Its a truck I stoped keeping up with it after a few months and just drive it and fill it up when it needs gas but every now and then I fiugure it up and see how its doing.

 

01 XLT Sport,

Sorry, but if you are claiming over 15 mpg, then you can't belong. You are only a mild gas guzzler and haven't hit rock bottom yet. Once your admitted mileage falls below 15 mpg then you can seek refuge with us true gas guzzlers. Try being a little heavier in the foot and you might get there.

 

Hey man, I got a tad under 12 Mpg this last tank. I filled up today and did simple calc. of total miles/gal. I have to admit, I didn't do any freeway driving.

 

I love using 20 litres of fuel to drive 100 kilometres, make me feel like I'm boosting the economy and creating jobs.

Yeah baby!

 

Navi Man:

Thanks for turning my GOOD morning into a BAD afternoon with your comment of:

"You are only a mild gas guzzler and haven't hit rock bottom yet. Once your admitted mileage falls below 15 mpg then you can seek refuge with us true gas guzzlers."

I "had" really felt that I was doing my part in cleaning up motherearth by trying to suck up as much fuel and oil as possible. Granted I may not rank up there with some of the "big boys" but I did state "I bought the best gas guzzler that (I) could afford"

I was really starting to feel depressed about the situation and your comments until I started thinking about your other statement of "being a little heavier in the gas peddle".

Here are a few other ideas I had let me know what you think, or what else I can POSSIBLE do to suck up even more fuel.

First idea, get some used tires and run them underinflated?

Second idea, tow a big boxy trailer with full weight as my truck is rated to haul?

Third idea, pull said trailer with a head wind on truck?

Any other ideas are welcome

I too want to feel more like Habibi "like I'm boosting the economy and creating jobs."

 

I don't think it is possible to accurately check your mpg. Just about all the pumps I've seen haven't been calibrated for about 6 years and I believe most of them are tampered with by the owners to deliver less fuel than the meter indicates. Ever wonder how you can put 28 gallons into a 25 gallon tank?

 

Suvdrvr,

I don't know about where you live, but where I live, all dispensers that are used for reselling fuel (gas pumps) are calibrated and checked by the state. Once a pump and meter has been checked and calibrated, the state inspector puts a seal that cannot be broken without paying a hefty fine. I believe this is done yearly, or at least every other year. I'm sure your state has a similar program. Their may be a few illegal operations around, but for the most part pump manipulation is one that would be hard to get around. Besides, that would make people have worse gas mileage, and from what I have seen on this forum, many are saying they get better than average. How do you explain that?

 

I just agree with far wiser point of view so much, I had to see them in 'Bold' font!!

 

01 XLT Sport,

You are definitely on the right track and with a little work you will be a true "gas guzzler". I think another thing you could do is at every stop light you can constantly rev your engine. The people around you might get a little annoyed, but who cares. You're a "gas guzzler". They already hate you!

 

Having been in the Petroleum Marketing industry since, god has it been that long almost tenty years, I can say that the above is a very true statement. You may find a very few that try to 'cheat' the consumer, but the few extra pennies it gets them in the short term is not worth it.

Nope, six years between calibrations would never happen, it's an annual thing that is handled by the state, and it's not the 'consumers' that these boys are worried about, it's THEIR revenue aka TAX dollar that is their concern

 

Thanks for the backup Petrol. I've been in the petroleum business myself going on 26 years now. Whoa, I'm kind of aging myself. We deal in gas, diesel, Chevron lubricating oils and are heavily into chemicals and solvents (mineral spirits, acetone, toluene etc.)

 

Navi Man:

Thank you for such an excellent idea. I have been thinking and just may do it, of course only when I can be "let-in" with you true gas guzzlers. Anyway I have been thinking about having decals made in different sizes from small to HUGE that say "Gas Guzzler and Proud of it"

I can't wait to get under the 15mpg thrushhold for "true" gas guzzler

 

I just wanted to also verify that pumps in most states are checked and calibrated on a yearly basis by the state. Here it is dones yearly, and a sticker is placed on the pump to verify that it has been checked. I think its done by the Weights and Measures department, part of the commerce deprtment here. Their offices are just across the street. In Minnesota, this is the same group that verfies the accuracy of scales and such.

 

I think its best to calc the mileage over the course o 3 or 4 tank fulls or more. I have a spreadsheet that calcs the mileage at each fill up, the a monthly average, and a quarterly average and of course the final word which is total miles drive divide by total fuel used since It was driven off the lot with a full tank. Using all these numbers you get both current values and seasonal averages and cost of fuel to operate.


Yeah, I know it's pretty ****.

More curiousely though, it gives credibility to grandious claims. Speaking of which. My mileage has skyrocketed in th past 3 months. Prior to July my total average from 3 years driving is about 15.5 mpg. Typically in summer I get 16.2 to 17.0 with roughtly 20% highway miles, very little towing and gasahol. Since July My mileage has progressed upwards, with each fillup to about 19.5 mpg. In over 3 years previous I have never gotten better than 17.5mpg. Sounds strange, the guys at work thought so to until I showed my records. The only changes I've made to the truck since last winter are tranny fluid and filter change, opened the air box by 40% and replaced front brakes and rotors and repacked wheel bearings. I'm thinking one of the rotors may have had dragging pads as they were warped with only 30kmi.

 

Hi Neil,

Congrats on the improvement in mileage, I am green with envy!
I don't dispute your numbers at all, 4.6, 2wd, I think those are decent numbers
I've often heard that people will get improved mileage as more miles are put on the engine, something to do with the engine loosening up or something.

Just out of curiosity, what brand / octane fuel have you been using since the improvement?
The reason I ask, is because I used to use Esso 92 octane exclusivly, but I found that when I fill up at Petro-Canada 91 octane, I can get an extra 40 kilometres out of the same tank of gas. Not really sure why this happens, all I can think is they refine their gas better or something.

Regards
Alex