Gas Mileage Question

April 6, 2022

On 3/25/2022 at 10:23 AM, Wiggums said:

Numbers are always distorted. Same thing with guns, Australia banned guns and the gun murder rate (emphasis on gun) declined. Sure, it works, yay, but at the same time, overall murder rates increased. So taking the guns away didn't have the Aussies holding hands and singing Kumbaya. If you piss off somebody and that person wants you dead, Sonny, you sure as ****** are gonna die, gun or no gun.

There are numerous variables at play here. We increased the speed limit in 1985 and 1996. The death rate still dropped. Driving at 55 mph out in the desert, I nearly crashed once because I fell asleep. So glad to see it is at a more sensible 75 mph now.

In Germany, trucks aren't allowed to exceed 60 mph while cars barrel at 130 mph on the left lane. The average speed on some stretches is 100 mph. I am constantly switching lanes as Germans strictly adhere to "left only for passing" road etiquette. I think that's what keeps me constantly alert, it's a lot more work to drive on the German autobahn, but the German highway death rate is better than most of Europe despite the lack of speed limit. That's per highway mile driven, not per habitat, which paints a different picture.

Here in the U.S., it's get the speedometer up to 75 mph, then hog the left lane. Disgraceful.

Montana saw an increase in deadly car accidents from the removal of "reasonable and customary" laws to posted speed limits. The problem is more traffic less spread out. People think "oh yes, 70 does more damage" but refuse to look at the issues that are caused when you bunch up more people around a specific speed. What sounds good in sound bites rarely fixes actual problems.

https://ww2.motorists.org/press/montana-no-speed-limit-safety-paradox/

KARNUT · April 6, 2022

On 3/25/2022 at 9:23 AM, Wiggums said:

Numbers are always distorted. Same thing with guns, Australia banned guns and the gun murder rate (emphasis on gun) declined. Sure, it works, yay, but at the same time, overall murder rates increased. So taking the guns away didn't have the Aussies holding hands and singing Kumbaya. If you piss off somebody and that person wants you dead, Sonny, you sure as ****** are gonna die, gun or no gun.

There are numerous variables at play here. We increased the speed limit in 1985 and 1996. The death rate still dropped. Driving at 55 mph out in the desert, I nearly crashed once because I fell asleep. So glad to see it is at a more sensible 75 mph now.

In Germany, trucks aren't allowed to exceed 60 mph while cars barrel at 130 mph on the left lane. The average speed on some stretches is 100 mph. I am constantly switching lanes as Germans strictly adhere to "left only for passing" road etiquette. I think that's what keeps me constantly alert, it's a lot more work to drive on the German autobahn, but the German highway death rate is better than most of Europe despite the lack of speed limit. That's per highway mile driven, not per habitat, which paints a different picture.

Here in the U.S., it's get the speedometer up to 75 mph, then hog the left lane. Disgraceful.

I rather live in Texas with our gun law’s than Chicago with theirs. And I don’t carry. There’re started to enforce keep to the right. I saw it happening recently, it was invigorating. I wanted to pull over and clap.

Wiggums · April 6, 2022

33 minutes ago, KARNUT said:

I rather live in Texas with our gun law’s than Chicago with theirs. And I don’t carry. There’re started to enforce keep to the right. I saw it happening recently, it was invigorating. I wanted to pull over and clap.

I have CCW and I'm in California. 30 years ago, one could not get a CCW in Texas, Arizona, and Alaska while it was legal here in Orange County. It's just that gun laws have become a lot more lenient in other states while ours remained the same over the past 30 years. Now, the three states have no restriction at all.

And left lane hogs are worse than child molesters.

TNTSierra · April 6, 2022

35 minutes ago, KARNUT said:

I rather live in Texas with our gun law’s than Chicago with theirs. And I don’t carry. There’re started to enforce keep to the right. I saw it happening recently, it was invigorating. I wanted to pull over and clap.

Guns don't kill people. People kill people. Its common sense. Infuriates me when I see this argument about gun control.

I can set a gun in the middle of a room and it will NEVER pick itself up and fire on anyone!!!

As for gas mileage, boy its been hard to stay off the throttle of the 6.2L, plus the dang weather here in Midwest just won't make up its mind. Its nice for 2 days, then cold again, them extremely windy. Can't catch a break!! $100 to fill truck up today.

TNTSierra · April 6, 2022

3 minutes ago, Wiggums said:

I have CCW and I'm in California. 30 years ago, one could not get a CCW in Texas, Arizona, and Alaska while it was legal here in Orange County. It's just that gun laws have become a lot more lenient in other states while ours remained the same over the past 30 years. Now, the three states have no restriction at all.

And left lane hogs are worse than child molesters.

LMFAO!! For sure!! They are the worst. Drivers Education is a thing in the past it almost seems. That's one of the first things my teacher taught me, pass with care in fast lane, and proceed back into the right lane!

Byrds8 · April 6, 2022

37 minutes ago, TNTSilverado said:

LMFAO!! For sure!! They are the worst. Drivers Education is a thing in the past it almost seems. That's one of the first things my teacher taught me, pass with care in fast lane, and proceed back into the right lane!

I personally have several kids and D.E. is definitely no longer taught in a lot of schools. I think they have a class of discussion on a bit of it but there is no hands on anymore unless you want to go somewhere and pay for it.

ratman6161 · April 24, 2022

On 3/6/2022 at 7:21 PM, f8l vnm said:

Here in So cal about 40 miles North of LA we are around 6.09 for premium which is 91. This is nuts. We have the oil but we want to pay a invading country ? anyway needless to say who knows when this will stop ? We could be at 7 dollar by next month. Gas went up by average of 13 cents today. (L

Here in MN, thee bulk of our oil comes via pipeline from Canada :). We also get some from ND. It's refined at refineries in St Paul. Our local stations are $3.69 to $3.89 so US crude isn't always cheapest. Even when you factor in your high CA tax, somebody in there is gauging you.

Back on the subject of how to get the best mileage, slower is NOT always better even though that's counter intuitive. I have the 6.2L w/10 speed and 3.23 rear end. If you look at the gear ratios for the 10 speed, 7th is a 1.0 ratio. 8, 9, and 10 are progressively taller overdrive gears( the gear ratios are from the GMC towing guide). Many times I've actually seen the 3ngine RPM go down and mileage increase if I go a slightly higher speed. I attribute this to the transmissi9n being able to get into a taller gear. I'm also se3m to get better highway MPG than a lot of peo0le with the 5.3. I'm speculating that the higher low 3nd torque of the 6.2 let's me stay in the higher gears more? Talking 70MPH on the interstate here. Around town, my heavy right foot gets the better of m3.

redwngr · April 24, 2022

The impact of higher aero load has a bigger effect than the reduction in internal windage losses from running a few 100 rpm slower.

At least on my 3.0 truck.

Gets better mileage at 55 than at 65, and better at 65 than at 75.

(45 seems to be better than 55, but I don't encounter long stretches where I need to steadily run that speed.)

At steady 55 the truck stays in 9th.

At steady 65 it will be in 10th.

Wiggums · April 24, 2022

3 hours ago, ratman6161 said:

Here in MN, thee bulk of our oil comes via pipeline from Canada :). We also get some from ND. It's refined at refineries in St Paul. Our local stations are $3.69 to $3.89 so US crude isn't always cheapest. Even when you factor in your high CA tax, somebody in there is gauging you.

Back on the subject of how to get the best mileage, slower is NOT always better even though that's counter intuitive. I have the 6.2L w/10 speed and 3.23 rear end. If you look at the gear ratios for the 10 speed, 7th is a 1.0 ratio. 8, 9, and 10 are progressively taller overdrive gears( the gear ratios are from the GMC towing guide). Many times I've actually seen the 3ngine RPM go down and mileage increase if I go a slightly higher speed. I attribute this to the transmissi9n being able to get into a taller gear. I'm also se3m to get better highway MPG than a lot of peo0le with the 5.3. I'm speculating that the higher low 3nd torque of the 6.2 let's me stay in the higher gears more? Talking 70MPH on the interstate here. Around town, my heavy right foot gets the better of m3.

Gas tax is only 30 cents higher in California than Arizona, yet we pay $1 more.. so it's not the tax, it's price manipulation, but right-wingers want to blame taxes. Even here in Orange County, Costco is 70 cents less per gallon in northern Orange County. Don't tell me it's taxes. They think we're all filthy rich here in southern Orange County and stick it up to us. I am only here because I never sold my place, I pay pennies on the dollar when it comes to property tax because it's fixed at the amount I bought it at, not the current value.. the people moving out, well, they made a few poor decisions.

There's a fine line between burdening the engine with high gear and optimum gas mileage. I have been trying to find that over the past few months.. and the sweet spot is 62 mph . I've been averaging 28 mpg lately. No braking at all. At 70 mph, I watched my fuel economy drop substantially to 22 which is still respectable.. but $6 a gallon, man... you bet yer ass I'm going 62 mph.

KARNUT · April 24, 2022

My trip east saw gas prices hovering between 3.50 to 3.89 from Texas to North Carolina. One exception while stopping at a rest area we came across a 76 truck stop. We stopped there instead, I never looked we’re in Florida. Then I did 4.25 a gallon. Luckily I only was down half a tank. Still 35$ in a CRV. Thanks Joe.

Edited April 24, 2022 by KARNUT