mileage difference

[bikerfuzz]

Ok ! SO may be Bill, can help me/us out on this one? Or any body else? I cleaned everything up fresh gas and all and ran the 87 performance tune . Got about 12.5 mpg's in city a nit of a flat spot before and after and not as great throttle .
With the 87 tow I got 13.5 mpg's and a little better all around. Ran a bit hotter but "snappier" .
Could it be a problem with the program? And yes I set it back to stock each time first.

[Jackpine]

Everyone who is getting "strange" gas mileage results. First, you MUST make sure your Tire Size (TS) and Gear Ratio (GR) settings are correct for the tune you are talking about. If you have not checked the PROGRAMMER DISPLAYED speed or the DASHBOARD ODOMETER READING against some known "standard", you are using figures that are totally meaningless!

IF, you have verified that the Gryphon speed and/or the dashboard odometer reading is correct, then you need to hand calculate a gas mileage figure over 3-4 tank fill ups. I'm sorry, this is the only way to cancel out the effects of winds, climbing/descending terrain, driving environment, differences in filling the tank, etc. One tank full will not do it! I have varied between 17.X and 13.X in different fill ups. My overall average, when not towing, on the highway, is 15.X. Notice those qualifications - in town, towing, it's going to be less.

And, you cannot compare a "meaningless" figure against "stock". The stock tune is a "meaningful" setting. If the tune sees a wrong figure for your TS or GR, then the "tune's" results will be totally out in left field.

And remember, if you have the TS and the GR correct, the dashboard speedo will read about 3% fast. If the dashboard speedo is reading your ACTUAL speed, your odometer is reading about 3% low, which would give you low gas mileage results!

- Jack

[bikerfuzz]

I did all that stuff. It wasnt one tank of gas. It was goin on for a while. about the last three months. Its not that I just filled up and went wow the mileage changed! I haven't changed any settings, and my tire pressure is correct and my habits are the same. Thats why i watched it over a period of time. Why I said average m.p.g.'s .It was noticed after using the 87 custom tune for a while. A difference in how it performed. AND THE M.P.G i n 87 mode and then the change to 87 tow.There were no real variables. The only thing I did was change the program.
Thats why I asked the question. Can it be the program?

[Jackpine]

Originally Posted by bikerfuzz

I did all that stuff. It wasnt one tank of gas. It was goin on for a while. about the last three months. Its not that I just filled up and went wow the mileage changed! I haven't changed any settings, and my tire pressure is correct and my habits are the same. Thats why i watched it over a period of time. Why I said average m.p.g.'s .It was noticed after using the 87 custom tune for a while. A difference in how it performed. AND THE M.P.G i n 87 mode and then the change to 87 tow.There were no real variables. The only thing I did was change the program.
Thats why I asked the question. Can it be the program?

OK, so I think you are saying you're getting better gas mileage using the tow program?

If you are driving in the city, that's probably the best program to use there. It's a program that helps you get a lot of weight moving from a standstill. And, in pure city driving, I think 13.5 is pretty damned good, considering that you are at low speed or stopped much of the time.

If you asked for a performance tune for city driving, it might very well use more gas. That sounds to me like you wanted something to burn rubber off a stop to get to the next stoplight faster than the other guy.

And, if you asked for a tune for the highway, it's not going to be right for the city.

It's very hard though, to get into your head here. I'm honestly not sure I understand what it is you're looking for.

I was VERY specific when I asked for my tune. I wanted something that would help me pass someone on a two lane road in the 60 mph range. It does that perfectly.

In city driving (New York?) your mileage is going to suck big time no matter what you do. I get about 13.X MPG in Tucson, where the lights are a mile apart and the speed limit (that no one obeys) is 45.

- Jack

[bikerfuzz]

Originally Posted by JackandJanet

OK, so I think you are saying you're getting better gas mileage using the tow program?

If you are driving in the city, that's probably the best program to use there. It's a program that helps you get a lot of weight moving from a standstill. And, in pure city driving, I think 13.5 is pretty damned good, considering that you are at low speed or stopped much of the time.

If you asked for a performance tune for city driving, it might very well use more gas. That sounds to me like you wanted something to burn rubber off a stop to get to the next stoplight faster than the other guy.

And, if you asked for a tune for the highway, it's not going to be right for the city.

It's very hard though, to get into your head here. I'm honestly not sure I understand what it is you're looking for.

I was VERY specific when I asked for my tune. I wanted something that would help me pass someone on a two lane road in the 60 mph range. It does that perfectly.

In city driving (New York?) your mileage is going to suck big time no matter what you do. I get about 13.X MPG in Tucson, where the lights are a mile apart and the speed limit (that no one obeys) is 45.

- Jack

AHHHH!! finally some clarity. Yes I am driving around the city in perf 87. And yes I am saying I am getting better mileage in tow, than 87 performance.
See when I ORDERED all I did was tell bill what I did to the truck. But since I wasn't "towing" didn't think I needed to worry. ya know since we all want some performance from the big 8. I was more concerned about mileage .Guess I probally should have just kept asking.
Now don't get me wrong, the 87 perf has woken up the motor just fine,But I wonder if I am gettign better mpg's on 87 tow should I just put it there? and was the 87 perf a miss use of my money. Not a waste.. cause its fun to have.

[Jackpine]

Originally Posted by bikerfuzz

AHHHH!! finally some clarity. Yes I am driving around the city in perf 87. And yes I am saying I am getting better mileage in tow, than 87 performance.
See when I ORDERED all I did was tell bill what I did to the truck. But since I wasn't "towing" didn't think I needed to worry. ya know since we all want some performance from the big 8. I was more concerned about mileage .Guess I probally should have just kept asking.
Now don't get me wrong, the 87 perf has woken up the motor just fine,But I wonder if I am gettign better mpg's on 87 tow should I just put it there? and was the 87 perf a miss use of my money. Not a waste.. cause its fun to have.

There's nothing at all wrong with using the tow tune as your daily driving tune. Until I got a "highway" tune, it's the only tune I used.

As far as a "misuse" of money, only you can answer that. I've noticed how people's priorities seem to change with the price of a gallon of gas. Maybe we'll get lucky and it will drop again!

- Jack

[bikerfuzz]

lol;.:giggle Soooooo now your gonna throw a new one at me ... Highway tune.. ESPLAIN LUCY..LOL

[Jackpine]

Originally Posted by bikerfuzz

lol;.:giggle Soooooo now your gonna throw a new one at me ... Highway tune.. ESPLAIN LUCY..LOL

It's simple really, and it's the kind of thing Bill really needs if he is to design "custom" tunes for you.

My truck driving is mostly on the highway, sometimes I pull a trailer and sometimes I don't. If I'm pulling a trailer, we often go up into the mountains (10,000+ feet) on twisty roads where the speed limit is around 25, but you can get away with 35. Otherwise, I'm on the highway going from here to maybe California and driving about 75 mph (65 with a trailer - trailer tires fall apart above 65).

So, I wanted tunes that would help me in these situations. Clearly, in highway driving, I don't have many starts and stops. But, I want to be able to pass someone quickly (on a 2-lane road at highway speeds) and, I'd like to get good fuel economy. You can see I'm not into "Drag Strip Power" here. I've NEVER done a 0-60 or 1/4 mile pull, and don't intend to.

This is what I told him. MOST people he tunes for want something different - lots of low end acceleration. I wanted 60-70mph acceleration, a much different setup.

So, he wrote tunes for me with those concepts in mind. I was able to see improved performance with both of them. It was not mind blowing performance, but enough to justify the tune. (Right after receiving my tow tune, I calculated on a 2,000+ mile trip that the increased economy ALMOST paid for the tune - a $60 tune, since I did the Evo to Gryphon conversion.)

Bottom line, if you want a "custom" tune, you have to explain in detail how you're planning to use the truck. I did this with a letter that I sent in with the programmer when it was converted. I even included pictures of my truck and trailer.

- Jack

[bikerfuzz]

see non of that , I dont believe I ever did. When I bought the unit.I really just filled in the boxes on the form. Out down the add ons and that was about it. Never was asked, of for that matter asked myself about customizing the custom performance tune.
I was lookng for a daily driver with better throttle responce, and mileage. With 70% stop and go..
What I do remember was there was a big confusion in getting my tune done. Think it was miss placed for a bit. Then the hex code was wrong caused they tried to rush it out. Bill was away during this time , But when he came back, It was the first to get done.
Well guess then I should have asked more questions about the ''custom tune". May be a box or two , too fill in as to what you want might ave helped this big dummie too.lol.
But oh well, make the best ..Thanks jack!

[Longshot270]

Well there is a box towards the end of the order form as to what you want out of your tune. I remember I wrote a small paragraph for my first tune back in '09 and a page's worth for my second tune I got a week or two ago.