Returning new member

[billyjack]

Greetings from Red Dirt, TN! (More of a region than a town...)
I used to belong to this forum ages ago but since de-Googling my life, there is no way to find that info.
After selling my last eco-friendly vehicle, I had a few that were pre-OBD and my UG sat forlorn in a box for years.
Now I have a "new" vehicle: a 2000 V6-powered 4WD Nissan Frontier. While it ain't a Prius, Geo/Chevy Metro, or the like, (a) I need a truck with what I bought, and (b) better FE is going to be more challenging than starting off with a lightweight, 3-cylinder, electric, or hybrid vehicle.
Good to be here; look forward to getting to know y'all.
BJ

[Caddylackn]

Welcome back.

What will be your first goals on your Frontier?

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by billyjack

Now I have a "new" vehicle: a 2000 V6-powered 4WD Nissan Frontier. While it ain't a Prius, Geo/Chevy Metro, or the like, (a) I need a truck with what I bought, and (b) better FE is going to be more challenging than starting off with a lightweight, 3-cylinder, electric, or hybrid vehicle.

Might not be the easiest platform to start with, but at least the trucks from that era were still moderately sized, in contrast to nowadays when even a compact truck is slotted within a size which 20 years ago a truck one class above would be.

[billyjack]

Originally Posted by Caddylackn

Welcome back.

What will be your first goals on your Frontier?

Right now, I have to figure out what I'm starting with. I filled up the tank once and set up my UG. (I have to contact them this morning for a replacement mount, as the original is busted.) I also coast in neutral when I can during regular driving, minimize electrical load, etc.

The truck naturally has a rake, which might level out with some bed load, but I don't usually carry enough load to level it. IDK how the stance affects FE anyway. I'm thinking something in the front that would minimize/laminarize (is that a word?) air flow underneath.

Since there doesn't seem to be a lot of information on this era Frontier, I am open to suggestions.

[billyjack]

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

Might not be the easiest platform to start with, but at least the trucks from that era were still moderately sized, in contrast to nowadays when even a compact truck is slotted within a size which 20 years ago a truck one class above would be.

Agreed. I'm not into bloated sized anything on the road, and by nature, I'm opposed to the tech they throw into vehicles for better FE/emissions. At the risk of starting debates, I don't see the point of shutting off cylinders during SS driving or shutting off vehicles at stops when neither has been reliable for long-term engine life. What's the gain if your engine needs replacing around 100k miles?

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by billyjack

At the risk of starting debates, I don't see the point of shutting off cylinders during SS driving or shutting off vehicles at stops when neither has been reliable for long-term engine life.

A few months ago, after my stepmother told me she would run the engine of her car, which sat unused for at least 2 months, for some minutes in order to keep the battery charged, I told her my biggest concern would be to allow oil pressure to buildup enough so the oil would flow through the valvetrain at the cylinder head too. That's why sometimes I may take idle shut-off with a grain of salt.