Krambo Posted January 17, 2011 Report Share Posted January 17, 2011 ive seen a nice drop in mpgs in my yukon also. i blame it on the winter gas. went from 14.4 to 13.9 over the past 2 months Yea stupid NJ winter gas is horrible. The state swears there is no drop in efficiency however they are DEAD wrong. I dropped 4MPG on my cobalt since Dec. I expect to get it back in April. The heavy oxygenated fuel combined with the 10% ethanol makes a big hit on MPG. It's only a few 1/10s of a mpg, not a few mpg, so I wouldn't look too closely into it. Absolutely. For a gut check, inflate your tires a bit higher than normal in the winter, clean your MAF sensor and if your miles are higher (say over 50k) get new plugs and 02 sensors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruben525 Posted January 17, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2011 It's only a few 1/10s of a mpg, not a few mpg, so I wouldn't look too closely into it. As stated, winter fuel blends are a killer. You also have to take into context the fact that most vehicles have a ton more idle time during the winter, and idling eats more fuel then driving on the highway. I know that the combination of winter fuel blends, a ton of idle time, and the fact that my Tahoe only travels 4-6 miles a day is the reason it is sucking gas like no tomorrow..... Some things to consider......as stated, proper tire pressure is critical, under inflated or overinflated tires work against good fuel economy, you should be checking your pressures weekly, and make sure you follow the inflation pressures on your driver's door jamb. Driving habits can also have an adverse effect on fuel economy, extended idling and WOT runs will eat more gas. Preventative maintenance in to order of cleaning your MAF, TB, and air filter is an easy way to make sure you get the most out of your vehicle. Worn spark plugs and wires can effect economy too, but if your truck sits all the time and has less then 100k, replacing them may not be necessary. You can also try running a can of Sea Foam or Chevron with Techron fuel system cleaner through your next tank of gas..... Don't worry about the fuel filter, your truck is an '06 and is not equipped with an external fuel filter, '03 is the only year with an external filter...... ok thanks for the info. So should I just save my money and not even change my plugs and wires? The wires will look nice but if there not gonna do anything there's no point. Since I only pump Chevron 91 should I just pick up some of that Chevron with Techron stuff and use that? Will it hurt anything if it just sits in the tank for awhile? A full tank last me about a month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruben525 Posted January 17, 2011 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2011 Absolutely. For a gut check, inflate your tires a bit higher than normal in the winter, clean your MAF sensor and if your miles are higher (say over 50k) get new plugs and 02 sensors. So 02 sensors too? How much do they run and how hard are they to change? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Bag Posted January 17, 2011 Report Share Posted January 17, 2011 Winter Gas? Never heard of that in CA. I average 13.4. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Bag Posted January 17, 2011 Report Share Posted January 17, 2011 (edited) I guess you really do learn something new everyday: What’s the difference between summer-blend gasoline and winter-blend gasoline? Does it affect my car’s performance? Cars using summer-blend gasoline spew fewer harmful emissions and get slightly better fuel economy than those using winter-blend gas during the summer months. The difference between conventional summer- and winter-blend gasoline has to do with the Reid Vapor Pressure of the fuel. RVP relates to the volatility of a gasoline. The more volatile a gasoline, the more likely it will evaporate as the temperatures rises; evaporated gasoline contributes to unhealthy ozone and smog levels. Summer gasoline has a low RVP and is less likely to evaporate when compared to the high RVP winter grade. The Environmental Protection Agency says conventional summer-blend gasoline contains 1.7 percent more energy than winter-blend gas, which contributes to the summer blend’s slightly better gas mileage. The Energy Information Administration says the switch between the two fuels happens twice a year, once in the fall (winter blend) and again in the spring (summer blend). Summer-blend gasoline is typically more expensive to produce than the winter blend, and it won’t affect vehicle performance or the durability of the engine and fuel system, according to the EPA. In many large cities as well as California and New England, the EPA requires the use of reformulated summer- and winter-blend gasolines. These RFGs contain oxygenates that lower RVP and other toxic chemicals even further than conventional gasoline. Edited January 17, 2011 by Bad aSS Silvy (see edit history) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parriott31 Posted January 25, 2011 Report Share Posted January 25, 2011 I have been seeing the same problems in my 03, I agree on the Ethanol it is terrible on the MPG's. I was driving through Arizona heading back home to Utah and saw a sign posted at a station on the indian reservation No Ethanol. I ran it and gained 4 mpg's. I don't know how they get away with it but i was quite bummed when that tank ran out and i had to go back to the winter gas. I lost those 4 plus 2 more MPG's. where i live o2 and emission checks are done very lazily and i have thought about knocking out my cats? will this effect my O2 sensor readings? And will it help get better mileage? My truck's exhaust is stock all the way through the cats then into a two in one out magnaflow (like that when i bought it) will it help knocking them out? im shootin blanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TYLERTXSS Posted January 27, 2011 Report Share Posted January 27, 2011 Hey forgive me for not abiding by the golden rule and searching but how do u go about cleaning the MAF? Just simply wiping it down or what? And also im in the same boat as stated above where a tank of gas lasts me around a month (sometimes longer) would using seafoam and it sitting hurt anything? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eeekroar Posted January 27, 2011 Report Share Posted January 27, 2011 Hey forgive me for not abiding by the golden rule and searching but how do u go about cleaning the MAF? Just simply wiping it down or what? And also im in the same boat as stated above where a tank of gas lasts me around a month (sometimes longer) would using seafoam and it sitting hurt anything? I'm almost certain you are not suppose to touch it at all. I just sprayed mine with a MAF cleaner I bought from advanced auto and let it air dry.Someone with knowledge correct me if I'm wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8hnpSS Posted January 27, 2011 Report Share Posted January 27, 2011 Hey forgive me for not abiding by the golden rule and searching but how do u go about cleaning the MAF? Just simply wiping it down or what? And also im in the same boat as stated above where a tank of gas lasts me around a month (sometimes longer) would using seafoam and it sitting hurt anything? take it out and watch you dont break anything and spray it with MAF cleaner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fireman31 Posted January 27, 2011 Report Share Posted January 27, 2011 I'm almost certain you are not suppose to touch it at all. I just sprayed mine with a MAF cleaner I bought from advanced auto and let it air dry.Someone with knowledge correct me if I'm wrong. Electrical Contact Cleaner will work also...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bad Bowtie Posted January 28, 2011 Report Share Posted January 28, 2011 (edited) When I bought my 06 SS about 5 months ago my mpg was at 13.5. About a week after I got the truck I put my aem bruteforce intake on from my clone and my mpg stayed the same. A month later I had a muffler put on and my mpg went up to 13.6. ( They were out of magnaflows so I got talked into buying a DT muffler it is 2 in and one 3 inch turn down I dont remember what the DT stood for. I know I was stupid for getting talked into something I didnt even want but oh well later ill get a magnaflow.) lately within the past month or so I noticed my mpg droping from 13.6 to 13.4 and so on. Now Im at 13.2. What could be causing my mpg to drop? I only drive it on the weekends so it just sits in the garage most of the time in the 5 months of having the truck I've put about 1100 miles on it. What can I do to get my mpg up or get the truck running better? Im gonna get a tune for sure but thats gonna be a lil while I have to decide what mods im gonna do first. Im thinking of ordering some spark plug wires, spark plugs and a 160 t stat. But I heard its better to wait to put on the 160 t stat untill im gonna get the tune. I know its a 6.0 and these trucks are heavy but I thought they got better gas mileage then this. I tried the search button by came up empty. I bet the decrease in MPG is a combo of factors. Tire air pressures, gas blends (though Chevron is a good brand), and I bet with the new mods you've added your driving a bit more fast/aggressive. It's easy to do... Edited January 28, 2011 by Bad Bowtie (see edit history) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TYLERTXSS Posted January 29, 2011 Report Share Posted January 29, 2011 take it out and watch you dont break anything and spray it with MAF cleaner K thnx man Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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