2001 Tahoe w/5.3L V-8

[LexAtlanta]

My last tank of Kroger gas got me 19.57mpg. The tank before that was 18.7mpg and the one before that was 19.2mpg. A lot of the time I had the air conditioner running. I live in Atlanta Georgia so I have one of the worst commutes in the country when it comes to volume of vehicles on the roads. I have slowed down to a max speed of 60mph and accelrate slowly off the line. My daily commute consists of about 90 miles round trip. I go to the office either 3 or 4 times per week depending on what is going on.

I don't really understand hypermiling....but I would like to see what suggestions you all might have to help me increase my mpg to 20 or better. I have tried Marvel Mystery Oil in the gas and not seen any real improvement or change either way. I won't use acetone and most of the other 'stuff' on the market that claims to increase your mpg is all snake oil from what I have read. I also cannot afford to replace my Tahoe, so I have to work with what I already own.

I have a K&N FIPK kit installed, a Magnaflow exhaust and I reflashed the computer chip to the Predator 87 octane tune. I also run Amsoil inthe engine, trans and rear...as well as the power steering pump. I doubt that the Predator did anything....but I couldn't afford the 93 octane performance tune anymore
I tried to attach a pic of my truck..........but I'm not sure it worked.

[rgathright]

First you should fill your tires to their max PSI listed on the sidewall. The modification is dangerous because you will lose traction in rain. Also note that your ride will become bumpier. A lot of posts have been made about filling the tires, search around to see other things you can do with them.

Second, pull out all the extra stuff in the back. Seriously, some people have over a 100lbs worth of junk in their cars. This can weigh down the truck and cause mileage problems.

In the top menu bar of the forum there is a "Garage" tab. Use that if you wish to upload a picture of your truck. In fact, the forums feature a gas logging feature that you can use to track your MPG progress.

[civic94]

so you travel 90 miles a day to go to a office job? if you can, buy another smaller vehicle and drive that since the tahoe doesnt go off road or carry tons of stuff. the gas savings will break even very soon

but if your trying to hit 20 mpg on the tahoe,try timing lights, airing up the tires, opening the windows and turning off ac when in traffic, etc. your so close to that 20 mpg barrier already

[opelgt73]

Originally Posted by LexAtlanta

I also cannot afford to replace my Tahoe, so I have to work with what I already own.

I would heavily consider getting a smaller car. You say you can't afford it but you can certainly afford to buy a lot of gas.

I've got a 99' Denali and my daily commute is 70 miles round trip. I did the math and even with the added insurance of a second car a CRX HF will pay for itself in less than a year vs how much I would spend on the Denali in gas. So I've got the CRX for daily driving and the Denali when I need to tow and haul stuff.

Do you have the 2wd or the 4wd? If it's a 2wd getting 20mpg should be easy.

I don't know about yours but I notice a 1-2mpg drop towards the end of Oil change intervals, so keeping your oil changed helps. I also don't notice any difference between having the AC on or off.

[Three6Eight]

Almost 20 MPG is damn good for a Tahoe especially with a 5.3.

My girlfriend wants to buy a Denali but its only available with the 6.0 I think

Im trying to convince her to get the 4.8 tahoe or yukon but she really wants the denali cause its nicer looking. Shes not convinced their all the same

[LexAtlanta]

Thanks for the info guys. I have been lurking here for many months and picked up on the tire inflation suggestion. I also try to keep the "stuff" in my Tahoe to a minimum. Driving slower is tough sometimes but I keep thinking about the gain in mpg. As to buying a different vehicle, I will look into it.

Thanks again for the info.

[opelgt73]

Originally Posted by Three6Eight

Almost 20 MPG is damn good for a Tahoe especially with a 5.3.

My girlfriend wants to buy a Denali but its only available with the 6.0 I think

Im trying to convince her to get the 4.8 tahoe or yukon but she really wants the denali cause its nicer looking. Shes not convinced their all the same

20mpg with the 2wd isn't that hard to get. The 4wd system adds a few hundred pounds to the car killing the gas mileage. Unfortunately the newer Denali only comes in AWD which is even worse than my older 4wd Denali, I would opt for a 2wd Yukon or Tahoe if you can.

[LexAtlanta]

Originally Posted by opelgt73

20mpg with the 2wd isn't that hard to get. The 4wd system adds a few hundred pounds to the car killing the gas mileage. Unfortunately the newer Denali only comes in AWD which is even worse than my older 4wd Denali, I would opt for a 2wd Yukon or Tahoe if you can.

So far, for me anyway, 20mpg is hard to get. I have yet to hit that number. It might be the roads I drive on here in Atlanta. We have the worst commute in the nation as far as congestion/volume goes. I feel really good at the 19+ I am getting.

I'll keep adjusting my driving habits and hopefully I will get there.

[opelgt73]

Originally Posted by LexAtlanta

So far, for me anyway, 20mpg is hard to get. I have yet to hit that number. It might be the roads I drive on here in Atlanta. We have the worst commute in the nation as far as congestion/volume goes. I feel really good at the 19+ I am getting.

I'll keep adjusting my driving habits and hopefully I will get there.

The hardest thing in Atlanta is that everybody drives 75-85 on the highway, and I mean EVERYBODY, what makes it worse is that the highways are twisty downtown. I was moving from Florida to Indiana about two months ago pulling my 7x14 box trailer, going through Atlanta I could barely get up to 65 while everybody else was whizzing by me at 80mph. It was nerve racking to say the least.

[civic94]

Originally Posted by LexAtlanta

So far, for me anyway, 20mpg is hard to get. I have yet to hit that number. It might be the roads I drive on here in Atlanta. We have the worst commute in the nation as far as congestion/volume goes. I feel really good at the 19+ I am getting.

I'll keep adjusting my driving habits and hopefully I will get there.

well how much do you spend on gas a month? you said you drive 90 miles round trip for your job, so im guessing you spend about 100 or so a week/400 - 500 a month? if you buy a civic you can easily double that mileage with a manual (getting 38 mpg vs 19) or very close with an auto (maybe 33 ish). you can save at least 200 a month, and within a year you can break even since the civic would be around 2,000 for a decent, reliable one.