Increasing fuel mileage

[ITowSilver]

I would like to increase the fuel mileage (who wouldn't?) on my '06 Chevy 2500HD 6.6L diesel. I've heard that the Superchips 2805 chip will do that, but I'm concerned because their web site mainly addresses increased horsepower and I don't need that.

I also wonder if a Banks exhaust system will help.

Both of these add-on's are expensive, but we tow a lot of miles, and diesel is also expensive.

Any experience will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, Sam

[bake315]

Hi Sam,

The Diesel Place

is a great site for Chevy/GMC Duramax info, including performance upgrade info. I can tell you many folks who run the chips over there will tell you that some increase in mileage can be attained with Banks and Edge products, as well as others.

[bobchevy89]

HI Sam,
horsepower will increase fuel milage. the engine will not have to work as hard thus saving fuel.But it will be very minimal.Put on a better exhaust system and it also will increase power.

[flyfisher]

I am in the middle of a 3+ month trip, and am in Montana now. When I get home to PA in early October I'll do a calculation of my MPG for the entire trip, and compare to my prior years' MPG, towing our 30' Classic with a Ford F250 7.3L PSD.

However, this year I've reduced my highway speed from approximately 65 MPH to 60 MPH, and I'm pretty sure I'll see that my overall MPG will have improved at least 10%.

I feel pretty sure that I'll have saved $100 or more in fuel costs for the entire summer, and other than a few more minutes spent driving each day, it won't cost me a penny.

John

[ITowSilver]

Thanks, Dave. I'll check out The Diesel Place.

John, I believe you're right on target. I also tow at 60 mph. On our present trip of about nine weeks I'm getting 13.5 mpg overall.

[Mike Lewis]

Here are couple observations based on 40 years of working as an auto tech.
[1]--You vehicle is in it's most dependable condition when it is left bare bones stock.
[2]--The best way to increase fuel consumption is to drive a little slower.
[3]--Modifications can and do create problems when it come to warranty repairs.
[4]--There has been, almost from the begining of time, those who manufacture "power and fuel mileage increasing products" that may or may not perform as advertised.
[5]--Diesels respond to "horsepower modifications" more than gas models.
[6]--Fuel increasing modifications--the $$$ savings in fuel seldom exceeds the cost of the product.
pieman
[7]--

[redeagle313]

Hi Sam,

We have very similar tow setups.

On a recent long tow to the Black Hills we averaged 64 mph on the way out and got about 13.4 mpg. Slowed it down to 60 mph on the way home and we were at 14.4 mpg. The averages do not include that last tank on the wayout (the big climb) and the first tank on the way back (the decent) On a recent short trip to the Metro Detroit Rally, keeping the speed at 60 or lower, we got 14.2 mpg, and that included some two lane that had several stops and slow downs.

One question is how many miles do you have on your truck? The more miles the better your mileage will get.

Are you using a fuel additive? Stanadyne Performance Plus is the probably the best one out there. I have used Power Service and Stanadyne and my truck performs better with the Stanadyne. I buy it direct from Midwest Fuel Injection. http://www.mwfi.com/Fuel-Additives/p...ance_form.html

What tire pressures are you running in your rear tires?

I also second the opinion of others to slow down. Saves fuel, saves wear and fatigue on tires, and it obviously safer as it you can stop a 13k rig a lot quicker from 60 mph than 65 mph.

I second the pieman's response that the fuel saving programmers & devices will rarely save you the money that they cost you up front.

Good Luck and have a great trip!

[Holzarbeiter]

My 2 cents
Don't do the exaust mod unless you have driven in a truck with that mod. The exaust tone inside the cab is considerably louder. I use a 99 Dodge Quad Cab 3500 4x4 with the Cummins. I have done many performance modifications and dislike the exaust the most. There where no great benefits from this mod until opting to go with a bigger turbo. You can try the Bully Dog product line for free, just go to an authorised dealer and they can perform a tempoary download.

[Plumber Dave]

Hello Sam. In my experience with a 6.6 Duramax, slowing down improves mileage the most. Some electronics, however, are designed just for mileage improvements. Case in point is Kennedy Diesels, Van Akken smart box designed in house for such. I have also done the exhaust improvement and air box modification listed in the Tips section of Kennedy. A real good place to read up on your truck is at www.62-65-DieselPage.com

[Paul Mayeux]

I had the Banks Power Pack system installed on my F250 last year. It has the 460 motor and it didn't do anything for the fuel economy. It might even have dropped a little in stop and go driving. The only benefit I realized was more power above 2600 rpm. With a 4.10 ratio I turn about 2,100 rpm at 70 mph in OD. So unless I'm pulling a grade or passing, there isn't much benefit. The truck seems to like between 65 and 70 towing in OD. I have found that if I stay under 65 the fuel economy will hover around 8.5 to 9 as opposed to around 7.5 traveling at 70. It's just really hard to hold 60 on long interstate runs with traffic passing at 80 or better.

[Pick]

You vehicle is in it's most dependable condition when it is left bare bones stock.

Amen!!!!

[AusTex]

Has anyone tried adding acetone to their fuel? There are a lor of sites our there talking about it.

http://www.pureenergysystems.com/new...00069_Acetone/