making a Hummer more efficient?

WWJD

Donating Member
Registered
anyway to make these pigmobiles more efficient? my buddy uses one for our track days and 8 MPG is just killing me. my bike gets about 45 on the highway so I'd rather RIDE out to track days then pay $500 in travel gas cost. That's 3 more track days to me!

- wash and wax it smooth
- do the speed limit
- don't use the A/C
- keep it in overdrive
- put 6 extra PSI in tires
- stop freaking using a Hummer!
 
Keep the Hummer...in the garage and move to within 4 miles of your favorite track. Then you could even load the bike into the Hummer and make the trip on 1 gallon! :laugh:
 
yeah great ideas, keep them coming!

- better air filter
- thinner oil
- match octane to requirements
- drop to neutral on hills
 
yeah great ideas, keep them coming!

- better air filter
- thinner oil
- match octane to requirements
- drop to neutral on hills

Modern cars deactivate the fuel injectors on downhill/off-throttle operation so shifting to neutral wouldn't do much..
 
who on earth buys a hummer and then worries about the carbon footprint? :rofl: Sounds like Pelosi telling us to conserve as she jets coast to coast twice a week in her 747....


You want a hummer to do better on fuel? pour 1 gallon of gasoline into the front seat and then throw a highway flare from about 30 feet... (duck)..... that gallon of gas will get that hummer clear to the junk yard... :laugh:


Then tow your bike yourself.... you be better off to rent a truck for the day at $19.95
 
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It's my friends Hummer, and it wasn't a big deal few years back when gas was cheap and I made twice what I am making now. the economy is hurting his business and I don't wanna pay half the gas on a vehicle with THIS BAD mpg, at this particular time in my life. if we can squeak more out of it, then it might be tolerable. spending one months rents for 2 days travel does not impress me. I could do 3 local track days instead :) Heck I could buy a two bike trailer and get my Civic setup properly...... now that I am thinking about it, I might propose that idea. It could haul two bikes easily and save millions in the future!
 
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millions I tell ya millions!!! :rofl: (I think if you got 25% more it would still suck....rent a trailer and tie it to the civic with a rope)
 
Your buddy wouldn't own a Hummer if he couldn't afford the fuel, so make him foot the bill.

But I know his pain. I'm getting 11mpg in my 2008 F-250 Super Duty Crew Cab 4X4.
 
:laugh:

sticker_hummer.gif
 
yeah great ideas, keep them coming!

- better air filter
- thinner oil
- match octane to requirements
- drop to neutral on hills

even with running all synthetic fluids you are fighting a vehicle that's marginally better aerodynamically than a brick. it's high off the ground, probably low geared, etc.

mileage was not a high priority when it was designed.
 
Rent a trailer and haul the Hummer~!~ :laugh:

Besides, it'd look good behind the Civic :rofl:
 
You can buy ScanGauge device and experiment what works best for fuel mileage.

I have one in my Honda Ridgeline and i can get 27MPG on highway, even here in Colorado. It`s not easy though... I have to drive as granny to achieve that. Normal driving 22MPG.
EPA listed as 20MPG highway.
I get 17.8 with 100% city driving (EPA 15MPG)

So far my observation:
Cold weather save a lot! Start driving at night.
Feel up gas tank in the morning, colder gasoline is more dense.
Tire pressure could save another 3-5%
I changed my wheels to 12LB lighter wheels and that helped.
No sticking accessories - roof racks, lights, etc.
accelerate slowly, do NOT use cruise control.
Keep it in overdrive as long as possible, speed up going downhill and try to keep it from shifting to lower gear downhill.

Most important - slow down! 75 to 65 mph could be 5MPG difference.
Most efficient fuel mileage for my Ridgeline is 67MPH ( just for reference)
 
You can buy ScanGauge device and experiment what works best for fuel mileage.

I have one in my Honda Ridgeline and i can get 27MPG on highway, even here in Colorado. It`s not easy though... I have to drive as granny to achieve that. Normal driving 22MPG.
EPA listed as 20MPG highway.
I get 17.8 with 100% city driving (EPA 15MPG)

So far my observation:
Cold weather save a lot! Start driving at night.
Feel up gas tank in the morning, colder gasoline is more dense.
Tire pressure could save another 3-5%
I changed my wheels to 12LB lighter wheels and that helped.
No sticking accessories - roof racks, lights, etc.
accelerate slowly, do NOT use cruise control.
Keep it in overdrive as long as possible, speed up going downhill and try to keep it from shifting to lower gear downhill.

Most important - slow down! 75 to 65 mph could be 5MPG difference.
Most efficient fuel mileage for my Ridgeline is 67MPH ( just for reference)


Great points.. Also, you can google hypermiling.. Another option is to draft an 18 wheeler.
 
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You can buy ScanGauge device and experiment what works best for fuel mileage.

I have one in my Honda Ridgeline and i can get 27MPG on highway, even here in Colorado. It`s not easy though... I have to drive as granny to achieve that. Normal driving 22MPG.
EPA listed as 20MPG highway.
I get 17.8 with 100% city driving (EPA 15MPG)

So far my observation:
Cold weather save a lot! Start driving at night.
Feel up gas tank in the morning, colder gasoline is more dense.
Tire pressure could save another 3-5%
I changed my wheels to 12LB lighter wheels and that helped.
No sticking accessories - roof racks, lights, etc.
accelerate slowly, do NOT use cruise control.
Keep it in overdrive as long as possible, speed up going downhill and try to keep it from shifting to lower gear downhill.

Most important - slow down! 75 to 65 mph could be 5MPG difference.
Most efficient fuel mileage for my Ridgeline is 67MPH ( just for reference)

Great points.. Also, you can google hypermiling.. Another option is to draft an 18 wheeler.

You can also only fill the with just enough gas to reach the next fill opporunity, remove all non-essential equipment (seats, spare tire, emergency kit, DVD screens, stereo head unit, amps, speaker, interior cosmetic treatments, etc), fab a light weight shell to improve aerodynamics, cut the engine during ANY negative slope portions of road, etc. Do all that, and you may wind up with a vehicle that only get bad (as opposed to awful) gas mileage and it'll still be a gas-guzzling, dollar sucking POS. :laugh:

Of course, if you really want to make it efficient, you can also lose the engine and replace with low powered solar motor, lose the body work and replace with aerodynamically efficient design, cut down or off everything that isn't needed to make the vehicle go and then you may get average or maybe even better than average mileage, but it won't be and you won't be able to go anywhere with much of anything at any significant speed. And it'll still be a Hummer...just no longer under warranty. :laugh:

:beerchug:
 
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