new to this looking for opinions

I know this has been discussed a lot in this forum and i have looked this up prior to posting, but i want to get some opinions out there.  I have a 2009 avalanche 5.3 stock.  I am looking to get better mpg on the highway, smoother shifting (mind you this is the second tranny in 70,000 miles) and the thing is a dog going up hill.  So i don't know know much about chips and am not looking to change my truck completely just looking to fix the above problems.  what "plug and play" chips are good for this.  From what i can tell most people are pushing the diablo.  Will it do what i am looking to do?  Sorry if it sounds like i have no idea of what i am talking about, just trying to learn what i can.

Thanks

Custom tune is only way to get better MPG and then I would say you are lucky to get 1-2mpg more.

Shifting can be adjusted but maybe yo uhave tranny problem.

thanks for the reply.  I would hope that i don't have a tranny problem.  Just had a brand  new one from GM put in less then 10k miles ago under warranty.  I know getting a custom tune is expensive and a little more then i want to do.  1 to 2 mpg would actually be great, i commute 100 miles every other day so that 1 or 2 miles adds up quick with how much driving i do.

CAI and super chips programmer got me 4 more mpg

03z71vinny .  did you use the stock programs or did you have it professionally tuned?  4 mpg more seems crazy.  your truck has a 4 speed correct, not the 6 speed tranny.

it is an 03 z71, believe the tranny is a 6 speed. could be wrong. I ordered a super chips programmer off of ebay for $199. local shops wanted $249 to reprogram my computer for the new 305/70/17- figured i would get a programmer that would adjust for the new tires and add HP at the same time for less money...

heres the link to the programmer i bought.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/251892061710?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Unless it's been changed and modified you have a 4 speed 4L60E trans.. GM didn't start putting six speeds in until around 07 I think...

Randy said:

Unless it's been changed and modified you have a 4 speed 4L60E trans.. GM didn't start putting six speeds in until around 07 I think...

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'09

That's what I had put down first was 09, and then I looked on the internet and found some info that said 07 so I changed a few minutes later...

You may have been thinking of a EXT they got it in 07

I do find it hard to believe anyone would get a 4mpg increase with a "canned" tune.. You are not likely to get that even with a professional tune with a dyno without significant changes in your hardware. 

And a CAI is NOT a significant change...

I hear people telling me they got all this great improvement with a CAI but it is VERY hard for me to believe... I have played with CAI in other vehicles and unless you are opening up the air flow or modifying the location where the air is pulled or doing something like ram air it just doesn't add up... The CAI take air from the fender area just as the factory intake does... If the insulation factor of the piping is such that it doesn't warm up the air as much as the factory intake does then MAYBE a slight increase...  But realistically even if a CAI did what it is advertised at its best... You still aren't going to get better gas Mileage... It would only affect "under load" performance such as stomping on it or towing or any time the engine is working hard... At cruising speeds it just isn't going to make a difference.

There are two theories I have seen behind a CAI. Colder air is denser and you will be pulling in the same VOLUME of air as if it was warmer but it will be DENSER thus more available oxygen. The other theory is that colder air is kinder to the fuel mixture otherwise if it is too warm you can get some pre-ignition and loose some of the power in the fuel. 

When I tested my car at the drag strip with a cold air intake, a factory intake, a ram air intake and a factory intake that had the box opened up more but pulled from same location... 
Factory location was to pull air from headlight socket..

The CAI has slightly colder air but in the 1/4 mile it did not show more than a .1 or .2 improvement at best...  Pretty much same as an opened up factory box. And could be discounted as any improvement at all. Certainly couldn't feel it...

The Ram Air intake pulled in air over the top of the radiator.. That actually made about a .3 sec in the 1/4 mile difference and if I had a ram intake hood some had said they had seen .4-.5 seconds in quarter mile improvement. And the ram air intake only helped once you hit about 50 mph and helped more at higher speeds.

But note that none of the intakes made a lick of difference on mileage and programming made little difference either.

So based on past experience I would have to see it with my own eyes to believe it...

I might try a CAI with a ram air intake hood although all of the angles might make it less efficient than a straight in piece.

MS03 2500 said:

You may have been thinking of a EXT they got it in 07

Click to expand...

Then I was right.. I said GM and not specifically in the Avalanche..

Randy said:

Then I was right.. I said GM and not specifically in the Avalanche..

Click to expand...

LOL when GM came out with the 6.2 L92 the 4l60 did not have a chance survive behind it. 

Yea the 4L60 could not handle a lot of HP unless upgraded...

GM also had a 5 speed for a few years the 5L40-E and 5L50 the they put in mostly Caddies behind the V6 but other GM vehicles Chevy, Pontiac, Holden and Saturn's.. That one evolved into the 6L50... Side mount or longitudinal mounted..

If you have a 07 up with a bunch of power 6l90 is the way to go. 06 and down beef that sucker up big time. Ask enoniam or one other member that put a put L92 heads on.

I would love to put a 6 speed behind the 8.1L, but the 6L90 is tuff to adapt into ours without major work.. TCI has  6X six speed but way to pricy..

So are you guys saying the newer 6 speed transmissions are much stronger than the 4l60e? 

My GF's 2013 Silverado has the newer 6 speed transmission behind her 5.3. She doesn't like riding in my '03 because she keeps thinking something is wrong with the transmission. My experience and what I have heard from the police shop mechanics that used to work on the old chevy cop cars and the taxi company I worked for at one point in time all said the 700r4/4l60e were weak and no matter what you did they still have weak points you can't do much about.

Just wondering because I have been keeping an eye out for a transmission that can handle much more power but not lose efficiency like the 4l80e does. My often mentioned Caprice is in storage until I have time to get it back on the road. It has a blown transmission in it now and needs some body work. Before I put a blower and build up the Lt1 in that car I might just consider getting a newer truck engine and trans and dropping them in if they will work much better.. Can't imagine how that 4600 lb car would handle having a 6.2 and 6 speed trans in it...

Rodney

Much stronger, they have to be to live in the Vetts and CTS-V's. You can get stand alone controllers for them and put them in almost anything.. But if you really want to move that 4600 pound Caprice go for the 8L90 8 speed, not a whole lot of stuff for it yet but it's new and I'm sure more will be along shortly.

You can build a 4L60 and make it stronger, but IMO if your making a lot of power you have to go for at least the 4L80 if your not moving up to a 6 speed. Yes you lose efficiency but strength and reliability to me out weights the negatives.. Especially in a 6,000lb AV, it may live longer in a light car but the more weight you try to push the shorter the life...

Here is some info about the 6l80e and 6l90e , the 6l90e is in the diesel range.
These are stock specs for them, If I remember right the 4l60e was rated for 400 HP unmodified

Disclaimer: the info came from GM PowerTrain website www.gmpowertrain.com