What the hey? Need a little M1008 help, please.

[Chi Gamma Iota]

Just picked-up my pickup yesterday and drove her home... a distance of a little less than 50 miles. Kept it under 55, though it seemed to want to go faster. No smoke. Handled great. Problem? Took a little less than half a tank for the trip. Could not find a leak. Oil level is ok, doesn't seem like a quarter-tank of fuel went in the crankcase... searched for a previous post on this, but failed to find one.. manuals don't address this specifically that I saw. If the fuel screw is turned-up too high, or it had the wrong injectors or something, wouldn't it smoke? My first diesel machine and it's just me up here in Beekmantown, NY. And I would very much if someone could point me in the right direction... just kills me the thing could run so smoothly and strong and use so much fuel! Anyway, thanks in advance!

 

[armytruck63]

Don't rely on your gas gage to tell you the amount of fuel used. They are notoriously inaccurate in military vehicles, even in the semi-civilian CUCV's. You should get something like 14 MPG cruising empty. M1009's can get 19-20 MPG.

 

[Chi Gamma Iota]

So I should try refilling and see how much fuel was actually spent? I can do that!

 

[Chi Gamma Iota]

Kind of thought since the gauge needle went down so smoothly, (and so fast!) that it must be reading right... will try filling-up tonight.

 

[armytruck63]

Fill it up again and see how much fuel you put in. Then divide how far you drove by how much fuel you put in and you get your MPG. Use this figure as a ball park of how much fuel you will use in the future.

My 5-ton gets around 5 MPG, so if I have to go 100 miles, I will use 20 gallons. I use 4 MPG when doing my mental math as a cushion. My tank has 75 gallons useable, so I figure I can go around 300 miles on a tank. You of course, will do much better than this.

 

[MarcusOReallyus]

So I should try refilling and see how much fuel was actually spent? I can do that!

That is the ONLY way you should EVER check your mileage. "Miles per tank" or any method having to do with the gas gauge is about as trustworthy as a 5 term Senator running for reelection.

 

[Chi Gamma Iota]

Yup. Wasn't so much that I was checking my mileage, as it was that I was freekin-out over how fast the fuel gauge needle was heading for "E!" Filled the tank tonight. It took over 11 gallons, but now the gauge reads like 1/4 tank above full. It was reading directly on full when I first took the truck home. Anyway, I need to run a mileage test starting from now. Hoping it may be alright, after all. We shall see!

 

[rsh4364]

And also remember the speedos are normally off too.Until I got familiar with mine I relied on my GPS for actual miles traveled! If the speedo is off the odometer is off !

 

[Chi Gamma Iota]

Good point. Didn't GPS that first trip, but had my wife driving back with me. The mileage was off between the two vehicles only by a few tenths.

 

[scottladdy]

All good advice.

You also should not rely on one tank to verify your mileage. The average of several tankfuls will be more accurate.

FWIW, I averaged about 18+ with my M1008 before I added a Gear Vendors overdrive. That is with 33" tires. Haven't checked mileage since I added the overdrive but it "seems" better.

 

[Recovry4x4]

I remember the first time I saw a GPS in a friends deuce. I thought he didn't know how to get around. Now I use one all the time. Best speedo ever.

 

[MarcusOReallyus]

Yup. Wasn't so much that I was checking my mileage, as it was that I was freekin-out over how fast the fuel gauge needle was heading for "E!"

My Jeep did that to me a few months ago. It went from being pretty accurate to acting as if I were getting 3 MPG. It just headed south in a hurry, and the closer it got to E, the faster it wanted to get there. I'd pull in on an "empty" tank and only get 3/4 to half a tank in it.

Now it's wandered back to being almost accurate again. Dunno why, but I think I need to be planning on a new fuel pump and sending unit in the near future.

Don't trust gauges!

 

[gungearz]

FYI: on all the chevy trucks I've driven (and still drive as I have a burb)... once you fill the tank up.. the gauge reads full and it sits for a long time on full (about 2 days on a 2 day, 105 mile commute), then it's down hill quick from there...

It's almost like it reads from an upside down triangle....

Every one I've had from the 80's to the late 90's did that... pickups, burbs, blazers, tahoes.... all the same...

 

[Terrh]

My Chevy does that too. Top 1/4 on the gauge is 1/2 the capacity of the tank.