Smiles per Gallon!

[Cyclicpitcher]

I purchased an 07 RTL/NAV a few weeks ago and my first few gas tanks showed around 12mpg average. I read all the threads about mpg and many saying go easy, keep the rpm low and some saying they started getting better gas milage after the first oil change and or up to 30k miles.


my last tank showed 13 mpg, so I kinda was discouraged but saw it was going up. Well one day while drinking a Red Bull, it hit me. (Red Bulls do that!)If I was designing a motor with a modern CAD program and I had machinists who ran the CNC milling machines telling me that I could build a motor with the tightest tolerances, wouldn't I build them tight as possible, maybe too tight?

So I decided if the motor is very tight in design, then break in could take a long time, all the while I am getting terrible gas mileage. In reading about gas mileage in these threads I discovered more about the shift logic in the transmission and I start to consider how the Truck is shifting. With all this information spinning around in my head, the Red Bull logic kicked in!

To heck with waiting and all the babying of this puppy, I will try and see how bad of mileage I can get! So my plan is to take the next two tank fulls and dog it, lead foot, blow it out. Every start that its a safe run, floor it and let it blow out the engine. I have about 900 miles at this point so I have babyed it enough.
One thing I noticed as I was driving this agressive way is my shift points have improved. I am now one with the pedal. I can control the shifting with my foot and drive it like a stick shift ringing out the power and getting really good speed. I have yet to take a trip but in town driving and pushing it every chance I can get. My wife rides with me the other day and she says, whoa why are you driving so hard? I told her I want to see how bad of mileage I can get. I want to see the worst, because 12 and 13 mpg sux! How bad can it get?

Well today, I went to fill up and check my mileage. 15 MPG!!! So I gagged it and flew off into the sunset once again with a full tank of regular planning on seeing how bad of mileage I can get. smiling all the way!

[CBRidgeJockey]

LOL....just too funny....

[MikeT]

Originally Posted by CBRidgeJockey

LOL....just too funny....

LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[MORidge]

Here's to Red Bull, bottoms up!

[JuiceGoose]

And People wonder why they pulled That Surge cola product off the market.

keep it up though im interested to see what kind of mileage you get.

[jackping]

I am getting similar results, the mileage seems to steadily get better. My last tank was almost 100% city, no highway driving and I got just under 15. I just passed 1000 miles, the first two tanks were around 13.5.

[xridgelinex]

I don’t get it... There seems to be a few RL's that are getting such poor gas mileage... I have found at this point that I can make the RL get 17's mpg going to work if I am really vigilant with acceleration points or just not pay attention and knock it down to 15's...

Cyclicpitcher, Take a really long HW trip for 45min to an hour, set your cruse for 70 and see what type of mileage you get. If you don't get at least 19's there has got to be something really wrong.

My first 3 tanks where high 19's...

[Cyclicpitcher]

Last night I thought I would go and air the tires to 35 pounds to add some mileage if possible that way. What I found was the dealer had already set the air pressure on each tire to 35, so I am already set up on that idea.

This weekend I will take a trip up to the missouri boothill, there is a big RV dealer in that area and it will be a nice Saturday to get out and dream. Hopefully its not raining. I am still pushing the truck hard and will continue to keep the rpm up as much as possible.

[xridgelinex]

Cyclicpitcher... Did you do a "cold" tire pressure check.... If you want 35 psi it has to be at 35 after sitting for at least 12 hours. Check it early morning before even driving... Tires will increase 4-6psi after a good drive.

[Divotfixer]

Originally Posted by MORidge

Here's to Red Bull, bottoms up!

Drink enough of that stuff and who cares about MPG. You can just run along side the truck...