my mpg is very low...any sugestions

[j_k_auto]

Hello all,
I was searching and searching tring to figure out why my mpg are so low:mad: . I do have everything on my web site for your viewing.
Also there are alot of pics you can check out.:cool:
Any ideas & sugestions are welcome.
thanks joe

[baker2acre]

Hey J K Auto....


Just for comparison and as a starting point.... how low is low? I'm running a '96 c3500 crew and can only muster a tic over 16mpg unloaded in mixed driving regardless of what I do:rolleyes: ... I haven't "really" towed with it yet but don't think I'd be much less then 13-14mpg with what I tow. How is your mileage figured... towing? unladen? Thanks!

[baker2acre]

Hey Joe....

Maybe I should check your link and answer my own Q's!!:D

Nice rig, bye the bye!!

How are your driving habits?? 1-10... "10" being full throttle (everywhere including Walmart's P-Lot) and "1" being idle (everywhere including the beltway while fleeing a natural disaster)

What's your local terrain like? Rocky Mountains? or Great salt flats?

I would think that your 12mpg's would be a bit low.... but 7-8 :eek: is terrible.

The one thing I would note is after you've added the "sea foam" you may have some restriction in the fuel filter from loosened particulates and sludge especially in combo with the B10!! BIO's a natural cleaner and will loosen everything from tar and carbon to Granny's teeth!! :p I know this goes against conventional wisdom and maybe I'm just off my rocker.... however a fuel starvation would require one to push a bit more on the go pedal to maintain "normal" performance.... which should require at the least higher RPM's .... not to mention tossing your timing out of whack to keep up and potentially adding gobs too much boost in the mix.... a bit of a... forgive the "pun"... trickle effect? A new filter couldn't hurt anyhow....

[tommac95]

Is turbo providing boost?
How about LP fuel pressure? Fuel filter clogged?

Brake dragging?

[j_k_auto]

I changed all the filters 1 month ago. the lp is putting out 6.5 psi.
boost is 7. the 12 mpg is empty with 2-4 people on the highway. the lower mpg is city miles.

My driving haits are 70-75 with the highway mpg. My local mpg are a little towing 10 mies round trip. also taking kids to school ect...ect.. I use average throttle of 4/10 and sometimes 5/10 (half) never going over 60mph because this is not a racer vehicle

my driving area is flat to slight hills now and again.
thanks joe

[j_k_auto]

I am going to try to check the fuel filter out tommorrow and check the housing out to see how dirty it really is. btw I only put 1500 miles on my filter.

[j_k_auto]

http://www.putfile.com/j_k_auto/media

[j_k_auto]

Well now I got a straight through exhaust and burban still runs good except every once and a while it will shut down (pmd ) I did what everyone said and filled it up. like I said before my milage really sucks. I wish I could put a 1 in front of that 9 but oh well. maybe someday I might be able to see 10.

At any rate you can read my update on my web page.

http://home.dejazzd.com/jkauto/MY%20...20SUBURBAN.htm

[baker2acre]

Hey J_K,

Sorry for not being of much help.... I've been finishing up building my new house:rolleyes: ....

I've been puzzling over your delema and it's been driving me nuts!!! :confused:

However, I think I may have stumbled onto somethings that I may have missed before.. or it may be nothing, but here goes!

You mentioned that your higher mpg's (12) were attained on the highway (naturally) at approx. 70-75mph. Fine, the interesting part I missed is the part about local being "little towing 10 miles round trip" and a side note of kids to school. This suddenly jumped out at me like a purple hippo!!! Nothing wrong, mind you. More of an "ah ha!!" My thought is, of those 10 miles "round" trip is there a "layover" in the middle?? i.e. travel to work.. sit 8hours then return?? If so your trip would only be of the 5 miles down the road veriety, correct? One way?

Here's where I'm going with this... since completing my house I've moved to within 3 miles of the office (where I sit typing away my addiction :D ). Before, I was appr. 15mins from work.... Since moving I've seen a decrease in fuel economy... from 16 average to 14. I too have been chomping as to why!! Then it hit me!! Warm up!! I've noticed that in my 3.8 minute drive to work my temp only reaches 110-120 degrees!!! And with it getting much cooler it may struggle to meet that!! The first 1.5 I'm running essentially on residual oil in the turbo, rings and bearings and the mass of alloys have yet to fully expand to tighten this rattling beast up!! Of course the bunny trails in my mind lit up as to all the variations of distructive nastinesses that result from inadequate lubing and warm-up!! :eek: Diesels opperate best at temperature... duh... but act much less favorable to a gasser in comparrison when not warmed...

Not to mention the aspect of my truck goes 0-60 in 2.5 miles which is = to or greater than the butt-load (metric of course) of fuel I would expend traveling the same distance at NASCAR type speeds....:p

Just a rambling thought... sorry for the book guys, just ate some twinkies!!

Les