Idle fuel consumption of 4M50

biggoolies

Adventurer
Wondering if anyone knows the fuel consumption at idle. All I could find was 1/10 of a gallon per hour. And it wasn’t for the Fuso I believe. I am looking to see what it would take to run my AC with the truck battery to battery charger and my solar combined.
thanks
 
D

Deleted member 9101

Guest
I know it's not apples to apples... But truck drivers usually figure on a gallon per hour while ideling. I know they are ideling a much larger motor, but maybe it will give you a starting point.
 

Peter_n_Margaret

Adventurer
To the idle figure you need add about 250ml per kW per hour to run the A/C (from distant memory???)
I have a friend who data logged this for a Defender. I will see if I can get the numbers.
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome
 

Peter_n_Margaret

Adventurer
Well it was before the Defender, but his memory suggests to use about 0.7L/hr for idle plus 0.2L/hr per Kw of power used.
My memory says an A/C is about 4-5kW.
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome
 

skippythedog

Observer
In the long run, this would be far more expensive than installing a separate auxiliary power unit (APU)....More engine wear, carbon buildup etc...Just knowing the idle consumption is just a starting point; You're going to be putting a substantial load on it. Also, consider that many alternators don't really start charging until they reach a given rpm (some as high as 1500)...This won't be the case in yours but I don't know what the number is. You can talk to your local auto electric place about installing a Leece-Neville alternator (common in police/ambulance use etc), or undersizing your pulley to speed it up (which might cause problems when you're flogging it on the highway at 2200rpm).....I think it's way overkill to run a 150hp primary motor just to accomplish your needs. A nice quiet Honda EU2200i will do what you need for $1000 and under 50 lbs running only at the speed required to handle the load. (a knock off one can be had for $400)....A 3.5 or 4kw generator will let you run a microwave at the same time and is the starting output point for portable diesel generators which will weigh (and cost) 4-6 times as much.
 

DzlToy

Explorer
x3295 on the Honda or Yamaha generator.

Truck engines are not designed to be run at idle for long periods of time. In places this IS common, i.e. police cruisers, ambulances, oil field trucks and the like, serious wear issues are prevalent. A diesel engine is very good at doing work, typically at 1600 - 2000 RPM with a load, to create a high BMEP and thus high efficiency and good fuel economy.

If you have the space, a BLDC generator could be installed in place of a second alternator and used to charge a quality lithium battery bank. Running the engine loaded, at say 1800 RPM for an hour or two would provide high current charge to the batteries, allowing the HVAC to run for 6-8 hours, without the need to continue running the truck.

Camp where you don't need AC at night and save yourself lots of hassle, time, money and diesel.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
185,916
Messages
2,879,592
Members
225,497
Latest member
WonaWarrior
Top