Any tips for better mpg

[mountie]

To answer the original question:
Coast downhill with the engine off.

( I bought my Yukon for size & power).... screw MPG..... On average, throughout the year the MPG will be higher than a Prius. Just enjoy driving it.

 

[mikeCsix]

If you are serious about mileage and performance, cleaning up the exhaust with headers and a tune will help along a lower back pressure muffler, correct tire pressures, high mileage street tires and a wheel alignment with 0-toe. Then there is a clean air filter (OEM works fine), synthetic fluids everywhere, and new plugs and wires. For driving skills, use cruise control at every opportunity as it won't pump the gas pedal.

 

[kly5953]

Look up hypermiling
It sounds goofy, I know, but back in the day when I had an S10 blazer, I increased my miles per tank from ~300 to ~420 simply by hypermiling
I also net an extra 60 or so miles when I did the same in 01 Sierra Z71, granted, I had an exhaust on it so I wasn't friendly to the peddle on take offs.
Mostly what you are doing is trying to carry momentum, and stay below 2500 rpms on take offs. Give a little gas going downhill to pick up speed and feather the throttle uphill to prevent downshifting while you lose a little speed. You'll fluctuate speed more an annoy some folks, but just stay in the right hand lane and don't count on passing people. You'll notice that staying below 2000 while driving on the interstate will put you going pretty slow, but you can definitely see a large increase in MPG. (Results may vary depending on your actual practice)

Right now I'm normally getting around 18 in my 04 tahoe, though I have only owned if for a week!

 

[ROGELIO A GUZMAN]

Than you guys for all the tips. Started doing some work on it and started getting around 15mpg mixed now. Still working on it and will post updates. Next are new tires.

 

[ROGELIO A GUZMAN]

being we have an 03 denali also, as many said keeping up on things is number one, tire type and size can make quite a bit of difference, as well as where your driving and probably the biggest is the how your driving it.

we get 12-14 on average with ours, but we don't baby it and have 285 druatracs on it ( I got 1-1.5 mpg swapping to snow tires on my avalanche) many of the items you are going to buy or pay for aside from upkeep will take a long time to pay for themselves, let alone save money.


using higher that needed fuel required will also do little to save money, as the little you could save will most likely be negated in the cost of the more expensive fuel.

When you say type of tires. What do you mean by that. I have some bridgestone tires with chrome rims that the previous owner replaced the factory ones. Would lighter rims help any on mpg.

 

[oldchev]

I have an 04 Denali Yukon. My suggestions are keep tires inflated to the maximum range or 32-34 psi, then review your driving technique. People may hate your slow starts and timing the lights and on freeway stay at 65 or ... 70 if allowed. The faster you go, creates more drag. I know, Its very hard but use your instant mpg meter and practice. I get overall average of 14.2 lifetime @ 243K miles. I got mine with 112K miles on it and 12.2 lifetime then. Freeway about 17-18 flat, city 12.8-14.5 depending.
Anything else requiring parts changes or octane boosters will hardly justify any realistic returns on investment.

 

[gat0r]

When you say type of tires. What do you mean by that. I have some bridgestone tires with chrome rims that the previous owner replaced the factory ones. Would lighter rims help any on mpg.

harder tires would be better than softer tires.
as also mentioned in other posts... tire pressure plays a role in mpg's too.

yes, lighter rims could help. less rotational mass for starting off the line & highway driving.
dont go wider than stock tires, as that can create more drag.


someone had mentioned hypermiling, its a hard concept to keep up with. also much better for smaller cars, but the principle can work on bigger vehicles too.


as far as air filters, i like the dry ones better. less mess & you wont have to clean MAF as often.
especially if you accidentaly got heavy on the oiling after cleaning the filter.


but be realistic, you have a big SUV w/ a big motor, not a prius
window sticker for your ride shows combined mileage of 13. 12 city & 16 highway



mileage will also change w/ the time of year, depending on winter vs summer fuel mix.



i may have missed it, but another user inquired as to if you had AWD. so what is yours 2WD, 4WD, or AWD?

if you dont have window sticker, you will want to look up build codes & figure out what differential gears that you have.
along w/ how you usually use your vehicle. daily driving, flat/hilly roads, towing, etc.
all that comes into play when you want better mileage.

 

[Denali_XL]

i may have missed it, but another user inquired as to if you had AWD. so what is yours 2WD, 4WD, or AWD?

I have an 05' Yukon XL Denali and I believe all Denali's (2001 - 2006) have AWD as standard. That and the larger 6.0L engine were the main differences.

 

[ROGELIO A GUZMAN]

harder tires would be better than softer tires.
as also mentioned in other posts... tire pressure plays a role in mpg's too.

yes, lighter rims could help. less rotational mass for starting off the line & highway driving.
dont go wider than stock tires, as that can create more drag.


someone had mentioned hypermiling, its a hard concept to keep up with. also much better for smaller cars, but the principle can work on bigger vehicles too.


as far as air filters, i like the dry ones better. less mess & you wont have to clean MAF as often.
especially if you accidentaly got heavy on the oiling after cleaning the filter.


but be realistic, you have a big SUV w/ a big motor, not a prius
window sticker for your ride shows combined mileage of 13. 12 city & 16 highway



mileage will also change w/ the time of year, depending on winter vs summer fuel mix.



i may have missed it, but another user inquired as to if you had AWD. so what is yours 2WD, 4WD, or AWD?

if you dont have window sticker, you will want to look up build codes & figure out what differential gears that you have.
along w/ how you usually use your vehicle. daily driving, flat/hilly roads, towing, etc.
all that comes into play when you want better mileage.

Sorry I'm awd

 

[gat0r]

no worries

from what i recall, AWD loses like 1 or 2 off the bat compared to others.