Useless Information
- Thread starter swathdiver
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swathdiver
Full Access Member
Fun with Excel and numbers...
On FuelEconomy.Gov, the fuel mileage testing establishes 21.2 MPH or lower as 100% City driving and 48.3 MPH and higher as 100% Highway driving. So using those figures, I was able to make a chart with percentages and then created a formula that would read it based upon the average speed of that tank of gas to establish what the ratio of city to highway driving was done.
Over the years there would be several similar average speeds for a tank of fuel but wildly different gas mileages and I did not know how to explain it. This information now gives me a better idea of how the truck was used during that tank of fuel.
The data below was from our trip to Ocala. At the end of the run the average speed was 46.3 miles an hour which is 92% of 48.3, the number established by the EPA for highway driving. I do not believe it is entirely accurate however. On this run my wife sat in the car for about an hour while we were inside the museum and then I sat in the car with my wife while the kids ran into a store to pick some things up. There was also 15 minutes at a rest stop. I'm guessing idle time was about 90 minutes compared with 3/4 of an hour doing the math. The day before this trip, my wife has also used the truck for errands; she idles away yakking on the phone and runs it like a scalded dog when going from A to B. I say this because the instant economy was 21 mpg and higher on the way up, the average climbing into the 18s when we arrived on station and was still in the 15s after idling in the museum parking lot and climbed back to 17 mpg by the time the truck was refueled.
Anyhow, what do you think? Is there a way to possibly make this more accurate by the data provided by the DIC?
On FuelEconomy.Gov, the fuel mileage testing establishes 21.2 MPH or lower as 100% City driving and 48.3 MPH and higher as 100% Highway driving. So using those figures, I was able to make a chart with percentages and then created a formula that would read it based upon the average speed of that tank of gas to establish what the ratio of city to highway driving was done.
Over the years there would be several similar average speeds for a tank of fuel but wildly different gas mileages and I did not know how to explain it. This information now gives me a better idea of how the truck was used during that tank of fuel.
The data below was from our trip to Ocala. At the end of the run the average speed was 46.3 miles an hour which is 92% of 48.3, the number established by the EPA for highway driving. I do not believe it is entirely accurate however. On this run my wife sat in the car for about an hour while we were inside the museum and then I sat in the car with my wife while the kids ran into a store to pick some things up. There was also 15 minutes at a rest stop. I'm guessing idle time was about 90 minutes compared with 3/4 of an hour doing the math. The day before this trip, my wife has also used the truck for errands; she idles away yakking on the phone and runs it like a scalded dog when going from A to B. I say this because the instant economy was 21 mpg and higher on the way up, the average climbing into the 18s when we arrived on station and was still in the 15s after idling in the museum parking lot and climbed back to 17 mpg by the time the truck was refueled.
Anyhow, what do you think? Is there a way to possibly make this more accurate by the data provided by the DIC?
iamdub
Full Access Member
Wait... is this math?
I'm sure I'm not alone when I say I come to this thread to look up to your intelligence and fascinating data. You can't be asking down to us!
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swathdiver
Full Access Member
Just finished tackling the Recirculation Actuator.
Wasn't a bad job, the longest part was rounding up the tools!
10mm wrench to disconnect the battery.
7mm socket to disconnect the passenger side ac vent.
10mm socket to remove the 4 bolts securing the airbag in place.
5.5mm socket to remove the 2 screws securing the actuator
Used small trim tools to pry off the instrument panel center trim and to help release the cover for the airbag on the dash.
Used a small flat blade screwdriver to remove the safety tab on the airbag connector and to help remove the connector on the actuator.
Looking down into the squirrel cage (yellow in color) I saw a piece of plastic in there that looked out of place. Dabbed a little RTV on the magnetic tip and fished it out. Not exactly sure where it came from.
Fired up the car and the Tech-2 and observed the all the actuators. This one was now running spot on. The Mode for the front and rear are still moving a little. Performed a ReCalibration and cycled the ignition a couple of times. This time the Passenger side actuator threw two codes! That's the only one to not have thrown a code until today! Of course, I have no spares and buttoned everything back up. Another is on the way.
As for the dashboard, it is still crack free. The bolt on the bracket (mine is 7mm) was snug but not tight allowing movement! Thanks to whoever did that! That's the key to keep the dashboards from cracking in that area I'm told.
As usual my phone was on the rear bumper and no photos were taken, no kids were around, they heard Dad was doing this today and scattered.
Wasn't a bad job, the longest part was rounding up the tools!
10mm wrench to disconnect the battery.
7mm socket to disconnect the passenger side ac vent.
10mm socket to remove the 4 bolts securing the airbag in place.
5.5mm socket to remove the 2 screws securing the actuator
Used small trim tools to pry off the instrument panel center trim and to help release the cover for the airbag on the dash.
Used a small flat blade screwdriver to remove the safety tab on the airbag connector and to help remove the connector on the actuator.
Looking down into the squirrel cage (yellow in color) I saw a piece of plastic in there that looked out of place. Dabbed a little RTV on the magnetic tip and fished it out. Not exactly sure where it came from.
Fired up the car and the Tech-2 and observed the all the actuators. This one was now running spot on. The Mode for the front and rear are still moving a little. Performed a ReCalibration and cycled the ignition a couple of times. This time the Passenger side actuator threw two codes! That's the only one to not have thrown a code until today! Of course, I have no spares and buttoned everything back up. Another is on the way.
As for the dashboard, it is still crack free. The bolt on the bracket (mine is 7mm) was snug but not tight allowing movement! Thanks to whoever did that! That's the key to keep the dashboards from cracking in that area I'm told.
As usual my phone was on the rear bumper and no photos were taken, no kids were around, they heard Dad was doing this today and scattered.
Does your DIC give you avg miles per hour in addition to avg fuel economy?
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swathdiver
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No, that's hand calculated. Both generations of our Pontiac Montanas did though. Not sure why GM didn't include that simple calculation for these.
Funny because I just ordered one and need to put it in this weekend. Not as cold as before. Funny thing is I moved it open and closed with the T2 and it was showing a step function as it moved (I was using the graph function) it looked like a staircase.... then I watched it physically move the door and the door would move a 1/4 inch then stop, then 1/4 inch, etc etc till it stopped. I am assuming there are a few teeth missing at the point when closed contact is made, so it isnt tight anymore and leaking in hot phx 115 air.
Yes I was just looking for that again in the DIC. I think my avg fuel economy towing the camper has gone from 8.1mpg last year to 8.8 mpg this year. Differences from last year to this year are tow tune with 93 octane, new maf, new o2 sensors. The current tune just shifts perfectly when it should. Conversely I drove 760 miles to Michigan and back and didn’t get as good mpg as I did on the North Carolina trip (both no camper). The difference between the two trips were on the MI trip I forgot and left it in AWD and drove more miles at 80mph in northern Indiana and MI. If I had avg mph I could theorize more. But I already should just stop over thinking it. Lol.
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swathdiver
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Does your car have the screen material over the grates? Mine does not so I suspect someone has been in there before. I'll be taking it apart again the same way to do the passenger actuator, I think I'll leave the airbag out and fire up the Tech-2 and do what you did and watch the door work. I know my mode actuator needs replacing too and wonder how much air is bled off unnecessarily.
It's tough to compare as so many external factors also affect gas mileage. I watched my instant economy drop 3 mpgs driving into a storm with water on the road. Different road surface conditions have knocked off an mpg or so before while fresh new road has increased it some. Then there's wind and traffic and imperceptible grades, a million reasons!
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