Mods for Gas Mileage

[04LT]

I am fairly new to bigger vehicles as I have owned 4 bangers until taking out my 04 Tahoe from the wife. What are some mods I can do to improve my gas mileage?

 

[felixgun]

Going 65 max on highway and a lighter foot on the pedal. CAI and a tune supposedly help but I've done two cars with both those and neither have ever helped my MPG's. Get smaller rims/tires too.

 

[Denalixl13]

I have an 06' Yukon Denali XL AWD. I have a set of 22's that I switch out in the winter for the stock aluminum wheels. Basically, if you live in an area where it doesn't snow, you can get tires with really low rolling resistance to help save some fuel. Also, I have a cold air intake which I try to clean frequently, and a Gibson performance exhaust. Personally I think the combination maybe adds 1 mpg highway... not sure how much more tires would affect it. I don't have a tuner, but I've seriously considered it before. I'm at 168k miles and I'd rather not mess with the computer. Pretty sure my engine is set in it's ways, lol.

The key to owning a large vehicle and getting decent gas mileage is to try and never let the truck stop moving. If I'm approaching a red light, I slow way down and just let my truck crawl... hopefully the light changes before I get to it and I can just ease back on the throttle. I try to do the same thing in traffic on the highway, I keep a really long distance between me and the car in front of me, trying not to come to a complete stop. Another idea is to ditch the third row seat. The thing probably weighs 70 lbs. I've also had Bosch Iridium Pulse plugs installed, they supposedly help with mileage. (Cleaner fuel burn, etc.)

I hope this helps.

 

[dropmech]

Tire pressure tire pressure tire pressure. Fill them to the max noted on the sidewall. You're welcome.

 

[opiefavors]

The key to owning a large vehicle and getting decent gas mileage is to try and never let the truck stop moving. If I'm approaching a red light, I slow way down and just let my truck crawl... hopefully the light changes before I get to it and I can just ease back on the throttle. I try to do the same thing in traffic on the highway, I keep a really long distance between me and the car in front of me, trying not to come to a complete stop. Another idea is to ditch the third row seat. The thing probably weighs 70 lbs. I've also had Bosch Iridium Pulse plugs installed, they supposedly help with mileage. (Cleaner fuel burn, etc.)

I hope this helps.

This^^^ and the tire pressure is the only things that I have found to help but only a little. But as soon as you smash the pedal once you can throw it all out the window.

 

[candyman74]

get the tornado and put it under the gas pedal or dont drive the truck as i found that that saves lots.

 

[Wake]

I am fairly new to bigger vehicles as I have owned 4 bangers until taking out my 04 Tahoe from the wife. What are some mods I can do to improve my gas mileage?

From what I have read over the years there isn't much that can be done to improve the mileage versus what you'll spend for the small gains.

The problem is the old tech engines we have in these trucks. The newer engines with variable valve timing seem to benefit quite well from tuning. I had an 02 Trailblazer with the 4.2L I6 and VVT on the exhaust side, it got quite a boost in power across the low to mid RPM range and I lost a little at the top end but I gained quite a bit of fuel economy, a little over 10%. I specifically ordered the tow tune and anticipated this as you don't spend much time at the upper end of the RPM range unless you're driving a race car.

 

[livingez_123]

Driving style will get you the most improvement. watch how you take off from a stop, and coast longer until you stop. 65mph or less. My Denali gets better mpg at 60 than 55.

 

[I go every where]

The only way ive found to get over 10mpg is leave it in park, in the drive way. Haha not trying to be a jerk... just getting a good laugh

 

[livingez_123]

My 90 GMC would get 10 no matter what I did.

 

[I go every where]

My 90 GMC would get 10 no matter what I did.

I know its my own fault but im pushing 33/12.5/r15 on wide steel rims. Tire and rim weight is just under 100 lbs.

 

[SBK RACER]

If you increase torque, the engine will run with less resistance. Especially, when taking off from a stop or when increasing speed. Once you have reach your cruising speed, Horse Power helps maintain the speed and overcome wind resistance.

Also, lighter wheels / tire set ups go a long way... Getting bigger wheels looks nice, but they seriously hurt fuel economy... Big wheels and big tires are heavy! And that weight is multiplied by centrifugal forces gyroscopic effect...

Let us know what you decide and how it works out for you...

 

[CrashTestDummy]

There are a few things you can do, but don't expect much. As others have said, the best way to better fuel mileage is to carefully watch your driving habits. I have a LOT of friends who are always 'pumping' the accelerator, that is, the give it a jab, then let up, then give it a jab, and so one, until you're car sick. That's while they are cruising down the freeway in no traffic. I imagine their Toyotas getting about 15 MPG!! Keep a steady pressure on the throttle when cruising, or better yet, if you live in a corner of the world where the ground is fairly flat, use the cruise control when ever you can.

Keeping your cruise speed down can also help. That can be dangerous in some parts of the US, though. But you can keep it a little lower and it will help.

Adding a few lbs. to the tire pressure and watching it like a hawk is also helpful. Tire pressure will rapidly change with temperature, so check it any time the weather gets cold.

You have a '04 Tahoe? I think that's the same or similar front end that we have on our GMC Sierra (similar shape, anyway). On that truck, I added a 06 (I think that's the year) Tahoe chin spoiler. I had to drill small holes and used a series of small stainless bolts and lock nuts to secure it, but adding the spoiler netted us 1 MPG improvement. This is a diesel, so YMMV, but it should help some.

Lower the truck a couple of inches. The less air under it, the less air that can drag you down. Lowering it some will help the spoiler, too.

Find the lightest tire and wheel combination you can get. I don't know if the Tahoe/Yukon hybrid wheels fit that truck, but I'm told they're particularly light. You can probably find take-offs for a decent price.

Get all the unnecessary weight out of the truck. If you have a bunch of stuff in the back, get it out. The less weight you have to carry, the better your mileage.

HTH.

 

[middelgriff1]

Its mainly in the pedal, and the stuff you keep in the truck