Chips, power, and fuel mileage

[Doc]

With diesel selling at close the the price of gold I'd like to find some way to increase my fuel mileage. Wouldn't everyone? Anyway, I was talking with a Bully Dog chip sales guy the other day. He told me F350s get an extra 4 or 5 mpg after they install the Bully Dog Pup programmer on their truck. I always worry when I hear things like this, so I gotta ask.

Is this a bunch of Bully BS, or can you get really this kind of increase just by programing? Are there any other chips have you folks had success with? If you can get a 4-5 mpg increase then it would pay for itself in just a few months.

My fuel bill is skyrocketing, just like everyone's. I gotta do something or I'm gonna be forced to park the truck and ride my horse. Hmm, maybe that's not such a bad idea.

 

[Mike]

He told me F350s get an extra 4 or 5 mpg after they install the Bully Dog Pup programmer on their truck.

Is this a bunch of Bully BS.

Did he also mention his ocean front property that he has for sale in Nebraska?

 

[jacksy3]

I bought the Flashpaq and put it in tow performance and my gas mileage increased from 13.2 MPG to 14.6 MPG. I do mostly city driving. I clocked it on highway and went from 15.5 MPG to 18 MPG. I also put it in performance mode and boy was it nice! Gas mileage didn't improve tho
Thinking of also putting an AFE filter in or the S&B to see if it helps.

2006 F250 SD CC Lariat 4"lift with 35x12.5x20 Toyo MT

 

[tgatch]

Ok.... tuner/chip = $400

Current Mileage is say 13.2 like jacksy's. That means you use 37.8 gallons to go 500 miles. 37.8 * $4 = $151.20

After programmer you get, let's say 16.2. That means you use 30.9 gallons to go 500 mils. 30.9 * $4 = $123.60.

That means you save $27.60 per 500 miles. that means you have to drive about 7250 miles before you break even on the initial $400 investment.

The best thing you can do for mileage is change driving habits:

1. Drive like there is an egg between your foot and the pedal.
2. Don't race up to a red light. Slow down it may change before you get there. Acclerating from a dead stop is a mileage killer.
3. Run around on the freeway at no more than 65 mph. run in the slow lane if you have to.
4. Use your accelerator to control your speed on the freeway, not your brake pedal. I can't tell you how many people I see that will go zipping by me on th freeway only to hit their brakes to slow down, then speed up again.
5. Make sure you tires are up on air
6. Make sure your air cleaner is clean
7. Make sure to change your fuel filters often

Or you can do what I did and park the truck until you absolutlely need it. Buy an inexpensive car that gets good mileage. I bought a Mercedes diesel for $1500. Hunt around, you can find little VW, Mercedes, BMW, or other diesels for pretty inexpensive on craigslist.

 

[tonkadoctor]

I am testing a Bully Dog triple dog tuner this week. Currently I'm 1070 miles into a 1773 mile trip pulling a 30' 2009 model Gulf Steam Canyon Trail mid profile luxury fifth wheel with a shipping weight of 9300 lbs.

I just filled up about 1 hr ago.

Had 1009.0 miles on this tank of #2 diesel, running with the cruise control on 57 mph (yes this was very boring), and put in 106.505 gallons giving me a 9.47 mpg average running their tow economy tune. I did idle the truck last night for 7 or 8 hrs...... went to take a couple hr nap and woke up 7 hrs later... oops guess the body needed more rest than I thought it did. I prolly would have had a solid 10 mpg if I didn't sleep so long.

While that isn't impressive milage it's a little better than I have done with much smaller and lighter trailers that I usually grab. What I do notice is the truck downshifts much less on smaller hills.

Will know more when I run back empty next week and check milage in all 3 tunes empty.

For me if I can get just a 1 mpg increase for the whole trip I'd save over $100 per 3500 mile turn. At $3.80 per gallon (which I havn't seen in a few days now) and a 1 mpg increase it will take 19,250 miles to pay for itself.

Will try to post more as I know more by the middle of next week.

 

[tgatch]

If you drive and tow a lot it's worth it. That's why I laid out the $$$ figures on how long it would take to earn back the $400 or so. If you put 7,000 miles on in just a couple months, then go for it.

In my case, buying a chip for fuel mileage wasn't going to make sense. I bought it for the fun factor.

 

[Mike]

In my case, buying a chip for fuel mileage wasn't going to make sense. I bought it for the fun factor.

Badda boom badda bing! I think most of us convince ourselves (or our spouses ) that the addition of a chip is for fuel efficiency and economy but the real answer lies above.

 

[92F350CC]

Are you running a tune, Stroker?

 

[Mike]

Are you running a tune, Stroker?

Yes

 

[JLDickmon]

Badda boom badda bing! I think most of us convince ourselves (or our spouses ) that the addition of a chip is for fuel efficiency and economy but the real answer lies above.

that's always been my thing.

With an engine throttled by the amount if FUEL you run through it, you can't tell me that ADDING FUEL to it will increase it's FUEL ECONOMY.

the terrain has a lot to do with your fuel economy also..
If I'm running around here, we have prairie, giving way to 3 river valleys, and the farther west you get, you have the ancient shores of Lake Michigan, with two distinct steps/dune lines/basins whatever you want to call them. So you're always uphill/downhill/uphill/downhill... and we wonder how guys in the plains can get 18 mpg out of the same set-ups we're running when we're lucky to get 15 at best...

I made a cruise from here to the Cleveland area last week, my truck got mid 16's (hand calculated), heck, if it would do that all the time, instead of the mid 12's, I wouldn't be looking for another Beetle...

 

[tgatch]

Bear... Not all of it is extra fuel....

Just advancing the timing slightly will increase power AND economy. A lot of tunes do just that on the lower end until you right foot calls for more fuel.

So if you can behave yourself and not play with all that power you can actually gain some mileage.

 

[tonkadoctor]

UPDATE.....

Running empty with the Bully Dog performance tune about 700 miles at 65 - 75 mph down mostly 2 lane roads across Montana into ND I averaged 17.6 mpg which is a new record for my truck. Would only get 15 mpg with cruise set on 72 - 75 down the interstate on flat land before.

Have over 1000 miles on this tank running empty with same performance tune at 62 - 63 mph down mostly interstate from MT/ND state line to Goshen, IN and will top off in the morning and figure my MPG. Will update this when I get a chance.

 

[tgatch]

UPDATE.....

Running empty with the Bully Dog performance tune about 700 miles at 65 - 75 mph down mostly 2 lane roads across Montana into ND I averaged 17.6 mpg which is a new record for my truck. Would only get 15 mpg with cruise set on 72 - 75 down the interstate on flat land before.

Have over 1000 miles on this tank running empty with same performance tune at 62 - 63 mph down mostly interstate from MT/ND state line to Goshen, IN and will top off in the morning and figure my MPG. Will update this when I get a chance.

This is an example of what I was saying... at cruising you are generally only seeing a timing advance, not extra fuel.

Extra fuel only comes when the go pedal is pushed to ask for it.

 

[tonkadoctor]

This is an example of what I was saying... at cruising you are generally only seeing a timing advance, not extra fuel.

Extra fuel only comes when the go pedal is pushed to ask for it.

I know what you are saying but explain this.......

Last leg of trip from Shelby, MT to Goshen, IN, Same performance tune, nothing changed. 1030.4 miles.... 99% Interstate, drove as conservativly as I could.. taking off slow etc... 62- 63 mph the whole way on #2 winterized diesel... NOT BLENDED.

66.026 Gallons, $257.44

15.6 MPG ... *** happened.

I'm so pissed I could light this truck on fire and walk away with no remorse!!!!!!!!!

Whole trip start to finish.... 1/2 pulling a 30' fifth wheel and 1/2 empty coming back.

3415 Miles
250.387 Gallons of fuel
$994.70 for fuel

13.64 MPG avg

Looking at several different Dodges this week while I'm home. Each will be test driven 150 - 200 miles to check fuel economy before I buy. Truck has vey been dependable but that only goes so far when I'm handing my dinner money to BIG OIL!!!!!!!!!! Something's gotta change.

Sorry Ford, after 22 years and 6 good trucks I gotta look elsewhere and it ain't gonna be a 6.4 after personally talking to several very unhappy owners.

 

[tgatch]

Head winds? Hills? I can tell you that running empty with my truck on a long haul will get me in the high 19's and low 20's depending on speed.

I was averaging 15.8 when the truck was my daily and that was probably 60% city and 40% highway miles.