Rarley goes to V4

[Andy4639]

dcovell

ANDY was the active fuel management on anytime during that trip?

The only time I saw it come on is down hill's and coasting and on flat ground with a steady foot. It didn't stay on for long when it did come on. :giggling: :giggling:

 

[IMMensaMind]

I think there needs to be a grass-roots movement starting which does away with ethanol-based fuels. Not only are they not cheaper, they're far less efficient than GOG (Good 'Ol Gas!). I hate the stuff - and the market for crops hasn't adjusted enough to stop feed prices (and just about everything else based upon corn) from going through the roof in price.

It's ridiculous when Dudley-Do-Rights mess with our economy.

 

[dcovell]

Ethanol is a good "alternative" to break our reliance on foreign oil, but it needs to make economic sense and needs to not take more energy to create it than refining oil. It is a step towards energy independence and really what I want to see is hydrogen fuel cells be mass produced.

The problem they are having right now is storing the hydrogen, it must be kept very cold in a liquid state to store enough of it to go more than 100 miles. The problem is that the tanks would have to be super insulated. The other BIG problem is the infrastructure (lack of) for hydrogen. If all the other technology was in place then we would have to wait on the pumps to fill our cars. Or we could just make our own with a few solar panels and a system to break down water in the H2 and O2.

 

[LAP TOP GAMER]

Ethanol is a good idea as I am all for cutting our dependence on Saudi oil,how ever this technology is in it's infancy and could be several years before it become a viable fuel source.

 

[73shark]

Nuke is the answer. :thumbsup: atriot:

 

[LAP TOP GAMER]

Nuke is the answer. :thumbsup: atriot:

Yeah right, I could see it now GM sued by Tahoe and Suburban owners for cancer causing radiation, but the mileage is awesome!, a million miles between fill ups!:smilielol:

 

[73shark]

I was referring to power plants, not vehicles. Everyone knows you need a flux capacitor to really get good mileage. :smilielol: :smilielol: :smilielol:

Nobody in the nuke Navy gets radiated.

 

[GMdealer]

First off, ethanol price will soon go down when we get more need for the fuel.
As far as AFM goes, i am certian that your vehicle is fine. With only 600 miles on it it will still need to be broken in before the benifits of AFM are seen. But your not going to see phenominal fuel ratings when you are looking at tahoes.

 

[kpanza]

Yeah, I think people are hearing AFM and waiting for some miracle to happen? The parameters for the AFM to engage are pretty strict, so you should not expect to see it running on 4 cylinders all that often. When the engine loads are low enough, it will go into AFM...but how many times are you really under 15% throttle input in something this large? And anyone that has owned any vehicle before knows that the window sticker EPA ratings are always inflated (supposed to come down for 2008s with the new testing procedures, so they should be more accurate finally)...so expecting 20+ mpg from your Tahoe is very unrealistic. Let's face it, all fullsize suvs are thirsty! My friend's Nissan Armada gets 11-12 mpg! And another friend's Sequoia gets about the same!

As for the AFM, I see it pretty consistently when cruising on a perfectly flat stretch of highway, doing anything from 50-70 mph or so...but I have to consciously lighten my pressure on the pedal and watch the DIC to keep it in 4 cyl mode. Even a slight addition of throttle, or a slight incline causes it to revert to 8 cyl mode...Remember, the AFM is just there to assist - this isn't some hybrid running on 4 cylinders all day! I just think everyone is expecting way too much out of a full size SUV...yes, Chevy advertises the increased fuel mileage, and yes, in tests, it IS the fuel mileage leader among its class...but it didn't magically overnight turn into some fuel sipping econobox! :thumbsup:

 

[outrage231]

I appreciate all the feedback but I guess my concern has confused some. I see a lot of comments about not expecting good gas mileage on a "Tahoe." I obviously did not purchase the vehicle because of the MPG. I have owned a Hummer and a Navigator. My concern was that the sticker on the car states 16/21. I am not getting any where near those numbers. It’s like buying one of those Seen on TV products :crazy: . My old hummer and Navigator did pretty much to what was stated. Anyways to get back on track, I just wanted to make sure that nothing was wrong with the computer.

 

[Andy4639]

Computer

I took mine in a couple of weeks ago and they have a bulltin out for the gas computer in it. Now it's pretty much on the money. Before it would read way low even when I figured it myself it was lower.
They also reset the timer on cutting all the acessaries off after cutting the car off to 20 minutes.

 

[kpanza]

Well, I guess anything's possible, I haven't actually computed the mpg using good old math...I'll have to check next time I fill up.

Well, I've never had a vehicle that came close to the advertised EPA numbers, so maybe I'm just used to ignoring them and knowing my actual mileage will be worse. But this talk of people's computers being off is interesting to me, because I have totally babied the truck for the first 1500 miles, and my mileage is still not great (for how easy I drive it). Consistently getting 15-ish, but stop and go traffic hurts. I'll be doing some math next time I fill up I guess... :thumbsup:

The one thing I do know, is that most GMs show gas gauge as Empty or near empty WAY before it actually is...so that could have some effect on the computer maybe? Not sure, just grasping now...

 

[Andy4639]

Gas Gauge

When they fixed the computer it helped the gas gauge showing empty too! I knew there was another thing they did that day. Couldn't remember it though...Thanks.

 

[IMMensaMind]

First off, ethanol price will soon go down when we get more need for the fuel.
As far as AFM goes, i am certian that your vehicle is fine. With only 600 miles on it it will still need to be broken in before the benifits of AFM are seen. But your not going to see phenominal fuel ratings when you are looking at tahoes.

Demand raises prices, not lowers them. Supply lowers prices.

We sit on some of the largest deposits of oil on this earth, and we're hamstrung from going to get them. Oil Shale in Colorado, oil in ANWR, and the Gulf would supply us totally independently of the ME if libs would simply get out of the way.

 

[IMMensaMind]

I appreciate all the feedback but I guess my concern has confused some. I see a lot of comments about not expecting good gas mileage on a "Tahoe." I obviously did not purchase the vehicle because of the MPG. I have owned a Hummer and a Navigator. My concern was that the sticker on the car states 16/21. I am not getting any where near those numbers. It’s like buying one of those Seen on TV products :crazy: . My old hummer and Navigator did pretty much to what was stated. Anyways to get back on track, I just wanted to make sure that nothing was wrong with the computer.

I think what some are saying in response to this is that with the new technology of AFM, the engine itself has to be running in a lower friction state, which isn't possible when new, and tight. You'll likely see more AFM kicking in once the engine rids itself of the internal friction that newness causes, and feels like trailer pulling.

 

[73shark]

As for the AFM, I see it pretty consistently when cruising on a perfectly flat stretch of highway, doing anything from 50-70 mph or so...but I have to consciously lighten my pressure on the pedal and watch the DIC to keep it in 4 cyl mode. Even a slight addition of throttle, or a slight incline causes it to revert to 8 cyl mode...Remember, the AFM is just there to assist - this isn't some hybrid running on 4 cylinders all day! :thumbsup:

Do you have the 4:10 axle ratio?

 

[73shark]

Demand raises prices, not lowers them. Supply lowers prices.

We sit on some of the largest deposits of oil on this earth, and we're hamstrung from going to get them. Oil Shale in Colorado, oil in ANWR, and the Gulf would supply us totally independently of the ME if libs would simply get out of the way.

Most of imported oil comes from Canada, Mexico, and Venezuela.

 

[IMMensaMind]

Most of imported oil comes from Canada, Mexico, and Venezuela.

We get about 20% of our oil from the Middle East - but ME instability ruins the oil market, and affects our prices badly, even if we didn't buy a barrel from the ME. That's why we need utter independence.

 

[kpanza]

No, I have the 3.73s...and last night when I filled up, I did some math, and dividing the trip mileage by the gallons pumped in, my average mpg was about spot on with the computer...within a couple tenths. Different pumps can shut off earlier/later in filler neck, so I'd say it was well within any margin or error. I was at 15.2 mpg...I'm at 1500 miles on motor, and I drive the 405 freeway 15 miles to work, lots of stop and go...when I do get to cruise, I go light on the throttle. (Total opposite of my last vehicle, a GTO, which I drove like a raging maniac! ha,ha) :yesnod:

 

[dcovell]

The 405, are you in Los Angeles? That is one of the worst freeways in the world. Your lucky to get that good of gas mileage.