mpg not what I expected

randyw

New member
May 20, 2014
4
0
0
New to diesels and don't know a thing about them. Any way I'm not getting the mileage I hoped I would maybe 15 hiway 10-12 towing. I did research before I bought this pickup its not making oil and no fuel smell on the dip stick. Its a 2002 with over 200000 on the clock. No smoke on acel but I did notice parked yesterday when parked if I reved it it would blow a little smoke on decel. Any info would be a great help. Randy
 

MAXX IT OUT

<<<IT WORKS
Mar 1, 2013
1,780
37
48
Des Moines, Iowa
Anything done to it? What are you getting for MPG now? I am getting about 12.5 in town and highway and 17 on the running at about 77. Are you running Bio or regualer diesel?
 

The Neens

BFD
Staff member
Aug 10, 2006
4,596
1
36
Monrovia, Ca.
Do a search for injector balance rate test...The 2001-2004 have a shorter life expectancy than other years...You may have 1 or more injectors that need attention...
 

DAVe3283

Heavy & Slow
Sep 3, 2009
3,724
292
83
Boise, ID, USA
What size/style of truck. If you have a crew cab dually long bed, that mileage is probably about right.

Also tire & wheel choice can make a big difference in mileage. Tell us some more about your truck!
 

OnixMax

Member
Oct 7, 2013
66
0
6
I'm running completely stock. 14-15 city, 18-20 hwy @ 65mph.
Towing doesn't seem far off, imo. Got 14 towing on the hwy, pulling about 6k.
 

randyw

New member
May 20, 2014
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0
It's a Calif model with the cat removed and larger exhaust crew cab long bed stock tires. I'm hopeing it's not injectors, but if it is what kind of money are we talking to do right Randy
 

Brent@LDS

Vendor
Vendor/Sponsor
Aug 23, 2011
651
1
18
Wisconsin
It's a Calif model with the cat removed and larger exhaust crew cab long bed stock tires. I'm hopeing it's not injectors, but if it is what kind of money are we talking to do right Randy

Your looking at $1800-$2000 in parts for an injector job and around $1200-$1500 for the labor if you had injector issues.
 

randyw

New member
May 20, 2014
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0
I feel as that I have pretty good wrenching skills how big a job is it to do my self I have a shop to work in and there will be no hurry in getting it done. Should a guy try it theselves?
 

WI Huck

Where does the time go?
Feb 8, 2012
137
0
16
16 MPG is the norm. Keep the RPM below 2000 for the best mileage. If your transmission has to keep down shifting while towing you don't have enough power and torque for the size / weight of the load. When the transmission down shifts the RPM goes over 2000 and past your peak torque zone. 20 MPG was typical before the ultra low sulfur fuel the EPA forced onto us in 2007.
 

steveman09

New member
Apr 30, 2013
16
0
1
I average 23mpg Highway driving smooth and 18mpg city driving like grandpa.

Back 10k miles ago when my injectors were going out my MPG was only 20mpg highway and 15-16mpg City, after I did the injectors myself MPG jumped up and runs like a dream. Might wanna look into that?

2004 CCSB 4X4 LB7 Truck with 140k miles (Leveling Kit on 33' Tires)
K&N Air Filter in stock box
Streight pipe exhaust
EFI Live DSP5 by Idaho Rob (Best MPG on Level 2)
 

LB719

New member
Aug 26, 2014
15
0
0
San Clemente, CA
16 MPG is the norm. Keep the RPM below 2000 for the best mileage. If your transmission has to keep down shifting while towing you don't have enough power and torque for the size / weight of the load. When the transmission down shifts the RPM goes over 2000 and past your peak torque zone. 20 MPG was typical before the ultra low sulfur fuel the EPA forced onto us in 2007.

+1, running at 70mph vice 80mph is close to a 2 mpg difference for me, when my truck was bone stock i would average around 15 mpg city/17-18mpg highway. I can touch 20mpg on long highway runs but that is not using cruise control and really paying attention to my speed. Do a balance rate test and go from there, it isn't the end-all-be-all way of determining the health of your injectors but it is a start. Should be +/- 4 at a warm idle an +/- 6 if you put it in drive with your foot on the brake.
 

Shane&VanessaUK

New member
Jul 29, 2014
13
0
0
UK North Lincolnshire
I feel as that I have pretty good wrenching skills how big a job is it to do my self I have a shop to work in and there will be no hurry in getting it done. Should a guy try it theselves?

I've limited skills, ill health and basic tools and removed and replaced injectors with no issues... take your time, keep it all clean and its a fairly easy job... took me about 15-18hrs.. but hope to be quicker next time when I do the job properly... I wasted $400 by replacing just the tips Dooh!:mad:
 

onebaddmaxxx

Active member
Feb 22, 2009
1,212
1
38
Cecil County Md
repetitiveness is def key on getting good at lb7 injectors. Dealer time under warranty was only 7ish hours. All data is like 10. Takes me about 8 if the allan bolts aren't fudged up from whoever did them prior to me
 

the freeze

New member
Feb 23, 2010
48
0
0
Dude u got a Cali truck you need to ditch the egr
Also how's ur alignment and front end. How bought ur tire air pressure
Lots of people on hear post bull shit mpg's

Real world mpg's are not just down hill with wind at ur back.

Any new new used lb7 should get at least a balance test done
 

randyw

New member
May 20, 2014
4
0
0
Thanks for all the info I'll check into getting a balance test and go from there. It just seems to run really well I would of thought it wouldn't run good and smoke but again I'm new to diesel and everyone I know with diesel are Ford guys