Impressions on the 4.3L V6

Chris Godlove · August 3, 2014

Thanks man

jonny24 · August 3, 2014

It's pretty easy if you don't have to do the extra math to convert from litres and kms... and I'm never sure which gallon to use

courts94s · August 3, 2014

It's pretty easy if you don't have to do the extra math to convert from litres and kms... and I'm never sure which gallon to use

That's why God made calculators!

GPGuy · August 3, 2014

It's pretty easy if you don't have to do the extra math to convert from litres and kms... and I'm never sure which gallon to use

American gallon is 128 oz and imperial is 160oz.

wilks3 · August 27, 2014

Got my 2014 Silverado LT 2wd 4.3 V6 in Feb 2014. Love everything about the truck........except the "shakes" from the V4 AFM mode. I drive easy and I'm averaging 25.5 MPG with 87 octane. I get LESS MPG with any other octane fuel. E85 is only $.35 less per gallon so that's out of the question with it's at least 20% drop in MPG. Thinking very hard on getting the Range Technologies AFM disable module.

corwest · August 29, 2014

Got my 2014 Silverado LT 2wd 4.3 V6 in Feb 2014. Love everything about the truck........except the "shakes" from the V4 AFM mode. I drive easy and I'm averaging 25.5 MPG with 87 octane. I get LESS MPG with any other octane fuel. E85 is only $.35 less per gallon so that's out of the question with it's at least 20% drop in MPG. Thinking very hard on getting the Range Technologies AFM disable module.

noticed the shake too while in v4 mode. Not bad but noticable

Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk

grayrock8 · August 29, 2014

How do you average 25.5mpg? Do you drive like Miss Daisy? I drive what I consider normally and average around 18. Share your techniques with us.

PickUPS · August 29, 2014

I work hard to average over 22mpg lifetime, 10 tankfulls in six months.

My best 25mi average is 32.5mpg. The V6 is very efficient from 35-55mph. City stops-and-starts and expressway speeds are less conducive to high mpg.

While I am far from the quoted 25.5mpg (no one on Fuelly.com is close either) these are some of the ways I get the most that I can out of each gallon.

I like how the transmission back-drives the engine when decelerating so the fuel injectors can be turned off. I put the trans in N when I want to coast further without slowing down.

I run almost 40 psi in my stock Good Year “off road” 20” tires.

On the expressway I use the cruise-control but I press the decel-button several times as I climb inclines, and then add the speed back on mile-at-a-time on the way down the other side of hills.

In heavier traffic on the expressway I’ve found it useful to set my cruise control at a lower-limit like 62mph. I then run the throttle with my foot but don’t have to worry about slowing down too much on hills because the cruise will kick in if I don’t react in time. The 2014 truck has another feature that works well with this strategy: In “settings” you can set a speed-alert. That is probably not the right term but it sounds an alarm when you go over a preset speed. I set that around 73mph to stop me from accidentally going faster than I need on the downhills. Having these lower and upper limits preset allows for easier driving and speed variation. I can run the throttle pedal with my foot, reacting to traffic and grade changes, but not have to worry about going too slow or too fast...

Brian S. · August 30, 2014

I work hard to average over 22mpg lifetime, 10 tankfulls in six months.

Is it worth working hard for though? You could probably get 18mpg on average with the 4.3l 2wd model without thinking about it.

22mpg X 26gallons X 10 = 5720 miles

18mpg X 26 gallons X 10 = 4680miles

1040 more miles "working hard"/18 mpg = 57 gallons more used at 18mpg.

57 gallons X $3.39 = $193.23 over 6 months, $32 more per month fuel cost and you don't have to "work hard".

That's a dollar a day, only you can decide if that matters to you.

Imcrazy · August 30, 2014

I get about 19mpg around town, not city but small town suburbia / rural areas. 4.3V6 3.43 4x4. On the HWY if I keep it around 65 I seem to get 24-25 if I take it up to 70-75 it drops to 21-23. I don't take it easy on the truck really, I don't drag race every light or anything but, I get going quicker than the guy behind me most of the time. The 4.3 continues to impress me, I'm spoiled with my Mazda 6 which has a great power to weight ratio so sometimes the truck feels like a little bit of a dog but really its got plenty of power.

Brian S. · August 30, 2014

The ONLY place I've noticed more power would be nice is passing, and I don't notice that when on E85. Rockin' the 13mpg on E85 can be more costly though.

PickUPS · August 31, 2014

Is it worth working hard for though? You could probably get 18mpg on average with the 4.3l 2wd model without thinking about it.

22mpg X 26gallons X 10 = 5720 miles

18mpg X 26 gallons X 10 = 4680miles

1040 more miles "working hard"/18 mpg = 57 gallons more used at 18mpg.

57 gallons X $3.39 = $193.23 over 6 months, $32 more per month fuel cost and you don't have to "work hard".

That's a dollar a day, only you can decide if that matters to you.

Hello Brian S, and regular visitors to GM-trucks.com/forums

You make a valid point.

Your math is correct.

I am working hard to achieve an end.

I should say your math is correct about the dollars per mile and the difference in dollars between driving styles.

There is a bigger picture though, more at stake than my personal dollars.

I operate my the mower that I mow my lawn with, the saws that I heat my house with, the motor vehicles that I transport with: in the most efficient way that I can.

I know that lots of folks have not seen any connection between our personal transport choices and the world climate. I have done the math. I’m just saying that there is more at stake than a few dollars out of my or your wallet. If I can drive this truck more efficiently, I will. It is worth it. General Motors built in a bunch of features that make it easy to not waste fuel. I choose to take advantage of these features and to go beyond.

I’m a truck guy. I like driving a pickup. This 2014 Sierra is my fifth pickup truck. I like to drive off-road. I like put the hammer down and rip. I like to do some big drifting, precision power-slides in the Michigan winter…

Still, I make the choice to get that extra 1040 miles out of each 10 tankfulls. It is not easy to do, but it is easy for me to choose to do it.

It has nothing to do with “a dollar a day” but you are correct about the fact that it is up to each of us to decide what matters.

Please, Please, Please don’t interpret this post as my invitation to everyone to pile-on about your displeasure with the liberal mindset. We are truck folks, and the trucks are better than ever!

I’m just a guy with a V6 GMC who speaks his mind and goes his own way.

Brian S. · September 1, 2014

_{I'm not going to ridicule you for trying save gas to save the environment. If no one thought like that, we'd still be driving V8s with less horsepower and torque than our V6s. (and the 5.3s wouldn't be as efficient as they are either.}

_{No offense intended, the "working hard" part just frightened me.}

Edited September 1, 2014 by Brian S.

Brian S. · September 6, 2014

Also interesting about the 4.3l:

It has the same 305lbs torque as the old 4.8l V8, but it makes it at 3900RPMs. The 4.8l was making that torque at 4600RPMs, 700RPMs higher than the 4.3l.

Also, the outgoing 5.3l makes it's 335lbs torque at 4400RPMs, still 500RPMs higher than the 4.3l.

GPGuy · September 8, 2014

Also interesting about the 4.3l:

It has the same 305lbs torque as the old 4.8l V8, but it makes it at 3900RPMs. The 4.8l was making that torque at 4600RPMs, 700RPMs higher than the 4.3l.

Also, the outgoing 5.3l makes it's 335lbs torque at 4400RPMs, still 500RPMs higher than the 4.3l.

Very good point. It's amazing what you can get out of a V6 nowadays.

sent from the bed of my truck