gas mileage

[Millie Peters]

Maybe someone knows, heard or read-does cruise control better your mileage or worsens it?Also, does dropping the tailgate on a pick-up increase or decrease wind drag? We live & drive in 8-10,000' altitude & do have grades to contend with. We are hearing using the cruise on grade worsens mileage, dropping the tailgate-well, we hear both ways. Thanx Rog:blink:

 

[Jeff C]

Wind tunnel studies show that dropping the tailgate increases drag. Use cruise control on level surfaces, but disengage when going up hills.

 

[Rodger Tellefson]

XCal2 Ask Wayne to set it up for gas milage.

 

[user 62394]

Here is a link to a study on aerodynamics done at the Univ. of Michigan regarding drag on a truck. (the language is not overly technically). It shows that dropping the tailgate actually increases drag -- contrary to what many people think. They also showed that a bed cover will decrease drag significantly.



http://sitemaker.umich.edu/um.gm.truck

 

[Millie Peters]

thanks everyone for the insight.

 

[Wayne Foy]

My personal ST with Ebay intake, Off road pipe, exhaust and my flash averages 395-410 miles per tank on regular octane, combo city/highway, with the occasional stabs to the pedal for road jerks.



On the trip to come get me when my SVT Focus ate the engine, my wife clocked 477 miles on reg octane, highway miles.



Trust me, and the rest of my customers on here, the tuning works.