Do tires affect fuel consumption

[Masked Bandit]

Now I'm not talking about difference of 1/10th a L per 100 KM here but I just put on set of Nokian Vatiiva of my Avalanche and on the highway I'm burning through about 3 L per 100 KM extra. Has anyone else every experienced a jump in fuel consumption with new tires?

[s dime]

big size difference will affect mpg considerably, PSI as well.

[Cos]

Dumb question but are they bigger?

[nobb]

Went from an average of 40 MPG to 35MPG by switching from low rolling resistance Potenza Re-92 (shitty grip) to Kumho Ecsta ASX, so yea I would say it does effect mileage. Pretty much as soon as I put the new tires on the mileage dropped.

[dj_rice]

If you were running a all-season tire and then put on say for example a Baha mud terrain tire then yes

[Masked Bandit]

Same factory size (265/70/17), prior was BFG all season and these Nokians are the premium all season.

[Tik-Tok]

You shouldn't be seeing a difference then. When did you swap tires? Was it right around the same time it got frigid out?

[ExtraSlow]

Keep in mind, the difference in tread depth between worn out tires and brand new tires can be pretty significant on truck tires. So, your odometer will be out by that much.
Not to mention that the new tires will be heavier for the same reason.
Also, some tires have a higher rolling resistance due to differences in rubber compound and tread geometry.

[Muji]

Are the tires rotating the correct way? It is possible the arrows are going backwards.... a tire place installed mine that way a while back. Not Urban X though. Air pressure correct on the tires?

When fuel prices rise, which is any week now, those tires will be even less impressive. I rented an F250 last for a day last year, it sucked fuel like it was a drug. How anyone drives trucks without a business expense is beyond me.

[That.Guy.S30]

when I switch from my nokians to my goodyears on my truck I see about a 10% difference in milage. same size. with the nokians on it uses more gas.

edit: so with the goodyears I get an average of 450 a tank and with the nokians its 400 at most.

[benyl]

Just because the size matches on the sidewall, doesn't mean they are the same size.

The only thing you can be sure of is the last number. The first two are approximate.

If the nokians are slightly bigger, you will calculate a mileage drop.

[BrknFngrs]

I was actually going to post on the same topic. I'm noticing significantly worse mileage in my Subaru with my winter tires on. In the summer I did about 600km with 60L of fuel with P-Zero's on the car but on the same stretch of highway I'm getting 450-500km on 60L with Blizzaks.

[kvg]

Tire tread pattern and compound can affect it for sure. Also it's quiet common temperature to cause changes in mileage.

[ExtraSlow]

Plus, most people let their car idle for a couple minutes longer when it's cold outside.

[sr20s14zenki]

More grip=more rolling resistance=shittier mileage?

:dunno:

[Masked Bandit]

I've already factored in the winter versus summer temperature. I've owned the truck for just about three years now so I know it sucks more gas around town from excess wheel spin & more idling.

Where I saw the most telling example is highway driving. Even in the winter with the cruise set at 120 I hit right around 14.5 L per 100 KM. I just got back from a 2000 KM highway trip and I averaged 16.5 L per 100 KM. Over the life span of these tires that is a LOT of money pissed away. It's actually enough to justify selling these ones even though they've only got about 3000 KM on them for half of what I paid and buy something else.

[tirebob]

One "guess" could be that based on the size, is it possible your OEM tires were standard load 4 ply tires, and the replacements were Load Range E 10 ply rated? The extra weight of the load range E tires could definitely have an adverse effect to your fuel economy...

Otherwise air pressure can also have a fairly dramatic effect if they are substantially lower that you usually run. Rolling resistance can play into it as well. All things combined will magnify the issue.

[anschutz_92]

Originally posted by Masked Bandit
I just got back from a 2000 KM highway trip and I averaged 16.5 L per 100 KM.

You don't have enough data to warrant selling your tires off of one trip. Maybe your 02 sensor needs replacing or you have an exhaust leak and that is why you had shitty milage. Maybe last time you drove the truck you had a tail wind pushing you the entire tire. Have you accounted for terrain as well uphill vs downhill. I have a hard time believing the tires have a 15% influence on fuel milage between different brands of the "same" tire.

[dj_rice]

Originally posted by tirebob
One "guess" could be that based on the size, is it possible your OEM tires were standard load 4 ply tires, and the replacements were Load Range E 10 ply rated? The extra weight of the load range E tires could definitely have an adverse effect to your fuel economy...




:werd:

[Unknown303]

Originally posted by tirebob
One "guess" could be that based on the size, is it possible your OEM tires were standard load 4 ply tires, and the replacements were Load Range E 10 ply rated? The extra weight of the load range E tires could definitely have an adverse effect to your fuel economy...

Otherwise air pressure can also have a fairly dramatic effect if they are substantially lower that you usually run. Rolling resistance can play into it as well. All things combined will magnify the issue.

This?

[Anomaly]

Originally posted by tirebob
One "guess" could be that based on the size, is it possible your OEM tires were standard load 4 ply tires, and the replacements were Load Range E 10 ply rated? The extra weight of the load range E tires could definitely have an adverse effect to your fuel economy...



:werd:

Noticed a mileage hit on my silverado when I went from factory size p series to factory size 10 ply LT's. The weight difference seemed pretty substantial.

[Masked Bandit]

Originally posted by anschutz_92


You don't have enough data to warrant selling your tires off of one trip. Maybe your 02 sensor needs replacing or you have an exhaust leak and that is why you had shitty milage. Maybe last time you drove the truck you had a tail wind pushing you the entire tire. Have you accounted for terrain as well uphill vs downhill. I have a hard time believing the tires have a 15% influence on fuel milage between different brands of the "same" tire.

The terrain is not an issue as it's the same trip back to my hometown in Saskatchewan that I always make. I guess it's not impossible that it's some other mechanical issue but it would be an awfully strange coincidence that this happened at EXACTLY the same time I got new tires put on.

[ryder_23]

Maybe also you've been filling up with some company who has put a bunch of winter additives into it :dunno:

[benyl]

Did you use switch to Husky Gas?

[Masked Bandit]

The specific fuel isn't it either as I usually get Coop here in town but had Petro Canada at one stop, Shell at another, then Petro Canada again, then 7-11, then reverse the order.

On a six year old Chevy truck the specific fuel doesn't make any difference. I've put 60,000 KM on this truck in the last three years and I know it's behaviour pretty well. That's why I'm convinced it's the tires.