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ps. I had a 03 2500hd extended cab 2 wheel drive got 13 town 17 highway and 10.4 towing same trailer it was geared 410 kind of wished i kept this truck only swap because of the 4x4 thing.
steve in alabama
I traded my 2001 2x4 5.3 Sierra non locked rear diff (3:42) for thew 05 4x4 and 6L engine with locked 3:73 to get 4x4 and a bit more towing capacity. The 01 got 20-20 mpg and 13-15 towing. Kinda screwed myself there. On the plus side we are having another one of those winters up in my part of Canada. 4x4 sure makes the driving easier. Now if we can find a couple of ways to up the mileage on the current ones.
I have a heavy foot and do 50/50 driving: 15 mpg consistent.
I get 16 city and 21 highway ... better mpg in the summer and fall... in winter and spring it drops a couple of mpg... I think it has to do with living outside of Philly and the gas mixture that is sold in and around cities to prevent pollution...
I routinely get 18 mpg here in Tulsa, OK area driving 30 miles one way to work. On the highway on long trips I have gotten above 20 mpg consistantly. Best I've done is 21.8 mpg on a trip to Texas a couple of years ago, and that was driving 73-77 mph, and NOT using the cruise control (I get better mpg w/o using the cruise....due to the way I drive....). On that trip, most of the gas contained 10% ethanol too. That trip average MPG was 20.0 MPG, including some city driving as well.
I don't have the AFM on my truck and was hoping that with AFM (I want to get a new truck soon...) that I'd get even better mileage.
I also owned a 2000 GMC Sierra Z71 4x4 with 3.73 gears that would do almost as good on the gas mileage. It was a regular cab, short bed truck. Best I ever got with it was 23 mpg (211 miles on 9.0 gallons of gas). On a return trip from Colorado a few years ago, I averaged 20.5 mpg and for the whole trip I went 1941 miles on 101 gallons of gas for a 19.2 MPG average.
Makes me wonder if the newer trucks are really getting any better fuel mileage, even with AFM.
Regards,
Rog
Well to tell all...I have 3 chevy trucks, One is a 2001 1500 ext cab 4.8L with 290K, Still get 20mpg doing a commute 0f 200 miles over mountian pass everday. My suburban's 1500 4x4 5.3L, well they have gotten up to 23.8mpg.
The MPG on my trucks and other chevy trucks I hvave driven can be done easy.
Don't start off the line like it the drags, do not use the cruise control, and most for the tucks stay under 65. the Sub's 4x4 speed if under 62 will get the most.
Oh, yeah ,,,my brother has a Toyota...gets 15 mpg, and his Ford 1/2 ton 4x4 gets 12mpg.
I will stay with Chevy's
Windows up or down on the freeway- 20MPG.
The drop from 22MPG to 12MPG sounds like the difference you would see in 4x4.
Keep us posted.
Now I have upgraded the rear end from 3.23 to 3.90 and installed a supercharger. My average gas mileage with the supercharger was 16.5 mpg just highway. I then added an intercooler and took off 300lbs of weight and my total city/hwy averages 18mpg. On a full highway trip I will average 23mpg with this setup at 60mph. But I can also drain a full tank of gas in less than 2 hours if I'm really on the gas with this setup, the worst I have gotten was 11 mpg all city driving with a lead foot.
The stock 3.23 (or even 3.42) gears for the v6 truck in my opinion does hurt gas mileage. These trucks are not aerodynamic, and any driving above 60mph will start to decrease mileage significantly. Problem is when they add a 3.23 rear the v6 truck is taching around 1500rpms in overdrive, and there is too much throttle work needed to maintain your speed up hills and in traffic. Chevy would have done better with either a 3.08 rear so it would tach low enough (1100-1200rpms) to make up for the greater throttle play, or something like a 3.73 rear so no throttle movement would be needed cruising at 60mph.
Chevy could easily get a 26-27 highway mpg rating in their base model shortbed trucks if they offered a belt driven supercharged/intercooled v6 with a 3.23 rear and a 6 speed manual (with double overdrive). But they will never spend the money to do this.
for example if your car got 20 mpg, you add a turbo and no intercooler, you would be lucky to see 15mpg. So you can see it isn't the turbo or the extra power, it's simply the extra air coming in while under vacuum (not boost). What you do with that air in terms of cooling and tuning is what generates the extra efficiency.
The best mileaged 4x4 suburban is the new 5.3L 4x4 with 3.08's and the double overdrive, on the highway it gets 21mpg, 22 is great driving, 23 is stretching the truth but perhaps possible, 24 is [non-permissible content removed]. The 2wd tahoe hybrids don't get much more than 22 hwy. Fullsize 2wd pickups with the 5.3 and 6speed get at best 22mpg. S10 4.3L's with the same 3.08's get 26mpg at best. you are full of [non-permissible content removed].
I also don't think your brother gets 12 mpg with his 1/2 ton ford unless he runs the nuts off of it, seeing as mine gets 18 mpg!
I attribute most of the over 20 MPG rating to a hard bed cover. It was a 4 piece folding cover that I loved. I plan to get the 3 piece cover that GM offers via the dealerships, but in a few months after I swallow the Tag/Title/Tax costs first.
im only geting 11 mpg in town and 13-14 on highway. they say nothing is wrong.
The best fuel economy possible is the direct result of proper maintenance and good driving habits. Listed below are GM's recommendations to achieve the best mileage possible. The first group are things to consider for your vehicle, while the second are tips relating to your driving habits.
One of the major contributors to poor fuel economy are under inflated tires. Tires low with pressure create drag that the vehicle’s powertrain must overcome, wasting dollars in fuel. Always keep your tires inflated to the proper pressure as shown on the vehicle placard. This not only serves to increase gas mileage but cuts down on tire wear, further decreasing your costs per mile.
A vehicle that has a dirty air filter can’t efficiently draw air into the engine. This restriction forces the engine to expend energy to "breathe" wasting fuel in the process. Change recommendations are found in your vehicle Owner’s Manual.
Always use the proper viscosity oil in your engine. Oil that has a higher than required viscosity will create more drag on the internal components of the engine causing more work for it, especially when cold. Each Owner’s Manual contains information on the proper type of oil for your vehicle. Look for the "starburst" symbol on the front of the bottle, and the SM rating on the API circle on the back label. If you are in doubt, stop by your dealer for an oil change, and any other services required. Most current GM vehicles are equipped with oil life monitors to further assist on the "when" to change your oil. (Aveo/Wave/Optra/Epica currently do not have oil life monitors).
Note: GM Vehicles DO NOT require additional engine oil additives. Some additives may cause harmful effects to the internal seals and additionally void the terms of your vehicles New Car Warranty.
Purchasing higher than required octane fuel is a waste of money. Using higher octane fuels in a vehicle that only required regular unleaded fuel will neither increase performance nor improve gas mileage. In all cases refer to your owner’s manual and ONLY use the octane rated fuel recommended for your vehicle.
Even though current GM vehicles have 100,000 mi (160,000 km) service intervals for spark plugs if your vehicle is at that point in its life, have the spark plugs changed to assure proper running and continued efficient, trouble free operation.
Avoid quick/full throttle acceleration from a standstill in town and high cruising speeds on the interstates. While the optimum MPG for highway cruising speed varies from vehicle to vehicle, faster is almost always worse. If your vehicle is equipped with a Driver Information Center that displays Instant Fuel Economy, select that readout and vary your cruising speed while on the highway. The display will change continuously with uphill and downhill sections but you should quickly be able to identify on level ground the speed range that your vehicle does the best in. Avoid leaving unnecessary items in your trunk. It takes power to move increased weight and that means more gasoline consumption and reduced performance. While the change may be slight, multiplied by thousands of miles, it all adds up. Your vehicle uses much more fuel when the engine is cold. This is especially true in the winter months when the engine will take the longest to warm up. Combine errands or trips so that the vehicle only needs to warm up once to encompass many different stops.
Please also feel free to get a second opinion from a different dealer.
Christina
GM Customer Service
I would recommend having your vehicle looked at by an authorized GM Dealer. I would also recommend reading post #132, as there are some helpful tips. Please keep me updated as to what the dealer says.
Christina
GM Customer Service
Who combines errands to save gas? Vehicles are meant to be driven and in the years since my last truck, I’ve not had to consider fuel economy. My point being, GM has done nothing to address the problem as the same directions were given to people years ago by GM to reduce gas consumption. We should be given a gas rebate every year by GM IMO. That or put a light weight diesel under the hood for those of us who’ve spent $50k on a new truck. Good luck to you all.
I've managed to meet or exceed the posted EPA mileage numbers on my last 5 vehicles. It does take some conscious effort to do that - -drive smooth and not too fast - - but can be done. Will see if I can improve on the 17 over time.
You reference air filter changes. My 03 GMC manual says to use the air filter monitor and does NOT specify the interval. Typically after 3 years and about 25,000 miles, the air filter monitor still indicates a very good filter, but I just change the filter. So, do I trust the GM monitor or do you recommend a minimum change frequency for the air filter?
BTW my 03 Sierra 2500 HD has always gotten 10-14 MPG and 14 is tough to achieve. It is a 2500HD, 6.0L and has the higher numerical gear ratio, so that doesn't help. My 01 was slightly better as it had a slightly better gear ratio, so I assume this is normal for the 2500 GM gas trucks.
Are you kidding? You're cruising along at 120 kph (72 mph) and complaining about 16.66 mpg? I'd say you're doing very well.
Keep your foot out of it and slow down if you want better mileage.
Regards, Paul.
BTW - Cruising at exactly 2 mph over the speed limit of most interstates is not exactly hauling [non-permissible content removed] or anything and considering we bought these trucks expecting 20 mpg + or - an mpg or so.........you get my point.
When I was researching trucks by driving Fords (originally my first choice) and GMCs, I took along my trusty ScanGuage II and plugged it into the computer plug so I could monitor the mileage properly. I dismissed a 2009 5.4 Ford because I had to really nurse it to get 16 mpg. I easily got over 19 with the 2010 Sierra, which I ended up purchasing. So far I am pleased.
I hope you can resolve the lousy mileage you are getting.
I am not certain that a Scanguage is required these days, cuz many vehicles tell you what the instantaneous and average mpg is.
It would be interesting if you could drive a truck of the same year, engine, etc. and see if you get better results.
Good luck.
My driving is exclusively on highways. If I was doing city driving my average might dive to 11 mpg cuz you're on the accelerator all the time. Looking at the instantaneous gas gauge, just touching the accelerator drops it below 10 mpg.
Ford's done a marvelous job with their new engines mpg-wise. It makes me wonder why they didn't do it 5 years ago. It just shows to go you.
Btw, I'm happy to see that Chryco is doing well by making some money! They are working hard and cranking out some good products these days.
I have a 2003 GMC sierra 5.3. 130k miles... I bought new and have been testing the waters on many things, first thing i did was a tonneau covers hard plastic wrap over, +2.5mpg, then i did the K&N pfikit +1mpg, then i upgraded my wheels and tires to a more highway +1mpg, i tried the mass flow sensor from gannelli? both the K&N version and the plain version.. neither worked 1200 lost... then i replaced all gear lube in trnasfer cases mobil1 synth (+1mpg), i also did the auto transmition fluid in synthetic $55/qt mobil1 +1 mpg. I also ripped the mechanical fan off the front and installed a flexlite kit (runs cooler more HP ... no milage..) also in the winter the truck heats up better...
MPG average to date 18.0 town...20.5 highway ( not drafting)
next steps are exhaust and diablo code change/re-maper DiabloSport Trinity Tuner, Monitor: Gas and Diesel (T1000) so far this is the only one i have seen real results from ...
I had the fuel injector system cleaned out by the dealer. The truck runs better and the gas miliage is the best its ever been. Just a tad over 20 MPG HWY now.
I always changed the oil regularly, and the air filter, but skipped the fuel system maintenance.
Never again.
Round trip, Ocala florida to Orlando area. tripometer- 235 miles used a full tank + (26 gal +)
I had the truck to the dealer twice so far in reguards to mileage and the way it runs ** crusing, accelerate slightly, slight enough that it does not down shift and is bucks, like a miss under load, also noticed this condition when in a parking lot, slow holding steady low speed, it feels like your applying light pressure to brakes and letting off (repeating). And other possible related condition, slowing to a stop, close to stopping the truck surges like accelerator is tapped. Sometimes applying slight brake others just letting off to coast toward light. This has happened 4 to 5 times since bought. **AND YES I AM SURE I WASN'T TOUCHING THE GAS PEDAL**
No check engine light, dealer states it was scanned with no codes present. I noticed these things in the first week of ownership. The service advisor told me there was probbably some water in the fuel, and that I need to find a new place to fuel up ***this was the complementary tank of fuel at purchase*** and I have fueled at 5 different places since and no changes.
I feel as if I have purchased a sick, hungry St. Bernard
At 75-85mph I can get 17.8mpg, with AC on
This on a vehicle with 225,000 miles AND 4x4 !
My axle is very low, speeds over 55mph cause the tach to rise rapidly.
A major factor is the fact I can get fuel with NO MTBE or Alcohol !
MTBE is mandated for townships upwind of major cities, it supposedly is an oxgenator type additive.
Alcohol had about 80k BTU/Gl
Gasoline has about 115k BTU/Gl
Less BTU = less energy
Use Hypermiling techniques when you are not in traffic situations.
Keep the air pressure at absolute MAX without causing wear issues.
Keep the oil changed.
Forget K&N Air Filters or big exhaust for fuel economy.
Use the hottest thermostat and plugs you can find.
Best Luck
DrVette
2009 f350 6.4 diesel drw cc gets 8mpg and my 2011 f350 6.2 gas drw cc gets about 8 mpg( im so done with diesels !!!!!! aswell and my wifes 2008 honda civic gets 48 mpg on the hwy all day long!!!!!!
long story short if you want fuel economy buy a civic or similar vehicle if you wanna drive a truck be prepaired to pay more in fuel if you want cc drw 4x4 hope its making you money because thay are thirsty!!!!!!
i also have a 1991 s10 with a supercharged small block that gets 6 mpg on premium but runs the quarter in 12.5 at 110 mph but cant complain at paying a little extra for a good time
I get about 15 city 16 on level highway above 65 MPH. Not loaded and I don't have a heavy foot. gas - Shell, Exxon, Chevron
321 miles divided by 21.2 gallons gas = 15.14 MPG city miles 50% highway 50%
Since the Active fuel Management is not designed to work above 65 MPH on level highway, I can't get the fuel savings at the highway speed of 70 -72 MPH. I don't know why they designed it that way, but GM says that's normal. Are they lying to me ?
I get about 15 city 16 on level highway above 65 MPH. Not loaded and I don't have a heavy foot. gas - Shell, Exxon, Chevron
321 miles divided by 21.2 gallons gas = 15.14 MPG city miles 50% highway 50%
Since the Active fuel Management is not designed to work above 65 MPH on level highway, I can't get the fuel savings at the highway speed of 70 -72 MPH. I don't know why they designed it that way, but GM says that's normal. Are they lying to me ?
OVERALL mpg is showing 15mpg. I get 12 to 14 city...depending. This takes in the very short around town trips and the 20mpg I get on the highway.
Speeds above 70mph will net 17.5 to 18.5 w/o active fuel management coming on.