How to buy an 04.5 with good mpg's?

[RankRam]

If I were to go shopping for an 04. 5 six speed, do you think it would be possible to weed out the trucks with poor mileage simply by using the overhead readout as an indicator of poor mileage?



Say when you test drive the truck on a flat highway and reset the display and drive 5 miles and get 15 mpg as opposed to the 20 mpg I would get on my 03.



I know this is not the most scientific way of doing things but it has got to give you some idea how well the truck will do.



I'm a little leary of letting the 03 go when I hear of the good and bad mpg reports.



Thanks

 

[XJSuperman]

I don't use the overhead with my '04 (305/555) as it is NEVER as accurate as hand calculated mileage. I know my speedometer/odometer/tripmeters are accurate as I have used GPS in conjunction with them to calculate mileage... the overhead has not once been the same... it always tells me I'm getting less than what I really am.



At any rate... when buying a 'new' truck it seems as though most folks mileage gets better with more miles... I know mine has improved slightly even before I put anything into/onto the motor.



I say if you;re leary of letting the '03 go... then don't.

 

[RTuvell]

Originally posted by RankRam

I'm a little leary of letting the 03 go when I hear of the good and bad mpg reports.



Thanks

Why in the world would you ever consider "letting the 03 go" to get a 04. 5? Is there something seriously wrong with your 03?

 

[jwilliams3]

My mileage was 11-12 on the trip meter when I purchased the truck about 2 months back.



Recently I averaged 18. 8 MPG on the last tank of fuel.

It was mostly highway miles with some mixed city driving.



I think alot of these engines just need some break-in miles.

I have a little over 4k at the moment.



--Justin

 

[ndennis]

RankRam,

When I picked up my 04. 5 3500 SRW 2WD, my overhead showed 11. 0 mpg avg. After reading all the posts concerning with low mileage on 325/600's, I was most definitely worried. Right now, with 2500+ on odometer, I am getting 18+ at 65-67(2000 rpm) according to the overhead... . a little more according to hand calculations. I fill the tank to the rim and so far have managed to stuff 37. 5 gallons in a 35 gallon tank. The 3. 73 gear has cost me a bit in mileage, but I am still happy with the truck and I think I will see even better mileage by the time it hits 30k.

N Dennis

 

[CAgnoli]

I agree with XJSuperman, if you have a good 03, why not wait until the 05's are on the books? (Did I read it right that the 05's may have a Jacobs Exhaust Brake as a factory option for the 48RE autos?)



Just seems that people are leary of 1/2 model years. I know that can be debated, but even though my truck is getting 18+ right now, AEkstrom lives near me, and if I hadn't bought my truck when I did, I'd be waiting for the 05 model. Absolute Worst Case Scenario, all of the 4. 5 owners would have ample data on the 600.





C

 

[XJSuperman]

Why even wait for the '05?? These trucks are built with the intention of them lasting up to and over 300,000 miles... . and several folks here have done just that.



I wonder why folks must trade in everytime something new comes out? It must be nice to have the $$ so as to not be "upside down" to be able to get a $40,000+ truck every couple years!

Oh-well... it's not my truck or money BUT unless mine just starts to fall apart it'll be mine for a LONG time... that's why I bought it.

 

[RankRam]

The 03 is a great truck and runs perfectly, the problem is it's an auto and not approved for use with an E-Brake. When I bought the truck part of the hoopla was that it was E-Brake approved. Well we all know how that turned out.



My 99 had an E-Brake and to put it plain and simple having a truck without one just plain sucks.



By the way I'm far from upside down on this 03. If I can get the right deal I will get the six shooter I should have gotten to begin with. If not then I will just let it bother me for five or six years and then get another truck then.

 

[DPelletier]

Quote: "If I can get the right deal I will get the six shooter I should have gotten to begin with. "



I hear ya. Sold my perfectly good 2001. 5 ETC auto to get my 6 spd. I ought to have known!



Dave

 

[Udaloy]

Quote: "If I can get the right deal I will get the six shooter I should have gotten to begin with. "



I'll second that. I didn't know better, that's why I got the automatic, and hence, getting an 04. 5 6-speed now. I definitely don't have the money to get a new truck every two years either!



To get back to the point though, I think you can work with the overhead to get an idea what the truck will do compared to others on the lot. Who can argue with driving two trucks on the same route, and seeing what the overhead says? It's really the only option you have short of filling up the truck, running around, and filling again. Do that on every truck you test drive...

 

[EEngel]

Good Mileage

If you have a good dealer and he knows you are serious, get him to fill the tank to the rim (he will have to do this anyways when you buy it).



Take the truck out for 100 miles and then return and top it off again.



My 600 has got over 16mpg since day 1.

 

[RankRam]

Thanks for the info guys!

 

[KevinO]

You won't get a 600 stock to get good mileage, at least what i call good mileage which is what my 01 would get. i am experimenting with the exhaust to see if i can get better without "some things" on it.

 

[mberry]

Originally posted by XJSuperman

Why even wait for the '05?? These trucks are built with the intention of them lasting up to and over 300,000 miles... . and several folks here have done just that.



I wonder why folks must trade in everytime something new comes out? It must be nice to have the $$ so as to not be "upside down" to be able to get a $40,000+ truck every couple years!

Oh-well... it's not my truck or money BUT unless mine just starts to fall apart it'll be mine for a LONG time... that's why I bought it.

I'm doing it because I screwed up and didn't do my research or find this site until after I bought my '02. Had I known to get the 6 speed then, I wouldn't even worry about it. I figured the price difference between getting the new one, including insurance increases for the 2+years or so, is still less than spending the money to get the power and "good" transmission needed to do what I wanted this truck to do in the first place.



I got what I think is a great deal on a truck I ordered the way I wanted it. And since now that it is the way I wanted it I won't need to replace it for a very long time because it will do what I need it to do right out of the gate.

 

[opjohnny]

I think you would have to order a single cab 2wd with out the tow mirrors in a 6 speed st with no other options. That would get good mileage. Don't forget the 3. 73 gear. the work truck special. the 245's on the st would help also' less mass.

 

[Ol'TrailDog]

Another option is to keep the 03 and wait until just before the 07s with the latest and greatest EPA standards and get an 06.



By then all the bugs will be worked out of the 600 and they probably will have "tweaked" it a little to boost sales.



I'm planning on hanging on to my fabled fabulous 555 forever or until the body falls apart, which ever comes first.

 

[RTuvell]

Originally posted by Ol'TrailDog

Another option is to keep the 03 and wait until just before the 07s with the latest and greatest EPA standards and get an 06.



By then all the bugs will be worked out of the 600 and they probably will have "tweaked" it a little to boost sales.



I'm planning on hanging on to my fabled fabulous 555 forever or until the body falls apart, which ever comes first.

IMHO thinking that any brand diesel will have the "dramatically reduced emissions bugs" worked out between now and 06 or 07 is very optimistic.



The best option is to find a 555 that will meet your needs and hang on to it forever like Ol'TrailDog!

 

[klenger]

While the milage on my 01. 5 was up to 2 MPG better than my 04. 5, I am pleased with what I am getting (17. 5 MPG best so far). I think the lower milage has more to do with the full-time front axle than any exhaust problems or injection events with the 04. 5. In watching some of the posts from the 555 crowd, many of them are getting about the same milage as the 600's. If milage is VERY important to you, then get a 2WD.