Getting my Disco 2 as economic and efficient as poss'

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dsalkeld

New Member
Posts
41
Location
Louth, Lincs, UK
Hello Folks,

I have a Discovery 2 TD5 X reg.
I got her mainly to pull a 2 tonne trailer all week around town for work window cleaning and for a family car.
She does the job good.
When I got her she had only done 2k miles in 18 months and from a farmers wife.
I assume she has been stuck in a shed not used much.
The first week I had her it cost £88 for 260 miles average of 19 mpg.
I took her 150 miles on a long run, let her go ;). I then put some of that diesel injector cleaner in a tank full. After that she did 270 miles on £75 average of 22 mpg. And she runs far better :)
I read on here and have been told I should be able to get up to 30mpg. OK if I could get another 5 mpg out of her it could save me over £10 per week ;) (Not a Managing Director for nowt :D).

2 Ideas have shown up:-

1. EGR blanking/removal
This seems simple enough (had a look under the bonnet and read up)
2. Remapping
Have the MSB type but found a local firm who can re chip and remap
for £200

Any advise please.

Thanks guys

David
 
Hello Folks,

I have a Discovery 2 TD5 X reg.
I got her mainly to pull a 2 tonne trailer all week around town for work window cleaning and for a family car.
She does the job good.
When I got her she had only done 2k miles in 18 months and from a farmers wife.
I assume she has been stuck in a shed not used much.
The first week I had her it cost £88 for 260 miles average of 19 mpg.
I took her 150 miles on a long run, let her go ;). I then put some of that diesel injector cleaner in a tank full. After that she did 270 miles on £75 average of 22 mpg. And she runs far better :)
I read on here and have been told I should be able to get up to 30mpg. OK if I could get another 5 mpg out of her it could save me over £10 per week ;) (Not a Managing Director for nowt :D).

2 Ideas have shown up:-

1. EGR blanking/removal
This seems simple enough (had a look under the bonnet and read up)
2. Remapping
Have the MSB type but found a local firm who can re chip and remap
for £200

Any advise please.

Thanks guys

David

Hi David, as you know fuel consumption depends on loads of things and you'll need to look at them one at a time to see what improvements they make:

1. Tyre pressure and type. Check your pressures and set them to 33psi front and 36psi at the back. If you have off-road tyres fitted they will cause more drag, therefore more fuel burnt.

2. Replace you air filter. I don't care how clean it looks, for a tenner just change it. You are trying set a baseline to improve your car's mpg.

3. Obviously driving style. If you try to drive a 2.2ton 136bhp Discovery like it was a car, you'll be driving it too hard.

4. Don't carry more weight than you need. If you look in the back of some Discos they have perhaps 500kgs of tools and bits.


Try those and see how you get on.

Dave
 
Last edited:
Hi David, as you know fuel consumption depends on loads of things and you'll need to look at them one at a time to see what improvements they make:

1. Tyre pressure and type. Check your pressures and set them to 3psi front and 36psi at the back. If you have off-road tyres fitted they will cause more drag, therefore more fuel burnt.

2. Replace you air filter. I don't care how clean it looks, for a tenner just change it. You are trying set a baseline to improve your car's mpg.

3. Obviously driving style. If you try to drive a 2.2ton 136bhp Discovery like it was a car, you'll be driving it too hard.

4. Don't carry more weight than you need. If you look in the back of some Discos they have perhaps 500kgs of tools and bits.


Try those and see how you get on.

Dave

Thanks for this....there's 2 things I haven't done.

Tyre pressure - haven't checked em since I got her :rolleyes: - Do that now when I fill up with diesel.

Air filter - Going to do an Oil and filter change next weekend.

Thanks
 
As a guide, our TD5 does 27 mpg mostly short journeys and/or towing a heavy horse trailer (and horse!!)

I have always tried to drive economically, and would echo what Dave says, it isn't a car and we go places now at "Landy speed". Pull away steadily, gentle change into second (synchro isn't great) then use the torque in 3rd and 4th to "gather speed" (not accelerate!) We don't go above 55 (we get vibration from that point on!) and in any event the drag would kill fuel consumption at higher speeds.

Yes new air filter but order and fit an EGR removal kit now, taking that off will make a very big improvement. I generally keep between 1800 and 3000 rpm, it will rev more but gets very busy and theres loads of torque in that narrow band.

Hope that helps......
 
Hi David, as you know fuel consumption depends on loads of things and you'll need to look at them one at a time to see what improvements they make:

1. Tyre pressure and type. Check your pressures and set them to 3psi front and 36psi at the back. If you have off-road tyres fitted they will cause more drag, therefore more fuel burnt.

Yup

2. Replace you air filter. I don't care how clean it looks, for a tenner just change it. You are trying set a baseline to improve your car's mpg.

Yup

3. Obviously driving style. If you try to drive a 2.2ton 136bhp Discovery like it was a car, you'll be driving it too hard.

Yup

4. Don't carry more weight than you need. If you look in the back of some Discos they have perhaps 500kgs of tools and bits.

Never noticed any difference whatever I put in the Disco. Wife's car weight makes a difference, but even fully loaded with people and crap it barely makes any difference!

Towing is a different matter though, and kills fuel consumption .. ;)


Try those and see how you get on.

Dave

Replies as above in red .. Note that mine's a 300 Tdi, not a TD5 and doesn't have fly by wire ..
 
You don't say if its a Manual or Auto makes a big difference to the MPG

30MPG for a manual but very unlikely for a auto
 
You don't say if its a Manual or Auto makes a big difference to the MPG

30MPG for a manual but very unlikely for a auto

She's a manual. Wouldn't consider auto for towing.

As for driving, I'm thinking back to my tractor days. That's why, dare I say it, I think of her more as a truck than a car.
 
Ive blanked egr fit performance air filter replaced injector harness full oil n filter change was still getting crap mpg since replaced maf sensor used genuine parts now im getting 34-35 mpg around town 140 miles to 30 quid done it 3 times nowcoz I ccouldn't believe it
 
I have listed what I did above mate and ive still got a slight misfire I do however drive with a light foot
 
I now change my air filter every 3 months, I used to change it annually until last year and then when it was changed noticed a massive difference in fuel consumption. Since then every 12 weeks. Can get Britpart ones for under £4.
well worth it in my opinion.
 
Over the period of a year mines around 28 MPG, its a due a service and am going to remove the EGR and possibly try some injector cleaner.

IMO keeping a check on the MPG is one of the first indications that something might be wrong.

A good service always goes down well.
 
I fitted britpart performance filter, but they only thing that improved my mpg was fitting a new genuine MAF sensor after I tested mine with a meter I wasnt getting any readings between pins 1-3 and 2-3
 
forgot to mention you can take the viscous fan off in the colder months to aid warm up time and prevent over cooling. There appears to be no issue with this even when towing.
 
Ordered air and oil filters...
Tyres done........all were around 25psi.:rolleyes:
Done 30 in front and 36 in back.
Let's see this week.
Oil and filters will be next weekend.
 
Right Chaps,

Thanks for the advice.
My thoughts so far.......

1. KISS....Keep It Simple Stupid!
I could go for it and spend several hundred quid trying to save a few quid on diesel and not needed all that expense. So I am grateful to you guys for pointing out simple points first

2. Things I have done so far.
Got her going and working again
Put some injector cleaner through
Inflated the tyres properly.

3. I am going to change Air filter Oil filters and oil.

The next steps I still have a few queries on

1. EGR removal/blanking
Will this affect emissions for MOT purposes?
2. MAF replacement seems expensive, but those who have done so seem well impressed
3. Remapping has not been commented on? However other posts seem positive about it. And I would have to be fairly convinced it would be worth the cost.

Thanks for your comments
David
 
If you're thinking about getting it remapped give Gary a ring at alive tuning he really knows his stuff and is up the road in Grimsby. Also do landyzone members get discount for getting their house windows cleaned :)
 
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