MPG Mods

Noticed that if I got above 65mph on Interstates in my 2014 OR that gas mileage started dropping. I would normally got 23mph driving back and forth to work when I drove at moderate speeds and there was no stopping but would only get about 18mph when I had a heavy foot on long trips. I drove fast anyway because it takes forever to get across west TX.

 

Stay stock**

 

I bet you're fun at parties.

 

Despite popular opinion, a person's identity is not always attached to the kind of vehicle they drive.

 

my stock 14 4x4 reg cab manual trans gets 19 mpg 75/25 highway/city driving rolling on 245/70-17 Michelins. was hoping for 20-21 avg. this is with setting my right foot cruise control between 60-70 mph.
in 50 years of driving this is the first time i have checked fuel mileage on any vehicle i've owned.
sign of the times.

 

Just wanted to pop in and say that I took the charcoal filter out and I do notice a slight upgrade in performance, more noticeably around the 3500-rpm mark. Not sure how it will affect my mpg but it can't get much worse! I also cleaned the K&N air filter that came with the truck when I bought it (first time doing that), so that could also play into why I feel a difference in performance.

 

get the throttle controller next !

 

I currently track MPG "the usual way," using an iPhone app & the odometer reading for tracking tank-to-tank fillups vs. miles driven. It's fine for ballpark calcs and long-term economics calculations but not useful for high-repetition / short-run mileage tests.

I want the ability to quickly & accurately do A/B fuel consumption tests (say, on tire size A vs size B, or weight config A vs. config B) on short distances (a couple miles, or less.) To do that I need to be able to measure small cumulative amounts of fuel consumption, with 1 cc (cubic centimeter) precision. I looked through the OBDII data fields available in HPTuner VCM Scanner app and it doesn't look like there's anything usable data available from the stock ECU setup. (I.e. # of fuel injector pulses per second via OBDII, or some such.)

I think I'd need an aftermarket in-line fuel flow meter, i.e. that works the way a home water or gas utility meter works: it measures instantaneous fuel flow accurately (to the cc or sub-cc level) and keeps a running total of the amount used. I know there are turbine-type (mechanical) and ultrasonic type (no moving parts) fuel flow meters available for race car applications. Wondering if anyone has experience with specific manufacturers / makes / models?

Being able to do multiple short-run tests w/ high precision would also allow better statistical accuracy by repeating a given test run / vehicle configuration 5-10 times or more, under same weather conditions.

 

Just got back from a road trip, on the highway 90% of the time. It looks like I was averaging 21mpg in my 2.7L, does that seem kind of low for the 4-cylinder? The truck is still waking up a bit after not being driven much by its previous owner, so I did a fuel injector treatment, and it did feel a more lively and smooth afterward. Just trying to figure out how maximize MPG, especially being in California where it costs $60 for a half tank of gas.

 

Depends on quite a few things.

- Any mods to the truck, esp. larger tires, re-gearing, heavy bumpers/shells/sliders/armor?
- Is the highway terrain mostly flat?
- What is your average highway cruise speed? Large diff. in MPG at 60 mph vs 70-75 mph.
- How many miles since the sparkplugs were checked or changed?
- How many miles since MAF & throttle body were cleaned?
- How long since tire pressures were checked & brought to proper spec?

 

- Terrain is basically from Southern California to Central California and back. Not a crazy roadtrip but enough to refill the tank.
- I'm usually cruising 70-80mph
- I don't think the spark plugs have ever been changed. It's on my list of to-do's though!
- The car has around 55k miles, 2006 2.7l auto. Not sure if the MAF and throttle body sensor have ever been looked at.
- Tire pressure is checked and all good!

 

Heh.. 70-80 mph is the issue. Try 60-65mph and see what happens to the MPG.

 

Stock tire size? If it isn’t then the odo will be off. Any rack up top? That’s another hit. Tire pressure? Road trips can vary hugely in driving conditions but 21 seems low for an extended chunk of it, I average 24 normally and get up to 27 for a tank on trips.

 

80 would kill it. I’ve kept 70-75 and done well. I only do 60-65 late at night when the roads are empty.

 

I'm all stock pretty much, but I do have a Leer camper shell. I'm sure that's playing a factor in the lack of efficiency. Is it just the rpm range at the 80mph mark that limits the fuel efficiency?

 

I just watched a video on the throttle body cleaning process, seems super easy and I'm wondering if I should do it on my lunch break today (I work from home). Any tips for the process? This is the video I'm referencing: https://youtu.be/enywOMTJ5Oc

 

I doubt it. I have a snugtop on mine. I take a hit if I leave the Thule bars on it so I store them in the topper. They snap in place in seconds when I need them. The weight matters on hills but my truck is never empty (~500lbs in the bed including the shell but not me). I’m @110,000. Plugs and maf might help as does a more relaxed attitude(easier to say than do around here). I would hope the cleaning and new plugs would make the biggest difference, that low mileage could mean short trips and some gummy build up in the injectors.

 

Also spend less time at 3500 rpm. I shift at 3k or less. It’s a truck not a Ferrari.

 

Mines an auto, so it usually shifts around 2k rpm. I stomped on the pedal when I first cleaned the filter just to see if I felt any difference. Other than that, I'm a cruiser that can't help but take a racing line!

MAF and spark plugs are my priority now though! Thanks for the tips, much appreciated. Now I just need to make sure I don't F anything up while trying to work on the truck.

 

Just be careful with old plastic, especially the wire connectors.