6.0 with a 93 tune? Mpg?

No F-bdy Bs · March 25, 2015

My last 2 5.3 trucks were tuned by NELSON, 93 tune. Picked up a decent ammt of mpg. My current 5.3 averages 17.1 around town, up from 15.7 with the stock tune.

Wondering how well the 6.0s in the 2500 take to a tune. Granted, we are talking a lot heavier vehicle. Wondering if anyone here had positive results from a 93 tune.

dirtfan21 · March 25, 2015

My last truck, 2008 Sierra HD 6.0L, was tuned by Black Bear with a 93 tune. I pulled about 12-13 in town and 17-18 on the highway, if I kept my foot out of it. This was with K&N intake, a Flowmaster muffler swap, 3.73 gears with 285/70/17 tires.

Edit: I'll add that the tune REALLY woke my truck up. I have had two 5.3L's tuned by the same company and the 6.0L had the best results by far.

FuelHauler87 · March 25, 2015

My last truck, 2008 Sierra HD 6.0L, was tuned by Black Bear with a 93 tune. I pulled about 12-13 in town and 17-18 on the highway, if I kept my foot out of it. This was with K&N intake, a Flowmaster muffler swap, 3.73 gears with 285/70/17 tires.

Edit: I'll add that the tune REALLY woke my truck up. I have had two 5.3L's tuned by the same company and the 6.0L had the best results by far.

I 2nd that. Black bear did my 08 also. Very similar numbers. Best thing i did to that truck.

SMiller · March 25, 2015

I don't think you will see the mileage improvements since there is so much more air to push as well as weight to drag along.

As someone else said it sure will wake it up.

I would not own a new GM truck without a tune! I feel it adds a lot of life as the trans tuning is total junk from the factory.

No F-bdy Bs · March 25, 2015

I don't think you will see the mileage improvements since there is so much more air to push as well as weight to drag along.

As someone else said it sure will wake it up.

I would not own a new GM truck without a tune! I feel it adds a lot of life as the trans tuning is total junk from the factory.

Same here. Its hands down the best $ you can spend on a Gm truck.

Cowpie · March 26, 2015

Whether the increased mpg means anything or not depends on what price spread for premium and regular is. If someone is getting regular for $2.39 and premium for $2.89 which is the price spread near me, lets take the OP numbers. 15.7 mpg on regular before tune means a cost of roughly 15.23 cents a mile cost. Now, 17.1 mpg on premium after the tune which equates to a cost of 16.9 cents a mile. So while the mpg number might make someone feel good, it actually ate further into the wallet for gas. So you pay for a tune that causes you to spend more per mile to run the pickup. Oh well, to each his own.

No F-bdy Bs · March 26, 2015

Whether the increased mpg means anything or not depends on what price spread for premium and regular is. If someone is getting regular for $2.39 and premium for $2.89 which is the price spread near me, lets take the OP numbers. 15.7 mpg on regular before tune means a cost of roughly 15.23 cents a mile cost. Now, 17.1 mpg on premium after the tune which equates to a cost of 16.9 cents a mile. So while the mpg number might make someone feel good, it actually ate further into the wallet for gas. So you pay for a tune that causes you to spend more per mile to run the pickup. Oh well, to each his own.

I never got a tune with the intentions of coming out ahead at the pump. Thats just a bonus.

Better shifts, longer trans life, elec fans coming on at a lower temp, better shifts, not to mention +24hp.

dirtfan21 · March 26, 2015

Whether the increased mpg means anything or not depends on what price spread for premium and regular is. If someone is getting regular for $2.39 and premium for $2.89 which is the price spread near me, lets take the OP numbers. 15.7 mpg on regular before tune means a cost of roughly 15.23 cents a mile cost. Now, 17.1 mpg on premium after the tune which equates to a cost of 16.9 cents a mile. So while the mpg number might make someone feel good, it actually ate further into the wallet for gas. So you pay for a tune that causes you to spend more per mile to run the pickup. Oh well, to each his own.

If the OP is more concerned about picking up MPG's then no, I would not recommend a tune for specifically just that. Although, Black Bear does offer an AutoCal with I believe 3 tunes, typically people have a performance, towing, and mpg tune. While I agree with your calculations I must add that with a tune comes MANY other positives than just picking up a couple mpg's. Until you have driven a GM truck with a Black Bear tune you have no idea what levels a GM truck can perform at. The truck can be tuned on a lower grade fuel, performance numbers will go down though.

When I had my HD I would have spend $1.00 more on 93 octane to get the tune I had. These 6.0L's are such dogs from the factory and the trans shift points are laughable in the 6L90E's factory tuning. My HD with Black Bear would beat a 5.3L half ton and rip a trailer down the road with ease.

Cowpie · March 27, 2015

Well, I suppose that could be true. I am quite happy with my stock 2015 6.0L. But then I don't even pay any attention to 1/2 ton pickups (or any other pickups) around me when I am driving when it comes to performance at the light. They want the lead, by all means take it. I drive the way I want to drive and could care less how my pickup does in the 1/4. It gets a little better mpg than most folks claim they get, it does a great job hauling around what I need, and it gets me in and out of just about everything I put it in on my rural property. I view it the way I would view a dog that is constipated.... why screw a good thing up?

becker87 · March 27, 2015

Whether the increased mpg means anything or not depends on what price spread for premium and regular is. If someone is getting regular for $2.39 and premium for $2.89 which is the price spread near me, lets take the OP numbers. 15.7 mpg on regular before tune means a cost of roughly 15.23 cents a mile cost. Now, 17.1 mpg on premium after the tune which equates to a cost of 16.9 cents a mile. So while the mpg number might make someone feel good, it actually ate further into the wallet for gas. So you pay for a tune that causes you to spend more per mile to run the pickup. Oh well, to each his own.

Stop being logical, there is no place on the internet for logic

SMiller · March 27, 2015

Well, I suppose that could be true. I am quite happy with my stock 2015 6.0L. But then I don't even pay any attention to 1/2 ton pickups (or any other pickups) around me when I am driving when it comes to performance at the light. They want the lead, by all means take it. I drive the way I want to drive and could care less how my pickup does in the 1/4. It gets a little better mpg than most folks claim they get, it does a great job hauling around what I need, and it gets me in and out of just about everything I put it in on my rural property. I view it the way I would view a dog that is constipated.... why screw a good thing up?

Because the stock tuning sucks and is killing the trans. I like stock untoucked stuff, a tune unscrews the tuning on these trucks, you have no idea how bad it really is until you get one.

Cowpie · March 27, 2015

I guess it has a lot to do with how it is driven. There are myriads of 6.0L 2500/3500's running around that have no motor or trans issues. And they work every day. I have tuned previous vehicles of various brands and models, and I really haven't ever noticed any major change. But then there is hardly ever a time when i do the WOT thing or put it on the red line. Just no need to rocket out of the gate. Only hit the interstate maybe twice a month. Most time is on rural county and state highways, gravel roads, off road, etc. Only two stop signs in town. No traffic lights. I just don't have any motivation to do a tune on my 2015 2500 6.0L. Not downing anyone else if they choose to. It is a personal preference and given the right situation, a plus for them. To me, it is a waste of my money. And very few tunes actually take into account use of E85 fuel, which I use frequently when the pricing in right. Haven't yet on my 2015 because price spread is still to small, but I used a lot of E85 in my 2013 1500. As for the trans tune, not sure about anyone else's ride, but I like the shift points and firmness that I have now. Again, no motivation to mess with it.

SMiller · March 27, 2015

Double post

brad519 · March 28, 2015

Anyone know when Blackbear will have tunes available for the 2015's?

I have the autocal and had a BB tune on my 2008 5.3 and boy did it make a difference.

Cowpie · March 28, 2015

Diablo custom tune guys have been doing 2015 6.0L since just after the first of the year. Diablo got full 6.0L L96 support now and the custom guys are taking data files from engine use and tweaking custom tunes for them and the 6L90. That is an option if one is wanting a true right now. If I was doing something like this, I would go with the Diablo tuner in that you can restore stock tune in a couple of minutes before going into a dealer, and then restore your custom tune afterwards.