Chevy 6.0 gas fuel milage HELP

Justin SE IOWA · Feb 2, 2012

I have a 2004 silverado 2500HD with 95,000 miles. It has a 6.0 gas engine. I bought it a few months back. It gets about 11 mpg on the highway and pulling a 2 horse trailer its about 6. I have a tonnu cover on it and I drive the speed limit; sometimes under it! What else can I do to get better MPG? Maybe a different air intake system? I need some help/advice. Thanks in advance.

buickanddeere · Feb 2, 2012

It's on the low but acceptable side of normal. My
6L, 4x4 crew cab with brush bar and cap gets 13mpg
just knocking around on short trips to town or to
work.
Any big tires or low tire air pressure?
Re-programmed mine to change the shift points.It
wanted to stay in 2nd gear unless going down hill.

atlarge54 · Feb 2, 2012

Saddle up a horse and ride. That is of course if hay isn't too high priced in your area.

rustred · Feb 2, 2012

need to get a 5.3L way easier on full. went through 2 company vehicles with 6.0L and both were hard on fuel . got a new one now with a 5.3L and big big diff. about 150 miles more to the tank. just that this one is a half ton.

Anonymous-0 · Feb 2, 2012

Unfortunately the 6.0 litres are gas hogs. They have
good power but use way too much gas. Considering
they're 366 cu. inches, they sure use a lot more gas
than the old 350's. Maybe a chip would help and a
good tune up?

VicS · Feb 2, 2012

My neighbor has one, he gets 10. Had it back to dealer they said nothing was wrong. Vic

504 · Feb 2, 2012

Low speed rear end, good for pulling bad om MPG.

JDseller · Feb 2, 2012

They all are fuel hogs. There are three or four right around me and none of them get over 13 mpg, two get under 10 mpg empty 6 pulling a trailer. They pull good and hold up well but are fuel hogs. That is why you see them for sale all over the place. A friend in the car business, says that they will bring $5000 less than the same truck with a 5.3.

Local guy here spent $6500 on his installing "better" air breather system, a "high" performance exhaust, and plus a different engine chip. He now gets 15 MPG. WOW that was really worth the $6500 dollars.

Your choices are to either live with the low mileage or trade it in on something that gets better mileage. There is a reason that the diesels bring more money.

2x4 · Feb 3, 2012

get the Bosch spark plugs with the non-adjustable 4-electrode design. pricey A $50 but they guarantee 2 mpg or your money back. Worked for me exactly as they said (2000 2500 6L).

Fawteen · Feb 3, 2012

I get about 14 running empty with mine in a '07 GMC K2500HD, and got as high as 15 pulling an empty trailer on the interstate.

I don't use it much (it just rolled over 20,000) but when I need it, I NEED it so I live with the mileage.

Tried doing the job with a smaller truck with a smaller engine (4.7 Dakota) and the towing mileage wasn't any better and I never felt safe from a handling/stopping point of view.

gene bender · Feb 3, 2012

Hello you buy a 3/4 ton with a big engine and you want better gas mileage. what did you expect??

doubleN · Feb 3, 2012

I have a 2002 2500HD with a 6.0.

Careful driving at 60 mph on a highway gets me 14 mpg.

Careful driving around town gets me about 10 mpg.

However--it does haul my trailer and tractors up and around and over everywhere WITH EASE---and that's why I got it instead of a Toyota Prius.

Spook · Feb 3, 2012

I get about 12 or 13 loaded or not, I don't track it too well. I just figure a 2500HD 6.0L truck isn't gonna get very good milage. I am selling mine soon, sold my trailer this last fall, don't need a big truck anymore. Plan on selling a Tahoe, the pickup, and buying a new 1500 chevy truck. I need a truck occasionally, but I don't need 3 vehicles, I have been putting only 1K per year on the old truck lately.

buickanddeere · Feb 3, 2012

For those gripping about the 6.0L's mileage. Anybody recall the 4-5 mpg the gutless 350's and 400's had in the 1970's 4x4 pickups?
It takes power to push a large vehicle and trailer through the air, put your hand out the window some time.
It takes power every time to accelerate away from every stop sign and traffic light.
To make power and engine has to burn fuel.

TonyIN · Feb 3, 2012

Have a 04 2500 crew cab 4x4. 6.0
Like said in another post, careful highway driving gets me 14 or a little better. Flat land driving I can do better, but don"t see much of that here in the southern part of the state.
When buying this truck (used), I intentionally shopped for the 3:73? rear end - I think that"s the number. Either way, didn"t want/need the 4:10 as my needs are more for the weight carrying than the towing.
So if you have the 4:10 that sounds about right to me. Coast when you can, use the gas only if necessary... I do that a lot too.

Good Luck

Tony

Chester5731 · Feb 3, 2012

One time I was real lucky with mine and it got 14. Normal driving 12, hook on a trailer 10. But I have never run out of power either. I bought it to work it and that is what it does.

mkirsch · Feb 3, 2012

What is the differential gear ratio? (i.e. 4.10)
What size tires? (i.e. 33" mudders)
What else is in the truck? (i.e. 500lbs of tools)

Chips, exhausts, intakes... Each might give you a fractional increase in economy, but you need them all to make an appreciable difference, and together they cost thousands of $$$. You will never recoup the cost of these "upgrades" in fuel savings.

11MPG running empty is a little low, but you'll spend thousands throwing parts and mechanic time at it trying to chase down the "problem."

You might actually be driving TOO SLOW. If you're lugging the engine to stay at or below the speed limit, it will use more gas than if you let it wind up a little more and get into its power band.

It's cheaper to just put the gas in it and live with it as long as it is running fine and has good power. You can't even come out ahead trading it in on something more fuel efficient.

Anonymous-0 · Feb 3, 2012

Yep, dad had a 75 Chevy K20 with a 350 and full time 4wd. Gutless and 8 mpg no matter how you drove it.

Stuart · Feb 3, 2012

My BILs gets 10 mpg. What type of trailer are you hauling it on to get that type of mileage. A 454 ran that kind of mileage in those days, not the small blocks.

Casey in Ky · Feb 3, 2012

I've got an 2006 ext cab, 4wd 2500, 5 speed manual, with the 4.10 or 4.11(whichever they used) gears. It's got about 74000 miles on it. 14 mpg if I drive like grandma, 12 mpg under normal circumstances, 10 mpg if I'm heavy footed, and about 8 mpg towing 10k to 12k lbs. I've not really check mpg in the last 15k miles or so though, probably need, might be getting time for a tune up.

Truck never runs out of power, and that says a lot because I live in hill country. I bought the truck with about 47k miles on it, previous owner had a a little larger tires put on it, 265's, which I kinda like. He also added a flow master 40(the least nosiest one they make) and a K&N filter. I'm not a fan of either. I like a quiet truck. Don't know if they help mpg's or not but they are probably going to get removed just as soon as I get around to it.

Casey in Ky · Feb 3, 2012

Are these the plugs you are referring to? I've never been much on "special" plugs but they really add 2mpg's and are guaranteed, then it's time for a tune up.

http://www.boschautoparts.com/sparkplugs/Pages/PlatinumIrFusion.aspx
Bosch Plugs

rustyfarmall · Feb 3, 2012

Well, after reading all these replies, I don't feel too bad. I've got an '01 K3500 with the 8.1, 6 speed manual, and 4.10 axle that gets anywhere from 8 to 14. Usually will do about 10 mpg hooked to a loaded trailer, and 11 to 12 running empty without a trailer.

Rick Kr · Feb 3, 2012

Justin,
I have ran a bunch of the 6.0L combos.
3.73 axle, 13mpg on the highway 11 or so around town.

4.10 axle, 11mpg, 10 around town. They'll pull almost anything, short of the duramax.

IIRC your towing capacity is around 3,000 more with the 4.10 gear.

3.73 RPO GT4, 4.10 RPO GT5, Locker G80

Rick

Doug in Illinois · Feb 3, 2012

I also have one. It will make 16.5 to 17 going
down the interstate at 70-75 MPH.

On the 2 lane roads it will max out at about 14
driving 55. Mine has too shallow gears in it, it
runs best and cheapest once it hits overdrive and
is not lugging.

Pulling any trailer bigger than a pickup box size
trailer will drop it below 10 MPG. It makes about
6 MPG with either my 4 big bale mover or 100 small
bales behind it. It makes about 7.2 with a 4 horse
trailer with living quarters being pulled.

I have a "Superchips" tuner that I will tune it
with if going a long distance. Doesn't help the
MPG more than about 1/2 or 1 MPG, but does help
the shift points, maybe taking some of the load
off the transmission. It firms them up. DOUG

Chevy 6.0 gas fuel milage HELP

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