Gas Mileage on 5.3 V8 engine on a 4x4

Wiggums · March 21, 2019

9 minutes ago, aseibel said:

Ok, I get it.

"grade braking" does not use the brakes at all. It uses the engine compression and transmission resistance to slow you down. I haven't noticed it downshift to accomplish this, but I imagine it would if your speed allowed for it.

Turning this off just allows you to free-wheel down grades more.

I thought it would also use the brakes as well if it was too steep. Ah, THANKS!

Wiggums · March 21, 2019

Also, I don't know if that would be the case, but my F-150 got much better gas mileage if I filled it up with the Mexican Pemex gasoline but it cost about $4.00 per gallon while it was only $3.30 in California. 19.50 pesos per litre.

I'd get 24 mpg instead of 20 mpg because the Mexican gas generally doesn't come with ethanol. Sometimes it is refined in California and I get ethanol. In Mexicali, it's usually refined in other areas. In Tijuana, I've noticed consistently bad gas mileage on my F-150 and I found out later on that a lot of gas there is refined in California.

b1gted · March 21, 2019

All I know is my 2016 4x4 Crew Cab Silverado gets crap for gas mileage. Just look at my signature. But I don't care. I work for an oil company.

rikhek · March 21, 2019

I get just under 13 mpg combined city/highway and 9.8 towing a 6x10 enclosed trailer with three 250 dirt bikes in the trailer. FWIW, I don't care what mileage I get and I drive it as such. Gasoline is so damn inexpensive these days I surprised anybody that can afford an expensive vehicle gives a damn. Then again, I'm VERY proud of my VERY large carbon footprint. Bigger the better!!!

f8l vnm · March 21, 2019

My 2016 Denali 4x4 standard bed is around 17. Highway and street mixed. Not terrible but no way in hell I can get over 20 if I don’t do 60 on a super flat freeway. Honestly could care less about gas.

the wanderer · March 21, 2019

5 hours ago, Wiggums said:

Here, it's really steep downhill and limit drops from 45 to 35 and there is almost always a motorcycle cop. I still don't want it to brake, i want to control it myself.

I just want it to prefer downshifting rather than braking while it's slowing down. If it won't downshift then I'll do it. I want to maximize the brake life.

Dude. Brake pads are like 50 bucks a wheel and last > 100,000 KM, at least on my Jeep they did. You've spent more time and energy posting on how to maximize your brake life, than you saved attempting to hypermile your way down a hill. Not to mention probably pissing off the guys driving behind you.

Life is to short to worry about saving 30 bucks on some brake pads. You need to let go a little, smell the roses, have a coffee, enjoy your new wheels.

Smitty · March 21, 2019

18 hours ago, Cpl_Punishment said:

If I remember correctly, Mythbusters got the best fuel economy with a piece of plastic "netting" in place of the tailgate because you lose the weight of the tailgate but you maintain the aerodynamic benefits of having it there.

I have to imagine that no little wing on the back of the cab and the lip on the tailgate are helping with that now. The tailgate it also aluminum so it can't count for much.

Smitty · March 21, 2019

6 hours ago, Wiggums said:

Also, I don't know if that would be the case, but my F-150 got much better gas mileage if I filled it up with the Mexican Pemex gasoline but it cost about $4.00 per gallon while it was only $3.30 in California. 19.50 pesos per litre.

I'd get 24 mpg instead of 20 mpg because the Mexican gas generally doesn't come with ethanol. Sometimes it is refined in California and I get ethanol. In Mexicali, it's usually refined in other areas. In Tijuana, I've noticed consistently bad gas mileage on my F-150 and I found out later on that a lot of gas there is refined in California.

I'd never buy gas in Mexico again. hahaha.. it's been years but the last time I did from a station it ate through the carburetor gaskets! I don't think they have the same regulations there at all. Not to get sidetracked but they have bad water and bad gas I'm guessing! hahaha

Smitty · March 21, 2019

3 hours ago, rikhek said:

I get just under 13 mpg combined city/highway and 9.8 towing a 6x10 enclosed trailer with three 250 dirt bikes in the trailer. FWIW, I don't care what mileage I get and I drive it as such. Gasoline is so damn inexpensive these days I surprised anybody that can afford an expensive vehicle gives a damn. Then again, I'm VERY proud of my VERY large carbon footprint. Bigger the better!!!

I agree! I think the interest is more in the improvements made technology wise and if we are paying a ton of money for a truck that was half the price not too long ago we better get something noticeable! hahaha

I every day commute in a 4 cylinder, I didn't buy a 6.2 for gas savings!

Wiggums · March 21, 2019

3 hours ago, rikhek said:

... towing a 6x10 enclosed trailer with three 250 dirt bikes in...

For a moment, I thought you had 250 dirt bikes in there and I typed a response then read it again... deleted it and replaced it with this.

Wiggums · March 21, 2019

35 minutes ago, Smitty said:

I'd never buy gas in Mexico again. hahaha.. it's been years but the last time I did from a station it ate through the carburetor gaskets! I don't think they have the same regulations there at all. Not to get sidetracked but they have bad water and bad gas I'm guessing! hahaha

Goodness, things are different nowadays. Never had problems on my Benz and Audi (both bought new in Mexico but similar to U.S. models), it's come a very long way since then, my friend. Come on down and visit a Pemex. I've been getting better gas mileage from Pemex compared to any of the gas in the U.S. - in fact, Pemex is no longer the only player in the field, we now have BP, Arco, Agil, Shell, etc.

rikhek · March 21, 2019

6 minutes ago, Wiggums said:

For a moment, I thought you had 250 dirt bikes in there and I typed a response then read it again... deleted it and replaced it with this.

LOL. Yeah, it would have helped if I included the pound symbol (i.e., 250# dirt bikes). Also doesn't help mileage towing at 83 mph. Speed limit is 75 mph so I set it at 7 over and forget about it. What I found interesting is I get about 1 mpg less than my 2010 Tahoe with the 5.3 towing the EXACT same trailer the EXACT same 160 mile round trip trek to the motocross track and back at 83 mph. I'm surprised the mileage is less.

Smitty · March 21, 2019

9 minutes ago, Wiggums said:

Goodness, things are different nowadays. Never had problems on my Benz and Audi (both bought new in Mexico but similar to U.S. models), it's come a very long way since then, my friend. Come on down and visit a Pemex. I've been getting better gas mileage from Pemex compared to any of the gas in the U.S. - in fact, Pemex is no longer the only player in the field, we now have BP, Arco, Agil, Shell, etc.

That's good to know! hahaha.. I was a young kid at the time and horrified! Hey I learned a lot about carb rebuild kits because of it! hahaha. I"m guessing that was straight alcohol at the time. .hahaha

Cpl_Punishment · March 22, 2019

5 hours ago, Smitty said:

I have to imagine that no little wing on the back of the cab and the lip on the tailgate are helping with that now. The tailgate it also aluminum so it can't count for much.

True. Things have undoubtedly changed since they did that test 15 years ago.