Fuel Mileage

[JLafferty]

Before I bought my truck which is a 2004 Dodge 2500 quad cab automatic with the 5. 9 cummins in it.

I heard that the fuel mileage was good on the diesel and the sales man that sold me this truck said that after the 10,000 mile break in I should get around 30 miles to the gallon.

Well it ate so I am getting around 13. 1 in the city and yes on the highway I get 21. 1 but it ate no 30.

I ask two guys that had Ford with the power stroke and both said they get 18 miles city and on guy said he gets 30 in the city

And it has kind of made me mad that Dodge won't give the OK to us an Exhaust break on anything but the new 2006.

So if anybody has any info on what the fuel mileage shoud be for my truck that has 27,000 on it I would really apreciate it.



Thanks

Jim Lafferty

-- email address removed --

TDR member

 

[robert4570]

Before I bought my truck which is a 2004 Dodge 2500 quad cab automatic with the 5. 9 cummins in it.

I heard that the fuel mileage was good on the diesel and the sales man that sold me this truck said that after the 10,000 mile break in I should get around 30 miles to the gallon.

Well it ate so I am getting around 13. 1 in the city and yes on the highway I get 21. 1 but it ate no 30.

I ask two guys that had Ford with the power stroke and both said they get 18 miles city and on guy said he gets 30 in the city

And it has kind of made me mad that Dodge won't give the OK to us an Exhaust break on anything but the new 2006.

So if anybody has any info on what the fuel mileage shoud be for my truck that has 27,000 on it I would really apreciate it.



Thanks

Jim Lafferty

-- email address removed --

TDR member

Heads up Jim ,

They were not truthful/ honest , I know several folks with Ford PSD 7. 3's and 6. 0's . None are are gettin 18 in the city not to mention 30 .

My 4cyl Nissan Altima doesn't get 30 . If you're gettin 20 hwy, empty you're not going to do any better . There's nothing wrong with your Dodge and Oh , buy your friends a calculater so they can get an accurate figure on their mpg's. :-laf

Enjoy your truck .

 

[Huskerman]

Jim,



Let me start off by saying that I am OBSESSED with fuel economy. Let me rephrase that... NEUROTICALLY OBSESSED!!! I have owned a 99' Cummins, 01' Cummin's and now my 04. 5' Cummins. All of my Cummin's (except the 04. 5 because it only has 3k on it) got 16. 5+/- around town and about 20 on the hiway.



I also owned an 01' 7. 3L Powerstroke. I did everything I could think of with that Powerstroke including driving that thing like a 100-year old woman on the way to her funeral. City was NEVER better than 12. 5. Not once, not EVER! Hiway was 21 every time I took it out on a trip. That's bone stock, empty except for my fat butt. I am here to tell you that anybody that claims they get 30 mpg is lying to you. If you don't believe me, visit the dieselstop message boards. Dieselstop is for Powerstroke owners and if you post that somebody said they get 30 they will tell you the same thing---NO WAY!!



When I first got my 04. 5' it was getting 13. 5 around town. Since the mileage flash it's been getting about 15. 5.



Having said all that, you also need to realize something else. Comparing your mileage to my mileage isn't the best way to get a good idea. For example, I my truck mainly to and from work, 8 miles one-way. I have 6 stopl ights and 5 stop signs along the way and a school zone @20mph. I would expect over time that if you drove an 8 mile route with only 2 lights and no stop signs there would be a pretty good difference in our mileage.



HOWEVER! That still doesn't change the fact that NOBODY and I mean NOBODY is getting 30mpg with their truck.



Huskerman

 

[kblranch]

My diesel gets 41 miles to the gallon in town :-laf . But its the little black VW tdi. The Dodge gets around 18 not towing and around 14. 5 towing the 11000# horse trailer.

 

[TCluff]

maybe the psd guy is burning more propane than fuel and has found a way to coast around town with a cummins pulling him, just kidding, i have played with an 03 6. 0 and it gets 18 on the highway with a pretty heavy camper on it, it is mostly stock, except the edge juice att on #3, it is a one ton dually, long bed extended cab 4x4, it gets around 14 putting around town, i have been averaging around 16. 6 with my cummins, i also have sad injectors, that are begging to be replaced, the 16. 6 is a highway figure, around 80mph interstate travel

 

[JonathanBurk]

Ditto... don't expect 30mpg out of any diesel 3/4 ton truck.



Older Cummins (pre-2003) you're looking at maybe high teens to mid 20's. Newer Cummins (post-2003) you're looking at high teens and some even low low 20's.

New Cummins (2004. 5-2006) you're looking at mid teens to maybe 20.



Without mods I'd say that's about the roundabout ball figure you're going to see.



As for the Ford's, all I know is that my uncle's Powerstroke gets in the 13's unloaded at best and his is broken in with 30K+ miles. I've got less than 2000 on my 2005 and am getting high 15's & 16's in the city and can get 18+ if I keep is under 70 on the interstate. Otherwise going 90 on the interstate I'm seeing 16's. Should get better after broken in I hope.



Never trust salesman.

 

[Grizzly]

Jim my boy, you have so much to learn. First lesson, don't believe anything Dealer salesman tell you. Second, "ate" no 30 mile per gallon pickup trucks.

 

[jeepit]

Jim my boy, you have so much to learn. First lesson, don't believe anything Dealer salesman tell you. Second, "ate" no 30 mile per gallon pickup trucks.

Ditto :-laf

 

[BHolm]

I think the 15-20 mpg I get with my '05 is astoundingly good milage. This is a 7500lb 4x4 truck with enough power to alter the earths rotation. This HUGE diesel truck gets as good or better milage than any vehicle I own. I'll admit I didn't buy any of them for economy but still, it is by far the largest in my stable. I pulled my Bobcat on a trailer 1400 miles the other day through the rockies and across the plains. I had the cruise set at 75 most of the way and my truck got 14mpg. Niether of my previous duramax trucks did that well empty, nor does my '99 powerstroke.

 

[67guzzler]

I'm speechless.

 

[2Gen3Gen]

Don't ya just love car salesmen????

 

[JLafferty]

Thanks for the info

 

[JLafferty]

Thanks For all of the responce I got about fuel mileage

At least I have heard from other owners that were telling me the truth

 

[CoastyAV8R]

It sounds to me like you didn't one bit of research before you went and bought your truck if you believed a line from a car salesman like that one. You went in to buying a very expensive vehicle without doing your homework and this is the lesson you learned. Common sense should have kept you from falling for it in the first place when a Dodge Dakota which is half the size/weight/horsepower can't get 24 mpg on the highway.

 

[JamesPhillips]

I have an 04. 5 that the clock just turned 10K. I drive about 100 miles per day to and from work (mostly highway and 65 mph). The best mpg I've had was 17. 9 (hand calculated). My overhead computer is currently stating 18. 1, and I'll be interested to see what I get this tank when I hand calculate at fill up. I was hoping to get a little better but I still don't think it's too bad for a 2500 4x4. I've had the reflash but can't really tell any noticable difference. Hopefully as I get a few more miles on the truck , it'll get even better. When pulling my 10K # 5th wheel, I only get around 11 mpg. I had a 96 CTD 2wd that I was getting 15 -16 mpg pulling the 5th wheel. I would still love this truck even if I was getting 10 mpg.

 

[stokede]

Never say never

I will agree that the Power stroke can not get 30 mpg and neither can the duramax but where are those anyways. I get up to 23. 3 mpg at 70 mph, 25. 1 mpg at 62 mph which is where I like to keep it. Of course 50 mph is the optimum but I don't want to blow anyones bubble here Oo.

_______________________

2003 2500 2WD HO 6pd, AFE Air Intake, Silencer Removed, 4" MBRP Muffler and Tornado, all with 85000 miles.

 

[JonathanBurk]

My friend just bought an '04 Duramax ext. cab 4x4... says he's getting about 23mpg.



I'm jealous, must be nice.

 

[Grizzly]

My friend just bought an '04 Duramax ext. cab 4x4... says he's getting about 23mpg.



I'm jealous, must be nice.

Don't be be jealous, he's probably lying to you. Lying about it is the best way to increase your fuel mileage you know.

 

[BPollister]

It sounds like to me the salesmen that sold you the truck hangs out with your powerstroke buddies. I have an 03 6spd with 67000 and the best highway i have gotten is 20 and 15 city

 

[jwduke]

I heard a guy tell another guy, one night, he got 19 mpg with a Dodge 1ton & a V10. I asked him if he used the milage to figure his mpg, from every other tank? He didn't think I was very funny... ..... wonder why? :-laf :-laf :-laf