shaggy Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 (edited) Just wondering. I was hoping I'd get better than my previous vehicle, but it ain't lookin' good. What mpg do you get a/ around town b/ on the highway. Also, what's your highest comfortable freeway cruising speed? What do you do to help your mpg on trips? The SE's big tires and lower overall gear ratio sure don't help! thanks Shaggy Edited September 19, 2011 by shaggy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5523Pathfinder Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 Gas mileage is a many covered topic. You may want to search and see what you can find. Many factors will effect gas mileage. I, for the most part, drive on the freeway and get on average about 18mpg's. Of course Im lifted and running 33's. Keep your rig in proper tune and you should get better than that. If you think you are going to get mid to high 20's, well, its not going to happen. These rigs are about as aerodynamic as a brick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 These rigs are about as aerodynamic as a brick. +1 it's like driving a garden shed! Mine gets around 18 overall, or at least it did last I checked (that was before fixing the exhaust). My commute is partly city, and mostly highway (50-60), maybe five miles each way, with the overdrive off unless I'm cruising (it drives like a pig otherwise). It also depends on how gas-happy you are. I've never had it over 75, mostly because it's all two lane highway out here, and it wanders enough at that speed to worry me! I do 60 pretty regularly though without issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewebster Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 I seem to get about 15 MPG, but all my driving is in the mountains it seems, or in the city. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reshma Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 (edited) I seem to get about 15 MPG, but all my driving is in the mountains it seems, or in the city. x2 but no mountains for me. mostly highway. id say about 80% highway 80+ on the 50mph zone all the way to school and back. Edited September 19, 2011 by PathfinderIII 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wd21overland Posted September 20, 2011 Share Posted September 20, 2011 Mines about 16mpg city and 19 highway. That's with 32's One important fact to remember is that once you increase your tire size your measuring gas mileage acuratly by the odometer goes out the window. A really fool proof way to check how acurate your odometer is, is to get on the highway and find where the mile markers are and stop right where one starts reset your trip and drive until you get to the next one and compare mileage. Factory i had 235/75R15 tires (29") and now have 265/75R16 tires (32") When i did the odometer check i got .8 miles on the trip for every 1 actual mile so 20% off So when my i check my gas mileage by the odometer i get 14mpg city adding the extra mileage from being 20% off you get 2.8 mpg so actual MPG is 16.8 city Example odometer shows 200 miles acutal adding 20% 240 miles divided by gallons to fill up. Sorry i love numbers lol and i try to help they people that think when they throw 33" tires on you pathy you mpg doesnt really go down my like 4mpg so they feel better lol. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchdiggerjcf Posted September 20, 2011 Share Posted September 20, 2011 Just wondering. I was hoping I'd get better than my previous vehicle, but it ain't lookin' good. What mpg do you get a/ around town b/ on the highway. Also, what's your highest comfortable freeway cruising speed? What do you do to help your mpg on trips? The SE's big tires and lower overall gear ratio sure don't help! thanks Shaggy Mine averages around 18. It has gotten 23 mpg on trips driving on the interstate at around 65 mph. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaggy Posted September 20, 2011 Author Share Posted September 20, 2011 (edited) Thanks for all the replies. I would've done a search but I can't see the search button. Being 'new-to-me' it's still on it's first full tank. Has dropped fast and not all that many miles to show for it. By the looks I'd say only 12+ around town, maybe more if I'm lucky and the gauge is 'off' (21 gallon tank, showing 1/3 left @ 175 miles). I don't think I'm lead-footed, commuting just is what it is. I'll know by the weekend, when it'll need filling again. BTW the tires are standard for SE 31x10.5x15". Yes, it is as aerodynamic as a brick @!*%house. Oh well, my last POS only got 10mpg around town, so I won't complain too much. 8>) Shag Edited September 20, 2011 by shaggy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewebster Posted September 20, 2011 Share Posted September 20, 2011 I have 31" tires on my SE and my odometer is still off by 7%, which just happens to be the ratio of 31/29, where 29 was the other stock tire size. Anyway, you can check using the mileposts or by using a GPS on the odo or speedo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaggy Posted September 20, 2011 Author Share Posted September 20, 2011 (edited) I have 31" tires on my SE and my odometer is still off by 7%, which just happens to be the ratio of 31/29, where 29 was the other stock tire size. Anyway, you can check using the mileposts or by using a GPS on the odo or speedo. So if my odometer is under-reading by 7%, then my speedometer is also off. Good news on both counts - better mpg/better cruising speed than indicated. And a ready excuse next time I get a speeding ticket... well, maybe not. (Funny they wouldn't bother to fix that (odo/speedo drive ratio) for the particular (SE) model.) thanks Shaggy Edited September 20, 2011 by shaggy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaggy Posted September 20, 2011 Author Share Posted September 20, 2011 Can anyone confirm that the odometer/speedometer of the '95 SE does indeed read 'off' with (stock for SE) 31" tires? Where are the mile indicator posts when you need them? ... 8>| Shag Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamzan Posted September 20, 2011 Share Posted September 20, 2011 If your truck came with 31" tires factory it should have the proper gear on the speed sensor, unless someone swapped it out if the sensor failed and didn't put the right one in. There were 4 different gears IIRC 2 for the MT gear ratio and 2 for the AT ratio. Best bet is to use a gps to confirm this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaggy Posted September 20, 2011 Author Share Posted September 20, 2011 If your truck came with 31" tires factory it should have the proper gear on the speed sensor, unless someone swapped it out if the sensor failed and didn't put the right one in. There were 4 different gears IIRC 2 for the MT gear ratio and 2 for the AT ratio. Best bet is to use a gps to confirm this. Yeah that's what I would have thought. So what I see on the odometer Is what I get. No mpg 'bonus' then. (The tires are Nexen brand but I guess pretty much same as 31" stock tire dimensions.) thanks Shag Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wd21overland Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 Yeah that's what I would have thought. So what I see on the odometer Is what I get. No mpg 'bonus' then. (The tires are Nexen brand but I guess pretty much same as 31" stock tire dimensions.) thanks Shag I took the wife's 94 se out to test and her's came with 31's factory and gps shows the speedo is 5% off so yours might be off but best bet is to check with gps or do the mile marker test. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaggy Posted September 21, 2011 Author Share Posted September 21, 2011 I took the wife's 94 se out to test and her's came with 31's factory and gps shows the speedo is 5% off so yours might be off but best bet is to check with gps or do the mile marker test. Thanks. I assume you mean it was under-clocking? I don't want to discover that it's 'out' the other way (i.e. getting worse mpg)! 8>( I was thinking I might take the mileage off google maps for a ~20 mile trip, for a check. I don't have no fancy gps, and mile markers are usually out of town quite a ways. She's getting down to almost 1/4 full and I haven't hit 200 miles yet(!) By my reckoning, that's too damn close to 10.5 - 11.0mpg (what my old gas guzzler got). Shaggy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewebster Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 I was just saying that I have an SE that appears to have the 29" speedo gear. But if you know for sure that your truck came with 31" from the factory then it should be right. But it could just be off for no reason too... I don't really think these things are super accurate. At least my other car is off by more than my truck and it's pure stock... it is just wrong for no reason... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaggy Posted September 21, 2011 Author Share Posted September 21, 2011 I was just saying that I have an SE that appears to have the 29" speedo gear. But if you know for sure that your truck came with 31" from the factory then it should be right. But it could just be off for no reason too... I don't really think these things are super accurate. At least my other car is off by more than my truck and it's pure stock... it is just wrong for no reason... I get that, thanks. You know, when you consider all the variables: tire brand variations even with same nominal size, tread wear, inflation pressure, any slip or loss of traction, vehicle net weight/load per tire, etc. - you're getting only an approximation of true mileage, at best. But still, we can't help it - we like to keep on top of the numbers! Shaggy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdy99 Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 15 mpg city 19 mpg highway 235/75/15 4.36 ratio Although I have since added a K&N and removed the intake tubes that feed the airbox (frustrated while changing the lightbulbs) and i did notice an improvement in milage but havent checked since. I did get 70 kms more to a tank on the highway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaggy Posted September 23, 2011 Author Share Posted September 23, 2011 Will be filling up this morning. Gauge shows just above 'E' with 222 miles on the clock. Praying that 'E' doesn't mean 'totally empty', i.e. that there's still a few gallons left in the tank! Shag Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaggy Posted September 23, 2011 Author Share Posted September 23, 2011 (edited) What a relief! I'm getting 15.6 mpg, i.e. mostly around town (222.7 miles on the clock, 14.27 gallons to top up form just over empty. (So-called 'empty' must be far from it - at 21 gallons full there would have been almost 7 galls left!) So she ain't such a guzzler after all! Now maybe I can afford a trip or two... BTW, I think I can assume my speedo gearing is more or less correct for the tire size (otherwise the mpg would be more to the negative side), but I'll still be checking. thanks for all the feedback! Shag Edited September 23, 2011 by shaggy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wd21overland Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 Will be filling up this morning. Gauge shows just above 'E' with 222 miles on the clock. Praying that 'E' doesn't mean 'totally empty', i.e. that there's still a few gallons left in the tank! Shag When mine is on E i have 2 gallons left and when my gas light comes on i have 1 gallon left. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaggy Posted September 23, 2011 Author Share Posted September 23, 2011 When mine is on E i have 2 gallons left and when my gas light comes on i have 1 gallon left. Thanks - Next time I'll run it down to 'E' exactly, just to see. It was pretty low, though, and I was surprised it didn't take a lot more than 14-15 gallons to top up. Also, my gauge doesn't show completely 'Full' even with several trigger clicks of the filling nozzle. BTW, does your tank hold 21.25 gallons? That's what my owner's handbook specs say. cheers Shaggy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewebster Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 Thanks - Next time I'll run it down to 'E' exactly, just to see. It was pretty low, though, and I was surprised it didn't take a lot more than 14-15 gallons to top up. Also, my gauge doesn't show completely 'Full' even with several trigger clicks of the filling nozzle. BTW, does your tank hold 21.25 gallons? That's what my owner's handbook specs say. cheers Shaggy My gauge doesn't go to full either. Probably a common problem. If I ever have to pull the fuel pump I guess I'll mess around with the gauge parts... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted September 23, 2011 Share Posted September 23, 2011 (edited) Mine doesn't go clear up either, and it fluctuates a bit (sometimes I'll get in and it'll be higher than it was when I parked it). I fueled up yesterday and calculated my milage at 16.3, which isn't much of a surprise as I've been enjoying the skinny pedal more since getting the exhaust fixed. Just for giggles I calculated that it's costing me about a quarter a mile in gas. Edit: Found my last recipt/odo reading, it came out to 21.7 mpg (with less skinny pedal). Edited September 23, 2011 by Slartibartfast Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaggy Posted September 23, 2011 Author Share Posted September 23, 2011 Mine doesn't go clear up either, and it fluctuates a bit (sometimes I'll get in and it'll be higher than it was when I parked it). I fueled up yesterday and calculated my milage at 16.3, which isn't much of a surprise as I've been enjoying the skinny pedal more since getting the exhaust fixed. Just for giggles I calculated that it's costing me about a quarter a mile in gas. Edit: Found my last recipt/odo reading, it came out to 21.7 mpg (with less skinny pedal). The skinny pedal? If you mean ' more throttle', yes that is a danger for me too now that I realise it is not the guzzler I feared! The little V6 obviously likes more revs than I've been giving it. I don't think this will apply to cruising speeds though, which thanks to the low gearing, will have to remain modest (<65mph)! 8>( Bummer! Shag Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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