Modding an 06 GMC Canyon

[Big Dave]

Outstanding work on the topper, JR.

The four-piece design is very DIY-able.

[06colorado]

Originally Posted by d3vi1d06

also, have you considered the torque converter lockup mod?
or the Corvette syncro mod, or any transmission mod?
overall i can see maybe a 20+% increase in mpgs. 10% in just the torque converter mod alone.
research has revealed that you would need a seperate tranny fluid cooler, and remote Filter for the torque converter lockup mod. this is due to the increased heat.

i recommend going to coloradofans.com they have lots of technical info on our trucks.

what is the torque converter lockup mod?
and it is corevette servos. they basically up the line pressure and hold the gears better. they are a nice addition.
also, a tranny cooler...ours is built into the lower radiator. many guys like me who tow with a colorado add one like b&m and get about 10-20*cooler temps.

also, ditch coloradofans and go with 355nation.net. the info is more up to date and more reliable members to help out with any problems concerning this specific vehicle.

sorry, just rambling.

[06colorado]

Originally Posted by JRMichler

I added some construction photos of the topper to my profile.

I did a short speed run last summer at 65 MPH. Mileage dropped from 32-33 MPG to 28-29 MPG. That was the end of that test.

Finally have the summer 2011 average gas mileage with the aero topper - 34.87 MPG. That's for a total of 3771.0 miles and 108.16 gallons of gas.

Overall summary of improvements to date:

Baseline - driving "normal" - before winter 2007:
Winter: 21 MPG
Summer: 27 MPG

Dec 07 thru Summer 08 - DWL, new tires, 47 PSI
Winter: 23.24 MPG
Summer: 29.70 MPG

Dec 08 thru Summer 09 - kill switch
Winter: 24.68 MPG
Summer: 32.14 MPG

Dec 09 thru Summer 10 - Grille block
Winter: 26.78 MPG
Summer: 33.80 MPG

Dec 10 thru Summer 11 - Aero topper replaced Leer topper
Winter: 28.11 MPG
Summer: 34.87 MPG

Summer mileage is for 3 months in summer, winter mileage is for December through February.

that is some impressive mpgs there.

what is your driving, more highway and less city? lots of flat tops and not much hills?
i've got the 2.8auto, but only average about 24hwy. best was 27.xx w/ 600 lb atv in the bed, but less hills than my normal highway driving in central texas.

[d3vi1d06]

Originally Posted by 06colorado

what is the torque converter lockup mod?
and it is corevette servos. they basically up the line pressure and hold the gears better. they are a nice addition.
also, a tranny cooler...ours is built into the lower radiator. many guys like me who tow with a colorado add one like b&m and get about 10-20*cooler temps.

also, ditch coloradofans and go with 355nation.net. the info is more up to date and more reliable members to help out with any problems concerning this specific vehicle.

sorry, just rambling.

no need to appologize. im new to the colorado. i just bought it last friday. so im learning...

oh and the torque converter lockup mod is for auto's
it basically trips the circuit for the torque converter, causing it to lock. this results in better mpg's due to less slippage, as the gear slushes up or down. coupled with the servo's, and a "manumatic" shifter, its very promising...

[d3vi1d06]

http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...tch-10028.html

Torque Converter Lockup - EcoModder

[06colorado]

good luck with the tc lockup. i've not seen it done on one of these yet.



oh, and jd, that topper sure is nice, i though it was fiberglass from a major manufacturer. nice craftsmanship on it.

[JRMichler]

Score one for the hinged lid. I jammed in nine straw bales yesterday and tied the lid down on top. Sixty miles later into a strong headwind, the Scangauge showed 28.3 MPG. With the lid in its normal closed position, I would have expected over 30 MPG at that temperature and with that headwind.

The trip back was much better - 40.9 MPG.

[JRMichler]

And now the average MPG for Dec 2011 thru Feb 2012 - 30.08 MPG over a total of 2347.2 miles and 79.59 gallons. No new mods since last winter because I got sidetracked getting a new house built.

I averaged 28.11 MPG the previous winter. The improvement is not from new mods, not from improved driving habits, and not from better routes. This winter was much warmer than last winter, plus I had more tailwinds and fewer headwinds than before.

All in all, a good reminder of the weakness in A-B testing.

[JRMichler]

UPDATE: Summer mileage for 2012 is 37.09 MPG. That's 3570.9 miles and 96.27 gallons.

That's quite a bit better than the 34.87 MPG that I got last summer. I made no mods to improve mileage. I give credit for the increased MPG to the following:

Warmer weather.
I did a better job of monitoring tire pressure.
Tire pressure 50 to 52 PSI vs 47 PSI (and down to 40 once) last summer.
Tires worn more. They will be replaced before winter.
Fewer headwinds and more tailwinds than last summer.
Better use of DWL and EOC.

I'm thinking that, with an air dam, belly pan, flush wheel covers, alternator delete, and power steering delete I could get the summer average to 40 MPG.

[JRMichler]

Since this is my 06 Canyon modding thread, I thought I would add some links to related threads.

Total electrical power draw with an estimate of MPG improvement by changing to all LED lights: http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...raw-18678.html

Rolling friction plus aerodynamic drag from a coastdown test: http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...yon-20405.html

Effect of different gears on MPG driving up hill: http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...ear-23957.html

And the fog light covers: http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...yon-17237.html