Improving Gas Mileage

So I've got a 2018 DCLB auto with 265/70/17 KO2s @ 33-34psi cold. I do a mix of highway/city driving and do drive like a granny, slow accelerations, lots of coasting, light breaking. After all that work - I only see 15-18 mpg combined. The truck is new (only 2k miles) and I haven't been in to get the recent TSB's applied. (scheduled for next thursday!)

My questions are: any thoughts on increasing the PSI of my tires to 37-39? And, is it likely I'll see some improvement after the TSBs are applied?

 

Some things I've tried. Off Road model 4x4 SB auto.

• Hard engine break in
• Run 36-37 psi in tires in the summer
• Take out the carbon filter
• Tonneau cover
• Drive in S6

I can easily get 24-25 mpg on the highway now. However most of my driving is in the city so 19.7 mpg I'm really happy with over last 12 months.

 

If you really really really want to get good mpg, go onto ecomodder.com and check out the horrid things some of them have done.

 

There is no way on gods green earth that someone who is "mostly city driving" is averaging 23mpg. Unless your city consists of majority freeways and highways this is a flat out lie. All 3 3rd gen owners I know, plus myself, report between 16-18mpg city driving with some outliers but NOBODY hitting 20mpg city.

You need to do significant highway driving to crack 20mpg for a whole tank. Period.

 

Let's do the math OP:
Given: 15K miles a year, 15 mpg, gas price is $2.89 (today's national average)

15000/15= 1000 gallons burned. Multiply that by 2.89 and you get $2,890 spent


Given: 15K miles a year, 18 mpg, gas price is $2.89
15000/18 = 833 gallons burned. Multiply that by 2.89 and you get $2,407 spent

2890-2407=483 dollars saved, or $9.28 a week, or the price of a Starbucks.

Everyone has told you the best way to increase your mpg, and that is by changing your driving habits. It's not the truck. Good luck.

 

I know I have a 4 banger but I've tried on a few occasions to get the best possible mpgs I could this was by far the best with large hills/mountains going both up and down them. This is by far the best I have gotten so far

 

That isn’t max PSI.

 

I've been driving grandma status and I only get 16.5mpg in the city.

 

I thought one of the reasons Toyota downsized the 4L to 3.5L was to improve gas mileage. Doesn't look like it worked.

I'm getting a solid 17-18 mpg on 87 E10 gas with my 2011 DCSB 4x4 in combined driving. Best has been just shy of 19.5 on the interstate. Worst was 14 on the interstate, pulling a 5x8 cargo trailer for 1600 miles (trip from NC to South Fla and back). I think part of the reason for the gas mileage we get is aerodynamics in addition to the weight of the truck. My trailer is 3 feet taller than my cab, and even though it is a V-nose, it has a lot of drag. My mileage returning empty from Fla was the exact same as it was going down there loaded. My first tank I only got 13 mpg, but I was driving in 5th (OD, auto trans) and it kept hunting, unlocking the TC and dropping to 4th. I drove the rest of the trip in 4th and mileage slightly improved, even though I was turning 3K rpm at 70 mph.

I still feel there must be something in the ECU tune that makes these so thirsty. My exhaust pipe is sooty black at the tip, like it is running rich, and this isn't just from the long trip, it has been like that since I bought the truck (I've got 70K total, of which 10K is mine). Is there a way to retune these, or a "economy" chip available that won't ruin performance? My truck runs great, has a crap-ton of power (and I moved "down" from a diesel dually).

 

I have a suspicion that the 3rd gen powerplant is actually an improvement on gas mileage per power but the 3rd gen frame/body is 200lbs heavier than the 2nd gen and possibly less efficient power transfer atm.

 

equal city & freeway I was getting 18 combined and 21 pure highway for long distance. Recent tranny update I get 20 city and highway combined and 21 pure highway for under 30 miles distance. Haven' done any real distance since the update. I only use mid grade Chevron. Truck is stock 2016 v6 offroad automatic access cab. Tire pressure 32 front and 35 rear.

 

I want to know what speed people mean when they say highway. For me, an interstate is generally posted as 65 mph or 70 mph, but means 80 mph. A highway might be 55 mph. On interstates, I'm lucky to be over 20 mpg. If I can sustain a decent drive doing 55-60 mph, which is rare, I can be up to 25 mpg. My experience is that 80 mph kills the fuel economy. Its best between 55 and 70 mph.

I generally do 85% of my driving doing 80 mph and 15% in the 40-50 mph range. I average 19.2 since I got the truck over 9500 miles. However, I think winter gas has been snuck in because I'm below 18 mpg on this tank.

 

How the heck are you getting 15? I have armor, lift, bigger tires and more weight and I avg 16.5 commuting in traffic. I towed 2k lbs and got 14.5 over a mountain.

 

stop n' go city block traffic. When I hit the major part of city it KILLs mileage to stop every block for red lights and accelerate again.

 

Yah, but I’m doing that. I commute to downtown Portland everyday 19miles each way. If I’m cruising on the highway I can net 22-23mpg


I think you need OVtune.

 

It's not me. In the worst traffic in the entire nation (Honolulu) I'm still getting over 16mpg city-only driving. Just trying to explain how some dude is hitting 15. He probably has a lead foot as well.

 

Best way to improve mileage, coast from 10,000 foot elevation to around 7,000 elevation.


This one was going between 55-70 mph.

Our freeways are 70-75 mph through cities then when you get out of the major areas they bump up to 80mph. I have done most of the driving, around 5,000 miles, on these freeways and average for the life of the truck so far is 21.9 mpg

 

Ok...bummer

 

Damn...wonder if you were downhill the whole time...

 

Google hypermile technique.