Dunno a title, new guy?

[davyboy]

As it says I'm a new guy to the forums.
I used to drive a cavalier that got 32mpg, to say the least I was pretty happy with that, couldn't imagine the mpg that some of you guys get. To say the least, that car has bit the dust, and I've now aquired myself somewhat of a gas guzzler...
I've got a 1994 GMC Yukon, getting 12.4mpg city, and only 15.2mpg highway...

Needless to say its not a change I like, and while fumbling around looking for ways to change it up a little, I stumbled across this website.

Frankly I don't think I need to look much further for intellectual advice, probably from someone who may even have the same vehicle as myself.

[MetroMPG]

Welcome to the site, davyboy.

First question (you had to know it's coming): do you need a Yukon?

If not, the best vehicle mod you can make is to look around and find something different that actually gets decent fuel economy!

If you need to drive a big truck, there are lots of changes you can make to your driving style & the vehicle, but the end result is you'll still be going through a lot of fuel.

Personally, I'd would have been leery of getting a thirsty vehicle knowing what's going to happen to fuel prices once the economy claws its way out of recession.

[davyboy]

unfortunately yes I did know that it was coming, and unfortunately due to certain events, its the only vehicle I've got, and with some of the driving I do for work, offroad(farm roads) and with chugging through the upcoming (and currently on the ground) snow, yeah it is somewhat of a necessity...

however come next year, I will be purchasing a car for summers, I have already noticed a major change in my driving habits since I got this vehicle, however I still feel that it would be a lot better to do some mods to increase the mileage, even if just by a few miles per gallon.

[Bicycle Bob]

I've got snow here now too, and I drive on mud and gravel often enough. In 3 years, I've heard about one stretch of road that I would have detoured around for about a week. The original Mini was a stunner in the Mone Carlo Rally, and an old Metro with big studded tires is hard to stop, but easy to push. It carries a lot if you strip out the seats, too.

[MadisonMPG]

What all do you have to do with your car/SUV? That should help you decide on what you need.

[MetroMPG]

Condolences to all of you on the early snow.

It's going to dip below freezing here tonight for the first (maybe second) time this fall.

[Christ]

This is still "heavy over shirt" weather here.. It's been hitting 30's pretty regularly, now.

OP - It's winter... grille block. Aside from the mods that most people consider to be "hideous", it's probably the single best vehicle mod you'll be able to do.

On top of that, air dam, wheel skirts, smooth wheels, thinner tires (which are actually better in snow anyway). It's absolutely not economical to replace things that do not need to be replaced. Since you're in it solely for the fuel economy, you're in dire straits for mods that will be cheap enough to pay themselves off, I assume. In that case, and with your short "window of opportunity" for modding (next spring/summer, right?), you're basically looking at free mods.

If this isn't the case for you, and you don't really care about spending some money, I apologize for assuming.

So, to categorize:
Grille block, full/partial, start small, and test it out. Do what's comfortable.
Wheel skirts. If you're comfortable with the look, do it.
Smooth wheels. You can easily make some caps for them, or buy some pizza pans if you have steelies. Added benefit: if you're down a pizza pan, steal it off your SUV.

You can find foam or something to fill/stuff the gaps in the front end, as well.

Engine Blanket - ask Frank Lee, he's got 'em, and his were "free" (recycled).
Block heater.
Sidewall max tire pressure - Contrary to popular belief, harder tires are better in the snow than underinflated tires. You want a tire that will cut through the snow, not pack it down underfoot.
Thinner tires will provide lower Rolling resistance, and will help with the above point.
Remove the engine's fan, and get an electric one from the Junkyard. You won't find a direct fit electric fan, but you can make just about any one work if you can get creative with zip ties.

Power steering, remove/etc.

Alternator switching - Let it run while you're idling, but not while you're on the throttle. It's a simple circuit, controlled by a microswitch behind the accelerator pedal, and a normally open relay controlled by the microswitch, which cuts the circuit to the field wire.

Replace your engine oil, and front and rear gear lubes with synthetics. Replace your transmission fluid with Dex-VI, the newest (synthetic) fluid available for GM transmissions, applicable for use where any Dexron is specified. Use the lightest oil your engine is happy with. In dead winter conditions, you're probably OK with 0w30 or 0w20 Mobil1, which both consistently outperform most 5w oils.

On top of all this, of course, is driving habits. Change those and you'll see the best gains. I have next to no mods on Cara, and when I get a normal tank in, I get between 27-29MPG just by adjusting my driving. I'm not trying hard, I don't even do alot of the things that some of these guys on here do, I just drive calmly, responsibly, and "drive the road ahead" as often as possible.

[srortega]

Good FE can be accomplished with a big vehicle. If you go to the garage section of the web site and click advanced, you can enter between 5 and 6 for the engine size, 13 and 15 for the compined EPA, and 1 and 100 for the percent over EPA. This will give you a representaion of what can be achieved with a larger SUV/Truck. I would start by reading the description of the cars as well as any notes on the fuel logs. You can learn a lot from there from the people who post their notes for tanks of gas and what they were doing to get thoes results. You will find that many don't enter this info in or don't keep up with the fuel log, but there are some who do.

Hope that helps.

[Mustang Dave]

Originally Posted by Christ

I'm not trying hard, I don't even do a lot of the things that some of these guys on here do, I just drive calmly, responsibly, and "drive the road ahead" as often as possible.

Same here. My pony's tires are inflated to 32 PSI, as recommended by Ford. I don't EOC, DWL, P&G, or draft. Most people (present company excluded ) are amazed by the fuel economy I've managed to squeeze out of a performance car that (according to the EPA) should get between 17 and 25 MPG. I have a friend at work who gets 29 MPG out of his Focus. My last 4 consecutive fill-ups in my Mustang have been in the 31's.
The most powerful tool for better MPG is between your ears.