Do I have MPG superpowers?

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pfran42

pfran42

Joined
Apr 28, 2010
Threads
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Location
Atlanta, GA
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www.pfranleds.com
Whats wrong with the following?

[STRIKE]This gets 320-350 miles to the tank. I have calibrated for tire size with Scanguage and have verified with GPS apps. 87 octane.[/STRIKE] I am a tard and somehow got this part grossly wrong. I checked some older data I had collected and it appears I am averaging about 312 miles per tank.

20120519_132451.jpg


This one gets 280 miles to the tank. Just ran the first tank through it (and I didn't drive like Ricky Bobby). 90K miles, brand new LTXs, super clean, records for all recommended maintenance. 93 Octane.

IMG_20130323_194326.jpg


Is cleaning the MAF and TB really all I need to look into at this point? Is the tank size the same? What are other bone stock 03-07s getting per tank?
 
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Mxndrnks said:
Something isn't calibrated correctly for your built rig. Not sure what....but something is off....
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I think it is correct. I had an issue with it a year or two ago where I was getting 180-200 miles per tank. I did every "fix" I could find online and it eventually crept back up. I have tested out on known 300 mile round trips. It is very rare that I get 350 but I just filled up today with the needle a tiny bit above where it usually triggers the gas light and the trip odometer read 322. Keep in mind that this is almost all Hwy driving.

When I went to the 4.88 gears and 35s, the math worked out so that the speedo was just about dead on accurate. I then calibrated the Scanguage based on whatever metrics it asks for and checked that against known routes with GPS.

The problem isn't my built truck, its the new (to me) one. Shouldn't I be getting at least 40+ more miles per tank in mixed driving?
 
slimbuddha said:
I think you are over carrying the 1 in your math. My best tank ever, pre-lift/bumper pulled in about 320.

Are you adding gas on your built rig from a scepter can and forgetting to put that into the equation?
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Maybe I am having a humongous brain fart. I haven't really paid that much attention to the built one when at the gas station. I just started looking at fuel consumption again after I noticed the LX had to fill up at 280.

But still, isn't 280 a bit low for the LX?

Edit: If the tank holds 25 gallons and you average 14 MPG, it works out to 350 miles per tank. I would image a well cared for LX could do those numbers.
 
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Running boards are too heavy.

Seriously, 280 doesn't seem all that low for in town driving. If that's highway mileage, definitely clean the MAF. I will say i have been getting some god awful fuel economy due to windy conditions this Spring.
 
pfran42 said:
Maybe I am having a humongous brain fart. I haven't really paid that much attention to the built one when at the gas station. I just started looking at fuel consumption again after I noticed the LX had to fill up at 280.

But still, isn't 280 a bit low for the LX?

Edit: If the tank holds 25 gallons and you average 14 MPG, it works out to 350 miles per tank. I would image a well cared for LX could do those numbers.
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You should probably compare MPG not miles per tank.. that's even more variable (when did you fill up?). It's interesting you are able to compare directly.. if you look at the MPG threads, you see it's all over the place... I got 12/16 stock, 10-12 with lift, tires, rack. Curious what the bumpers are gonna do... jeez.

That said.. do you have a mud sticker on the LC?
 
I know its already been said, but I can't get to 300 per tank, ever. The built truck is some kind of super rig or something. Can I buy it from you? I have Paypal. ;-)
 
14 hwy seems reasonable... I would just expect the numbers to be reversed between the two... I also forget that I haven't really calculated mine. So, my thinking is probably off too. I need to set up the torque app and figure out what I am really getting..... or maybe not.... might be worse knowing.
 
yuji said:
You should probably compare MPG not miles per tank.. that's even more variable (when did you fill up?). It's interesting you are able to compare directly.. if you look at the MPG threads, you see it's all over the place... I got 12/16 stock, 10-12 with lift, tires, rack. Curious what the bumpers are gonna do... jeez.

That said.. do you have a mud sticker on the LC?
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How about some plain 'ol mud?

IMG_20110626_152510.jpg


here you go:

IMG_20110811_095612.jpg
 
I just checked my aCar data and it shows me getting 12.5 MPG (on a built truck) consistently for a 6 month range (this was a while ago, before I stopped obsessing over every morsel of LC data I could collect). That works out to 312.5 miles per tank. Maybe the 350 thing was me forgetting to reset the odometer.

I just figured the LX would blow away the LC when it comes to gas mileage. It is way more aerodynamic, has a more intelligent transmission and has tires built for hwy cruising.


Edit:

Just found the thread I started back when I was getting around 180 miles per tank.

https://forum.ih8mud.com/100-series-cruisers/496646-mpg-check-tire-size-fuel-type-lt-med-hvy-range.html
 
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The only way to accurately calculate your milage is divide the miles traveled (use milage from a garmin or other gps nav system) by the amount of fuel you put on the tank.

A 25 gallon tank only has about 22 gallons of usable fuel. You don't get to burn that last 3 gallons.

Also, using the odometer reading when running something other than OEM stock tires wont work. Best to use a seperate gps-based odometer reading.

You'll probably find you're no better than the rest of us. 13 to 15 mpg at best.
 
If you run 4.88s and 290/70/18s, your odometer will be correct. My GPS says I'm doing 70, my speedometer says I'm doing 70, my wife in front of me says she's doing 70 and the calibrated Scanguage says I'm doing 70. Also, I have run over 24 gallons of a tank.
 
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Miles per tank means nothing. Unless you're running till empty. Even comparing MPG, you will need several samples. MPG figures can differ greatly, which means you have to take an average of several fill ups.

Also, are you running LED's in the LX?
 
My LC is seems to be getting around (87 octane fill up) 278 with 12PSI in the tires around town her in PV Mexico.
The cobble stone roads here will shake the teeth right out ones mouth with the corrected air psi.
 
phippsj said:
Your rigs looks great, BTW!
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Fixed.

I want to be Paul when I grow up. If you really want to drool, check out his gubs.
 
I don't think you'll get decent data due to the fuel gauge accuracy unless you are using volume pumped at the gas station.

Get your methods to match up identical and see how much real variation you have would be my suggestion.
 
I cleaned the TB and MAF last night on the LX as well as disconnected the battery for 10 minutes followed by reconnecting the battery, starting the vehicle and letting it learn idle for about 15 minutes. it previously idled at 750-800 RPM and now settles in between 590-610 RPM. Wife is on a 150 mile trip to the farm right now and called me reporting 17.6 MPG overall (as seen from the Trip Info screen on the dash). Previously, she was getting 14.1 MPG from the same gauge.

It is worth noting that when I started the vehicle up for the first time after cleaning the MAF and TB, there was a very strong ammonia smell coming from the exhaust for about 5 minutes.
 
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Made it 312 miles on a full tank during a recent trip to Nashville, all hwy miles of course, moderately built truck. Made it 290 miles on the full tank trip home. Tail wind, head wind? Go figure...
 
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