vehicle fuel milages

[getut]

I think the HP and torque wars between Dodge, Ford, and Chevy are doing nothing to help. As a general rule (there are exceptions of course) the newer the truck the worse the fuel mileage.

 

[circleTfarm]

I would think at 2.80 a gal(diesel) mileage concerns should be at the top of all manufactures list if this trend contunes people might think twice about getting a diesel. unless they need a diesel for hauling or pulling all the time,

 

[hudr]

I think basically the manufacturers are going to produce what sells. And the horsepower wars cater right to our manhood it seems. Guys I work w/ all complain about their diesel p/u 's not having any power. So they buy all the performance parts, flog the trucks, then complain about how they won't stay together. Any usually its not the motors that come apart, its the rest of the drivetrain that won't handle the power. I haul just as much stuff w/ my 95 6.5TD chevy as they do and usually get better mileage doing it. Let's face it, nearly any diesel p/u built since the early 90's will haul more than it will stop anyway. I would love to see about a 5L inline 6 with about 175 hp and ~350/400 lbs of torque paired up w/ a 6 or 7 speed tranny. Engine power is ok, but some more gears would allow a smaller more efficient engine to pull the same load and get better fuel mileage. I think it boils down to people not really wanting to "drive" their trucks, just mash the loud pedal if it won't go.

 

[jcmseven]

CircleT,

You may just have a higher fuel consumption engine. One thing I have noticed about diesels of all makes is that the fuel consumption is highly variable, depending on engine. The mileage you are getting with your diesel is not out of line with what I hear regularly. Some get 1-2 mpg better than you with the 6.0L, but not many. If the truck runs well, and the fuel economy is disappointing, you may have two options: first, you may run a cetane booster AFTER you change the fuel and air filters. I would also consider synthetic diesel oil and driveline lubricants, if you have not already. Invest in an aftermarket pyrometer (they are not very expensive) and follow the EGT closely. An excessively high EGT implies overfueling and may be indicative of a computer issue. I am assuming you are running stock wheels and tires, and they are in alignment. The second option is to trade, I suppose. My 2002 Power Stroke 7.3L with a Banks Power Pack system gets about 20ish mpg if I drive it easily and 18 if not in pure highway driving, and about 14.5-16 in town and 13-15 on average towing a 9200# load. I have NEVER been able to duplicate the really high numbers some of my friends have with their diesels, although my towing mileage is among the better ones. My engine is not overfueled, runs perfect EGT's and makes lots of power. I run full syn lubs and good tires. I have essentially attributed the mileage to variation in driving habits and variation in motor computer interface differences. When I plot my truck's mileage v. the others in the model class, it is within accepted variation, although sadly, some have higher mileage than I. You may find the same. I will say many were disappointed in Ford's 6.0L initially when the mileage findings were revealed, and your truck does not seem out of line with other trucks in your model year.

John M