OK, with gas now approaching $4 per gallon, I've been surfing around for ways to get better fuel economy. I've read thru a bunch of threads and see where people are avg between 14 and 24 mpg - thats a big spread. I read the article on the web about "Hyper miling" - and for sure i could never do the things those people are doing to get 50+mpg - no way I'm shutting off my a/c when its hot - no way I'm shutting my engine off and coasting on the interstate.

So, here's a few things I've done that is working for me:
No hard accelerations and I tap the brake to disengage the cruise and coast when I see a light ahead change to red - basically I try to time it where I will not be stopped any more than necessary. My tires are 50psi max, I run them at 45 psi. I run the speed limit - and I mean I stick to it! It adds a few minutes (and only a few) to my travels and is actually less stressful. The extra 5-10 minutes is worth it compared to filling up the tank. My father told me that most vehicles are geared and tuned by the manufacturer to get their best fuel economy at 54.8 mph? as 55mph is the national speed standard and is what they base their EPA mpg on.

And here is the end result: 24 mpg highway 18 city. I can't believe it, but 3 straight tanks and the math keeps coming out in that ball park. 96 blazer 179,000 miles all stock except for the 30x9.5 tires. I find that pretty good for a 4x4.

My next quest will be to find a real time fuel consumption guage. I know a few makes/models have them already and I see where some manufacturers will be installing them in all of their vehicles in the future. I can only imagine that seeing it real time would persuade me to change my driving habits even more - especially when we get to $5 per gallon.

Has anyone seen or heard of aftermarket fuel consumption display for GM yet?

 

As you have noticed, changing your driving habits can have a large affect on your observed mileage. If you complain about the price of fuel, yet are always in a hurry to get someplace, you really don't have much to complain about.

About the fuel consumption display, what are you looking for? An instantaneous miles per gallon? Or something different?

 

Here's a quote from the article i read:

Real time mpg would be awesome, but I'd settle for anything that would give me feedback. In the boating world, they sell guages that display gallons per hour - heck, if they made them for cars that would at least give me some indication. Today, my dad told me they have them installed in big trucks that work off of the vacuum - but still can't find anywhere.

 

I remember some full size cars in 70s have fuel economy guages work with the manifold vacuum ( I used that as a tuning device till I buy my first vacum guage). As a satrting point you van have one from a junkyard. ( It shows only economy / power , not the realtime value in numbers)

Ialso wondering i there is a chance to adopt newer years digital meters to our trucks. Before my Blazer, i used to have Grand Cherokee and fuel consumption meter was great help BTW gas it 10$ a galon here

 

CNN ran a special and actually showed the device - here is the link if anyone interested....$169... better help save a lot of fuel at that price.

http://www.scangauge.com/

 

Don't know how this would help save fuel... It uses the same information that a deluxe trip computer uses to calculate MPG, both average and instantaneous... I guess if you do not have the overhead console with the trip computer in it, then this may be an option, but I have to believe it would be cheaper in the long run to just install an upgraded overhead console.

Now, if you were talking about the aeroforce scan gauge, I'd get that, but sadly, it only has the trip information readout for MAF equiped vehicles (My Rainier doesn't have a MAF sensor). Looks much better than the scan gauge 2 linked to above.

 

yeah, i am a speed driver. when gas was down in the very low 3's, i would speed everywhere. but now it's in the 4's so i just take my time...and my tank lasts longer!

 

Now why didn't i think of that? I'll be in the salvage yard tomorrow!

 

Glad to help! LOL

 

I tend to get 19-21mpg in my '97 4x4 4-door. This is according to the roof computer, I confirmed it when I filled up. After a long highway trip, 20MPG at the pump, combo mileage (110 Highway/45 City miles)I got 18.5 MPG. I'm happy with those numbers.

There is really no difference between 55 and 70 MPH. Maybe 1 MPG, but the A/C causes more of an impact than the speed for me. If I'min town, with the cruise control set at 45, the computer shows 19-21 Mpg.On the highway at 70, 18-20 Mpg. If I turn the A/C off, It may go as high as 23 Mpg. I drive 50 miles round tripto work every day, I tend to watch the mileage on the highway. I'll take the extra 11.5 minutes over an extra MPG.