better fuel economy

[hoe]

What's a good gear to go to with a 32in diameter tire? I think a 285/45/22 is 32.7in.

---------- Post added at 06:49 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:45 AM ----------



Will any of those hand held tuners work? I know its a basic tune but what has worked and what is proven? I know mpg is going to be different from person to person. Im really concerned with ease of use and quality.

Thanks!

4.30s

 

[dwmmatt23]

sorry...but we get it over in the tundra world also...its kinda funny...

"i just installed this 6 inch lift and 37 inch tires and im only getting 12mpg" they even go back to the dealership and have them run diagnostics on it over and over because they arent getting 20mpg out of a 381hp truck....im getting an avg of 14.0 and am happy with it because i knew it going in.

And their still getting better mileage than me, damn

 

[Trackrat]

Do NOT waste your money on a handheld tuner. You'll spend money and see little return. Go with a Black Bear Tune and you'll see an immediate difference! It's virtually the only way to go to get the most bang for your buck.

Either blackbear or find someone around you that tunes these motors and have them ride with you and they will tune it that way.

But if you go with gears and cai and such you may want to wait and get those done first then get the tune. People say you can tell them what you are going to get and they will set it up for that. But id do everything else then go the tune done. Just my opinion.

10-4 Guys!!!
Thanks

 

[brucebruce45]

Keep ur hoe clean an waxed
remove all possible weight, spare tire, 3rd row, remove bumper for rollpan, roofack, radio antenna,etc
Inflate tires properly
Tuck in mirrors on hwy
Draft
Don't over 65 mph
When you coast, shift to neutral
Get a lowering kit
Cai, tune, lts, straight thru muffler
Look ahead in traffic and watch the lights, try an time them

I could go on

 

[TheFuzz]

Sure, I'll chime in. I know everyone says that these trucks are pigs, but telling someone to go buy a Prius isn't exactly a helpful answer. He isn't asking how to get GOOD gas mileage out of his truck. We know that really isn't physically possible. He's asking how to MAXIMIZE it. There is a difference, folks - and maximizing your mileage is entirely possible.

The biggest thing I can tell you is that poor gas mileage is most often caused by the nut behind the wheel. Be a good driver. Easy on the gas, easy on the brakes. Keep the RPMs down as much as you can. I try to keep them under 2K whenever possible, unless I have to jump into the pedal to merge on the highway or something. That will solve 99% of your "human error" gas mileage problems. As for the mechanical side of it, here are my tips:

Stay on top of the maintenance. Replace your air filter as needed. Change your oil at recommended intervals. Check your MAF sensor at every oil change and if necessary, clean it (this little bugger is a big one - it can really rob you of some MPGs if it's dirty). Make sure your tires are inflated as high as they can safely be inflated for on-road use. Check your plugs and wires, make sure they are good to go, and if they aren't, swap em out. Lastly, and this one is debatable, but running synthtic fluids can sometimes help. Less drag on moving engine parts = less parasitic loss. I run Mobile1 High Mileage 5w30 w/ 230K on the clock and it runs great. I intend to switch the trans and diffs to Amsoil or Mobil 1, not sure which yet. YMMV.

 

[turbopowered68]

ok SO
Which CAI?
Which Tune?

 

[mmeachem]

There are many out there such as the spectre 9900 or k&n or airaid

And as the tune goes many on this forum have tunes from BlackBear Performance

Hope this helps

Mike

 

[Wake]

love the mpg threads on these big truck forums.... just realize its a lard *** truck and its not going to be good and just live with it. if its a concern, then dont buy or continue to own one.

Nothing wrong with asking how to improve fuel economy. Yes these vehicles are thirsty, there's no getting around that.

Myself, I like efficiency. Now our engines are a bit more the older conventional style (no VVT, 4spd auto, etc) so there isn't a lot we can do with them, but even 1 or 2 mpg increase is a good thing to have.

My last SUV was a Trailblazer 4.2L I6 with GM's VVT on the exhaust side. I was able to get a pcmforless tune and increase the MPG from about 21 to 24.5 on straight highway driving. Not bad for a 4000lb 4WD with 3.73 gearing.

I opted for the towing tune since I don't drive it like a racecar and wanted the low end torque over the high end side where the vehicle spent very little operating time. I noticed after the tune that I lost a little bit at the top end but had a very pleasant gain on the bottom end where it spends 99% of it's time operating. At 2000RPM where she cruised most of the time on the highway she was strong and quite a bit less thirsty on the gas.

Another area to look at is what gasoline octane you're using. I also have high performance vehicles that require premium unleaded. I found with my driving style on my work commute that midgrade worked better economy wise. For instance I had a Saturn Sky Redline which consistently over 3 round trip work commutes (290 miles) on a tank averaged 2-3mpg better on midgrade than premium unleaded, so I switched to midgrade. The same was true on my previous Eldorado ETC. Higher octane gasoline has less energy in it that lower octanes, it's only the knock resistance that give you the power in a high comression engine that needs it.

Also look at your engine RPM at your normal cruising speed. Economy wise, my Escalade doesn't like going over 70mph, so as a compromise I drive at 67mph as opposed to 75mph and realize a 15%+ increase in economy. Instead of 15.5mpg I see usually 18.5mpg. 3mpg better and I get to work only about 10 minutes later. And I don't worry about looking out for the state troopers or my insurance rates going up.

I'm going to try a tune in my Escalade in the near future, I already have a spare PCM laying around that I picked up off of eBay for $35 shipped that I'll use so I can easily switch back to stock tune if I don't like the modified tune. If it gets me only 1mpg increase I'll be happy as I'm trying to make my ride more efficient.

Myself, I don't think CAI or exhaust nets you much of anything other than sound on a modern vehicle. They might be good for a few HP but only at the top end of the operating range where they'll flow better.