Better mileage ?

[jponder]

I thought something else Ghinton, quit going to those drag races. It will hurt your mileage even if you dont race

 

[Iguide]

Milage

When I first got my truck & ran it on stock fluids, varied driving, city highway ect. in the mountains I got an average 19. 5. When I changed to Amsoil I immediately got a 10% increase in mileage to average 21. 5 Now at almost 6000 I'm getting 22. 8 combined driving. I have noticed that on the highway @ 65 I drop to 21. 9. Speed does make a difference. So does driving style & I have a lighter foot now than when I was younger. I do use Amsoil fuel conditioner also. all of my driving is in the mountains of northern NH. For what ever that all is worth.



Have A Good One

 

[Jeremiah]

Re: Milage

Originally posted by W. A. Derby

When I first got my truck & ran it on stock fluids, varied driving, city highway ect. in the mountains I got an average 19. 5. When I changed to Amsoil I immediately got a 10% increase in mileage to average 21. 5 Now at almost 6000 I'm getting 22. 8 combined driving. I have noticed that on the highway @ 65 I drop to 21. 9. Speed does make a difference. So does driving style & I have a lighter foot now than when I was younger. I do use Amsoil fuel conditioner also. all of my driving is in the mountains of northern NH. For what ever that all is worth.



Have A Good One

Wayne, have you run any projections on cost per mile using Amsoil v. stock oil? Synthetic oil and fuel additives can really run the cost up if you don't do big-time extended drain intervals. Your fuel cost at 19. 5 mpg is $0. 0723 per mile. At 22. 8 mpg it's $0. 061. Using Amsoil, you'll save roughly $1100 over 100,000 miles.



So the question becomes, how much more or less will you spend on oil and additives by using synthetic? Don't forget to add in the cost of the bypass filter, etc.

 

[Iguide]

Re: Re: Milage

Originally posted by Jeremiah

Wayne, have you run any projections on cost per mile using Amsoil v. stock oil? Synthetic oil and fuel additives can really run the cost up if you don't do big-time extended drain intervals. Your fuel cost at 19. 5 mpg is $0. 0723 per mile. At 22. 8 mpg it's $0. 061. Using Amsoil, you'll save roughly $1100 over 100,000 miles.



So the question becomes, how much more or less will you spend on oil and additives by using synthetic? Don't forget to add in the cost of the bypass filter, etc.

I have not been able to complete my cost analysis as of yet. there is a problem getting the bypass filter installed. As a matter of fact I started a forum



" Amsoil" Is there a problem? Is there an answer"



This is why I haven't posted anything on this yet. I feel I must deal with this to get a complete cost. When I have I can give a complete breakdown as best as I can. I have done all the figuring up to this point.



Take Care

Wayne

 

[Jeremiah]

Re: Re: Re: Milage

Originally posted by W. A. Derby

I have not been able to complete my cost analysis as of yet. there is a problem getting the bypass filter installed. As a matter of fact I started a forum



" Amsoil" Is there a problem? Is there an answer"



This is why I haven't posted anything on this yet. I feel I must deal with this to get a complete cost. When I have I can give a complete breakdown as best as I can. I have done all the figuring up to this point.



Take Care

Wayne

An easy base line to start with would be the cost of changing the oil and filter over 100,000 mile as recommended in the Owner's Manual. Call it 30 changes x whatever the other costs are. Oil at Walmart is about 20 bucks for 12 quarts. That's $600 for oil plus whatever 20 filters cost.

 

[nkiewel]

Originally posted by djbobo

I assume you've adjusted for your 35" tires.

This is a little embarrassing to admit, but I was calculating my mileage wrong and complaining a lot about the "bad mileage" that I thought I was getting. With the 315s, my odometer is off by almost 10% (according to my GPS). With that in hand, I was taking the odometer reading, dividing that by the number of gallons to top off, and then adding 10% to the result. I was usually around 15. 5-16. 5 mpg and not too happy. When I realized what I was doing wrong, I was a lot happier. By adding the 10% to the odometer difference between fill ups before dividing by the number of gallons to top off, I am right around 18 mpg. I can live with those numbers.



Nate

 

[djbobo]

Does that mean that I can put on smaller tires & get better mileage! Oo.

 

[Jeremiah]

Originally posted by djbobo

Does that mean that I can put on smaller tires & get better mileage! Oo.

Somehow, I think the manufacturer figgered all this stuff out before they put these trucks on the road, otherwise, why did they dump the 3:55 rear ratio in favor of the 3:73?



Yeah, I'm going to 245 R70 19. 5 commercial wheels and tires when the OEMs wear out, but I've got a sneaking suspicion the stock 17 stuff might be a better deal.

 

[DLeno]

Originally posted by Jeremiah

Somehow, I think the manufacturer figgered all this stuff out before they put these trucks on the road, otherwise, why did they dump the 3:55 rear ratio in favor of the 3:73?

in order to improve GCWR from 20,000 to 21,000, and to more favorably position towing rpms for greater HP at moderate highway speeds.



Running empty, I still think the CTD likes to run at 1900, so the switch to 3. 73 means worse fuel economy if you like to drive 70. The new 3rd gens are towing animals so I think they optimized for that. Actually I like the switch. it allows for larger tires

 

[amsoilman]

I just returned from a trip (unloaded) for a total of 3,197 miles. The trip was from Roy Utah to Superior Wisconsin and back, taking different routes to and from Superior. I was usually traveling at 70-75 MPH and had a lot of head winds. I felt real good about the overall mileage I obtained.



3,197 miles using 158. 6 gallons for an overall mileage of 20. 16 MPG.



NOT TOO SHABBY!





Wayne

amsoilman

 

[Jeremiah]

Originally posted by DLeno

in order to improve GCWR from 20,000 to 21,000, and to more favorably position towing rpms for greater HP at moderate highway speeds.



Running empty, I still think the CTD likes to run at 1900, so the switch to 3. 73 means worse fuel economy if you like to drive 70. The new 3rd gens are towing animals so I think they optimized for that. Actually I like the switch. it allows for larger tires

You got it! Most of my running is solo, so I'm moving up to a 19. 5" wheel and a 245 tire. Slightly taller overall than stock but not as wide as a 315. Big wide tires mean dirty trucks in winter snows. I like 1900 or even 1800 rpms. Quiet cruisin' and excellent mpgs. And the slightly narrower tire works better in the snow.

 

[Iguide]

Milage

One thing I noticed about my mileage was draining the fuel/water filter every time I fill up. Both before & after my switch to Amsoil. It's in our owners manual. If I'm @ home I drain it int a pan & then put it in to a large container of waist oil I give to a fellow who uses it to heat his shop. If on an extended trip I use a large plastic bottle with a funnel to collect it until I get home. The difference for me is substantial 3-5 mpg. & it doen't matter where I fill up, it's roughly the same.

 

[Eric_77]

Well $50 shut off at the pump would not be bad as truck takes about $40 with current prices but the two stations near me have shut off set at $30 and $35. The guys at the $30 store have some sort of non-duplicate function enabled so you cannot even restart pump you have to go inside.



My MPG has been pretty low 18. 2 and most driving has been interstate average 40. I keep going down with each new truck 92 got 25; 96-23mpg; now the new truck has the wider tires but I would hope to get upto at least 23 when I replace tires with the narrower tires.

 

[Jeremiah]

Re: Milage

So you're actually getting water on these drainages? I haven't drained mine since I bought it new 19,000 miles ago.

Originally posted by W. A. Derby

One thing I noticed about my mileage was draining the fuel/water filter every time I fill up. Both before & after my switch to Amsoil. It's in our owners manual. If I'm @ home I drain it int a pan & then put it in to a large container of waist oil I give to a fellow who uses it to heat his shop. If on an extended trip I use a large plastic bottle with a funnel to collect it until I get home. The difference for me is substantial 3-5 mpg. & it doen't matter where I fill up, it's roughly the same.

 

[wild4stangs]

Picked up my new rig this past Saturday. I have driven about 100 miles, 50/50 town/hwy and AC, conmputer says 12mpg ???



Holy crap I hope that the mileage gets better, and quick... 12mpg is what I was expecting to get while towing !!!:--)

 

[Jeremiah]

Originally posted by JohnMay

Picked up my new rig this past Saturday. I have driven about 100 miles, 50/50 town/hwy and AC, conmputer says 12mpg ???



Holy crap I hope that the mileage gets better, and quick... 12mpg is what I was expecting to get while towing !!!:--)

Forget that computer thing and go by miles driven v. gallons used. The computer does a lot of averaging. You'll find you'll get about 15 or 16 mpg initially, then it will creep upward as the engine breaks in. Keep your tires aired up. I average 18. 5 to 21. 8 depending. 'Course, I have a 6-speed too and that helps.

 

[MattSt]

Re: Re: Mileage

Originally posted by Jeremiah

So you're actually getting water on these drainages? I haven't drained mine since I bought it new 19,000 miles ago.

All the stuff I have done to this truck and I missed this too. Man I feel like a gomer! I'm gonna have to check this when I get home and out of this tie.



How much water are you getting?



I'm thinking this may be the reason for my low low MPG and power. 14,000 miles and never touched the thing.



And I KNOW I got a bad batch of fuel about the 5th tank. Cause it ran like crap and got bad MPG the entire tank.

 

[Jeremiah]

Re: Re: Re: Mileage

Originally posted by MattSt

All the stuff I have done to this truck and I missed this too. Man I feel like a gomer! I'm gonna have to check this when I get home and out of this tie.



How much water are you getting?



I'm thinking this may be the reason for my low low MPG and power. 14,000 miles and never touched the thing.



And I KNOW I got a bad batch of fuel about the 5th tank. Cause it ran like crap and got bad MPG the entire tank.

One reason you're getting lower mileage is the DRW. I'll be in your town Thursday and Friday and will let you know how mine does. It could also be the lower altitude and maybe even the heat, which I understand has hit 105! Whew!

 

[Iguide]

Milage

I don't know how much water is in each tank full. I was reading in issue 39 someplace that diesel fuel attracts water, & condensation in an every day occurrence in our tanks as the fuel go's down it is replaced by air. Moisture in the air condenses in the tank. I would think that in different parts of the country & different times of the year there would be varying results. I live in an area that is somewhat humid. Not as much as the southeast, but more so than parts of the mid & further west. So that may be why I notice results every fill up & some of you other places don't. Also I try to get premium diesel as much as possible. It has a higher centain content & that can effect mileage also.

Not only do I drain the filter every tank I also add a fuel conditioner that raises the centain & absorbs moisture. Although according to the column in issue 39 a centain above does not make a difference. So is this worth my effort. It is hard to figure out an exact amount of coast ratio. I know that I get better mileage this way & every little thing seems to have an effect. So to me it is.



PS I'm not sure how to spell centain & the spell check didn't seem to pick it up, & I to tired look it up.

 

[Dean Upson]

I just drain my fuel when I change the filter and I never have any appreciable amount of water. I always get my fuel at high volume dealers (truck stop), that may be the reason why. I have been up in Wayne's country (NH) and have noticed the fewer diesel pumps up there.



Dean