My Volvo V70 wagon also has an instant and average mpg display. But it isn't very accurate, as revealed by tracking miles travelled between fillups, and doing the obvious math.
Even this method isn't perfect, as it depends on the odometer, which in turn depends on the actual diameter of the front tires, which varies with wear and with tire pressure and thus with temperature. The standard solution is a fifth-wheel odometer, but this is far too much trouble.
Joe Gwinn
My old 1982 Chevy K10 (full size 1/2 ton 4x4) with 6.2 diesel averages
20 mpg. With the extra hitches, pipe bumper, cap, crap... it goes 6000 lbs. No computer anywhere to be found, unless my old Garmin GPSIII is velcroed to the dash :)I've been checking the milage on it since it was bought new. Only go on short runs anymore, so the milage is always tending towards the lower side. Could get into the low 20's when making long road trips.
I consider my gas mileage OK compared with other Rangers with the 4.0 V-6 but I would expect that the mileage should have improved in the last 25 years, with all the computers and sensors that they have compared to the
80's. Maybe I could put an 8 Cylinder in a small truck and get 30+ mpg!RogerN
You might but getting the computers installed and calibrated requires factory level testing and expertise, unfortunately. I've got an EPROM writer and a bunch of PROMs so I can reprogram the ECM on my Vettes. My success has been fairly limited and more than once have lead to a vehicle that basically wouldn't run. LOL You can buy (cheaply) data that others have written and tested to start with but it's easy to make changes that will ruin a motor in short order while seeming to give real benefit.
I suspect you might be able to if you could make it a bit more aerodynamic and change the drive ratio to keep the rpm's down. The airflow/profile on pickup trucks isn't so good for milage nor their gear ratios. Years ago I can remember after market add-ons that went in between the transmission and differential. Kind of a two speed set up. Don't know if you can still get them or maybe find an old one for a song. I can really notice the difference in milage with both my truck and motorcycle if I go over 60 mph for very long.
My truck has the ~.283 rear differential and the wimpy 700R4 overdrive transmission. Good for milage, bad for strength, durability. Been okay so long as you remember the tranny is weak, so don't abuse it.
My Dad had one of the old VW Pickups with a diesel (Rabbit with truck bed). Between the diesel engine and low slung narrow vehicle profile he could get in the mid 40's for milage most all the time. I'm a bit over six feet tall though and couldn't move the seat back far enough to be comfortable. It would hit the back of the cab...
I have a 700R4 piece of junk as well. I turned it into a real transmission the last time it was apart. It'll never break again.
Its actually a fairly efficient engine, but its hooked to a Truck, and as such, gearing and rear end must be different than that of a car.
Whats the mileage of a typical Ford Taurus, with the same engine in it?
25-30 mpg, based on friends who have them.Gunner
Mine has the 5 speed automatic (I think, it's still pretty new to me) and 60 MPH is just a touch over 2k rpm, compared to my Civic, 60 mph is about 2600 RPM. But I could see if the rear end is lower geared the drive shaft would have to turn faster at 60mph than a higher geared rear end.
RogerN
Oh they're okay if you treat them real nice. No tranny slams, forced shifts, "passing gear" ... but how many people drive like that?
So you put in a built-up Turbo 400 ;-)
Leon Fisk fired this volley in news:hu3jgp$krg $ snipped-for-privacy@news.eternal-september.org:
I never quite understood why they put the 700R4 in towing vehicles. Mine on my diesel Sub never made it past 60K miles per rebuild.
"BABY" Allison was right. It never grew up. It kept evolving, with thinner clutch packs with more plates, thicker packs with fewer, different modulators, etc... but it would still eat the clutches or a sprag in 50-60K -- every time.
LLoyd
I twisted the guts in the torque converter at ~40,000 miles. Pulled it out myself and after some preliminary checks took it to a tranny shop. It looked new inside yet, still had writing on the clutch surfaces. That meant the torque converter... As long as it was apart I had a mild shift-kit and special front seal clamp put on. New torque converter, put it back underneath, been treating it really nice for the past 25 years. I'm at around 135,000 now. Seems to be okay yet, other than a strange ticking noise, sometimes. Only while going forward, three ticks per revolution of the drive shaft. That started around 4 years ago, not even sure if it is still doing it. Figured it would get worse if it was serious :)
They (700R4) were suppose to be a bit lighter (weight wise) than a 350 turbo, which was a good solid tranny. Mmm... another whole gearset and a few pounds lighter, doesn't sound good for durability. And of course as we both know, it wasn't. The transmission shops really liked that tranny. They called it the 60-1000, 60,000 miles, $1000 to repair. Of course that was 25 years ago...
My brother inlaw has an old (mid 90's) Chevy 1 ton 4x4 with a 454 and four-speed automatic (the 4L80E). That tranny has taken a lot of use/abuse and held up quite well.
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