Getting more milage per gal.

A lot smaller truck with a lot smaller Engine! What did you expect? Get a cover for the back of the truck, that will help with Highway mileage. Don't just drop the tailgate as you get worse mileage and the back end of the truck walls will spread out over time until the tailgate won't close. Be light on the gas peddle. There's not a lot you can do to get better mileage. After all, wouldn't the Manufactures already have done it. They would want to get the best Mileage they can out of them. No Voodoo trick add-on is going to work.

What are you getting now? Also stock narrow tires with a smooth tread and 55 to 60 PSI minimum is a starting point.

Get a Hypertech power programmer for your truck, replace the stock muffler for a performance one(Flowmaster or the like), keep your tires aired up, run

235/85-16's(LR-E) in place of the 245's(run 70psi in the fronts and 60psi in the rears), fight the urge to use the massive power under you hood just because there is a Ford or Dodge next to you at the red light.

You wont get great mileage by today's standards, but you can get better than factory.

There's not a lot you can do to get better

Want to? yes...do they? no! There are LOTS of 'voodoo' tricks to get better mileage!

If it was that easy and consistant to get better MPG and emissions with custom tunes. they would come that way from factory. Need to focus on tires, foor on pedal, using 89 or better fuel (the ECM does retard spark with 87 to control knock before you hear it which hurt MPG) and becarefull about exhaust mods because to much reduction in back pressure can hurt, not help, town MPG and responce.

There's not a lot you can do to get better

Want to? yes...do they? no! There are LOTS of 'voodoo' tricks to get better mileage!

Get a Hypertech power programmer for your truck, replace the stock muffler for a performance one(Flowmaster or the like), keep your tires aired up, run

235/85-16's(LR-E) in place of the 245's(run 70psi in the fronts and 60psi in the rears), fight the urge to use the massive power under you hood just because there is a Ford or Dodge next to you at the red light.

You wont get great mileage by today's standards, but you can get better than factory.

Complete tune up with new plugs,wires (cap&rotor if equipped), fuel filter, air filter (stock paper will flow FAR more than the engine will ever use), Change all lubes with synthetics if your in a cold climate area (They keep there flow point even in the cold, plus new fluids will make things a bit slicker than the old stuff that's in it). Check the tire pressure, resist the urge to use the max inflation, yes you may get better mileage BUT you will also wear the tire out faster in the center, Easy way to check is to take it to a parking lot that is level, rub some chalk across the tread face and then drive STRAIGHT for 50-100 feet. Now look at the chalk, If it is worn evenly across the tire tread your at the correct inflation for that load. If the center is worn more your to high and if the sides are worn too low. Have the front end checked for alignment (or check it yourself if you know how) poor alignment costs you money in worn tires and increased friction due to the misalignment. Make sure the U-joints/CVs are all good (same thing with increased friction). Remove any unnecessary items that cause drag on the vehicle (hood scoops, brush bars, accessory lights that are mounted outside the normal body lines, windshield visors. Wash and wax the vehicle (less air turbulence from dead bugs and globs of mud + less drag). Use a good toneau cover OR if you want a cap get one that follows the body lines and does not have a sharp angle at the rear (you want it to taper down in a curve).

Combine trips whenever possible, avoid using the brakes as much as possible (stop for lights/signs and such) by planning stops and using engine braking as much as possible. Use 89 octane to avoid the engine retarding the timing. Use the throttle lightly and steadily, if you have cruise control use it, it is MUCH steadier than a human foot. Don't allow the vehicle to idle any more than is absolutely necessary.

This should get you started. Avoid any gimmick chips and filters since they usually only function at wide open throttle (if at all) and will end up costing you more money than you will ever save. Same thing with exhaust systems, unless your planning on doing many other modifications as well.

All of us know a trick or two for getting a bit more power, a bit more mpg. But we are usually looking at one aspect, Joe drives 50k a year, what works for him on the interstate does not work for Bob who drove only

10K last year on city streetrs and country lanes. The manufacturer is trying to balance both. Tire pressure postings here are hoopla. Yes more air will get you more mileage to the gallon, but it can result in less mileage per tire, and be determental to handleing, both steering, and more importantly braking. Many customer oriented automiotve mags and newpapers articles have warned customers, if after having the vehicle serviced the fuel mileage seems to increaase above normal amounts check the air pressure. Over-inflating tires was/is a favorite scam of tune up outfits touting increased fuel mileage as a side of their serivce. A tune up will increase mileage on a vehicle that really needs one.

Here's what I know works, much from many years driving truck where a .10 of a gallon saving adds up fast in the wallet over a year.

Proper tire inflation, balance, and wheel alignment. Clean air filters and fuel filters. If you dont need it, get it out of the trunk, bed what ever. Like was said, tail gate down and the "nets" are urban legends, get a tonnaue cover, or a cap the form fits the vehicle profile Find the grade of gas you get the best mileage to cost ratio. It make take two to three tankfulls in a row to figure this out per grade. My old 91 chevy truck likes high test. My 2003 Caviler likes the middle grade. The car doesnt seem to care too much about brand, the truck hates Chevron and Shell, nether run worth a tinker's dam on Citgo. Get your toes out of the intake manifold, stop tickling the throttle plates with them Learn to use the cruise control, resist the temptation to keep up with the 10% passing you Accelerate smoothly Learn to anticipate traffic so your not braking hard, or having to step on it. Cut down idling as much as possible, Instead of idling for 10 minutes to warm it up, drive easy for the first 2-5 miles. Idling is zero mpg.

Whitelightning

Do not get a hypertech, they are junk on these new trucks. Go to

he is much better, cheaper and can really wake up that motor. I've got his tune and my mpg went up by 2. With my 04 1/2 ton CC with 5.3L and 3:73's I can get 22 mpg with the cruise set on 65.

TJM, I gather you have more, or less come to the conclusion for the other sensible posters here, that there are essentially no free rides.

Airing up tires to ridiculous PSI's is not the answer, and as others mentioned, will compromise braking distances, and safe handling.

Adding a programmer, and/or exhaust might help free up a few ponies, give better breathing, but at what cost? Perhaps $1000 for both? It will take quite a while, years in fact to make up the expense for add-ons with the improved gas mileage. If you can't resist the urge to stay off the gas pedal, the add-ons will in fact have the exact opposite effect.

Sort of like the ole saying of cutting off a hand, to save a finger.

About all you can do, is properly maintain the truck, consider all new tune up parts, such as plugs, filters, etc, and switching to all synth lubes on the drivetrain cannot hurt either. Maintain proper tire pressue, check regularly, and do not exceed the tire's spec for max pressure.

As others mention, a tonneau, or some sort of cover, and some say keeping windows up, and using either vents, or AC will help conserve fuel, rather than having windows wide open cruising at high speeds. mark

K & N Filter And Flowmasters would be A start

Greetings,

K&N filters are not worth the effort. Yes, they do advertise higher flow, but at what consideration? The higher air flow is only available at the highest RPM's (which is not the place to be for best fuel economy) and even so is only a few percent more than a stock paper filter. Meanwhile the cost of higher flow is less filtering efficiency, which leads to a decrease in engine performance and an increase in wear.

As for Flowmaster, they make an excellent product but they don't make any claims whatsoever of increased fuel mileage - just better sound and performance. Neither of which are going to give you enough increase in mileage to offset the cost of the equipment, especially if you can't resist the urge to keep your foot off the pedal.

You can spend the money and add both to a vehicle, but you should be realistic about what you're going to get for what you're going to spend - and a significant increase in MPG just isn't going to happen.

Cheers - Jonathan

Can't agree more. I got one of Jessie tunes last June. Nothing radical just a mileage tune using reg gas, removed the torque management, left the trans stock. Gained 1.5mpg and it is so much more fun to drive.

And likley a lot dirtier emissions wise too or it would have come that way from factory. What you call torque management is really more emisiion related to keep engine emissions cleaner during power level changes.

I had a K&N setup on my truck and took it off after about a year. I have a Flowmaster setup though. Thing is I didn't see a increase in Mileage, at least that was noticeable. If anything it went down some because of now wanting to stomp on the gas. The Flowmaster though was mainly for the sound and the Dual exhaust outlet setup looks and sounds better. If your looking to increase Mileage this way, Not likely.

Lean cruise mode is actually a factory program in our trucks PCM. It is turned off from the factory. Tuners have learned to hack into this section of the PCM and not only turn it on but also alter its parameters to activate at different RPMs and durations. It is undetectable during inspections. You are correct. When it is activated the NOx emissions are slightly greater. It is un clear if the effect of burning less gas with greater NOx contribute any more NOx than burning more gas with a less rate. I have chosen burning less gas. I never heard of Torque Management being emission related. I do know that its main function is to protect the drive train from abuse. It is why, on the 04 (fly by wire) and up engines, when you floor it you do not get WOT until the PCM decides you really need it. It also pulls timing during shifts to protect the drive train. I have chosen to control the throttle myself it is the biggest seat of the pants improvement modification I have done. I paid for 300HP I want to be able to use it.

A really great tech tip that my buddy told me about years ago, was on every vehicle you ever buy, throw a set of air shocks in the back, and jack it up really high.

This helps save mucho gas, as your vehicle always thinks it's running downhill! lol Merry X-Mas all! Mark