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Best ways to improve MPG

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Old Sep 14, 2006 | 02:25 PM
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Best ways to improve MPG

I just calculated my fuel consumption and i am getting 15.2 mpg. Not bad for running 35in mud terrains. That is 1/2 highway 1/2 city driving. What are some ways i could squeeze some more miles out of a tank of diesel?
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Old Sep 14, 2006 | 02:45 PM
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Repost from another thread on the same subject:

https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/...33&postcount=3
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Old Sep 14, 2006 | 09:28 PM
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Synthetic oils throughout the truck. I have all Amsoil front to back and am getting 22mpg on the highway, if not better in perfect highway drives, and 14-15 in town due to a size 12 on the loud pedal.
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Old Sep 14, 2006 | 09:35 PM
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My Napa guy just made me an offer (or a challenge) tonight.

Switch every fluid to AMSoil and if I don't gain 3MPG he would give me all of the fluids of my choice to replace it.

People are swearing by this stuff so I guess I have to do it and see for myself.
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Old Sep 14, 2006 | 11:19 PM
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For one, thats a dumb bet as why would you want to change it after all the Amsoil is in? There isn't a better synthetic out there really. Gee, I'll dump out premium high dollar synthetic because the Napa guy will give me some valvoline for free.

I highly doubt you will gain 3mpg, it's possible, but most people don't see that kind of gain. I would say 1mpg should be nearly guaranteed and 2mpg is a very good chance. 3, well, it's been claimed by some people to add that much, but that isn't common. I mean, it's oil, not majic ferry dust.
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Old Sep 15, 2006 | 02:08 AM
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As long as hes giving you the extra fluids to replace it, and you got a 2nd vehicle thats about due for fluids too, whatcha got to lose?
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Old Sep 15, 2006 | 05:23 AM
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Slow down, that's the best all purpose way to gain mpg's.

Take off smooth, no jerky motions, as little passing or quick acceleration as possible.
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Old Sep 15, 2006 | 06:17 AM
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You want the best way to improve MPG's?

1. AIR PRESSURE IN YOUR TIRES.
2. Plan your trips and make less of them.
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Old Sep 15, 2006 | 06:19 AM
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Try to drive as if the truck had no brake pedal. Check tire pressure, go to the higher side.
Do a valve adjustment, go towards the tighter side of the tolerance. Check your intercooler boots.
If it's an auto use your OD/Off button to keep it in lockup and the engine revs in the sweet spot. Watch out for plugged air filter. Try some injection cleaner.
All of this can be done with only a little time and a little cash invested and can reap good benefits on the economy department.

HTH

AlpineRAM
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Old Sep 15, 2006 | 09:04 AM
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thanks, what about a smarty with their econo program, also was thinking about amsoil with their filter bypass system, or that other oil filter system that was on 2 guys garage, the fs2000 i think it was something like that. Amsoil that good huh?
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Old Sep 15, 2006 | 03:38 PM
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A bypass filter by itself won't help fuel economy- it may enable you to increase the oil change interval, but this for the price of some investment, more expensive oil and regular oil analysis. I think that it will strongly depend on your usage of the truck. As a rule of thumb it can be said that the greatest benefits of a bypass filter system can be seen on vehicles that rack up a lot of miles on long distance driving.

HTH

AlpineRAM
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Old Sep 15, 2006 | 04:20 PM
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From: Cummins Technical Center, IN
Originally Posted by AlpineRAM
Try to drive as if the truck had no brake pedal.

This is the SINGLE best way to improve mpg, assuming you have your truck up to snuff with tp, valves and all that.

This really hit home with me when I'd drive our new (to us) Honda that has the instantaneous MPG feauture. Pulling away from a light will put you around or under 10mpg.

Coasting will spike up to 45+mpg. This is where you are reclaiming the energy you had to spend to accelerate the vehicle.

EVERY TIME you touch the brakes, you are converting money to heat that you can't use. Think about that. Once you touch those brakes, the energy you spent (which came from burning fuel that you BOUGHT) is irrecoverably converted to heat.

Coasting is the best way to improve mpg in terms of driving technique (which is the biggest factor of all).

What I try to do is coast until I'm below 20mph or so. Since energy goes up with the SQUARE of speed, I'm recovering a substantial portion of the fuel energy by coasting until I'm at 20mpg or so. Think about it-- your vehicle has FOUR TIMES more kinetic energy at 40mph than at 20mph. (1/2 MV^2 for you physics guys).

That means that using your brakes at 40mph instead of coasting to 20mph and THEN applying the brakes represents a waste of 75%!!!
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Old Sep 15, 2006 | 05:14 PM
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Originally Posted by hic316
thanks, what about a smarty with their econo program, also was thinking about amsoil with their filter bypass system, or that other oil filter system that was on 2 guys garage, the fs2000 i think it was something like that. Amsoil that good huh?
why spend $600 to gain 1 or 2 mpg's? spend $1 for some tacks, mount them on the pedal, and drive barefoot. the SMARTY will only make you drive faster/quicker and therefore negating any increase in mpg's it should give you.

to put it a different way, if you were to gain 3mpg's it would take ~29000 miles to reach even ($2.90/gal). maybe you drive alot and its justified, not for me to decide.

D*(I-O)/(I*O) = $ saved PER mile, where D = $/gallon (fuel), I = Improved miles per gallon, and O = Original miles per gallon. whatever item you buy, take its price and divide by the number you arrive at in the above equation.
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Old Sep 15, 2006 | 05:43 PM
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This thread is great, i was even thinking about cutting out my floor pans, and driving like fred flinstone, i think that would also save alot on fuel. I figure by switching to full synthetic engine and tranny fluid with the filter bypass, i could pick up 1-2 mpg, add a smarty with econo possibly another 1 mpg. every little bit adds up, next thing you know i would be getting around 17 mpg in the city. not bad. Right now i have pretty good driving habits for keeping the fuel consumption down low, just squeezing everybit i can out of it, and for bragging rights, lol.
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Old Sep 15, 2006 | 07:20 PM
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Originally Posted by hic316
This thread is great, i was even thinking about cutting out my floor pans, and driving like fred flinstone, i think that would also save alot on fuel. I figure by switching to full synthetic engine and tranny fluid with the filter bypass, i could pick up 1-2 mpg, add a smarty with econo possibly another 1 mpg. every little bit adds up, next thing you know i would be getting around 17 mpg in the city. not bad. Right now i have pretty good driving habits for keeping the fuel consumption down low, just squeezing everybit i can out of it, and for bragging rights, lol.

i bought the smarty for the econo feature and 50hp stix for better mileage. ever since i got both, i run around on SW#7 and want bigger stix. i cant even bring my self to try the fuelsaver. the power is sooo addicitive! i havent got to check the mileage yet, but love the new power and could never go back.

just thought id mention this, dieselfan
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