Fazed Posted May 27, 2014 Don't get me wrong, I really love the NV, but fuel economy is dismal. During break in I got 12mpg with mixed driving. I recently switched to mid grade fuel, but it's too soon to tell if it makes a difference. I've looked into tuners and can only find one from Bully Dog. I'm really wanting to improve fuel economy, and was wondering if anyone has used a tuner to help with that. I'm coming from a diesel background (Ford Powerstroke and VW TDI), and know they can work wonders on those. Do gas tuners really do anything? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
xavman Posted May 29, 2014 Sadly not likely. If you got the money, invest in the tuner, a high flow muffler, and high flow air system. And use the cruise, because this chunky chick likes to go fast. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NVChattanooga Posted February 17, 2015 Does anybody have suggestions on an exhaust, intake combination? Also any quality tuners in the TN/GA/AL area? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
peter_fazio Posted March 11, 2015 Hi, I have the bullydog GT gas tuner installed on my 2013 NV3500 passenger w/ 5.6 V8. I installed the premium fuel tune, w/ wide open throttle restricted removed, and 2 degree spark advance. I don't know how it affected fuel economy, but it sure changed the character of the engine and transmission. The engine was quick before the tune, but now it really rips. For a truck that weighs 7000 lbs, it really moves out from a dead stop. With traction control off, it will easily spin the rear tire from a dead stop if you boot the throttle. The truck is even more fun to drive now with the tune. As an added benefit of the tune, the transmission shift points are greatly improved. Before the tune, I always felt that the transmission upshifts were kinda' delayed, especially when climbing a hill. Now the upshifts are very crisp and much better timed for the power ouput of the engine. I haven't tested the fuel consumption on a trip w/ the tune, so no data to report. Pete Fazio Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ASD Dad Posted April 14, 2015 Hi, I have the bullydog GT gas tuner installed on my 2013 NV3500 passenger w/ 5.6 V8. I installed the premium fuel tune, w/ wide open throttle restricted removed, and 2 degree spark advance. I don't know how it affected fuel economy, but it sure changed the character of the engine and transmission. The engine was quick before the tune, but now it really rips. For a truck that weighs 7000 lbs, it really moves out from a dead stop. With traction control off, it will easily spin the rear tire from a dead stop if you boot the throttle. The truck is even more fun to drive now with the tune. As an added benefit of the tune, the transmission shift points are greatly improved. Before the tune, I always felt that the transmission upshifts were kinda' delayed, especially when climbing a hill. Now the upshifts are very crisp and much better timed for the power ouput of the engine. I haven't tested the fuel consumption on a trip w/ the tune, so no data to report. Pete Fazio Pete - Any updates to your Bully Dog? Any changes to MPG? Any other issues? I assume this flashes the ECU each time you change tunes, any issues with that? I looked into the BD Platinum for my Tundra and there were issues with battery voltage not reading high enough and you had to have a pretty strong charger connected to the battery at all times during tuning. If voltage dropped mid-tune you would brick the ECU and need to get it towed into Toyota for an expensive fix! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
peter_fazio Posted April 14, 2015 ASD Dad, The tune seems to be stable. I have had no issues. When installling the tune I never had a problem with the battery running low. I have only installed the tune one time. I don't have any info on re-installing the original tune. Last weekend I made a trip from York, PA to New York City, about 3 hours total. Carrying seven people and luggage, we were running about 8000lbs. On the highway, PA turnpike and NJ turnpike I cruised at about 80 mph. I refilled the tank after the trip and got 12.6 mpg. I was running fast and really used the power alot to pass people. So, I guess I am not seeing any improvement in fuel economy, at least while running fast. I really need to take a trip and keep the speed down to about 65 mph and go light on the pedal to get a decent reading on highway fuel economy. Pete Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ASD Dad Posted April 15, 2015 Pete - thanks for the reply. I may look into one still. I have a few other things I'd like to take care of first but the BD tuner may be on that list of upgrades down the line. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
