4.8 L Gas mileage from Nov. to May

[Drifthopper]

4.8 L owners – what are you guys getting for overall general gas mileage?

 

I have a ’04 ext cab, 4x4, 4.8 L, K1500, LS, automatic, 6 ½ box w/ tonneau cover, stock 16” Bridgestone tires @ approx. 40 psi., 3.73 stock gears, KN air filter, and a wait4me performance economy tune. The truck is my daily driver. Now its got about/over 18700 miles on it. I always run 87 octane.

 

With the way gas prices have been, I drive fairly conservatively, …well..at least I try. I usually drive the speed limit in and around town, when I go get on the highway I set the cruise at 68 ish….70 tops. I watch my tach a lot, I try to keep stop light accelerations and top rpm under 2000, at 70mph on the highway, I’m right at 2000 rpm.

 

This past fall, winter, and spring, 95% of my driving has been urban driving, very little expressway and highway driving.

 

I logged my miles and gas usage from November of last year, and just wonder how it compares with what others are seeing.

 

11/05 : 14529 miles on truck.

12/05 : 15480 miles

951 miles traveled using 60.877 gallons of 87 octane fuel = 15.62 mpg.

 

12/05 : 15480 miles

3/06 : 17866 miles

2386 miles traveled using 170.187 gallons = 14.002 mpg. (Winter time, cold, longer warm ups times, go outside, start it up, come in for a second cup of coffee, then go back out)

 

3/06 : 17866 miles

5/06 : 18637 miles

771 miles traveled using 50.31 gallons = 15.31 mpg. (getting warmer out)

 

Overall, from Nov. to May, 4108 miles using 281.567gallons = 14.589 mpg’s.

 

I wish I would have started this log before I sent my PCM out to be re-tuned to use as a comparison, but I didn’t, and this past winter, I didn’t take any long trips with it, if we had to go anywhere on the weekends of any distance, we’d take the car.

 

Let me know if this info is of any use….LOL..!!!

[lerbud]

i get 16.9 on mostly city driving. When I get out on the highway I get 19.5. when i had my waitforme tune installed I got 20.2 on highway. But I have a 2WD.

[$tapped$]

17+ with a mix highway and city. 20 + on the highway alone.

[Octane]

16 mpg city is actually pretty good for a fullsize 4x4 truck with a V8.

[larry arizona]

Drifthopper,

 

You are a victim of winter blend gas. Novemnber to the end of March Northern states get crappy winter blend gas and it kills an easy 2 MPG.

 

Then Magically it goes away in April when Summer blend returns.

 

I have a 5.3L 4x4 and it does 14-15 in the winter and 16-17 in the summer.

[jhm]

I got the 4.8l, 4x4 ext cab, 3.73 and 90% of my driving is town, not city with long times idling, just occasional stop light or stop sign. The BEST I ever got was 15.7. I average 14.8. Nothing is wrong with the truck, it is always maintained, tire pressure always right, just the way it is for a heavy truck driving around town.

[Drifthopper]

Thanks Larry and jhm.....i'll keep keeping track of my gas usage and mileage thru-out the summer. i was expecting a bit more but not really doing any highway driving to pick up the average, i guess that's what i'll get.

 

[btate]

I have a 2005 ext cab 2wd all stock. I drive 130 miles per day round trip with about 20 minutes fo stop and go each way and I get anywhere from 19 to 22 mpg. I rarely top 75mph though.

[im4snow2000]

I have an 03 1500 with the 4.8L. It's a 4x4 auto, I think the gears are 3.73, but not sure. It's an 8' box, regular cab. I have the 16" wheels and run "avg" (not too hard, not too easy)...I avg about 15 mpg around town (small town, not "city").

 

One time I really limped the truck to see what my mileage would do and I avg about another 1 mpg...was not worth it to me, I am too impatient to run the truck that easy (tack rarely got over 2K).

 

What's the wait4me performance tune mentioned above? Is it worth it?

[Drifthopper]

im4snow.....i sent my PCM out to wait4me performance last summer. At that time, say May, June, July of last year, there were many threads on here about Jesse and his tunes. Guys where talking/typing good about them, that's why i did it.

i got the economy tune. I'm really not sure what he changes or modifies, he claims 1 to 2 more mpg per gal, and after i got it now for about a yr, i may have gotten that ....may have not.??...i really didn't do an overall gas milage log before the tune as i done now. one thing i can tell ya,,,the truck shifts smoother...no more hard shift between first and second. I paid $75. i think its worth it.

[ken1mod]

Gentlemen,

 

Remember all that extra 4wd weight and rotating machinery costs big at the pump. Make sure you really need 4wd.

 

My friend has a diesel 4wd f350 ford non-dually and the thing weighs 7500 lbs empty and I have the weight slip to prove it. My 5.3 weighs 5000 lbs exactly, same scale. I get 17.5 in mixed, high altitude, hilly driving.

 

Ken

[MustGoFaster]

I seem to be getting in the 14-15 range as well. all city

 

I hope to see an improvement with the new plugs and wires. stockers ahve 70k on them

[phire]

2006 4.8L 4x4 reg cab with a 5 speed manual tranny. I get anywhere from 19-21 mpg depending on how much city or highway driving I'm doing. If it's all highway, I can pull almost 450 miles out of the tank before the dummy light comes on. A little over 400 if it's mostly city driving.

 

Of course, that's also without the 4x4 engaged. If I do ANY driving in 4x4 mode, I definately notice the difference in mileage. Big time.