Before you purchase any thing read this---->http://www.popularmechanics.com/auto...s/1802932.html

 

Thanks for the link. Interesting read. Funny ending... "As tested by Popular Mechanics." I wonder how many people actually buy that stuff.

 

LOL Handwarmers for pushing! That's rich!

 

Try adding acetone to your fuel tank.I use it on every fill up and have seen an increase of 5mpg.My highway went from 15mpg to 20-21mpg, and city went from 12-13 mpg to 16-17mpg.I use 3oz. of acetone to 10 gal. of gasoline. Have been using it for about 2 months now ,no engine problems,performance actually inproved.Check out this web site for more info...
http://www.pureenergysystems.com/new...00069_Acetone/

 

Please, not the acetone thing again. Even mythbusters debunked that one. As well as PM. And CU.
In no test has the acetone improved mileage at any throttle position.
In fact most tests have shown a decrease.

This was beat to death in here over a dozen times.
And that totally ignores the loss of warranty and risks to the plastic parts in the system.

Chris

 

Here's the best advice I can give for you to do for gas.

With the recent increase of gas prices I knew I had to do something. So a quick search of google revealed a way for me to get back at big oil.

My 1997 Nissan (shop truck) was getting 30 mpg
Added a Hydrogen Boost kit*, cost $500, increase 50%
30 mpg x 50% = 45 mpg
Electronic Engine Ionizer*, cost $40, increase 30%
45 mpg x 30% = 58.5 mpg
Vortec Cyclone intake*, cost $60, increase 30%
58.5 mpg x 30% = 76 mpg
Magnetizer fuel magnets*, cost $150, increase 30%
76 mpg x 30% = 99 mpg
Water Injection system*, cost $50, increase 50%
99 mpg x 50% = 148 mpg
BioPerformance fuel pills*, cost $150, increase 30%
148 mpg x 30% = 193 mpg
Turbonator*, cost $60, increase 31%
193 mpg x 31% = 253 mpg
Bed cover*, cost $20, increase 10%
253 mpg x 10% = 278 mpg
Added Acetone* to fuel, cost $5, increase 30%
278 mpg x 30% = 361 mpg
Put Nitrogen* in tires and changed to Synthetic oil*, cost $25, increase 11%
361 mpg x 11% = 400 mpg
So for a little over $1000 dollars I now get 6800 mile on a tank of gas.

Life is good.

 

 

Motorcycle

 

Here's the best advice I can give for you to do for gas.

With the recent increase of gas prices I knew I had to do something. So a quick search of google revealed a way for me to get back at big oil.

My 1997 Nissan (shop truck) was getting 30 mpg
Added a Hydrogen Boost kit*, cost $500, increase 50% <---- Im not even going to ask
30 mpg x 50% = 45 mpg
Electronic Engine Ionizer*, cost $40, increase 30% <---- Huh? What the hell
45 mpg x 30% = 58.5 mpg
Vortec Cyclone intake*, cost $60, increase 30% <---- isnt that just like the turbonator?
58.5 mpg x 30% = 76 mpg
Magnetizer fuel magnets*, cost $150, increase 30% <---- WTF??
76 mpg x 30% = 99 mpg
Water Injection system*, cost $50, increase 50% <---- WTF??
99 mpg x 50% = 148 mpg
BioPerformance fuel pills*, cost $150, increase 30% <---- GARBAGE
148 mpg x 30% = 193 mpg
Turbonator*, cost $60, increase 31% <---- GARBAGE
193 mpg x 31% = 253 mpg
Bed cover*, cost $20, increase 10% <---- Seriously doubt the 10%
253 mpg x 10% = 278 mpg
Added Acetone* to fuel, cost $5, increase 30% <---- Read above, doubt it works
278 mpg x 30% = 361 mpg
Put Nitrogen* in tires and changed to Synthetic oil*, cost $25, increase 11%
361 mpg x 11% = 400 mpg
So for a little over $1000 dollars I now get 6800 mile on a tank of gas.

Life is good.

 

When people are giving these gains they receive from intake, exhaust, etc. It is very subjective to your particular driving habit. If you use cruise control at a certain speed after every mod and reset your message center you can view a rise or loss in mileage at that speed, I did this for none of my mods but some are clearly evident to only improve (i.e. removing stock fan you can retrieve some lost power from the flywheel, pullies for a gain on in-town mileage...loss in mileage on highway, etc). I'd like to see someone do this and post their gains, if I had my stock components I'd do so and post a review.

Wish I cared about my mileage like I do now, then.

 

A bunch of us have tracked each mod. Been posted.
The results were no surprise. I posted earlier in this thread the only 'bang for the buck' gas mileage upgrades.

The intakes, for everyone that says he got better mileage there are three that got worse.

Tuners the same, but about half say they 'broke even'. I did, with Diablo and Superchips.

No one has gotten worse with a light weight tonneau.

Everyone that lifted their truck went way down, duh, like that was news.

No one has ever documented improvements from any of the magic mileage improvers. Never. No one.

Lots of claims but 0.0 unbiased documentation.
And darn little even biased documentation.
Mostly just 'I got 5 miles to the gallon better, and if you don't believe me you suck' posts.

The most important gas mileage improver is just being aware of it, and driving accordingly.

And when you say that, some one who is angry always posts “I don’t want to drive like a grandpa”.

Which, oddly was never suggested.

Or “if you can’t afford the gas, you shouldn’t drive a truck” which is sorta dumb.
That argument could be rephrased as “If you don’t have unlimited money to waste, you shouldn’t have bought a truck…”
Driving intelligently, or like a grownup, does not mean driving super slow, etc. It just means using the throttle when it makes sense, and watching the gas consumption when it makes sense. Nothing more.
And as to having the money to ‘burn’ I only drive my truck just under 600 miles a month this last year, and yet I still work at getting the best mileage I can.
Heck, when I drove a 3 Cyl Sprint I got 57-62. And still tried to get better.
It’s a guy thing.
Chris

 

If you lift your truck you will lose mileage all around, without question. But if you keep stock gearing and increase your tire diameter, the very reason we lift, is a good way to reduce (increase) your gear ratio as a lifted highway driver.

You are a good person to conflict with, someone who can reason. You absolutely do have to care about mileage to know what the truck is capable of. I am probably one of the slowest and most aware drivers on the highway always trying to best myself (won't allow myself to get lower than 19mpg, probably diminishing the 5.4's appeal to others assuming it can't handle a lift). Regardless of whether or not the MPG readout is 100% accurate (mine seems to be about .2-.4mpg off), the readout accurately shows whether or not your mileage is increasing or decreasing (i.e. you can view a gain or loss if you use the same speed, RPM's will change with mods).

The first thing that comes out of people's mouth is how crappy my mileage must be. It certainly is...around town and I mention that but my highway mileage is fantastic for 37's (maybe every modded truck's highway mileage is great if they drive 55 with a 2.xx gear ratio, I wouldn't know).

I am not doubting you but it's hard to generalize the folk here as accurate about their mileage. Too many have doubted the claims of 21mpg on a stock truck. :\

 

If you spend enough time in a forum you tend to get the drift of who inflates their numbers, deflates them, can't actually figure them... etc.

I cheat a little, almost 30 years of automotive experience, parts, heavy line, owner of shops, etc. so I have a faint advantage in sifting the bull...

21 is actually about right on the freeway, steady speed for a 5.4 4x4.
On my little 2 wheel I have hit just at 24 for the best, but no way is that everyday. Still if I was commuting highway with the truck, I would expect 20 plus on every tank.

The problem with lifts is the drag coefficient.

The problem with big tires is they cost a lot to turn.

The problem with changing the gearing, even assuming you use a tuner to tell the PCM about it, is lower gears waste more gas.

They really do. The lower the gear the more heat is generated. Heat is energy. The only source of energy in the truck is gasoline.
That's hair splitting though.

The drag and heavy tires are the real killer on a lift. Mostly the drag.

One university did some research and found that covering the underside of the truck with plastic, sort of an underside tonneau, made 1 mpg difference on a stock Chevy half ton. On a lifted truck you get the reverse effect.
Just the fact of lifting it should eat up 1 or more MPG. Freeway that is, under 45 its not gonna make much difference.

Of course lifting is a fashion/custom statement and as long as you know the costs going in, have at it.

I know you did the research before you lifted your truck, but I think higher gas prices caught you off guard.
It's happened to me three or four times in 45 years of driving.

I don't actually see any conflict in our posts on this thread.
We both agree that individual drivers make more difference than mods, and I don't see where there is any disagreement on most mods results.
Chris

 

When I was done with the lift (prior to mounting the tires) I had a pretty significant mileage loss at speed (around 2.5-3mpg). I clearly lost the majority to drag. The tires were not as big of a hit on the highway & midrange as I thought they'd be (low end is another story), I was expecting the worst considering it was a mother to lug them around by hand. The mods have certainly aided in mainting the mileage and they should for the money and time put into them. I think a good amount of my low end was lost due to muffler and cat removal. I said goodbye to the low end after swapping from the magnaflow to the flowmaster, somewhat regretful of the swap.

 

2005 SCAB 4x4 with 3.73's and after 6500 Miles on the truck I can honestly say that a lightweight Tonneau doesn't help the mileage in the least. Not in any meaningful measureable way at least.

A tonneau is great for storage, etc, but don't buy one thinking it will even slightly increased your gas mileage. If there is any benefit at all it's about 2-3$ a year from the numbers I kept...

later
Tarkin