horrible gas mileage

I suppose it could be my driving habits. This is the first automatic tranny I've ever had in my life (and I'm close to 60) and I don't like it. Lack of acceleration, lack of power, and it takes soooooooo long to shift, and always at the wrong time, IMO. I'll work on monitoring my habits. I only drive about 9 miles a day, so it takes forever from fill up to fill up. Maybe I'll look into a ScanGauge, they sound interesting, but I'm in the middle of moving from Nebraska to Texas, and between buying the truck and working on my house I'm bleeding money fast. It might have to wait.

 

Okay, showing my ignorance here, but what the heck is an OBDII Port and where do I find it?

 

right there's probably half of your problem, you should get it out on the highway/open road and clock some miles on it and then figure up your mileage

 

DO NOT but a throttle body spacer, they are not proven to increase MPG, I think that they will act similarly to your cold air intake. when you gas it, the truck sounds mean, so you end up flooring it more often. hense poor mileage. the scanguage or ultragauge (much cheaper) will help you with your driving habits for sure. keep the RPM below 2k if you can, easy on the brakes and gas, keep it under 75 on the highway, but the reality is, if you are driving 9 miles per day on city streets, you will get <18mpg, and this winter when the gas blends change you will get <15

 

It's what mechanics use to hook up to the trucks computer to read error codes. Not sure of placement on a 2nd gen but my 1st gen is under the hood. It's a black cap that reads "Diagnostics" just to the left of the intake manifold.

 

this is the issue for most, it sounds so good you want to keep
doing it and it kills your mileage.

 

It's under the dash on the drivers side. That's where it is on almost all vehicles.

2nd gen


1st Gen

 

I just bought my truck last week and was curious about MPG. I have driven a mix of Hwy/City this past week. Filled up today and checked the MPG....17.36 I am sure once I tune her up, new plugs etc. I can get a little closer to 19 or 20 MPG. I have the 6 spd man, I tend to wind it out a little too much sometimes. First manual I've had in 10 years so still getting used to it. Very stoked on all the advice and input on this forum...Kimo

 

A LOT more considering 18 wheelers run on diesel FUEL.

 

my 10,000 lb stake body truck has better mileage than my truck. its a 4 cylinder turbo diesle its faster, more efficient, and better than anything I've driven haha. Plan on doing a motorswap whenever my taco shits the bed (100 years from now).

EDIT** I'm backing you up, i don't get the comparison the previous poster made.

 

I'd LOVE a 4 cylinder diesel.

 

When I first got mine, I noticed a big difference between cheap fuel and the good stuff... You pay a little more for big name, premium (not low-grade), but it comes out in the wash... Makes about a 1.5-2 mpg difference for me. Also, try to find gas w/out ethanol... the stuff is junk.

 

Has anyone tried turning off traction control? I have read that this can generally save 2-4 mpg. I just never remeber to do it ever time I start up.

Also I'm not sure if anyone else has noticed this but I get better gas mileage if I only fill to 10 gallons at a time (20mpg avg) vs. full (16-17mpg).

 

2-4 better mpg?? never heard that.

 

I had just crawled in and found it , thanks. Just to the right of the fuses. And thanks for the great pictures, if I hadn't finally stumbled on it on my own those pictures would have taken me right to it. It of course was further disguised by a black cover that said OPD II on it.... and it would be perfectly readable if you had a miner's cap and a magnifying glass. I don't think I have the small door that you show on yours (I'll have to check) I have to pull that change compartment thingy, or just crawy behind it.

 

it'd be nice if America got off their high horse about the price of diesel and just made it factory option.

 

Damnit! you beat me to it. I was reading through this thread for only the reason to post that. haha

But on another note, when i bought my truck, used, I was making 15-16 mpg, with a new air filter, learning how to drive it, and changing to synthetic, I am making 20 mpg avg every tank. And that is on 33" ProComp Xtreme MT, just keep the inflation up.

 

im lucky if i get 15 mpg

 

I uninstalled the heavy foot mod and now get about 20-22 mpg. As long as I keep it under 2500 RPMs, she does great! Highway at about 75mph +/- and I will get 18 or so, many times less. I think most of it is in how you drive...

 

Dropping the tail gate actually increases drag and therefore causing a reduction in fuel mileage. I learned that from those fancy Mythbusters fellas.

Thank the U.S. Government and the strict regulations on diesel emissions for the lack of more diesel motor options in the U.S.