Not to shabby gas mileage

coyote268 · 06-24-2005, 08:50 PM

O.K. boys and girls. There has been a lot of discussion on what everybody is getting for gas mileage and I must admit, I am a gas mileage nut. I log every drop of gas I put into my trucks and have been doing so for many years. I even log what type of driving the truck was doing to obtain this mileage. Town and country, hunting, towning my Bass boat etc.

Anyway, my Titan is a 05 SE 4X4 bought in January of this year and has a little over 5000 miles on it. Except for some shorter trips Turkey hunting it has never gone very far away from home for me to get a really good feeling for its MPG.

This last weekend I had to go to Watsonville from my home in Lakeport a total of about 470 round trip. On the first part of the trip I averaged 18.29 miles per gallon. Boy was I ever excited and looked forward to the return trip. Unfortuantly as anybody who lives in the bay area knows I got hung up at the Benicia bridge for over half an hour and only went 5 miles in that time which didn't help my mileage and then out of Clearlake going up the hill was a horrible accident which delayed everything for some more time. The bottom line is that I only got 17.57 miles per gallon on the return trip.

Now I must admit that I am very easy on my vehicles when I am not using them for hunting. 65 miles per hour is comfortable to me most of the time except when I am late for something, and I don't put the pedal to the medal when starting up.

Anyway, it sure kicks butt over my previous F150 4by in both power and mileage and I am one happy camper with my Titam.
Dan Stahlman

stk10767 · 06-25-2005, 08:08 AM

I've got 20.01 mpg on a 400 mile trip. No traffic, and I set the cruise at 65mph.

TitanicDJ · 06-25-2005, 08:46 AM

I don't know how some of you guys are doing this? I have never been able to reach the 15 mpg. Lately I've been driving around the speed limit and trying to stay off the pedal but the best I've done is 14.6 mpg.

What gives, what does it take to get 15 or above?

coyote268 · 06-25-2005, 09:54 AM

The good mileage was all on the highway with little or none stop and go traffic. Another thing is when you accelerate from a dead stop, if you can really treat the gas pedal like it has an egg between it and your foot if possible. That 5.6 really wants to go so a heavy start will burn gas. The idea of setting the cruise control is a really good and will also save you gas in the long run. Keeping it at 65 or less is probably the best idea for saving gas wich is around 1600 rpm on the tac.

aircum · 06-25-2005, 10:14 AM

I average around 15.5 with mixed city and highway driving.

TitanicDJ · 06-25-2005, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by coyote268

The good mileage was all on the highway with little or none stop and go traffic. Another thing is when you accelerate from a dead stop, if you can really treat the gas pedal like it has an egg between it and your foot if possible. That 5.6 really wants to go so a heavy start will burn gas. The idea of setting the cruise control is a really good and will also save you gas in the long run. Keeping it at 65 or less is probably the best idea for saving gas wich is around 1600 rpm on the tac.

I'm starting to do the slow starts from a dead stop. My company just moved about 15 mile away which is mostly freeway. Before I was averaging a little over 10 mph because most of my commute was city. I'll try a few of your tricks to see what happens over the next month.

Thanks,
DJ

aggiesarge · 06-25-2005, 11:02 AM

I averaged 15 mpg on my highway trip, but that was at an average speed of 75 mph. Around town I average 13 mpg. But I drive with the heavy foot. It's just too much darn fun!

TitanicDJ · 06-25-2005, 11:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aggiesarge

I averaged 15 mpg on my highway trip, but that was at an average speed of 75 mph. Around town I average 13 mpg. But I drive with the heavy foot. It's just too much darn fun!

That was my problem for awhile...BANKS and a heavy foot. I've learned not to punch it.

PHOEBISIS · 06-25-2005, 11:25 AM

Coyote,you are turning 1600 at 65mph,so you must have the 2.94 rear end-no BT no OR PKs??
You are right about the low speed,and easy starts being key.Another thing you almost certainly do-since you are mileage aware-is getting off the gas early.The toughest thing to teach my son is to get his foot off the gas when he anticipates a stop.What is the point of accelerating to a stop light??Save gas-save BRAKES-SAVE MY$$.Get off the gas early.
If you have the 2.94 rear end with your 4x4 then folks with the 3.36 will have a hard time duplicating your results.We did-past survey-get a couple of 18mpg 4x4 3.36 results,but most were 15-16.Charlie

coyote268 · 06-25-2005, 11:43 AM

You're right on all points Charlie. I do have the higher rear end as I didn't wanr the lower as the only thing I tow that is heavy is my Bass boat (3500 lbs), but easing off when coming to a stop etc. sure makes a difference no matter what rear end you have. Now if I could just convince my wife of that in her explorer I could really save bucks.

johnszcz · 06-25-2005, 12:08 PM

After 5000 miles and heavy use of airconditioning, my mileage according to the built in screen is 12.9 for mostly in-city stop and go driving.

PHOEBISIS · 06-25-2005, 01:13 PM

Coyote,I know how that is.I am the worst backseat driver in history.It scares me to ride with someone else at the wheel.I am constanly hectoring my wife-and son-about their driving.She is actually a safer driver than I am,but I just can't contain myself-much.
Unfortunately,my wife,and son,have absolutely no mechanical sympathy.They can't "feel" that motor banging itself into oblivion,and they can't "see" it swilling that gasoline;they don't "see" those rotors heating up and warping.If I attempted any more driving modification than I already do,I would end up in divorce court(wife),or in a pitched battle-fistfight with my 19yo son(40lbs bigger 35 years younger,sooo).
Glad to see I'm not alone.I revel in good mpg "tanks".Son wife are unmoved.Charlie

Wyked-Titan · 06-25-2005, 06:24 PM

05 2WD CC here...

Just took at trip up to Michigan from SC. AC on most of the way and went through the mountains.

I was absolutely shocked when I filled up (no the $50 plus was not the shocker) but I averaged 18.4 MPG

On the way back I filled up and i averaged 18.69 MPG it was a great feeling for sure....

Averaged about 73MPH as well...

Wyked

PHOEBISIS · 06-25-2005, 10:09 PM

Johnszcz, your 12.9 city is exactly what just about everyone who drives "true city" gets.I got 19.6 on the 500 mile trip home from the dealer.I'm sure I could break 20-21 now.But,in my real life-100% city driving-I get 12-13.5.Don't think I have ever seen 14..Charlie PS It is nice to know that it can deliver on the hy.

blue73thing · 06-27-2005, 02:22 PM

I will tell one on myself here, as I hope nobody else has done this, it's embarassing but just maybe someone else is getting 11 to 12 mpg for the same reason...

I was driving around in 4th gear all the time! Yeah, I know, what an ignorant SOB, well it's my first truck, first GATED Shifter and first V8 I've ever owned. Soooo, laugh if you will but I've shifting from Park down into 4 (where it says 4D) on my tranny selector and merrily driving around like a fool and wondering why I was barely getting 11 mpg, when I keep reading about you folks getting 15 -16 and even, gulp, 20 mpg on the highway. Just recently, while filling up (I have almost 2600 miles on it by now) I'm thinking this pig has got something wrong with it, if I can only 300 miles on a tank of gas. I kept thinking maybe it was break-in, or my city driving, or whatever, like some have said "it's a truck."

I finally got to looking carefully at the damn gear selector, and notice that the 1 and 2 were on the same parallel line, and yes you could certainly push it sideways to get to the 1 position, then the light went off in my head, and I pushed that little bastard sideways from the 4 and OVER INTO THE D position. Of course NOW I see the D on the dash lights up when you push it in there. I'll take the bonehead award now, please. Anyway, if anybody else is out there quietly reading this and thinks, "that thing slides over to the right to get into DRIVE!!" maybe my embarassment will save you some gas and your tranny a hard life. I'm hoping to break 15 mpg on this tankful.

Dave