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Bus Discussion => Bus Topics ( click here for quick start! ) => Topic started by: zubzub on November 04, 2008, 11:04:38 AM

Title: Going through my receipts I came across some good news re: my 4104, 11 mpg!
Post by: zubzub on November 04, 2008, 11:04:38 AM
When I brought the bus home in august I misplaced some gas receipts so I was never sure what I made for milage.  Still don't have them all but do know I went 340 miles with 30.54 gallons of diesel.  That makes 11.23mpg with a van toad.  Not bad for rolling countryside.  Don't have the figures for the north bay to ottawa run with the 2nd gear climbs etc...expect it was worse for the obvious as well as I was getting more confident by then and driving harder. 
Title: Re: Going through my receipts I came across some good news re: my 4104, 11 mpg!
Post by: WEC4104 on November 04, 2008, 11:31:28 AM
Noting the Ottawa reference, is that 30.54 imperial gallons, or U.S. gallons?   Saving folks the math, if these are imperial gallons, these figures equate to 9.35 mpg based on U.S gallons.
Title: Re: Going through my receipts I came across some good news re: my 4104, 11 mpg!
Post by: zubzub on November 04, 2008, 12:20:25 PM
US gallons! BTW I would have to be pretty stubborn to estimate in imperial gallons as Canada has  been selling fuel by the liter only as long as I can remember.  That being said the L/100km that is used as the standard for fuel consumption here means nothing to me or most of the folks I know.  Maybe one day I will have a better sense of it..... for the record 11.23 mpg converts to 20.94 liters per 100 km.  Amazingly my eurovan only gets 18 mpg so if I take it easy driving this bus almost makes sense.


Title: Re: Going through my receipts I came across some good news re: my 4104, 11 mpg!
Post by: ilyafish on November 04, 2008, 12:44:53 PM
<---- 5 mpg  >:(
Title: Re: Going through my receipts I came across some good news re: my 4104, 11 mpg!
Post by: WEC4104 on November 04, 2008, 01:21:25 PM
 ;D  I didn't think you were being stubborn.  My understanding is that most (all?) fuel stations in Canada have converted over to selling in litres.  However, when expressing vehicle mileage, some folks use l/100km  and others still use mpg.  When Canadians quote mpg figures, the numbers are customarily based on the imperial gallon.  For example, when you buy a new car there is a required window that states the certified fuel economy. The Canadian version of this sticker states the numbers in both l/100km and mpg.  The mpg figure on that sticker is based on imperial gallons. This confuses Americans and often leads some people to wonder why the Canadian cars are so much more efficient.
Title: Re: Going through my receipts I came across some good news re: my 4104, 11 mpg!
Post by: zubzub on November 04, 2008, 01:34:27 PM
Cool, I have never bought a car from a dealer, I had no idea they still posted in mpg.  Now that you mention it I had kind of noticed that cars seem to get better milage sometimes than others... They still post $/pound at the stores here, this works well as 2.99/lb sounds like less than 6.40/kg.
Title: Re: Going through my receipts I came across some good news re: my 4104, 11 mpg!
Post by: johns4104s on November 04, 2008, 02:06:37 PM
You are very lucky indeed to get 11+ mpg. Having owned three 04,s the best I have ever done at 65 mph is the mid 8,s.

John
Title: Re: Going through my receipts I came across some good news re: my 4104, 11 mpg!
Post by: WEC4104 on November 04, 2008, 02:28:42 PM
This summer my 4104 completed a 2200 mile trip, which included some decent mountain action in KY and TN. Cruisin' at 65 with no toad. Some stop-and-go traffic.  9.3 mpg for the overall trip
Title: Re: Going through my receipts I came across some good news re: my 4104, 11 mpg!
Post by: Stormcloud on November 04, 2008, 05:02:43 PM
You sure your 'towed' wasn't pushing a bit?? ;)

That's indeed great mileage.

Mark
Title: Re: Going through my receipts I came across some good news re: my 4104, 11 mpg!
Post by: PP on November 04, 2008, 06:54:21 PM
Not being familiar with the '04, what engine does it have and has it been converted? My bus ran like a champ coming home. I went through mountain passes uphill as fast as the jake slowed me coming down. Then we moved everything into it. Now it works and eats like a Clydesdale  ;D Great mileage for you anyway you cut it though! ;D
Title: Re: Going through my receipts I came across some good news re: my 4104, 11 mpg!
Post by: johns4104s on November 05, 2008, 05:09:11 AM
My mid 8,s was towing a toad.

John
Title: Re: Going through my receipts I came across some good news re: my 4104, 11 mpg!
Post by: zimtok on November 05, 2008, 06:00:04 AM
My 4104 gets about 7.5-8.5 mpg....

It is still a basicly stock 671 with duel exhaust and 4 valve head. (if I remember correctly N65 injectors)

Most of the driving is done within 50 miles of home to and from gigs 5 nights a week.
I estimate it to be 30% city at 30-45mph (3rd gear), 30% country back roads at 45-55mph (4th gear), and 40% highway at 65mph (4th gear).


.

Title: Re: Going through my receipts I came across some good news re: my 4104, 11 mpg!
Post by: zubzub on November 06, 2008, 01:36:00 AM
I think the reason my milage was so good is I really kept my foot out of it.  I was still very cautious/ terrified of the coach, and had 3 kids on board (no seat belts and besides how do you put seat belts on kids wrestling?)  I have a very stock 6-71 with a 2 valve head and if reverse is anything to go by a very low ration on the dif (reverse is very fast).  BTW I have no working speedo yet so who knows what speed I was doing, I know it wasn't top speed though "cause  when I hit the big highways all of a sudden my foot was on the floor and we were going faster, I don't have #s for that though as I have yet to buy canadian diesel.  Still if I can learn to squeeze 10 mpg out that would be great, I used to drive a 68 International schoolie with a  318? that couldn't do 10 mpg and that old beast was a rough ride.  Had a splitter on the dif though and could climb anything.
Title: Re: Going through my receipts I came across some good news re: my 4104, 11 mpg!
Post by: johns4104s on November 06, 2008, 05:57:58 AM
The reverse on the 04,s is going backwards in second gear. Do you have a Tack??
Title: Re: Going through my receipts I came across some good news re: my 4104, 11 mpg!
Post by: zubzub on November 06, 2008, 06:11:26 AM
no tach. no oil pressure gage, no engine temp gage, no volt meter.  No plans on driving it again until I have that all sorted.
Title: Re: Going through my receipts I came across some good news re: my 4104, 11 mpg!
Post by: johns4104s on November 06, 2008, 01:51:58 PM
Be sure that you change the primery filter located on the bulk head above the transmission.
Title: Re: Going through my receipts I came across some good news re: my 4104, 11 mpg!
Post by: gus on November 06, 2008, 05:09:20 PM
Zub,

That pretty much agrees with what I recorded during a trip through AR, MS and LA a year ago. Not many hills on this route except near my home in North AR. That was the only time I ever checked it out on level ground.

When  I make a trip west through the Rockies and up the west coast it drops down to 8-9 but that is still pretty good.

My 4104 is strictly stock like yours.
Title: Re: Going through my receipts I came across some good news re: my 4104, 11 mpg!
Post by: DSweet on November 06, 2008, 07:57:14 PM
On our "maiden voyage" with our '04 on the flat in the San Joaquin Valley here in California, we managed 9.25 mpg, the Grapevine which is
a tough climb knocked our average down to 7.1 over all for out trip of just under 600 miles.  We are pleased with the mileage, it isn't good
for a car but it isn't bad for a house!  We towed out Chevy Cavalier four wheels down. :)
Blessings,
David
PD4104-2977
Winton, CA.
Title: Re: Going through my receipts I came across some good news re: my 4104, 11 mpg!
Post by: WEC4104 on November 06, 2008, 08:05:04 PM
So it sounds like your speedometer and pretty much all of your other gauges are out of commission. Yet your odometer is still working? Or did you use some other means (GPS, Mapquest) for the mileage calculation?
Title: Re: Going through my receipts I came across some good news re: my 4104, 11 mpg!
Post by: gus on November 07, 2008, 07:28:36 PM
I don't use my odometer anymore, the GPS is far more accurate.