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2001 Chevy silverado 2500 4x4 unusually low gas mileage
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Brandonbays
User
May 17, 2014, 12:49 AM
Post #1 of 7
(2512 views)
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2001 Chevy silverado 2500 4x4 unusually low gas mileage
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2001
Chevy
Silverado
2500 6.0L
4x4
265,000 miles and proud of it!
My dad gave me his truck that he bought brand new for Christmas in 2000 this past Christmas as a gift to me and my wife. I was and am still extremely happy and thankful for it. I know he has taken tremendous care of it, and I don't know why but he also has insisted on having it taken to the Chevy dealership for every repair and even freaking oil changes. He has owned his own business since before I was born, and the truck became part of that naturally. He drove it to work sites, but not a speck of dirt ever entered that truck. I respected him for that, and for taking care of that truck so well that I was able to drive it from South Carolina up to Massachusetts over Christmas. I'm not lying when I wrote 265k miles. That's actually rounding down. High mileage, all synthetic oil used every time, and I can even tell you the name of the only two people alive besides me and my dad who worked on that truck, including oil changes.
Since having it, I love it even more and have taken just as good care of it as he had, just like my dad showed me. I have done everything I know to do in order to keep it at top performance and perfect condition. One thing is still a problem for me though: despite how well I've taken care of it, I can't seem to improve my gas mileage to above 10mpg. I have used every test gasoline available to me(87, 89, 91, 92, 95, though not 100+), I have checked/cleaned my air filter without any improvement, if I use cruise control I seem to get only a mpg or two difference at best, and I have even changed around my tire pressures but once again it seems to have given me only a single mpg at most. I hadn't checked to make sure all my features were off, or on, whichever is best for mpg including my Tow/Haul option, the auto 4WD vs. 2WD and the likes, but I did notice that the Tow/Haul was on and I'm taking it off now. Hopefully I will be able to account of how everything will be when I get home from work around noon. I'll keep you all posted if I figure out a way to make the almighty dollar and gallon go farther and last longer.
I just got home early from work and the Tow/Haul saved me about 2-4mpg driving on the Mass Pike...not a Smart Car by any means, but when you are driving this beast around, every little bit counts. Basically not having the Tow/Haul on alone saves me about $30 a week. When I was a young kiddo, I never worried about gas mileage as long as I wasn't out of gas on the side of the road....Now? HA! I have become so frugal that I have even taken to the web to see how I can save a few bucks a week. Dad would be proud!
Brandon Bays
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Brandonbays
User
May 17, 2014, 1:01 AM
Post #2 of 7
(2507 views)
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Re: 2001 Chevy silverado 2500 4x4 unusually low gas mileage
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Wow! that's great! You are my favorite person ever!...lol
I'm always willing to do whatever it takes to help a brother save a buck or two. Any other suggestions? Like I said I just started driving this truck in December so I'm constantly learning new uses for the ole Girl, but never too old to learn something new myself from someone else too...
Brandon Bays
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kev2
Veteran
May 17, 2014, 8:04 AM
Post #3 of 7
(2480 views)
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Re: 2001 Chevy silverado 2500 4x4 unusually low gas mileage
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Is there a question or something we can help with?
that was confusing to read.
Tow Haul - never select that unless really heavily loaded with weight.
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Discretesignals
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
May 17, 2014, 8:19 AM
Post #4 of 7
(2478 views)
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Re: 2001 Chevy silverado 2500 4x4 unusually low gas mileage
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Those things are gas hogs. 10mpg in the city is average. If your looking to save money on fuel, that isn't the vehicle to have.
Since we volunteer our time and knowledge, we ask for you to please follow up when a problem is resolved.
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Brandonbays
User
May 17, 2014, 11:29 AM
Post #5 of 7
(2465 views)
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Re: 2001 Chevy silverado 2500 4x4 unusually low gas mileage
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I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make it confusing, but it got taken down the first time I put it up because of me asking a question too directly. My question is how do I improve gas mileage period? I know this truck is a gas hog to begin with, and I have since purchased another car to drive to work and back and use the truck strictly for "business" now. I have done basically everything I know to do and everything anyone else I know in person knows to do to improve the mpg. So, do you have any suggestions on things that could improve my mpg, or tips on something I need to do to keep my mpg from falling any further? My 10mpg is HIGHWAY, not city. THAT'S why i'm turning to you guys for the help...because unless I am hauling something, I should definitely be getting better mpg than that for how well this truck runs and how well it's been taken care of.
Thanks guys. sorry about the confusion in the other post. I'm definitely open for tips on the thread guidelines too. I read the rules and I guessed I missed something....I do that. Plus, it was 4am...
Brandon Bays
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Discretesignals
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
May 17, 2014, 11:40 AM
Post #6 of 7
(2463 views)
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Re: 2001 Chevy silverado 2500 4x4 unusually low gas mileage
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There are so many factors that could affect fuel mileage. Engine problems is one of them, but from your description you don't have any drive-ability problems. If the check engine light is on, the engine is consuming oil, and/or you have drive-ability problems, those things have to be corrected first. Drive-ability is a broad term when it comes to how an engine runs.
You may see a slight reduction in fuel mileage because of the fuel itself. Gasoline has a higher BTU than ethanol, so you need to burn more ethanol to make the same amount of power gasoline does. I can tell you right now that ethanol percentages in fuel you get from the pump are not consistent.
Other than factory equipment, such as larger wheels and tires, adding chassis weight, added accessories that utilize engine power, and/or items that change the aerodynamic properties of the vehicle could affect fuel mileage.
Even how the fuel mileage is calculate can't be consistent because of how the vehicle is driven, the enviroment it is driven it, and engine run times when the vehicle isn't moving.
There are a whole lot of variables.
Since we volunteer our time and knowledge, we ask for you to please follow up when a problem is resolved.
(This post was edited by Discretesignals on May 17, 2014, 11:43 AM)
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nickwarner
Veteran
/ Moderator
May 17, 2014, 8:03 PM
Post #7 of 7
(2448 views)
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Re: 2001 Chevy silverado 2500 4x4 unusually low gas mileage
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You also mentioned running higher octane gas. Your engine was designed and optimized to run on 87 octane. The octane rating is a resistance to burning.Higher octane gas burns harder and with less thermal energy than lower octane. Putting the word premium on it is a marketing thing. Now if you drive a Caddy with a Northstar, some high end euro stuff or something with a turbo on it you would need higher octane gas to prevent detonation. On a stock truck you do not, and in fact with the high miles that can even hurt you.
Despite the fact that the body and seats are clean, 265k+ is still 265k+. Engines wear down. Moving parts wear down. Gas mileage goes down. Its the nature of the beast. If the truck runs well and you are reading a set gas mileage, well that is what the truck is going to get. You don't get a better running truck than one that is already running really good. You can't fix what isn't broken.
I drive nothing but full size trucks and SUV's. I've gotten used to the pump shock. I know that the machine can only do what it can do. A 13 year old truck with over a quarter million miles is like an 80 year old man running a marathon, no matter how well he has taken care of himself over the years he is still an 80 year old man and can only do so much.
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