27.6 mpg in '05 Suburban? For real?
April 4th, 2014, 11:57 AM
#12
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If you put in the same amount of fuel the DIC says you used, your DIC and hand calculations will be nearly identical....typically you get about a gallon more in the tank and filler neck then what the DIC says you used...
April 8th, 2014, 10:58 AM
#13
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That makes sense. I make my manual calcs based off what the pump tells me when I fill up. I started this thread, and as a follow up, This weekend we took the family up to the family cabin in Weber Canyon, above Oakley, and I decided to test what kind of fuel economy I could achieve. Elevation gain is about 2400 ft, from 4900-7300ft elevation. The Suburban was loaded with myself, my wife, our three boys, all our stuff for the weekend (full interior including tool boxes, suitcases, coolers with food, etc), then our single axle trailer hitched up with two quads (Blaster 200 and 300ex) as the rolling rig. I decided to try for good fuel economy, so I drove very nicely but still at or above the speed limit, with the tow/haul mode "ON" (which holds lower gears longer) and by the time we got there 1.5 hrs later going uphill I was averaging 18 mpg. After running a few in town errands while up there and returning home yesterday with the loaded rig, the average for the whole trip was 20.9 mpg. I'm very satisfied with that mileage. Again, as I stated earlier, I have total confidence in my digital readout because I've tested it manually so many times it's pointless to doubt it any more. In case you forget, the truck is: 2005 Chevrolet Suburban LS 2wd 5.3 V8 3.42 rear end, all factory and stock, nearing 140K miles. Tires are Michelin LTX MS2 in size 245/75R16 on factory aluminum rims.
May 5th, 2014, 1:44 PM
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Update: I tracked fuel economy on a trip I took a trip with my oldest two boys in the Suburban to Arizona this weekend to haul back a bunch of stuff from home.
On Thursday we drove the Suburban from Springville Utah to Taylor Arizona, down HWY 6 to HWY 191 to HWY 77 to Taylor. I filled up at the Maverick on Mn Street in Springville Utah, then drove 516 miles to Taylor Arizona. We did not stop for fuel, and I still had just over 1/4 tank left when we arrived. I filled up in Taylor, and my manual calculation gave me 23.7 mpg for the trip down. Details: I drove at 70 mph or less, mostly 65 mph, cruise control on, A/C on, 89 octane fuel.
In Taylor I loaded up the entire back half of the Suburban with heavy stuff, cabinets, large speakers, totes full of scrap books, etc. Then drove to Mesa, AZ to visit family.
Yesterday morning I topped off the loaded Suburban on McKellips/Horne in Mesa and drove the 202 loop to the 101, to the 60, to the 93, to Las Vegas NV, then took I-15 home to Springville Utah and filled up at the Phillips 66 just off the 400 South exit. I never had to stop for fuel. I drove 683 miles on 29.15 gallons of 89 octane fuel = 23.43 MPG. I pretty much drove 70 mph with the cruise/AC on the entire way.
I started this thread, but as a reminder, it's a 2005 Chevrolet Suburban LS 1500 2wd 5.3 V8, 139K miles, all original/stock with Michelin LTX MS2 245/75R16 tires.
On Thursday we drove the Suburban from Springville Utah to Taylor Arizona, down HWY 6 to HWY 191 to HWY 77 to Taylor. I filled up at the Maverick on Mn Street in Springville Utah, then drove 516 miles to Taylor Arizona. We did not stop for fuel, and I still had just over 1/4 tank left when we arrived. I filled up in Taylor, and my manual calculation gave me 23.7 mpg for the trip down. Details: I drove at 70 mph or less, mostly 65 mph, cruise control on, A/C on, 89 octane fuel.
In Taylor I loaded up the entire back half of the Suburban with heavy stuff, cabinets, large speakers, totes full of scrap books, etc. Then drove to Mesa, AZ to visit family.
Yesterday morning I topped off the loaded Suburban on McKellips/Horne in Mesa and drove the 202 loop to the 101, to the 60, to the 93, to Las Vegas NV, then took I-15 home to Springville Utah and filled up at the Phillips 66 just off the 400 South exit. I never had to stop for fuel. I drove 683 miles on 29.15 gallons of 89 octane fuel = 23.43 MPG. I pretty much drove 70 mph with the cruise/AC on the entire way.
I started this thread, but as a reminder, it's a 2005 Chevrolet Suburban LS 1500 2wd 5.3 V8, 139K miles, all original/stock with Michelin LTX MS2 245/75R16 tires.
Last edited by creed82; May 5th, 2014 at 2:11 PM.
May 5th, 2014, 6:00 PM
#16
How far down are you going on the gas? When the light is on, Low Fuel for fuel range and gauge is past the "E", I still have 3 gallons left... The most we have pumped in is 29 gallons of gas... Even when playing a bit of gas gauge bingo...
May 8th, 2014, 8:29 AM
#17
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I don't generally run it down that far. But on the trip home from AZ I wanted to see how far it would go, and I had been doing the match/watching the "Range" on the dash readout. In this case the low fuel light came on just before I got off the exit at Springville when I got home.
December 6th, 2014, 1:08 AM
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used to get 21/27 mpg
My 2007 tahoe LT got 21/27 for the first 30k miles. The dealer did something at the "major service" that brought it to 12/14 ever since.
I think they detuned it so it would last the 100k warranty as it used to have a LOT of go. Now it is reliable but soggy unless pressed to full throttle. I'm over 60 so I don't hot rod. I'm thinking of getting a tuner /programmer.
it also will not go into v4 mode unless going downhill with no throttle - 'coasting'. Going to high altitudes made it get 21/27 again till we came back to 70 ft. In Houston
Ref:
TODAY: I took my boys up to Rocky Mountain Raceway for the drags. We filled up at Maverick on our way out to the Freeway (mentioned above). I filled the tank clear to the top (yes, I topped it off till I couldn't get any more in) with 89 octane fuel, reset the MPG computer, and TRIP A odometer. Then I drove as carefully as possible without annoying other commuters out to I-15 and up to Rocky Mountain Raceway. My goal was to see how good of freeway mileage I could get. As soon as I hit the freeway I set the cruise at 60mph (65mph speed limit), turn ON the A/C, some music, and me and my boys cruised up the highway. I had a light breeze to my back, and the AVERAGE MPG computer up on the dash. I watched up bump up gradually till it leveled at 29+mpg!!! Never hit 30. Level freeway.
Went to the drags, headed home. Did the same thing, cruise at 60mph, A/C ON, music on, me and my two boys in the truck. On the way home, cruising into the breeze head on, the computer bumped down and was telling me 25.7-25.9mpg most of the way. This seemed too good to be true, so when I got back to Springville and exited the freeway I immediately turned into a Maverick and filled up. Again, I topped it off as far as I dared without spilling on the ground. It took 4.03 gallons. TRIP A said we'd driven 111.3 miles round trip - and I just verified that with Mapquest which read 107.88 miles round trip, except I took a several mile detour (got lost) on the way there.
YOU DO THE MATH! I drove 111.3 miles on 4.03 gallons of fuel. I'm not lying here, I'm just curious if anybody else has had such incredible fuel economy with their C1500 Suburban. I expect to beat 20mpg, not 27mpg! But the vehicle computer and my own manual calculations say it's true. 91% freeway driving.
Even if I'd gotten 18mpg we love our new Suburban.
Chris[/QUOTE]
I think they detuned it so it would last the 100k warranty as it used to have a LOT of go. Now it is reliable but soggy unless pressed to full throttle. I'm over 60 so I don't hot rod. I'm thinking of getting a tuner /programmer.
it also will not go into v4 mode unless going downhill with no throttle - 'coasting'. Going to high altitudes made it get 21/27 again till we came back to 70 ft. In Houston
Ref:
TODAY: I took my boys up to Rocky Mountain Raceway for the drags. We filled up at Maverick on our way out to the Freeway (mentioned above). I filled the tank clear to the top (yes, I topped it off till I couldn't get any more in) with 89 octane fuel, reset the MPG computer, and TRIP A odometer. Then I drove as carefully as possible without annoying other commuters out to I-15 and up to Rocky Mountain Raceway. My goal was to see how good of freeway mileage I could get. As soon as I hit the freeway I set the cruise at 60mph (65mph speed limit), turn ON the A/C, some music, and me and my boys cruised up the highway. I had a light breeze to my back, and the AVERAGE MPG computer up on the dash. I watched up bump up gradually till it leveled at 29+mpg!!! Never hit 30. Level freeway.
Went to the drags, headed home. Did the same thing, cruise at 60mph, A/C ON, music on, me and my two boys in the truck. On the way home, cruising into the breeze head on, the computer bumped down and was telling me 25.7-25.9mpg most of the way. This seemed too good to be true, so when I got back to Springville and exited the freeway I immediately turned into a Maverick and filled up. Again, I topped it off as far as I dared without spilling on the ground. It took 4.03 gallons. TRIP A said we'd driven 111.3 miles round trip - and I just verified that with Mapquest which read 107.88 miles round trip, except I took a several mile detour (got lost) on the way there.
YOU DO THE MATH! I drove 111.3 miles on 4.03 gallons of fuel. I'm not lying here, I'm just curious if anybody else has had such incredible fuel economy with their C1500 Suburban. I expect to beat 20mpg, not 27mpg! But the vehicle computer and my own manual calculations say it's true. 91% freeway driving.
Even if I'd gotten 18mpg we love our new Suburban.
Chris[/QUOTE]
February 5th, 2018, 9:39 AM
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Hello everybody. As an update - it's been a few years - I still have the '05 Suburban. Still running original engine/transmission, etc and all stock exhaust, etc. Since the last post I moved to northeastern AZ. My prized Michelins did not last in the rocky terrain, and one got punctured by a rock on a dirt road, so I put some BFG KO2 tires on it, same size (245/75 R16). I can report that the KO2's are awesome tires, they perform well on and off road, but my fuel economy dropped DRASTICALLY and IMMEDIATELY with the installation of the BFG's. Where I used to be able to get 27+ MPG on a long and flat stretch...it will now do about 22mpg. Where I used to get 21+mpg at 75 (freeway speed) I now get 18mpg. The tires made a tremendous difference in fuel economy. But, they were necessary for our terrain up here because I love to take the kids camping, shooting, hiking, etc. Now up to 189,000 miles on the '05 Burb.
