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Getting better gas mileage

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35K views 27 replies 19 participants last post by  busemans  
#1 ·
When I bought my 2008 from the first owner last fall I asked him if the truck got as bad of gas mileage as I had read about. I said it was only supposed to get 17mpg on the highway. He told me I'd never get that and that about 15.5 would be good. I guess his wife had a lead foot because I hit exactly 17.0 on my way back to OKC from Dallas that day. LOL However I drive about 50/50 city/hwy and have been getting about 14.5-15mpg since then. But the past few months since the oil changed I'm averaging right at 16mph. I'm using full synthetic oil and running 100% gasoline with no ethanol.

I did my second oil change this past weekend and I must say, that is the cleanest oil I have ever seen after 3,500 miles! For a minute I thought I had made a mistake and drained something wrong. LOL Every other vehicle I have ever changed oil on (and that is probably over 200 oil changes over the years) has been basically black or very dark brown. I've never seen a vehicle, especially with 82k miles, burn that clean.
 
#2 ·
Your mileage is spot-on. I did a mileage check with my fillup today. My mileage for the tank was 16.7/mpg interstate/city mix. Keep your tires inflated, but that's pretty much all you can do with the Titan. It's a big, heavy truck with a big V8 engine. Mileage is the price you're going to pay to ride in a Titan.
 
#3 ·
Depending on where you are, you may get winter blend gas, which will give you slightly worse mileage.
 
#5 ·
I get about 14-15, but with Cajun and tune, I manually shift and push the RMP's. I know it can be better but with less than $2.00 a gal, it's not a priority.
 
#8 · (Edited)
Be happy if you're above 13-14. I average 12 city, 13.5 highway.
 
#9 ·
I'm usually pushing about 14.5mpg mixed, and around 16.5-17mpg on the highway. But that's running 75-80mph on the highway. I've noticed if I can slow down to under 70mph, I can pick up another .75-1mpg on the highway. If I do a lot of country roads, without mountains, and little stop and go (speeds between 40-55mph) I can push nearly 19mpg overall, if it's not hilly. But add in much start/stop, or some regular updates and downs, and it drops off to 17.5mpg.

Now, towing the Scout Troop trailer through the smokes at 65mph will net me about 11.5-12mpg. Thankfully, I only do that a few times a year.
 
owns 2011 Nissan Titan Pro4X Crew Cab
#10 ·
I recently towed a little 8x10 U-haul on flat AL ground at 65 and got 10mpg. But hey, it goes fast. :big_grin:
 
#11 · (Edited)
I spend most of my time on the highway, (not the interstate) doing 60 or so for most of my commuting. I accelerate from stops quicker than most and still average around 17. However....if I have my Cajun/Borla system installed, it gets worse...I don't care much for loud bass heavy music, but I can't get enough of a sweet exhaust note and tend to lean on the skinny pedal a lot when I can hear the rumble of the exhaust. Stay off the skinny pedal to save mpgs.

The titan isn't the best for MPG's...if you want a fuel efficient vehicle, look elsewhere. The Titan is no Prius
 
#15 ·
haaa.. 10-11 round town.. 13-14 highway.. drive like miss daisy in the rig, 12-13 round town and 15ish highway.. lol
 
#16 ·
I was expecting slightly less mpg towing that trailer. It's nearly 4k total, when loaded with everyone's summer camp gear. I guess a couple dozen footlocker and all the attendant crap we take to camp adds up. But I do also hedge a little. I run a bottle of Lucas sue system cleaner through it before I go, and I have a couple of other Scout leaders who run front and back door for me, and we do some mild drafting along the way. Big things are not trying to accelerate uphill in the mountains (stay in the right lane, hit the base of the mountain at 65, maintain as best as I can and just keep it above 45-50 to the top, and then get it all back on the way down.

There are definitely tricks to getting better mileage. I've found accelerating from a stop in the 2-2.5k range seems to give me the best overall mpg, as I spend a little less time burning higher fuel rates and more time maintaining speed at lower rates. Getting these rigs moving is fuel intensive no matter how you do it, even downhill!

It helps, too, that I'm stock except for the tires. Stock size, but E-rated LTs so the weight went up about 15lb per corner. I'm 4x4, 3.36 gears, Pro4X, so I'm almost the worst possible mileage situation, stock.
 
owns 2011 Nissan Titan Pro4X Crew Cab
#17 ·
Guess my Armada isn't the only one chomping through gas
 
#18 ·
I just had my 2011 pass 100k miles. warranty ended at 100k, engine shot at 102k. I'm told the piston rings are either gone or trashed. so while I save my nickels & dimes for a reman engine, I could use some advice on engines to get, why specifically, and are there any changes or upgrades to make it more fuel efficient?
Thanks!
 
#19 ·
I’ve read up on the two engines VK56DE and the VK56VD. The last coming out in2017. It reads like the new one is tech superior and possibly much more fuel efficient? But what’s the price difference and is it worth it? Would the VD even fit in my ‘11?
It’s a quad cab, sv with towing package.
 
#20 ·
Engine worn out at 102k worn rings? That's crazy talk, did they give you the results of a compression test? Did you recently overheat the truck? Have you only changed the oil 2 times in 100k? That's just not possible if regular maintenance was preformed?

As for engines, the VK56VD is the 2 Gen Titan engine. It's the same exact engine you have size wise. But in todays age of computers running everything. I don't think without a 2016 full wiring harness and many ECU's and probably many other things it would never be right. It would really be quite a feat to put the new VK56VD engine in the first gen Titan. Your pockets would have to be so deep to the point that it would be much cheaper just to go get a new Titan and make monthly payments. If you still owe on your 2011 I understand your position.

This thread was about MPG the new ones are much better. I'm getting 15-17mpg around town and have seen 21mpg on the hwy. Now towing 5000lb travel trailer in the hills around the Mid-Atlantic I've been getting 8-9mpg. But on flatter towing trips I think it'll get closer to 11mpg?
 
#22 ·
At the time I only had a 2" front level and 18x9's with LT 275/70R18 tires. My mileage had not changed in the 2 months after getting the tires, then I put on my AirAid and it immediately dropped. My next tank of gas it was noticeable.

Now, with 3" lift, 275/70R18 tires, CAI, Cajun full exhaust (headers through tailpipe), UpRev tuned, and a cover on the bed I can get 15-16 MPG on the interstate if I cruise at 70-75.

I clean my throttle body once every 4-6 months, have the front end aligned religiously every 6 months, rotate my tires every 5k miles, change my full synthetic oil every 10k miles, clean my MAF and filter regularly, and have Amsoil fluids in everything else.

9.5 is very low. Seems like you might have an exhaust leak, cracked manifolds, or something else messing up your ratios.
 
#23 ·
At the time I only had a 2" front level and 18x9's with LT 275/70R18 tires. My mileage had not changed in the 2 months after getting the tires, then I put on my AirAid and it immediately dropped. My next tank of gas it was noticeable.

Now, with 3" lift, 275/70R18 tires, CAI, headers through tailpipe, UpRev tuned, and a cover on the bed I can get 15-16 MPG on the interstate if I cruise at 70-75.

I clean my throttle body once every 4-6 months, have the front end aligned religiously every 6 months, rotate my tires every 5k miles, change my full synthetic oil every 10k miles, clean my MAF and filter regularly, and have Amsoil fluids in everything else.

9.5 is very low. Seems like you might have an exhaust leak, cracked manifolds, or something else messing up your ratios.
Just like you I change oil every 3k just changed all my diff fluids and tranny , I'm stock height on 275/70/18 and the mainifolds both the pass and driverside where replaced at 65k I'm 72k now and I'm untuned
 
#25 ·
I have a 2017 Titan SV King Cab, 2wd. I know, I know, but I didn't have a need for a lifted 4WD. But, it is loaded....blind spot, front/rear sensors, nav, heated seats, fog, high-end running board, soft fold bed cover, and on and on. I average 22-24 on highway at 60-65, about 16.7 in town. I am not heavy on the gas pedal. It has towing package, but I haven't towed or loaded the bed. My son-in-law has a Silverado and couldn't believe my mileage. So we went for a road trip. In addition to the computer average, we also manually calculated mpg. He saw I was right. BTW, I'm very happy with my truck. Upgraded all 6 speakers and added a powered sub but the new speakers are so good, I turned the sub off.
 
#28 ·
@Denty titan
welcome to the club. i would be really mad getting 11mpg in my truck. is that city only? mine changes depending on how much hot rodding i do. i have seen 15mpg in town if i am super conscious of how i drive but generally 13mnpg because the furthest in town i drive is about 5 or 7 miles for chic-filet and back. other than that, its two miles to work if the weather is bad and i cannot ride my bicycle.