2009 4.3 V6 Mileage

pm26 · April 19, 2010

What mileage can one reasonably expect from this truck:

2009 2WD extended cab Silverado, 6.5 ft bed, 4.3 V6, 4 speed auto, 3.23 gears. Does the 4.3 V6 engine still have a distributor for the ignition? Is this engine powerful enough to give this truck decent performance? I know that this engine is a reliable workhorse and lasts a long time. Do they use the 4L60 transmission with this set up?

KMGZ400 · April 19, 2010

i have a buddy who drives a 2008 RCLB 2wd v6 for work and he says he gets anywhere from 13-16 city and about 19 highway.. he also says its not a powerhouse at all....

i love the 4.3 v6 its an amazing engine and its been around for ever but its technology is just to old.. you get the same if not better MPG from the 5.3 anyway..

amtz.zero · April 19, 2010

Are you thinking of buying a V6? If you are, I say you just go with the 4.8 V8. Most people with the 4.8 get better mileage than people with the V6. I get 17-18 mpg in the city and around 20 on the highway.

jro909 · April 19, 2010

Are you thinking of buying a V6? If you are, I say you just go with the 4.8 V8. Most people with the 4.8 get better mileage than people with the V6. I get 17-18 mpg in the city and around 20 on the highway.

+1 v6s don't have much of a place in fullsizes anymore, the 4.8 has decent power and decent mileage if the 5.3 is too much of a monster to feed

jblakeney · April 19, 2010

What mileage can one reasonably expect from this truck:

2009 2WD extended cab Silverado, 6.5 ft bed, 4.3 V6, 4 speed auto, 3.23 gears. Does the 4.3 V6 engine still have a distributor for the ignition? Is this engine powerful enough to give this truck decent performance? I know that this engine is a reliable workhorse and lasts a long time. Do they use the 4L60 transmission with this set up?

Dunno how it will work with a full size... But I had a blazer with a 95 blazer with a 4.3l.... I managed 280k+ plus a bit.... before I sold it...... New guy that has it works down the street from me..... I still sell him oil, air, and fuel filters for it quite regularly...... Still runs good, I don't know how many miles it has on it now but.... While I had it I DID absolutely NOTHING TO IT. Ran like a champ.... I changed the plugs, wires, cap, rotor, coil, and water pump before I sold it..... It was the first time a wrench had been put on the truck less the fuel pump....

New guy has had the transmission rebuilt since he got it... But he drove it for couple years before he had to do that...... I sold it in 2004..... Oh yeah, last year I did a A/C job for it......... I was quite amazed the R4 compressor made it 14 years........ in 03 the compressor started making a little noise..... ran 6 more years.....

I bet a 4.8 or 5.3 will get the same mileage as the 4.3.... I bet the half-ton frame and cab will keep the 4.3 lugged...... If not it will definitely be a wet stick to drive... i.e. don't pull out in traffic you might get ran over.

Jbo

hockeypro1411 · April 19, 2010

What mileage can one reasonably expect from this truck:

2009 2WD extended cab Silverado, 6.5 ft bed, 4.3 V6, 4 speed auto, 3.23 gears. Does the 4.3 V6 engine still have a distributor for the ignition? Is this engine powerful enough to give this truck decent performance? I know that this engine is a reliable workhorse and lasts a long time. Do they use the 4L60 transmission with this set up?

My old man has the exact same set-up in his '07 classic and he typically gets about 21 MPG with his driving being 90/10 highway/city. It's not a bad truck to drive, but don't expect to win any drag races with it...

Norrit316 · April 19, 2010

I just traded in a 5.3L '08 Silverado for a 4.3L 06 Sierra two weeks ago. They have the same size gas tank and I picked up about 32 extra miles per tank. Not much but I didn't have much use for a 5.3L

jro909 · April 19, 2010

I just traded in a 5.3L '08 Silverado for a 4.3L 06 Sierra two weeks ago. They have the same size gas tank and I picked up about 32 extra miles per tank. Not much but I didn't have much use for a 5.3L

the 5.3 is by far the best motor in a half ton next to the 4.8...a 4.3 is just too small for a fullsize, its a truck not a gas saver...i have a buddy with an 03 4.3 extcab and its a dog on the highway...why diden't they just put the atlas 5 banger in the fullsizes? the 4.3 is what 30 somethen years old? its a bullet proof motor but its far too weak for a fullsize

ken1mod · April 19, 2010

Gentlemen,

My '00 Silvy extenede cab with 5.3 and 3.73 gears gets between 18 and 19 mpg in mixed driving. The six doesn't seem to get much better mileage.

I would not have any problem with the six but the 8 apparently gets the same mileage.

Ken

Deichler · April 19, 2010

I just traded in a 5.3L '08 Silverado for a 4.3L 06 Sierra two weeks ago. They have the same size gas tank and I picked up about 32 extra miles per tank. Not much but I didn't have much use for a 5.3L

I did the total opposite as you did. I had an 08 Silverado with the 4.3L V-6 and 3.23 gears, and any decent load in the box, like my mower, would bog it down terrible! It was a dog, and got @ 18-19 miles per gallon. 6 months later I traded for my 08 Silverado 5.3L V-8 with 3.73 gears and 4x4. The first 08 was 2wd. Pretty much the same truck, reg cab long box only the 5.3L is black and the 4.3L was blue granite. The 5.3L I have will get 20 mpg fairly easy. But I don't drive like a bat outta hell either. It's up to you, but I would choose the 5.3L personally.

Nytemare · April 19, 2010

get a 5.3L with AFM and dont look back.

I have a 4.8L and its just as bad on fuel as a 5.3L without AFM

If fuel economy is what your after 5.3L is the way to go.

However....if saving money is what you want to do...you would have to figure out the avg fuel economy of both engines and how much you spend in the run of a week, month, year....than figure how much you would spend over the life of the truck, or how long you plan on keeping the truck. Than compare it to the cost of having a truck with a 5.3L or a 4.8L or a 4.3L and figure which one would give you the best bang for your buck.

In the end of the day, money out of my pocket is money out of my pocket.

I really don't care if it goes to the gas man or the dealership. A buck is a Buck.

rogerf · April 20, 2010

My previous truck was a 1500W/T with the 4.3 V6 and 3.73 diff. It had ample power for most situations. Difference in fuel mileage is negligible compared to my 5.3 AFM and 3.73 diff. Don't expect to set any speed records with the V6, especially turning a 3.23. The V6 is fine if you buy it right and expect to keep the truck for a long time, thus resale is not an issue.

gmcgirl · April 20, 2010

This is exactly what my truck is. I got that engine because I don't really need to haul anything huge - just a couple ATV's, a 16ft boat and the occasional load of brush to the dump. I do mostly country road driving - max 80km/h speed limit - use cruise all the time set at about 96km/h and I average 600 to 650 from a tank.

Nytemare · April 20, 2010

This is exactly what my truck is. I got that engine because I don't really need to haul anything huge - just a couple ATV's, a 16ft boat and the occasional load of brush to the dump. I do mostly country road driving - max 80km/h speed limit - use cruise all the time set at about 96km/h and I average 600 to 650 from a tank.

That's kinda funny actually...I do 70/30 city/highway and drive like a raped ape more often than not (Victoria Drivers Piss me off) with my 4.8L and I average 600+km per tank...I fill up as soon as the light comes on, or slightly before....so it actually gets probably closer to 650+km