DMAX hell

[RVTRKN]

Wow just got out of DMAX hell due to work truck. Boss wanted me to find out why my MPG is poor. After 2 wks on the Diesel Place site I am finding out just how bad the DMAX is and how unhappy the owners are, though they wont admit it. The MPG on mine is 12 MPG on a good day. I just wanted to let out some steam. The dealer informed me 9 to 19 is normal, WTF was that for an answer.

 

[phloop]

Is that 12mpg on your 04. 5 or that chebby? If that mpg is from your Jimmy does that mean my 04. 5 is really jimmy also? I only get 12/13mpg avg. from my truck on a good day also. And that is if I soft peddle and not tow anything. :{



But it will tow anything I hook up too it.



And the worst part is my ol' 97 PSD got better mpg and close to the same power with only a BHAF and no muffler/cat. I will not go back but it still bites.

 

[Swayse]

I'm happy. Brother-in-law traded out of his 05 Dodge for a 06 LBZ duramax, he says the milage is better on the new dura than his well broken in 80,000 mile 05 dodge cummins was.



My milage is ok around the farm empty and down the road. I put 285/70R17 tires on it, so it only turns like 1700 rpm at 70 mph in 6th, I think that's a bit too low. I pulled my car hauler with my dodge on it to the drag strip, pulled it in 6th gear the whole way, at 70 mph at 1700 rpm. It pulled really good, down shifted to 5th on the very steep hills, but still pulled good. I got 8. 5 mpg, not happy with that at all. I'm gonna try 5th gear next time, that should put me right at 2050 rpm at 70 mph. I'm still really happy with the truck, the trans is just awesome, but I don't really need 6th gear unless I wanna cruise at 80 mph.

 

[klenger]

I get about 12 mpg on an average day... 20 if I'm not towing.

 

[GAllen]

I am finding out just how bad the DMAX is and how unhappy the owners are, though they wont admit it. [/I]

I don't think so! Everyone I know that has one loves it. Any my buddies LB7 walked my truck.

 

[turbo lcc]

I love my GMC D-max. It gets 17-18 mpg.

 

[RVTRKN]

I don't think so! Everyone I know that has one loves it. Any my buddies LB7 walked my truck.

Ask them if they have overheated

pulling heavy loads, and I'm willing to bet your buddies truck could not keep up on steep grades. My truck gets 16-17 towing a 5ver

 

[Devan Manis]

the lly's have the over heating problems... i think

 

[TX Gooseneck]

Here is the biggest problem I've heard, my main driver has an 05 that just died. It has 115k and he split a piston. The dealer is telling him the engine is NON-servicable, non- repairable, non-rebuildable. They offered to cover 50% on what they have stated as a factory defect. The 50% leaves my driver stuck with an $8000 repair bill. It may be an isolated incident, but in my business down time is costly and a cummins rebuild is quick and relatively cheap in comparison.

 

[GAllen]

Ask them if they have overheated

pulling heavy loads, and I'm willing to bet your buddies truck could not keep up on steep grades. My truck gets 16-17 towing a 5ver

This is a bet you would loose. He out pulled me coming home from Oregon on I-5 southbound coming up the grapevine from the San Joaquin valley. That grade is 6+%(Banks test track) and he was +2,500 lbs over me. Don't get me wrong, I love this truck and the way it drives. It was my decision to buy it and I drove them all many times. But if Dodge want's to compete fully with GM they'll need to add gears for the auto and make it shift quickly between gears instead of "sitting" at redline, letting the power flatten, and then shifting. Stock trucks, GM 3. 73 and Dodge 4. 10 rear ends with 12,000lb trailers up a 6% grade, the DMAX will win. Sorry, I've been there.

 

[tractorseller]

I've owned two Duramax trucks, did a lot of pulling with them, and the engines always performed well. I never had any overheating problems, even pulling heavy during the summer in Southern Arizona where it's regularly over 100 degrees. Now I love this Cummins for the most part (aside from the heavy white smoke cloud on winter mornings), but I can't knock the Duramax.

 

[RVTRKN]

This is a bet you would loose. He out pulled me coming home from Oregon on I-5 southbound coming up the grapevine from the San Joaquin valley. That grade is 6+%(Banks test track) and he was +2,500 lbs over me. Don't get me wrong, I love this truck and the way it drives. It was my decision to buy it and I drove them all many times. But if Dodge want's to compete fully with GM they'll need to add gears for the auto and make it shift quickly between gears instead of "sitting" at redline, letting the power flatten, and then shifting. Stock trucks, GM 3. 73 and Dodge 4. 10 rear ends with 12,000lb trailers up a 6% grade, the DMAX will win. Sorry, I've been there.

I have pulled my 5ver up the grapevine and I cant believe the DMAX stock could out pull mine stock, however mine is the NV5600 with the 3:73 rear, maybe a difference. I had to slow down for two DMAX which appeared to be struggling due to smoke output and about 45MPH. Once the lane cleared to the left I passed with ease from forth [ I was in forth due to DMAX in front ]through sixth to maintain 70 MPH up the 6%+ grade . Now maybe there are parameters with there trucks I am not aware of but the loads seamed the same. I traveled from so cal to Idaho to South Washington back to so cal and all grades in between repeated same scenario with all brands except dodge. I don"t think your buddies truck is stock.

 

[RVTRKN]

Here is the biggest problem I've heard, my main driver has an 05 that just died. It has 115k and he split a piston. The dealer is telling him the engine is NON-servicable, non- repairable, non-rebuildable. They offered to cover 50% on what they have stated as a factory defect. The 50% leaves my driver stuck with an $8000 repair bill. It may be an isolated incident, but in my business down time is costly and a cummins rebuild is quick and relatively cheap in comparison.

Hey gooseneck why would GM pay anything over warranty[110K miles]?

 

[GButia]

known problems.

 

[Tryingit]

Chevy did the same for me when my suburban was out of warranty by 15K miles. The air conditioner compressor along with several other things went leaving me with a 1400 dollar bill. I called Chevy who in turn call the Dealer. The Dealer advised me that chevy will split the cost. Amazingly my half only came to 500. 00. Weird Huh?

 

[Dieselnerd]

RVTRKN, not to rain on your parade but 16-17 MPG pulling a fifth wheel sounds a little high even with a good tailwind. Many here would say that is more typical mileage running empty. Even with the stick transmission that still seems unrealistic. I can get 15 with a small slide in camper and I get around 10 pulling a fifth wheel. I've got an automatic and 4:10 gears but even at that, that's one huge difference in MPG.

 

[TowPro]

Haven't we heard about Cummins or Dodge helping out on the cracked 93 blocks that were not that far over 100K miles?

 

[Tryingit]

My 5K trip to the midwest netted me 11 mpg towing a 10K 5th wheel. I was happy. All of my travel trailers (5K) being pulled by suburbans and half ton pickups never got more than 8mpg :{

 

[Devan Manis]

Haven't we heard about Cummins or Dodge helping out on the cracked 93 blocks that were not that far over 100K miles?

53 block, but what you said still applies.

 

[TowPro]

53 block, but what you said still applies.

ya, what you said. 53, 93.