Useless Information

[George B]

@swathdiver I have been reviewing your information on fuel economy and would like to ask how your ride performed on a mix of 87 and E85? I cant seem to do much better than 19-24 cents/mile on E85 or a blend of 93/E85. i think blending with 93 is overkill with my stock tune. I don't currently know what my actual ethanol content is but I have been filing with either 20 gallons or E85 or a 70/30 E85/93 mix. What is your recommendation?

 

[swathdiver]

@swathdiver I have been reviewing your information on fuel economy and would like to ask how your ride performed on a mix of 87 and E85? I cant seem to do much better than 19-24 cents/mile on E85 or a blend of 93/E85. i think blending with 93 is overkill with my stock tune. I don't currently know what my actual ethanol content is but I have been filing with either 20 gallons or E85 or a 70/30 E85/93 mix. What is your recommendation?

George, I've had it cost as little as twelve cents a mile when I was able to mix E15/Unleaded 88 with E85. E15 or 87 mixed with about 6-8 gallons of E85 puts the alcohol content somewhere between 16-22% and that is where mine gets its best mileage. Had one tank average 16.37 MPG at only 28 mph once when it was at 18%.

Here's a chart and keep in mind this is all years since 2017, prices have sure changed since then!

With a little more ethanol, the mpgs are down but the cost is less too when you look at the E25 column. Well, I just looked, in that E25 column is one tank of fuel that averaged 11.16 MPG, my wife must've been driving! Most (14) of the tanks in that category averaged more than 15 mpg.

 

[swathdiver]

Pics...!? No pics..? Didn’t happen!

Here ya go:

Still waiting to hear back from the guy about replacing the airbag GMC emblem.

 

[kbuskill]

Here ya go:

View attachment 260495 View attachment 260496 View attachment 260497 View attachment 260498

Still waiting to hear back from the guy about replacing the airbag GMC emblem.

No pics of the old wheel?

Mine is wearing on the top of the wheel as well... been like that since I got it at 155k miles... got nearly 260k miles on her now.

Maybe one day I will replace it.

 

[George B]

George, I've had it cost as little as twelve cents a mile when I was able to mix E15/Unleaded 88 with E85. E15 or 87 mixed with about 6-8 gallons of E85 puts the alcohol content somewhere between 16-22% and that is where mine gets its best mileage. Had one tank average 16.37 MPG at only 28 mph once when it was at 18%.

Here's a chart and keep in mind this is all years since 2017, prices have sure changed since then!

View attachment 260491

With a little more ethanol, the mpgs are down but the cost is less too when you look at the E25 column. Well, I just looked, in that E25 column is one tank of fuel that averaged 11.16 MPG, my wife must've been driving! Most (14) of the tanks in that category averaged more than 15 mpg.

Thanks! That what I was hoping.
I don’t see how many gallons total per fill-up on your chart. I am thinking 7 gal or E85 mixed with 13 gallons of 87 from 1/4 tank will be my new program.

 

[Sam Harris]

Here ya go:

View attachment 260495 View attachment 260496 View attachment 260497 View attachment 260498

Still waiting to hear back from the guy about replacing the airbag GMC emblem.

Ah. Very nice. thanks! [emoji106][emoji16]

 

[swathdiver]

No pics of the old wheel?

Mine is wearing on the top of the wheel as well... been like that since I got it at 155k miles... got nearly 260k miles on her now.

Maybe one day I will replace it.

No! The original was worn at the top of the wheel and then the left side trim started wearing away as that is where my hand usually is. Do it, my wife noticed right away, even from the passenger seat that the lights on the radio and cruise modules were brighter too. Feels nice when turning, no more grody section!

Thanks! That what I was hoping.
I don’t see how many gallons total per fill-up on your chart. I am thinking 7 gal or E85 mixed with 13 gallons of 87 from 1/4 tank will be my new program.

I usually shoot for full tanks from when the light comes on, about 26 gallons. So I pump between 6 and 8 gallons of E85 as a debit and then the gasoline as credit (this way the station doesn't make me walk in) for about 18 to 20 gallons.

Switching stations, so after I have my fill of playing around with E85, I'll switch back to the mix at the new station and hopefully get more consistent results. At the other station, you never knew what was coming out the pump!

 

[George B]

Switching stations, so after I have my fill of playing around with E85, I'll switch back to the mix at the new station and hopefully get more consistent results. At the other station, you never knew what was coming out the pump!

You have a station that sells a mix of 87/E85?

 

[swathdiver]

You have a station that sells a mix of 87/E85?

Yes, they sell E30 but the alcohol content varied wildly. After some research, I think it was because the blender pump was shut off after hours.

I just mix my own now.

 

[swathdiver]

The guy who sells the airbag emblems wrote back. He suggested something that never would have crossed my mind, cut the offending tab off! LOL So after recovering from a low blood sugar episode today, I went out and pulled the airbag and then swapped out the emblems. The "G" is slightly different but it is now shiny and new.

 

[swathdiver]

Voice Navigation Commands. Onstar Generation 8 Module has a limited capability of calling up a stored destination (if a voice tag has been saved) and setting it as a destination or adding it as a waypoint. Onstar Generation 9 introduced in 2010 and refined further for the 2011s introduced the connectivity with the phone app and allows one to verbally select a destination that was not already saved unlike the earlier version and it was not as finicky with the exact wording used either.

I added voice tags today to our saved destinations so that they can be set on the fly while moving. Had to keep busy and feel productive.

 

[swathdiver]

Well, earlier in the year we went to install the 2-Way Advanced Remote Start GM accessory and it was a bust, kept getting a failed to program message. Thought it was because I was using a hodge podge of part numbers.

A few weeks ago someone was selling the exact part number for my truck so I grabbed it up. My daughter and I did the installation of the antenna and swapped out the modules, and all the rest, and got the same programming errors.

So is it my VCI module or does GM need to tweak the program to accept my truck? We took pictures of the error messages this time, I'll post them for posterity when my daughter emails them to me. I'll call GM on my next day off.

Also did the semi-annual spare tire drop, it was at 20 psi and a hose to the purge or vent valve is about rotted away, causing those pesky CELs for the P0442 or whatever. I'm thinking hard about throwing that stuff in the trash like we used to do in the old days and having BB turn it off in the tune. Any reason I should pay a couple or three hundred bucks to keep it?

 

[iamdub]

...a hose to the purge or vent valve is about rotted away, causing those pesky CELs for the P0442 or whatever. I'm thinking hard about throwing that stuff in the trash like we used to do in the old days and having BB turn it off in the tune. Any reason I should pay a couple or three hundred bucks to keep it?

If I didn't park in a shop or garage, I would've trashed all that crap in favor of some sort of breather filter on the tank and had the functions tuned out. Parking in an enclosed space is the ONLY reason I keep mine.

Although, you may be able to compromise: Could you have the codes for it turned off but keep it as functional as it currently is? Like, keep the charcoal canister and purge valve on the intake manifold functioning so it still captures and burns off the fumes, but won't throw codes if there's a leak?

 

[swathdiver]

If I didn't park in a shop or garage, I would've trashed all that crap in favor of some sort of breather filter on the tank and had the functions tuned out. Parking in an enclosed space is the ONLY reason I keep mine.

Although, you may be able to compromise: Could you have the codes for it turned off but keep it as functional as it currently is? Like, keep the charcoal canister and purge valve on the intake manifold functioning so it still captures and burns off the fumes, but won't throw codes if there's a leak?

Yes, BB will do that too. I did not find out if it kills the remote start still. Is it just turning the light off and the code is still there or removing those lines of computer code from the computer or turning it off?

 

[gooffeyguy]

My street rod doesn't have a charcoal canister or tank purge crap on it and I don't get any fumes in the garage. It does have a vent hose with an in-line carb style fuel filter lying on the top front edge of the tank going to some more hose looped on the side of the tank with an aluminum vent valve on the end of it.

It's carbed, no fuel injection so not sure if that makes a difference, but if I remember correctly, I had some late 70s and early 80s carbed cars that had charcoal cannisters

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[Big Mama]

James, not sure if this is apples to apples with remote start but I had to replace my memory control module and the only place I can get it programmed to my rig is the dealer.

 

[iamdub]

Yes, BB will do that too. I did not find out if it kills the remote start still. Is it just turning the light off and the code is still there or removing those lines of computer code from the computer or turning it off?

I know either can be done on a vehicle, depending on the system, but I don't know if it can be done to the EVAP system in particular. Definitely a BB question.

 

[swathdiver]

James, not sure if this is apples to apples with remote start but I had to replace my memory control module and the only place I can get it programmed to my rig is the dealer.

Right, or someone with a Tech-2 or GDS with a subscription to GM for the software.

 

[swathdiver]

207 mile round trip with 6 x 12 U-Haul trailer. Approximate weight going up was 9,300 pounds GCW, burning Mobil 93 octane at 0% alcohol content. Speed was 71 mph both ways. No Tow/Haul mode. 14.5 MPG going up, 14.0 MPG coming back loaded at about 10,200 pounds GCW.

Transmission temp going up got down to 156 and saw a high of 183 in city driving for about seven miles including crossing over the Hubert Humphrey Bridge. On the return run the temperature was the same for most of the way, the temp of the trans stayed in the low 160s.

We killed the battery yet again the day before and the Battery Minder brought it back to life again! As you can see, the alternator didn't have a lot of work to do.

 

[swathdiver]

Anyone want to guess which of these is the source of the P0442?

As luck would have it, we forgot some important things and had to run back up to Merritt Island last night and repeat the trip without the trailer this time. Truck was at about 6300 pounds and average speed was 75 mph:

The truck has only done better, one time. Haven't had a chance to see what the alky content was.