Better Fuel Economy = Better Performance!

Originally penned in 2012, then I forgot about it for a while!!

I wrote this only because it took me several attempts to figure it out. I installed everything I could find (That made sense!) on my truck to get better fuel economy. Opened the diameter of the air filter inlet, changed to a K&N Air Filter, installed after market muffler and Catalytic Converters (2 Catalytic Converters, Flow Master ALL!), installed a Super Tuner Chip (I later tossed that piece of junk!) and try as I could the best my 2003 S10 got was 28.9 MPG. Then I thought about the OBD2 Computer and realized that the ECM was still running like I had run it the last 89,000 miles. THIS Trick is so easy! My Lady parks her car behind my truck all weekend, Friday night I came home and disconnected the battery and left it that way for 24 hours plus. Sunday Morning I connected the battery and I have been driving like an old man ever since! Barely touch the Go Pedal, let the transmission get you there. It DOES piss-off the Alpha Types but that is just to bad. Gasoline is damned expensive. Also, it is important to clean the intake system. There are products that do specifically this, they come in spray cans and you just blow out the Kaka and your vehicle runs better.

Update, 07/13/2014

I have 113,000 miles on the odometer, now, and on the freeway, my truck clicks off 30.3 MPG. I use the cruise control exclusively, unless it is raining, and the fuel savings are very nice indeed! My City Average went from 18.9 to 21.4 and that, I am told, is huge! Getting my Smog Certificate, for reregistration, was a breeze. It's funny to me how I can leave at the same time as a friend who is driving to the same destination, as I, and we get there no more than four minutes difference! He says I drive too slow and yet I spend 30% less on fuel than he and he owns the same truck with the same Mods. His mileage never breaks 25 mpg. Makes you think I might be doing it right! I am now saving my Pennies, Nickels, dimes, quarters and old Moldy Money to buy a Hybrid Conversion for my Pick-up! THEN I need to rebuild the motor to get rid of this damned MISS, that happens every time I try to accelerate faster than normal, you know, like in an EMERGENCY! I MIGHT even consider a V8. There's not THAT much difference between my Vortec 4.3 V6 and a 4.8 LS Motor, only two cylinders and half a liter. That and a set of Edlebrock Heads and I'll probably get the same, or better, fuel economy!

12/18/2014

Changed my mind, a stock, 5.3, motor is more than double the horse power of the V6, if I can find a reasonably priced pair of, fully blue printed, heads I'll use them instead. It is important to not lose sight of a very real fact. The cost recovery to cost pay-out ratio. Am I going to own the truck a full 20 years? Do I really expect to put up with the Old Truck Hassle? I'm going to retire in seven years, ie this truck going to take care of me after I retire?

My next Instructable is going to be a Raspberry Pi B+ Computer installed in this truck. At the same time I will be replacing the heater core, installing a better entertainment system, repairing the park brake pedal mechanism and replacing a door handle that does not secure the truck correctly.