Posted 2007-11-20 5:32 PM (#71562) Subject: Poor Mileage on an '07 3500 Duramax
Member
Posts: 16
Location: Clarence Center, NY
We bought a brand new '07 Chevy one ton dually Duramax Diesel with the 6 speed automatic. It's got 3000 miles on it now, and we are only getting 13.4 miles per gallon around ton, and 14 mpg towing an empty horse trailer on the highway....Is this right? My old 3500 Dodge Ram dually got 20 mpg average....I don't really want to do anything to the truck to make the warranty void, but this just makes me sick...Any ideas?
Posted 2007-11-20 6:17 PM (#71563 - in reply to #71562) Subject: RE: Poor Gas Mileage on an '07 3500 Duramax
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 379 Location: Columbia, TN
Welcome to the newer Trucks especially now that Fuel is $3.35 a Gallon. I don't think any of the newer trucks are getting very good mileage, Chev,Ford or Dodge
Posted 2007-11-20 6:32 PM (#71565 - in reply to #71562) Subject: RE: Poor Gas Mileage on an '07 3500 Duramax
Veteran
Posts: 148 Location: columbia tn
my dodge 3500 diesel 05 model gets around 17 and pulling trailer 10'lq 3h it gets around 12-14.. i have a 93 d350 with 103,000 on it and it gets like 22 and 17- pulling but it cant handle this new trailer without adding some help to it...its bad when it take over 100 bucks to fill up your truck... happy trails
Posted 2007-11-20 6:56 PM (#71567 - in reply to #71562) Subject: RE: Poor Gas Mileage on an '07 3500 Duramax
Expert
Posts: 1416 Location: sc
Maybe it would run better if you put diesel in it instead of gas????
My 04 Dmax gets 13-14 pulling my little 2H trailer.........so yes, yours sounds about right. Some people will tell you the mpg will come up after "break in", but I would not get too excited. These horsepower wars between manufacturers are NOT good, or necessary IMO.
Posted 2007-11-20 9:58 PM (#71577 - in reply to #71562) Subject: RE: Poor Gas Mileage on an '07 3500 Duramax
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 303 Location: Grapeland, Texas
I got the same truck in Sept. and get the same mileage on mine, it has 2,800 miles on it right now. My 03 one ton dually Duramax got about the same as this one, but the new one has way more power.
Posted 2007-11-21 7:19 AM (#71591 - in reply to #71562) Subject: RE: Poor Gas Mileage on an '07 3500 Duramax
New User
Posts: 2
I've got an 05 duramax dually that gets between 15-16 around town and 9-13 with my trailer. I wish it'd get better mileage. The truck has 85,000 miles on it, and the oil is changed every 6,000 miles with the fuel filter being changed every 12,000 miles.
I pull a 1997 sooner 4 horse slant with a 6 foot dressing room. It's not a heavy trailer and the truck handles it with no problem...
I really hate how much it's costing to fill the durn thing up.
Posted 2007-11-21 8:34 AM (#71593 - in reply to #71562) Subject: RE: Poor Gas Mileage on an '07 3500 Duramax
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 303 Location: Grapeland, Texas
I try real hard now to keep my speed at about 65. All the farm to market roads around here have a speed limit of 60, which as bad as they are 55 is probably safer. Of course the slower I go the better the mpg are, but my foot tends to get heavy at times. My truck is also a 4 wheel drive and they said between that and the extra tires in the back that is also cuts into your fuel mileage. Is there any truth to that?
Posted 2007-11-21 8:35 AM (#71594 - in reply to #71562) Subject: RE: Poor Gas Mileage on an '07 3500 Duramax
Expert
Posts: 3802 Location: Rocky Mount N.C.
I don't think the difference in mileage really makes that much difference, 9 verses 13?...........It's the cost of the fuel, last year this time it was $2.16 a gallon, what is it today?....$3.22 at the flying J at Kenly N.C. Filled up my truck and destroyed $100.00 bill.
Posted 2007-11-21 8:59 AM (#71596 - in reply to #71562) Subject: RE: Poor Gas Mileage on an '07 3500 Duramax
Regular
Posts: 71 Location: Northern CA
We have two Duramax's an 02 and an 06. Both have Banks Exhaust, AFE Air Intakes and an Edge Chip. The 06 has a few other mods. Both of these trucks will run 20+ mpg on the hiway (driving 70mph or so) empty and get 15-17 mpg towing (Speed 62-65mpg). Around town, The mileage is about 17mpg empty and about 15 towing (short trips). I commute 180 miles a day to work roundtrip and saw a good increase in mpg with the edge chip. They do have a significant break in- we never saw good mileage until around 15,000 miles).
We have a friend with an 04 Dodge and it does really well on the diesel, I drove it to Texas empty and picked up a boat and hauled the boat home. It got about 22mpg on the way out (driving 70-80mph) and got about 16 towing the boat back to California (about 65mph). This truck had no modifications.
I will add that though we may travel in excess of the hiway speeds, we drive these trucks easy, no racetrack takeoffs and are pretty consistent with the speed once the car is rolling. I think this affects the mpg also.
Posted 2007-11-21 9:22 AM (#71600 - in reply to #71562) Subject: RE: Poor Gas Mileage on an '07 3500 Duramax
Regular
Posts: 51 Location: Labelle, FL
My husband had an 07 Duramax 3500 dually and it drank the diesel. He was really pissed cause my 2000 Dodge is getting 24.2 on the Hwy and 18 towing my 3 h with 6' Lq fully loaded His employer got rid of it.
Posted 2007-11-21 5:35 PM (#71631 - in reply to #71562) Subject: RE: Poor Gas Mileage on an '07 3500 Duramax
Elite Veteran
Posts: 644 Location: Odenville, Alabama
I have an 06' Duramax 3500 dually. I get around 14mpg empty, and 12 with the trailer. Now here's a question for those who may know the answer. I think (now I'm sometimes half crazy, so bear with me here), that I got better fuel mileage before the low sulphur fuel was introduced. Could that be???
Posted 2007-11-21 7:09 PM (#71634 - in reply to #71631) Subject: RE: Poor Gas Mileage on an '07 3500 Duramax
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 544 Location: Claxton, Ga.
Originally written by N2ridin on 2007-11-21 9:35 PM
I have an 06' Duramax 3500 dually. I get around 14mpg empty, and 12 with the trailer. Now here's a question for those who may know the answer. I think (now I'm sometimes half crazy, so bear with me here), that I got better fuel mileage before the low sulphur fuel was introduced. Could that be???
Your not crazy. Most people lost 1 mpg when the ULSD came out. Make sure to get fresh fuel and it is not so bad. About the same.
Posted 2007-11-22 12:38 AM (#71652 - in reply to #71562) Subject: RE: Poor Gas Mileage on an '07 3500 Duramax
Expert
Posts: 3853 Location: Vermont
Originally written by artisticgold on 2007-11-20 5:32 PM
We bought a brand new '07 Chevy one ton dually Duramax Diesel with the 6 speed automatic. It's got 3000 miles on it now, and we are only getting 13.4 miles per gallon around ton, and 14 mpg towing an empty horse trailer on the highway....Is this right? My old 3500 Dodge Ram dually got 20 mpg average....I don't really want to do anything to the truck to make the warranty void, but this just makes me sick...Any ideas?
Posted 2007-11-22 1:00 PM (#71678 - in reply to #71562) Subject: RE: Poor Gas Mileage on an '07 3500 Duramax
Member
Posts: 11
Are any of you adding an additive to your fuel on your trucks that are a 2006 and older? I lost some mileage with the new ULSD and have gotten it back with using the Lucas Fuel additive plus I get the lubrication that was taken out of our Diesel fuel.
Posted 2008-06-02 10:05 AM (#85033 - in reply to #71562) Subject: RE: Poor Gas Mileage on an '07 3500 Duramax
Member
Posts: 16
Location: Clarence Center, NY
ok, so now we have 6,500 miles on the truck, and the mileage has gone down to 12.6 around town, we started at 13.9....sigh! We just got a recall notice for a "programming error that can result in Engine Control Module memory damage and will cause the engine not to crank or start. This is more likely to occur the longer you operate the vehicle". Is this a probable cause for the poor fuel mileage? Anyone else have this same vehicle, and how are your trucks doing as far as economy.
Posted 2008-06-02 10:08 AM (#85035 - in reply to #71562) Subject: RE: Poor Gas Mileage on an '07 3500 Duramax
Member
Posts: 16
Location: Clarence Center, NY
Oh, we have the newer body style '07, it was made just a few weeks after the change over from the older body style....so we have the stricter emissions?
Posted 2008-06-02 10:50 AM (#85041 - in reply to #71562) Subject: RE: Poor Mileage on an '07 3500 Duramax
Location: Where the wind comes sweepin' down the plain...
I have an 07 DMax and highway getting around 17-19 mpg running 70-75 mph. Pulling I am getting 10-13. I have a tendency for my foot to get heavy, and when it does, my mileage goes down. This is my 3rd one. Best mileage yet. Bully Dog chip in it at setting 2 and the mileage is better with it as long as I keep my foot out of it. The other two, I used an Edge in one, and the Hypertech in the other. All three chips increased my mileage.
Posted 2008-06-02 11:12 AM (#85049 - in reply to #71678) Subject: RE: Poor Gas Mileage on an '07 3500 Duramax
Expert
Posts: 5870 Location: western PA
Originally written by KAB on 2007-11-22 2:00 PM
Are any of you adding an additive to your fuel on your trucks that are a 2006 and older? I lost some mileage with the new ULSD and have gotten it back with using the Lucas Fuel additive plus I get the lubrication that was taken out of our Diesel fuel.
I've used Marvel Mystery Oil for several decades on all our diesels and our classic cars. Occasionally I use Amsoil diesel fuel additive and find it works well.
Posted 2008-06-02 11:47 AM (#85053 - in reply to #71562) Subject: RE: Poor Mileage on an '07 3500 Duramax
Expert
Posts: 3802 Location: Rocky Mount N.C.
(quote)
We bought a brand new '07 Chevy one ton dually Duramax Diesel with the 6 speed automatic. It's got 3000 miles on it now, and we are only getting 13.4 miles per gallon around ton, and 14 mpg towing an empty horse trailer on the highway....Is this right? My old 3500 Dodge Ram dually got 20 mpg average....I don't really want to do anything to the truck to make the warranty void, but this just makes me sick...Any ideas?
I would be really careful of what I put in the fuel tank of these new engines with the "regen" systems on them. It don't take alot to clog or plug up some of this smog crap!!
These newer engines don't get as good of mileage as the older ones. If you are using these newer trucks for more of a "grocery getter" rather that a pulling truck, then YES, your mileage is and will be way down. Truck never gets hot enough to burn all the soot out so the system dumps a little extra fuel to help burn everything clean. You are actually burning fuel in the "regen cycle" that you are in no way gaining or making any extra power with.
Here is a place that will answer some of your questions...
Posted 2008-06-02 12:07 PM (#85056 - in reply to #85049) Subject: RE: Poor Gas Mileage on an '07 3500 Duramax
Expert
Posts: 3853 Location: Vermont
Originally written by gard on 2008-06-02 12:12 PM
Originally written by KAB on 2007-11-22 2:00 PM
Are any of you adding an additive to your fuel on your trucks that are a 2006 and older? I lost some mileage with the new ULSD and have gotten it back with using the Lucas Fuel additive plus I get the lubrication that was taken out of our Diesel fuel.
I've used Marvel Mystery Oil for several decades on all our diesels and our classic cars. Occasionally I use Amsoil diesel fuel additive and find it works well.
Gard
GM has right in their documentation...that additives are not to be used in their Duramax diesels...
Posted 2008-06-02 1:00 PM (#85059 - in reply to #85053) Subject: RE: Poor Mileage on an '07 3500 Duramax
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 346
I would be really careful of what I put in the fuel tank of these new engines with the "regen" systems on them. It don't take alot to clog or plug up some of this smog crap!!
These newer engines don't get as good of mileage as the older ones. If you are using these newer trucks for more of a "grocery getter" rather that a pulling truck, then YES, your mileage is and will be way down. Truck never gets hot enough to burn all the soot out so the system dumps a little extra fuel to help burn everything clean. You are actually burning fuel in the "regen cycle" that you are in no way gaining or making any extra power with.
Here is a place that will answer some of your questions...
Hey I guess I am in trouble...the old 2500 daily driver gets whatever is left around for additive. And I mean everything. So far its worked. 2 cycle oil, dextron, fuel treatment, its an 07 classic style though.
Also Retento i have never actually had the problem of not burning the soot out....what do you think?? in either truck. that is what having a lead foot will cure.
Posted 2008-06-02 1:02 PM (#85060 - in reply to #85059) Subject: RE: Poor Mileage on an '07 3500 Duramax
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 346
I would be really careful of what I put in the fuel tank of these new engines with the "regen" systems on them. It don't take alot to clog or plug up some of this smog crap!!
These newer engines don't get as good of mileage as the older ones. If you are using these newer trucks for more of a "grocery getter" rather that a pulling truck, then YES, your mileage is and will be way down. Truck never gets hot enough to burn all the soot out so the system dumps a little extra fuel to help burn everything clean. You are actually burning fuel in the "regen cycle" that you are in no way gaining or making any extra power with.
Here is a place that will answer some of your questions...
Hey I guess I am in trouble...the old 2500 daily driver gets whatever is left around for additive. And I mean everything. So far its worked. 2 cycle oil, dextron, fuel treatment, its an 07 classic style though.
Also Retento i have never actually had the problem of not burning the soot out....what do you think?? in either truck. that is what having a lead foot will cure.
Poor Mileage on an '07 3500 Duramax
We bought a brand new '07 Chevy one ton dually Duramax Diesel with the 6 speed automatic. It's got 3000 miles on it now, and we are only getting 13.4 miles per gallon around ton, and 14 mpg towing an empty horse trailer on the highway....Is this right? My old 3500 Dodge Ram dually got 20 mpg average....I don't really want to do anything to the truck to make the warranty void, but this just makes me sick...Any ideas? 
