and why is it located at the lowest ramp-over point?

If you think that's a bad design then look under the front just below the bumper - there's what appears to be the auto trans cooler lines hanging out unprotected. (Or perhap aircon lines?)

I noticed it on the inlaws BT50 auto the other week.

Poppersmurf - I've read elsewhere that a Hliux K&N will fit? Don't ask me what model though.

Joined: 04 Jan 2008 Location: gold coast

Yeah the position of the coolers are crap, need to be careful on your approach.

Poppersmurf,
I've got a 3" Taipan vortex gen2 and a DP chip on my 2WD ranger and love it, pulls really nice, doesn't sound loud and crappy, and fuel consumption is a little better.
The exhaust gave an extra 2psi of boost, now around 18-19PSI.
These engines use electronic boost control(or something along those lines), so it's not as easy as your older systems where you could adjust the vacuum to the waste gate.

Jayde

Joined: 18 Sep 2003 Location: lost

Just for your interest guys we have just finished a front mount intercooler kit for the BT50 that replaces the factory cooler with a MUCH more efficient core.

It lifts the cooler up as far as you can go so no more issues with damage and flows heaps more while removing a massive amount more heat.

On the dyno the factory intercooler becomes scalding (very) hot and cannot shed anywhere near enough heat it also stays hot after full load runs. These things run 16psi boost factory which is a lot of boost and therefore heat.

The new core gets too hot to touch on the charge side but remains cool on the post side even under full load.

Initial results on a stock motor with NO OTHER MODS is a good 6kw gain up top and earlier boost response. Fuel ratios become heaps leaner (great on a diesel) and good torque gains. Add and exhaust and the gains will be even better. Do a chip last if ya really after every last killa wasp.

Kit will be completely bolt in and you only have to remove the grill to fit.
We are just finalizing the kit but it is quite basic so easy to fit yourself.

Better fuel economy and a less stressed motor is a given with this kit.
These are in house dyno tested results. The intercooler looks cool too in behind the grill.

Just thought some might be interested.
Regards
Brian

Joined: 04 Jan 2008 Location: gold coast

sounds good, when will they be available, and any idea on price

Joined: 18 Sep 2003 Location: lost

We expect price to be around the 1200 mark.
Bear in mind that this is a very high quality intercooler too not ya autobarn specials etc.

Kit will be comercially available in the next couple of weeks all going well.

I haven't yet got a price from mazda for a factory replacement intercooler for when they get damaged but I imagine they would not be much if at all cheaper than our kit.

Will get some pics etc asap

Joined: 30 Dec 2002 Location: Adelaide

Sounds good. Smile