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Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra Real World MPG Numbers

116 messages,  Last post on Aug 23, 2009 at 6:14 PM

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What is this discussion about? Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, Chevrolet Silverado 3500, GMC Sierra 1500, GMC Sierra 2500, GMC Sierra 3500, Fuel Efficiency (MPG), Truck

#1 of 116 Better Mileage! by duane2 Mar 11, 2005 (9:10 pm)
Does anyone have any advice on how I can get better gas mileage without sacrificing power? Thanks!! Replies to this message: eng_buddyh (Jan 04, 2007 12:05 pm) brix92 (Feb 03, 2007 12:24 pm) coontie57 (Feb 03, 2007 2:57 pm) and 2 more... motohead77 (Mar 26, 2007 10:50 am) eaubes (Mar 26, 2007 3:14 pm)
#2 of 116 Light Truck Power Package by shine Mar 14, 2005 (4:21 pm)
Does this option help with MPG I would like to get about 15 witha 4x4. I currently own a Dodge 2500 and am getting about 10 Replies to this message: bristol123 (Mar 15, 2005 1:45 pm) lostwrench (Mar 15, 2005 5:57 pm) xwesx (Mar 15, 2005 6:21 pm) bounce (Apr 08, 2005 4:52 pm) coontie57 (Sep 28, 2006 6:48 am) coontie57 (Mar 27, 2007 6:34 pm)
#3 of 116 ..not sure what you need to haul.... by ezshift5 Mar 15, 2005 (8:17 am)
...but how about a diesel pickup wut has 55 MPG capability? Replies to this message: buttster (Apr 15, 2006 6:04 am)
#4 of 116 Re: Light Truck Power Package [shine] by bristol123 Mar 15, 2005 (1:45 pm)
Replying to: shine (Mar 14, 2005 4:21 pm) With the 5.3 L engine, you should get 15 - 18 mpg during the summer and 13 - 15 mpg during the winter in a Northern climate. Of course, highway driving, towing, ect. will all impact mpg up or down. In general the GM's are more fuel efficient engines than the Dodges. The 6.0 L engine on a 2500 would put you down on a 10 -12 mpg ballpark. Replies to this message: lostwrench (Mar 15, 2005 5:57 pm) xwesx (Mar 15, 2005 6:21 pm) bounce (Apr 08, 2005 4:52 pm)
#5 of 116 Re: Light Truck Power Package [bristol123] by lostwrench Mar 15, 2005 (5:57 pm)
Replying to: bristol123 (Mar 15, 2005 1:45 pm) During the winter,if only we could heat the grease in the wheel bearings and universal joints, and heat the 80-90w oil in the differential, we would not have such a seasonal lowering of miles per gallon. Replies to this message: xwesx (Mar 15, 2005 6:21 pm) bounce (Apr 08, 2005 4:52 pm)
#6 of 116 Re: Light Truck Power Package [lostwrench] by xwesx Mar 15, 2005 (6:21 pm)
Replying to: lostwrench (Mar 15, 2005 5:57 pm) Why not use lighter grease/oil? I use 75W-90 in the diffys and they stay pretty smooth even at -41.
#7 of 116 Observed Mileage by jland Apr 03, 2005 (6:39 pm)
At 80,000 miles on a 1500 extended cab 4x4 with 5.3 the average mpg has been 13.5. Adding a poweraid at 50k and new plugs not too long ago didn't make any noticeable difference in mpg.
#8 of 116 Re: Light Truck Power Package [lostwrench] by bounce Apr 08, 2005 (4:52 pm)
Replying to: lostwrench (Mar 15, 2005 5:57 pm) The viscosity in the lubes the Chevys use isn't really the issue, at least not in most of New England, it's simply the gasoline. Unfortunately the "winter mix" formula is different for emissions reasons (more oxygen content etc) and the engines simply don't like it. Most vehicles react to the fuel, but w/ our heavier trucks the results are more pronounced.
#9 of 116 99 Silverado 4X2 mileage by mtbiker1 Apr 16, 2005 (9:10 pm)
This past fall we turned in a leased 99 Silverado extended cab/short bed 2WD with 5.3/auto power train, with 50K-plus on the clock. Put a canopy on it at about 1000miles. Around town we got 15-16 mpg most of the time, tho' toward the end of lease seemed to be getting 17 a lot, even including lots of trips to Home Depot. Interstate road trips were 18-19, once nudging 20. Didn't matter what brand of gas we used; the thing ran fine on ARCO 87. My bro-in-law has essentially the same truck but 4WD from 2001 and gets 20 on the highway.
#10 of 116 Experimenting by jerrywimer May 18, 2005 (3:44 am)
2004 Silverado Z71 EC SB 5.3l 3.73, ~10,500mi. on the odo so far.   I've been experimenting with different grades of gas lately. I'd been using Sam's Club 87 octane (they only offer 87 and 93 at my local Sam's) since I bought the truck back in early October last year. My lowest mileage was mid-13's on the first tank- the dealership filled it then let it idle for a few hours while we completed sales paperwork to recharge the dead battery. Otherwise my real lowest has been mid-16's and my best so far has been around 19.6. During the winter I ranged mainly between mid-17 to mid-18's.   My father also has a 2004 truck, similar to mine (same drivetrain, 16" wheels instead of the 17's I have, slightly different option packages, same drivetrain / body / gearing though) and has sounded frustrated that his truck isn't getting the same mileage mine is. He swears by 93 octane name-brand gas. Which is where my experimenting comes in..   I put a Fold-a-cover tonneau cover on it just over a month ago, about the same time I decided to start the experiment. I fueled up the first tank after the cover with 93, and ran a total of 3 tanks of it. I then switched back to 87 (since I can't compare pre-tonneau 87 with post-tonneau 93 and call it apples to apples). I'm on the third tank of 87 so far. My lowest average for a tank using the 93 was in the low 18's, and my highest was around 19.5. So far the 87 has been consistently in the low 19's (so no real meaningful difference at this point).   Once I finish this tank I'm going to repeat the experiment using 6 tanks from the local Shell station. Shell is one of several brands actually recommended for GM vehicles in a TSB that I've seen recently due to the cleaning agents they add, so there might be more to dad's name brand kick than mileage..   For the record- I do watch the DIC for general comparison's sake as I'm driving, but my actual mileage is manually calculated at the pumps. I record the total mileage, trip (then reset), and gallons of gas to fill up, then calculate the mpg from those numbers. I also try as much as possible to use the same pump. My driving route is mainly home-work-home, ~30 miles each way, 80-85% 65 mph highway, 15-20% rural (2 stoplights, speeds ranging from 30 - 55 mph). For the highway portion I use cruise control to keep speeds as consistent as possible. So hopefully my experiment is controlled well enough that my numbers are relatively reliable.   BTW, kudos to Chevy for building a 5000+lb 4x4 vehicle that can get almost 20mpg (maybe I'll get lucky and actually break 20 at some point! )

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