Another MPG rant !!!!

[Scott K]

I would look in to buying a cheap small 4cyl car for millage if you dont need to drive the truck. Not only would you be saving a ton on gas, but just wear and tear on the truck, and depreciation from every single mile you put on the truck.

[Jeremy airjer W]

I would look in to buying a cheap small 4cyl car for millage if you dont need to drive the truck. Not only would you be saving a ton on gas, but just wear and tear on the truck, and depreciation from every single mile you put on the truck.

I have done this. I put on a little over 200 miles a week in the saturn. Costs me 18-24 bucks to fill it up once a week. Paid a thousand bucks for it. Couldn't be happier! Btw, even with 175k on it it still gets over 30 mpg, many times around 34 and on a really good day 37. It cut my fuel consumption and bill in half!

[Whoaru99]

Yeah, it's a possible way to save money...if the car is cheap enough. If not, then you just rob Peter to pay Paul, so to speak.

[Scott K]

Considering you would have to pay for another vehicle to have insurance on would more then likely be the biggest cost, but $60 a month doesnt take long to make up for with gas being $3.60 a gallon. A $1000 car would pay for itself in no time, and in the end, you can still turn around and sell the car when you are done with it. Plus, you put on a lot less mileage on you new truck.

[Jeremy airjer W]

Yup, it's an '08 and I haven't broke 30k yet. I have put on about 50k miles on the Saturn!

[Whoaru99]

That's what I mean, if it's cheap enough. Personally, I haven't seen a $1,000 car I'd trust straight up in quite a while. I'm pretty sure I had a fair bit more than $1000 into the last "$1000" car I bought by time I ended up getting rid of it.

Doesn't mean they're not out there but...

[Scott K]

Well, come winter, I may have one going on the market. But not sure yet, I need to find its replacement, for the price I want to pay.

[leech~~]

If your just looking for cheap transportation to save driving a truck around town. Try one of these. I just hate it when I have to stop to put another $5-6 bucks in!

[Scupper]

Just returned from Spearfish/Sturgis Black Hills area. 2000 GMC Yukon XL with the 5.3 engine, 206,000 miles.

Although the speed limit is 75 most of the way in South Dakota I held her back and set the cruise to 65 or 70. I don't think I ever shut down the air conditioner. Hand calculated, I got 16.9.

That's not internet lore, hype or embellishment, but if it makes you feel better please deduct 10% as someone mentioned. My wife does not appreciate my logging of gallons and miles and feels it's a waste of time. It keeps me entertained.

I only use Holiday gas here in Minnesota. I have noticed that once I fill up out of the state and use a different fuel, my service engine soon light will illuminate after an hour or so running down the highway. I have had it checked and reset while on the road with no clear evidence of any issues.

This has happened several times over the past few years and long trips.

Scott

[polarsusd81]

Mabr, Have you considered asking the dealer service manager to reflash the ECU/PCM? I have heard of great results doing this from a couple friends with newer vehicles. Not sure why, but some vehicles may come out of the line with the programming slightly off, and correcting that via a reflash may help. It can't hurt to ask them. One of my friends went from about 21 hwy to 28 hwy on an HHR (hand calculated numbers) after having it done.

[Jeremy airjer W]

That's what I mean, if it's cheap enough. Personally, I haven't seen a $1,000 car I'd trust straight up in quite a while. I'm pretty sure I had a fair bit more than $1000 into the last "$1000" car I bought by time I ended up getting rid of it.

Doesn't mean they're not out there but...

That's the beauty of the sl or sc models from Saturn. There are billions of them on the road. You can find them cheap and still reliable and "safe". I looked at 3 that where piles. When I found this it looks like a pile but mechanically it is sound.

[Whoaru99]

I've heard rumours of that sort of thing in my industry as well, but in many years of working in it I've never seen it personally pan out with the mystery improvements as claimed by reflashing, and my prime focus is helping dealers sort out the odd stuff.

I have seen things fixed though by all the messing around with connections and stuff that people sometimes tend to forget about because they "didn't do anything except reprogram the ecm".

Virually all programming of this sort does a checksum after the file transfer so even if one bit in the entire program is wrong the whole process fails.

[Scott K]

In my 20 years of experience working at a dealer, reflashes tend to make mpg lower, more then higher. I am not saying there hasnt been cases of it going up, but usually it is the other way around.

[Whoaru99]

Just to be clear, what I meant was...

If there is a different version program flashed in that had changes to the fuel tables or fueling algorithms then certainly there could be a change to fuel economy (increase or decrease by some amount, but I wouldn't expect big either way).

OTOH, if the same program version is reflashed into the ECM there isn't any logical reason for a change if the original/previous load didn't indicate corruption/failure/checksum error. Perhaps initially there could be if the system has to "relearn" but at some point it'll be back to where it was unless driving habits/conditions are changed.

[Jeremy airjer W]

I'm planning a long hail with the boat soon. I recently upgraded to good year trailer tires with a higher load rating. I am curious if I will see a change in MPG towing?

[Whoaru99]

I think there could be, if you run increased inflation pressure in the higher load rating tires and or the inherent characteristics of the different tires result in reduced rolling resistance.

[Jaspernuts]

How about this - I love to fart. If I fart enough and fill the cab with methane, methane is lighter that air. That should improve my gas milage shouldn't it?

[Whoaru99]

I suspect the biggest benefit to that approach will be because you're carrying less load. Nobody else in the truck but you.

[96trigger]

I have a 2011 silverado crew cab, It averages about 13 to 17 mpg. Its not great but it is almost always caused by my driving habits. I had a 1998 chevy silverado with a 350 vortec that continuously got 18-20 mpg unless towing. I'm not thrilled with the mileage, but at the same time, I'm not disappointed either. The 13-17 is an average. Sometimes it gets better, sometimes it gets worse. I live in bluff country where a flat road is hard to find.

[JOHNBIGDOG]

My gsx650F constantly gets 40+ mpg around 70 mph. Not trying to brag or nothing. darn them 10 dollar fill ups every 150 miles or so....

[delcecchi]

My gsx650F constantly gets 40+ mpg around 70 mph. Not trying to brag or nothing. darn them 10 dollar fill ups every 150 miles or so....

How is it with an 1800 pro-vee on the back?

[JOHNBIGDOG]

reverse sucks, that is about it. I get allot of looks though

[lispeej]

I've been thinking of trying non-ethanol gas on my 1997 Toyota Landcrusher. With 238k miles and counting I still average around 15mpg as is originally stated on the original sticker. I would love to get more mpg if non-ethanol is safe to use and is the key. Anybody out there have good results with n0n-ethanal gas?

[Scott K]

As in high octane for off road use? Sure it is ok, but you wont get better miles per $ with it.

[lispeej]

i should've stated that i don't do any off-roading. just plain driving and commuting to and from work, and hauling the kids around.