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The fuel consumption on my 2000 Nissan Patrol is high, what could be causing this?
I assume you mean it’s higher than normal, because these were thirsty trucks to begin with. The 4.8-litre petrol six-cylinder engine could easily consume 20 litres per 100km at freeway speeds and a lot more around town or in the bush. Even the turbo-diesels were no sippers.
But a sudden jump in fuel consumption can often be traced back to either tuning or a glitch in part of the fuelling system. Make sure the car is serviced and has a clean air filter and new spark plugs (if it’s a petrol engine). You can also have the fuel-injection system checked to make sure you don’t have a stuck injector that is pouring fuel into the engine when it doesn’t need it.
If the engine is fit and healthy, you can then make sure the car doesn’t have a dragging brake or another mechanical problem that is – literally – dragging it down. Don’t ignore the other basics, either; under-inflated tyres can also cause high fuel consumption. And, have you fitted a roof rack lately? These can easily add a full litre per 100km to your overall consumption figures, just through wind-drag.
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