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Gas+Mileage=Broke

GKB

Full Member
Joined
Mar 17, 2004
Messages
65
Location
Pittsburgh,Pa Now Glendale, AZ
I filled the AV today and decided to check the gas mileage. I knew it was gonna be bad, but was still shocked to see only 11mpg at best. I live in Pa which has a lot of hills. I know that effects the results. I was wondering what other Pennsylvanians were getting or other states compared to Pa? I will be moving to AZ soon. It is relatively flat there (valley) and I'm hoping to get better results. Any Arizonians can reply with their results as well. I have a K&N cold air intake and a magnaflow muffler, which didn't seem to help much, except to sound awesome. I also have the 373 diff, can't imagine what I'd get with 411s. I've read posts in the past and it seemed to me some guys were getting than what I am. Sometimes I drive like I stole it, but most of the time I drive like I'm 80, just depends on the mood. I knew buying a truck, that I wouldn't get great mileage, but I thought It would be better than this. Thanks
 
                                  Last time i checked  13 in the city, 23.5 on the highway
                                                                      >:D
 
I commute 65 miles each way to Cape Cod MA daily (with no traffic).  I get on the highway after the first five minutes of 35mph travel in my town.  I do everything I can to maximize gas mileage and can average 21.3 each week during the late spring/early summer.  This is for my Z71 using the 2WD setting.

I have tried all variations, windows, loaded, cruise, A/C etc.

The biggest thing that affects it is speed.  Keeping it at or below 60mph is critical.  (Although maddening for the first week or so until you get used to it..take it from someone who used to go 70-75)  Going 55 is even better (45 might be the best speed, but is not practical for my commute) but I have noticed a sharp cutoff over about 63mph.  I tried a different speed each week.

Next is the starts.  I get up to speed gradually and don't punch it.

Next was outside temperature.  The colder it got, the more it used.  Below freezing got me about a 15.5mpg average.  Same with heat, above 75F it seemed to drop.  It seems to be best between 55-70 degrees.

Next seems to be cruise control.  Using it seemed to help improve it dramatically (or should I say NOT using it seemed to drop it.)

Surprisingly, A/C on or off, and windows up or down didn't make much of a difference for me (although I usually drive windows up and A/C off).  My automatic HVAC likes to keep turning on the A/C when it isn't needed and usually I override it.

The lowest I get on the highway, driving without cruise, below freezing, not maintaining steady speed is at least 15.6.  In warmer weather I consistently get at least 21mpg over the whole tank each week.

 
by a small car if you do not like the mpg.....IMO
 
342 rear end normal driving 17+ city and 195. hwy
K & N drop in filter and Magnaflow exhaust. I tink that is pretty respectable.
 
You guys should try a 2500 with 4.10 14 mpg going down hill only. around town 12
 
I think about my gas mileage every time I see a Honda totaled after an accident.....

I do believe that, in his hospital bed, the Honda owner is very happy that he was in a small gas-sipping car rather than a big gas guzzling SUV knowing that he was helping to control global warming.
Durwin
 
Oh did I mention a 37 gallon gas tank, but the insurance dropped so much it made up for the mileage.
 
I drove from Los Angles CA to Lansing MI straight through (26 hrs). My Avrage speed was 77 and I got an average of 13 mpg towing my wifes 99 Nissan Frontier (5500 lbs) on a tow dolly. No mods accept drop in filter. I am alway happy w/ my mpg considering I always have my foot in it.
 
I am getting 12mpg but remember most of this is at WOT going 100mph on the German autobahns, I am sure when we get to the 70mph range we will get considerably more mpg.

Sam
 
TIETANIC said:
I commute 65 miles each way to Cape Cod MA daily (with no traffic).? I get on the highway after the first five minutes of 35mph travel in my town.? I do everything I can to maximize gas mileage and can average 21.3 each week during the late spring/early summer.? This is for my Z71 using the 2WD setting.

I have tried all variations, windows, loaded, cruise, A/C etc.

The biggest thing that affects it is speed.? Keeping it at or below 60mph is critical.? (Although maddening for the first week or so until you get used to it..take it from someone who used to go 70-75)? Going 55 is even better (45 might be the best speed, but is not practical for my commute) but I have noticed a sharp cutoff over about 63mph.? I tried a different speed each week.

Next is the starts.? I get up to speed gradually and don't punch it.

Next was outside temperature.? The colder it got, the more it used.? Below freezing got me about a 15.5mpg average.? Same with heat, above 75F it seemed to drop.? It seems to be best between 55-70 degrees.

Next seems to be cruise control.? Using it seemed to help improve it dramatically (or should I say NOT using it seemed to drop it.)

Surprisingly, A/C on or off, and windows up or down didn't make much of a difference for me (although I usually drive windows up and A/C off).? My automatic HVAC likes to keep turning on the A/C when it isn't needed and usually I override it.

The lowest I get on the highway, driving without cruise, below freezing, not maintaining steady speed is at least 15.6.? In warmer weather I consistently get at least 21mpg over the whole tank each week.
:cheers:
Someone else who drives pretty much like I do and seems to have (nearly) all the same observations about what helps and hurts their mileage!  :woohoo:

Usually when I've posted my results I get the equivalent of the disbelieving stare in response.  My 07 LTZ 4x4 5.3l 4.10 rear end in 2wd has yet to break 21 in my local driving.  But with the temperatures during the daily drive now getting into the same range you listed, and driving 55-60 on the highway, it's been consistently over 20 for the past month and a half.

The only observation that doesn't match up (er, mainly because I haven't tested it with the Avalanche) is the A/C / windows up / down thing.  Previous vehicles ALWAYS dropped in fuel economy if I did either (A/C on, or windows down).  I've driven the Av with the auto climate control on, but that wasn't during my normal daily grind.  Usually I have the whole family in making a run somewhere special, and my wife isn't as tolerant as I am of slight temperature differences, so I turn it on then.  I also tend to drive the speed limit, or at most 5 over when in those situations (usually time is more important than mileage for those trips), and still get 18 to just under 20 mpg average (with wife, 5 year old boy, and 11 year old girl on board), mostly all highway.

Color me happy with my luck with fuel economy, though not as lucky as those guys that see 23 or so!
 
It's completely do-able once you can get used to keeping that speed under 65.

That was really hard for me at first, but now I am completely used to it. :D
 
I live in the Dayton Ohio area. I drive a freeway /city combo to and from work. I have gotten a consistant 15.93 miles to the gallon for the last several tanks. In fact the mileage has only varied slightly since I bought it.  I dont drive like I'm 80. I drive more like I'm 65. There is at least 1 stoplight drag race on every tank.  Ohhh  I have stock exhaust, and intake.
 
Most of my driving is in town or pulling a trailer (my hwy miles)...

I've not reset my mileage to check my most recent mileage... it is extended over the 45 k life of this truck ... my mileage is 14.2....

Considering that most of that mileage is with 600#s of tools and supplies in the back and/ or pulling a 7000# trailer... Not bad... not bad at all.
 
I usually reset the average MPG once at the start of each season, and reset the personal at every fill up to know if I am doing worse or better than the average for each tank.
 
I live in the Butler area , using winter grade gas- 11-14 mpg and using summer grade gas 17- 19.5 mpg.Please remember these weigh close to 5700 lbs. (empty).These numbers are really pretty reasonable.  :B:
 
the mileage doesn't bother me (14-17, approx 400 range)

it's the price of the stuff.
 
TIETANIC said:
It's completely do-able once you can get used to keeping that speed under 65.

That was really hard for me at first, but now I am completely used to it. :D
that makes a huge difference, just not much fun 
 
well,last year i had to take a trip up to New Jersey to go get a boat that was given  to me from a friend.i reset the milage on my way up there.the mpg was saying 15.2 when i arrived.averaged 70mph all the way up.

here is where it got intresting.hooked up to the boat,a 1985 searay seville,about 16.5 feet long,with a mercruser 4 cyl i/o.At most 4000lbs.on the way back,in tow haul mode,it jumped to 16.4 mpg  :eek: :D

this is the only truck that actually got better milage hauling something than when emty. :love: now the truck is getting around 16.5 mpg around town and about 25-26 on the highway.and that is still going at about 65-70 mph everywhere i go.
gotta  :love: the Av
 
There is a simple explanation. You went "up" to Jersey. So you had to come "down" to Georgia. We all know you get better gas mileage "going downhill"! :kidding:
 
:B:I live the Great Smokies lots of HILLS, i use Marvel Mystery Oil in the Girl, i usually get around 19MPG, if i keep my foot out of it on long trips i can push 20. u can buy this at Walmart, around $4.00, it can also be added to the Oil, we use it in the Military for Years, will NOT hurt the vehicle and keep the valves clean.
john
 
Trucker Rick said:
I live in the Dayton Ohio area. I drive a freeway /city combo to and from work. I have gotten a consistant 15.93 miles to the gallon for the last several tanks. In fact the mileage has only varied slightly since I bought it.  I dont drive like I'm 80. I drive more like I'm 65. There is at least 1 stoplight drag race on every tank.  Ohhh  I have stock exhaust, and intake.


UPDATE!!!  After removing the stock muffler, changing to a flowmaster. I am up to 16.9 mpg average
 
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