MPG & Power Increase? 2001 model

[ChazLS]

Hey Gang, I'm brand new to the forum & brand new to owning a Tahoe. However, I've had a Chevy since I was 16, & now I'm old (ish).

Just sold my 04 Silverado & finally got a Tahoe. Always wanted one.

This is a 2001 LS w/ only 139k Original Miles.

Obviously, I'd like a little more pep from the 5.3L & any increase in MPG's would be a plus.

I know I'm asking a lot, but wondering if there were any new tech upgrades that I could make to get either increases, or both, relatively easily & while not breaking my wallet.

Many THANKS in Advance. Again, Glad to Be Here.

Chaz

 

[Tahoe14]

Welcome and I will ask that you be moved to the correct section 2001 instead of 2021 @Fless

 

[wjburken]

Hey Gang, I'm brand new to the forum & brand new to owning a Tahoe. However, I've had a Chevy since I was 16, & now I'm old (ish).

Just sold my 04 Silverado & finally got a Tahoe. Always wanted one.

This is a 2001 LS w/ only 139k Original Miles.

Obviously, I'd like a little more pep from the 5.3L & any increase in MPG's would be a plus.

I know I'm asking a lot, but wondering if there were any new tech upgrades that I could make to get either increases, or both, relatively easily & while not breaking my wallet.

Many THANKS in Advance. Again, Glad to Be Here.

Chaz

Typically more pep and better MPG’s do it go together.

Improve MPG’s by keeping up on your maintenance and fresh fluids in your drive train. Oh, keeping your foot out of the throttle helps as well. You can also get a tune that targets MPG as well by modifying things like shift schedules.

Improve pep by getting a tune, swapping cams, etc.

 

[ChazLS]

Welcome and I will ask that you be moved to the correct section 2001 instead of 2021 @Fless

Absolutely. Live & Learn. Thanks

 

[ChazLS]

Typically more pep and better MPG’s do it go together.

Improve MPG’s by keeping up on your maintenance and fresh fluids in your drive train. Oh, keeping your foot out of the throttle helps as well. You can also get a tune that targets MPG as well by modifying things like shift schedules.

Improve pep by getting a tune, swapping cams, etc.

Thanks for the tips

 

[Marky Dissod]

Do you know what gear your axle(s) has / have?
If your miles are mostly highway miles, 3.73.
(If your miles are ALL highway, 3.42, but then you're not interested in 'more pep'.)
If your miles are mostly metro / urban, or you plan on some towing, 4.10.

Since yours is an '01, it likely has a mechanical fan.
Swapping it out for a pair of electrical fans will improve MpG, power, AND AC behavior at idle.
(I just did this a week ago, should've done it a year ago.)

Even if you do NO engine mods, get your pcm tuned. You'll wonder why you didn't do this one sooner too.
I recommend the one in my sig. Black Bear Performance has a solid reputation as well.
Mention that you want improved highway MpG, and that you have 2 electrical fans (even if you don't yet).

 

[ChazLS]

Do you know what gear your axle(s) has / have?
If your miles are mostly highway miles, 3.73.
(If your miles are ALL highway, 3.42, but then you're not interested in 'more pep'.)
If your miles are mostly metro / urban, or you plan on some towing, 4.10.

Since yours is an '01, it likely has a mechanical fan.
Swapping it out for a pair of electrical fans will improve MpG, power, AND AC behavior at idle.
(I just did this a week ago, should've done it a year ago.)

Even if you do NO engine mods, get your pcm tuned. You'll wonder why you didn't do this one sooner too.
I recommend the one in my sig. Black Bear Performance has a solid reputation as well.
Mention that you want improved highway MpG, and that you have 2 electrical fans (even if you don't yet).

Thanks Marky. Those were some good suggestions that make a lot of sense too. While I do need to tow a car a few times per month, for the most part, it's riding around town, but just as many highway miles here & there. I don't drive a lot, but when I do, it can be a good 70-100 miles each time. Basically, This truck does it all for the time being. Eventually it may just be my tow vehicle. However, that's many months away. I looked in the glove box & found GU6 meaning 3.42 gear in rear end. The rest of your ideas are things I can & should do. Thanks again. Chaz

 

[Marky Dissod]

I looked in the glove box & found GU6 meaning 3.42 gear in rear end.
The rest of your ideas are things I can & should do.

Personally, my Z71 has 3.73, & it occasionally drives me a bit mad, but I used to drive like a cabbie on meth.
3.42 would be MUCH too slow for me, not to mention bad idea to tow anything with.

In your case, 3.73 or 4.10. I'd choose 4.10, but you might have good reason to choose 3.73 instead.
Be sure to tell the tuner which gears you've got, and to tune Tow / Haul mode to avoid 4th gear.

 

[Joseph Garcia]

Welcome to the Forum from NH.

Lots of knowledgeable folks here who freely share their knowledge, experiences, and perspectives. Knowledge is power.

I hope that you will become a participating member in the Forum's discussions.

Pics of the truck, please.

You are already receiving sage advice from the knowledgeable folks on this Forum.

 

[ChazLS]

Personally, my Z71 has 3.73, & it occasionally drives me a bit mad, but I used to drive like a cabbie on meth.
3.42 would be MUCH too slow for me, not to mention bad idea to tow anything with.

In your case, 3.73 or 4.10. I'd choose 4.10, but you might have good reason to choose 3.73 instead.
Be sure to tell the tuner which gears you've got, and to tune Tow / Haul mode to avoid 4th gear.

Will do & Thanks Again. Useful info.

 

[ChazLS]

Welcome to the Forum from NH.

Lots of knowledgeable folks here who freely share their knowledge, experiences, and perspectives. Knowledge is power.

I hope that you will become a participating member in the Forum's discussions.

Pics of the truck, please.

You are already receiving sage advice from the knowledgeable folks on this Forum.

Absolutely. I have definitely got some good tips already.

I've only had this truck for 3 days so I haven't done anything but clean it & give it a good physical.

However, I did tow a GMC Acadia for 70 miles as soon as I bought it & it did great.

Looking forward to sharing & learning going forward.

 

[S33k3r]

Some basic things to check, all of which might improve MPGs; also, keep in mind that this is an iterative process. Each of these modifications will do a little, but doing them all will head you in the correct direction.

01) The number one thing that will guarantee the best miles per gallon is how heavy your foot is. Now, having said that, I know *I* do not have that discipline.
02) As someone else suggested, converting from mechanical fans to electric fans will increase your MPGs and reduce a little bit of power drain.
03) Checking your alternator, water pump, oil pump, AC system, and your belt tensioners can insure that nothing is causing drag on the engine. This, too, will potentially increase MPGs and decrease parasitic drain on your engine.
04) Making sure your engine is tuned, not just in the sense of a professional tuner, but in terms of sparkplugs, sparkplug wires, ignition coils, etc. This will increase your MPDs and decrease parasitic engine loss if any of these are out of factory spec.
05) Check all your grounds. This may seem like a silly one, but if your grounds are bad, it requires more energy to push electricity to your systems. Having to produce more electricity than spec from the factor can decrease MPGs/increase parasitic power loss.
06) Make sure your differentials are properly maintained/lubed. If they aren't properly maintained/lube, it requires more power to spin your axles, and the differentials will fail sooner. Same for your transfer case and your transmission.
07) A catch can. By filtering the exhaust gasses pumped back into your engine, you can help keep it from getting smothered by crap going back into your engine.
08) You could remove your roof rack. That will reduce your wind drag a bit.
09) Remove unneeded seating from the inside of the Tahoe. Making your Tahoe lighter will help MPG & power.
10) As someone else suggested, a custom tune to change the way the engine runs and the transmission shift can help.
11) Boost. A Turbo charger will often increase MPG and power.
12) You could always convert to a diesel...

Good luck!

 

[ChazLS]

Some basic things to check, all of which might improve MPGs; also, keep in mind that this is an iterative process. Each of these modifications will do a little, but doing them all will head you in the correct direction.

01) The number one thing that will guarantee the best miles per gallon is how heavy your foot is. Now, having said that, I know *I* do not have that discipline.
02) As someone else suggested, converting from mechanical fans to electric fans will increase your MPGs and reduce a little bit of power drain.
03) Checking your alternator, water pump, oil pump, AC system, and your belt tensioners can insure that nothing is causing drag on the engine. This, too, will potentially increase MPGs and decrease parasitic drain on your engine.
04) Making sure your engine is tuned, not just in the sense of a professional tuner, but in terms of sparkplugs, sparkplug wires, ignition coils, etc. This will increase your MPDs and decrease parasitic engine loss if any of these are out of factory spec.
05) Check all your grounds. This may seem like a silly one, but if your grounds are bad, it requires more energy to push electricity to your systems. Having to produce more electricity than spec from the factor can decrease MPGs/increase parasitic power loss.
06) Make sure your differentials are properly maintained/lubed. If they aren't properly maintained/lube, it requires more power to spin your axles, and the differentials will fail sooner. Same for your transfer case and your transmission.
07) A catch can. By filtering the exhaust gasses pumped back into your engine, you can help keep it from getting smothered by crap going back into your engine.
08) You could remove your roof rack. That will reduce your wind drag a bit.
09) Remove unneeded seating from the inside of the Tahoe. Making your Tahoe lighter will help MPG & power.
10) As someone else suggested, a custom tune to change the way the engine runs and the transmission shift can help.
11) Boost. A Turbo charger will often increase MPG and power.
12) You could always convert to a diesel...

Good luck!

Killer Tips. Thanks for taking the time to present such an exhaustive list. Very thorough indeed. Much appreciated.

 

[555hp]

Do you know what gear your axle(s) has / have?
If your miles are mostly highway miles, 3.73.
(If your miles are ALL highway, 3.42, but then you're not interested in 'more pep'.)
If your miles are mostly metro / urban, or you plan on some towing, 4.10.

Since yours is an '01, it likely has a mechanical fan.
Swapping it out for a pair of electrical fans will improve MpG, power, AND AC behavior at idle.
(I just did this a week ago, should've done it a year ago.)

Even if you do NO engine mods, get your pcm tuned. You'll wonder why you didn't do this one sooner too.
I recommend the one in my sig. Black Bear Performance has a solid reputation as well.
Mention that you want improved highway MpG, and that you have 2 electrical fans (even if you don't yet).

How much was the tune? I want to add Evans though the tune seems to be more expensive than the fans.. .

 

[Marky Dissod]

How much was the tune? I want to add Evans, though the tune seems to be more expensive than the fans ...

PCMPerformance.com
charges $250 to tune Gen3 LS-type pcms.

 

[BlackBearPerf]

Everyone mentioned great stuff here! The foot on the pedal has the biggest effect on mpg's along with vehicle usage. With a tune for your vehicle we typically see a 1-2mpg improvement along hp tq gains, shifting and throttle response improvements as well, all depending on fuel quality, octane, and condition of the vehicle prior to the tune.

Someone said this a long time ago, you get smiles per gallon! The tune makes the vehcile more responsive and improves drivabilty.

 

[ChazLS]

Everyone mentioned great stuff here! The foot on the pedal has the biggest effect on mpg's along with vehicle usage. With a tune for your vehicle we typically see a 1-2mpg improvement along hp tq gains, shifting and throttle response improvements as well, all depending on fuel quality, octane, and condition of the vehicle prior to the tune.

Someone said this a long time ago, you get smiles per gallon! The tune makes the vehcile more responsive and improves drivabilty.

Indeed! Well put. ;o)

 

[01BeastTahoe]

Hey Gang, I'm brand new to the forum & brand new to owning a Tahoe. However, I've had a Chevy since I was 16, & now I'm old (ish).

Just sold my 04 Silverado & finally got a Tahoe. Always wanted one.

This is a 2001 LS w/ only 139k Original Miles.

Obviously, I'd like a little more pep from the 5.3L & any increase in MPG's would be a plus.

I know I'm asking a lot, but wondering if there were any new tech upgrades that I could make to get either increases, or both, relatively easily & while not breaking my wallet.

Many THANKS in Advance. Again, Glad to Be Here.

Chaz

So I have a 2001 Chevy Tahoe LT with the 5.3L. My boss is very fond of Chevy and told me the he was going to supercharger his Tuskany edition Silverado and explained to me that the Magnesun superchargers are actually designed to increase fuel mileage but also increase power. I've personally been looking to see if they have the supercharger for my Tahoe but I haven't found it yet.

 

[Marky Dissod]

Only way a supercharger can improve MpGs is if the driver becomes enough of a featherfoot to compensate.
That's not easy - a supercharger seldom if ever improves BSFC.

 

[Mudsport96]

In and of itself putting a supercharger on will drop mpg. The mere fact you have to spin it just driving and not even making boost requires engine power to do.