Kinda dissed with the mpg's

[SPenczak]

Have a 06 quad cab 4x4 auto 3. 73 with about 4k miles,the mpg's at this point are kinda dissapointing to me. I do relize it really is not broken in yet,but all of the trucks I have had prior pretty much have gotten same milage at 500 miles or fifty thousand miles. I have pulled my 4k pound snowmobile trailer once and also a 9k bobcat (both locally) so it has been worked a little. Back and forth to work 70 mile round trip seems to be in the 15. 0 to 15. 8 range,with one tank a little over 16,one tank was 17. 1 and the highway trip I just took this weekend up to central wisconsin and back was 16. 0(70 to 72mph on the interstate,60 to 67mph on the back roads on the way home)The bright side is my wifes girlfriend has the same truck with a Hemi and she only gets about 11 around town. I wasn't expecting 20mpg like some but i thought 17 to 18 wouldn't be a problem. By the way all mpg's are hand calculated because the coumputer is just a tease!!!

 

[Midnight]

Is that the size tire the truck came with? If not, and you went bigger, then you will be going further than what the odmeter accually shows, thus showing lower mileage. Just a thought.

 

[SPenczak]

I relize that but it is only one size up so it is not going to add 2mpg's maybe a tenth or two. Plus those tires were just installed two weeks ago.

 

[TRAMPLINEMAN]

I've got about 4,500 miles on my '06 and am seeing the same results. I also have 285's which I had installed before the truck left the lot. I calculate my mpg from my GPS. I'm getting between 15-16 mpg on the highway. Hoping it will get better.

 

[Garry Verheyden]

My friend was getting 13-14 mpg. with his 06 Mega Cab 4x4. He has had the reflash done and has now seen as high as 23 mpg. on the hwy. at 65-70 MPH. He regularly gets 18-20 (hand calculated) empty. Have you looked into getting it reflashed at the dealer?

Garry.

 

[Garry Verheyden]

Oh yeah! His is a 6spd by the way.

 

[Big Best]

My friend was getting 13-14 mpg. with his 06 Mega Cab 4x4. He has had the reflash done and has now seen as high as 23 mpg. on the hwy. at 65-70 MPH. He regularly gets 18-20 (hand calculated) empty. Have you looked into getting it reflashed at the dealer?

Garry.

What is reflashed

 

[Cattletrkr]

My '01 took until 12K to go up in mileage. My '04. 5 took until 6K. I went from 8-8. 5 towing to 10. 5-11 towing. Don't fear the 3000rpm barrier either. Run 'er up to loosen 'er up.



Your mileage #'s are better than Dad's '03 if that makes ya feel any better.

 

[Spooled-up]

I think you'll eventually get up to around 17 or so. Just give it some time.



I also ran 33" tall tires on the '03. It actually makes about a 5% difference in mileage traveled which should show a little better mileage. It makes a difference like Midnight says.

 

[Garry Verheyden]

The ecu gets reflashed. I dont know if it is done through the port under the steering wheel or the engine compartment. But they did it at the dealership, and his mpg. went up instantly. This has nothing to do with the engine breaking in period.

He also had an intermittent injector knocking sound with his 04. 5 that I noticed. His dealer said that was normal, I told him it wasn't. He went to a different dealer and had that truck reflashed too. The knocking sound went away and his fuel economy went from 15-16 up to 18-19.

See if your dealer knows about this. If not , I'll get some contact numbers for you.

Garry

 

[SPenczak]

I definetly have a rattle off idle if that is what your talking about?

 

[Garry Verheyden]

That's exactly what I'm talking about. Just off idle, he'd get a sound similar to the 99-02 24 valve. It wouldn't always happen, but often. Hopefully the reflash will take care of both for you. Let us know how you make out after seeing the dealer.

Garry

 

[AWay]

I just finished pulling my 15,000 lb 5er to Florida. Just over 1100 miles down. Averaged 10. 4 mpg hand calculated. Came home empty and pushed it hard, averaged 17. 8 mpg hand calculated. My truck has 5000 miles on it.

 

[Bernie]

Hand calc?

The ecu gets reflashed. I dont know if it is done through the port under the steering wheel or the engine compartment. But they did it at the dealership, and his mpg. went up instantly. This has nothing to do with the engine breaking in period.

He also had an intermittent injector knocking sound with his 04. 5 that I noticed. His dealer said that was normal, I told him it wasn't. He went to a different dealer and had that truck reflashed too. The knocking sound went away and his fuel economy went from 15-16 up to 18-19.

See if your dealer knows about this. If not , I'll get some contact numbers for you.

Garry

Make sure that is hand calculated improvement. The reflash includes a change to how the trip computer does it's calculations. It becomes a lie-o-meter with the new software. Look at some of my other posts and you will see what I found out about it.

 

[CBrahs]

I am getting about 12. 1 with mine . 3. 73's with 37 inch tires and auto transmission. less than 900 miles on the truck.

 

[Garry Verheyden]

Those figures were hand calculated. I didn't know the reflash made the trip meter become more optimistic.

Garry

 

[DieselFiend]

Also something to consider, if you don't get your speedo recalibrated for a larger tire size you kind of mess with the shift points and efficiency of the transmission (if you have an automatic). From experience, you'll see a little bit crappier fuel economy until you get it done.

 

[CBrahs]

The dealer said they did reflash for tire size but I am getting the excuse that they can't reprogram for the 37's. I need gears too though, i think that will help

 

[KParsons]

mpg

my 06 auto is getting 18-20 mpg empty on the hi way,65-70mph. i think it could get 21-22 if driven slower? light towing around town- 4k wt, 15-16 mpg. i do drive very easy. 5k on the truck . kp

 

[MChildress]

I babied my 04. 5 and was getting 13 to 14 mpg unitil almost 20,000 miles when it came up to around 17 to 18 mpg. This is on a DRW 4x4 and I'm happy.