Out of the Powerstroke Business (a rant)

[JLDickmon]

4-gas results

not at all what I expected to see...
CO2 = carbon dioxide
CO = carbon monoxide
HC = hydrocarbons
O2= oxygen

at idle
CO2- 2.7% CO- .02%
HC- 6ppm O2- 0%

Low Cruise - 1500 rpm
CO2- 2.5% CO- .03%
HC- 5ppm O2- .13%

High Cruise - 2000 rpm
CO2- 2.64% CO- .03%
HC- 5ppm O2- .13%

4" puddle of CRC C111C on the floor, wand 4" above
CO2- .02% CO- 0%
HC- 93ppm O2- .13%

I really expected to see more oxygen in the tailpipe, especially at idle.

If this was a gas engine, I'd say it's running pretty darn well.

(note: this truck was built w/o a catalytic convertor)

 

[JLDickmon]

changed the oil Thursday, filled from a different station tonight...
we'll see how it goes...
(results may be skewed due to tonight's ice storm forcing use of 4WD)

 

[JLDickmon]

OK... today is 12/9, tripmeter reads 204 miles, fuel gauge at right about half-staff... looks like things are improving...

thinking next step is clean the EBPV tube (could feel the valve closing a couple times today puttering down the street).

my buttmunch neighbor just got back from Maryland with a '99 TDI Jetta... 53mpg... he sucks.
He brought it in for a new set of tires on Friday.

 

[fordtrucker4life!]

OK... today is 12/9, tripmeter reads 204 miles, fuel gauge at right about half-staff... looks like things are improving...

thinking next step is clean the EBPV tube (could feel the valve closing a couple times today puttering down the street).

my buttmunch neighbor just got back from Maryland with a '99 TDI Jetta... 53mpg... he sucks.
He brought it in for a new set of tires on Friday.

So how much did you offer him for the jetta?

 

[bushpilot]

OK... today is 12/9, tripmeter reads 204 miles, fuel gauge at right about half-staff... looks like things are improving...

you really need to stop calculating your MPG by the fuel gauge...
depending on the ACCURACY of your gauge and the size of your
tank you could be getting "reasonable" miles per tank (small tank)
or CRAP (large tank).

my gauge (again its not very accurate for calculating mpg) doesnt
move (if completely full, to the brim) til at least 125-150mi...but then
ive got the LARGER tank too.

500+ mile 'round town or 650-750mi on the interstate (DEPENDING)
per tank is my norm.

 

[JLDickmon]

I haven't calculated it at all since I've changed the oil, it's still on the tank of fuel I put in it that day.
I use a pad with miles driven since last fill, miles driven since last fill & average it over at least three tanks.
I won't have a new mpg average for about two more weeks yet.

But I can tell you when I get +/- 200miles on approx. half a tank, vs. 50 miles on approx. half a tank, things are looking up.

 

[JLDickmon]

327 miles
27 gallons

I'm plugging it in every night to lessen drag on it in the morning...
(gonna get my arse royally thumped by Mrs JL when she see's the electric bill)

 

[bushpilot]

12mpg...is that around town ?

as for the electric bill (remember that block heater is 1100watts)...
put it on a TIMER !

 

[95_stroker]

It costs less than 2 dollars a DAY (24 hrs) to run a block heater in our trucks. If faster warm up and increased fuel economy is your goal you only have to save about 3 quarts of diesel to save that 2 dollars.

 

[F350DRW1]

I went the Bushpilot route and put the plug on a timer. 4 hours seems to do the same as all night.