Gas Mileage Mods

what are some mods i can do to get better MPG. I average about 12-13 MPG would like it to be better. My truck is all stock accept for rancho lift shocks.

SCT TUNER .. more power less gas.

That and a good CAI and exhaust is about par for MPG'S

Maintain tire pressures, good tune-up, run Synthetic fluids in every hole, drive conservatively, shed weight by not carrying stuff you don't need, lose the lift as lower is usually less drag.

And that ^

where can i get a SCT TUNER and what a good cai to get

Keep an eye out here and craigslist, you may be able to find a used one unlocked.

But think a little bit too about how much money you are going to put into getting better MPG, how much you can actually expect it to increase, and how long it will take you to recoup that much money. All of my numbers are for demonstration only and my not reflect your actual experience.

Let's say it costs you $180 for the tuner, another $120 for just a magnoflow Y pipe and decent flowing muffler, and $100 to make your own homemade CAI with a K&N filter. That's $400 for a DIY way to get some of the improvements folks talk about.

Now, say you get an extra 2 MPG for that and you go from 16 to 18 MPG. So that means that for every 8 gallons of gas burned, you have essentially gained a free gallon (woohoo!). You will be running 89 octane or higher now because those are the tunes that get the best results on the SCT Tuner.

Okay, let's assume you have the 26 gallon tank, at the average price around me for 89 octane gas you are looking at $3.65/gallon. If you run it bone dry (which is a bad idea by the way...) you are spending $95 per fill up. I said before that for every 8 gallons you run you are basically earning a free gallon, so with 26 gallons in the tank, it works out to about 2.89 gallons per tank. That is a cost savings of $10.54 per tank.

If you fill up once per week, it will take you 38 weeks to break even on the mods you have bought and done. And then you start saving money. Assuming you were already running 89 octane gas and you can get those mods for as cheaply as I stated. Of course if you buy a new catback exhaust and have it installed and a $300 CAI system and a brand new tuner you could be looking at 2-3 times as long to recoup that money.

Just food for thought. Oh and one more...that assumes that after you have done the mods and gotten a little more power and rumble you can stop yourself from hitting the accelerator a little harder to feel it.

All that math this early in the morning ??? Really Paul .. LOL

LOL! I've been sick lately so I've gotten plenty of sleep and rested up.

Makes sense. Running one colder plug might yield some more MPG's per Tank but also the best mileage comes with the higher octane better fuel. Glad I only have about 14 miles round trip to work and work 4 days a week, other than that it costs 20 bucks round trip to town so unless i have lumber to pickup or looking to wash her (winter) I keep my useage down. Towing for Camping is another Story/ As a DD these Trucks are expensive unless its all you own and its paid for (I Run 3 Vehicles). At least Pauls long winded reply has usefull Info...Sorry.

That's really discouraging when you do the math. ALMOST don't seem worth it.

ALMOST is right. That's just looking at numbers. Look at the extra enjoyment you get from working on the truck, the added benefit of letting loose a few extra horsepower, the grin on your face when feel and hear the extra rumble, etc. There are lots of other reasons to do mods besides just saving money. Those numbers are strictly if you are doing it from a money saving perspective.

Deviate said:

ALMOST is right. That's just looking at numbers. Look at the extra enjoyment you get from working on the truck, the added benefit of letting loose a few extra horsepower, the grin on your face when feel and hear the extra rumble, etc. There are lots of other reasons to do mods besides just saving money. Those numbers are strictly if you are doing it from a money saving perspective.

Click to expand...

I agree. I did all of the "MPG mods" when I first bought mine and then I quickly realized that I enjoyed the power much more than the savings. At the end of the day I'm much happier with my truck and I justify it all in my head by knowing that I get slightly better mileage. Either way, it's money well spent

thats what i was thinking too. I really dont know anything about tuners. but I was looking at getting a diablo sport intune I-1000. I use 93 octan non ethanol gas. I pull my boat a lot during the summer so more power would be better but would i use more gas with the diabo sport. just trying to figure these tuners out and which one is the best for me.

My 04 that has a wee bit done to it gets better mpgs then the 05 with intake and exhaust. The cost vs return on mpgs though is not what I was shooting for, just happened to be a pleasant bonus.

Very interested in the tuner, Im thinking that will be my next mod.

I would like to do the CAI, Exhaust, and Tuner to save fuel, but also to help out with power while pulling my boat. I hate how the truck hunts for gears while towing up a moderate incline.