New truck fuel mileage

[Bratton]

Hi all,

My 3 previous CTDs have all been purchased with over 50,000 miles on the clock, this is the first new one I've had. My mileage on the 2002 was 11. 69 MPG on the first tank and 12. 3MPG on the second. The truck has been run unloaded with a mix of in town and highway driving.

This mileage is about the same as I was getting with my '91,'93,and'94 trucks when they were loaded down. I got about 18 unloaded with those.

Is my poor mileage due to the fact the engine is not yet broken in or do I have a problem? The other trucks made a lot of smoke ( white when cold and black when pushed). This truck hardly ever smokes so i'm not sure where the fuel is going. What has everyone else seen on the new trucks for mileage and if it got better, when?

 

[RJOL]

The truck has to get broken in before the mileage goes up, but that does seem a little low for an HO 6sp... How are you computing it (manually, or with the consol computer?). Don't worry about the lack of smoke. The new ones don't smoke much unless you BOMB them with bigger injectors and fueling boxes...

 

[Ethdee]

I bought a 2001 quite similar to yours. First tank was 16, now it's 18. I've got a hunch I could get 19 if the truck wasn't so much fun to drive.



Ethdee

 

[tobaccogrower]

my dad also has a 2002 and complains of poor fuel milage and crappy power when pulling his boat(6000lbs). he gets about 8-9mpg on flat highway pulling this boat with 5000miles on his truck(auto)i keep telling him he has to wait to it breaks in. he 's used to driving my truck but dosn't want to void his warantee bu adding aftermarket stuff. what milage # will he be broken in?... . james

 

[Steve Campbell]

The more you tow...

the sooner the engine will be "broke-in". OTR diesels were to be "used" right after a rebuild, just not excessively hard or at any one particular RPM for very long for the first few thousand miles. These things (CTD) seem to like "hard use".

 

[Phil Stuart]

Fuel Mileage

James, If he's towing a lot then It won't be broken in until it hits the 10,000 mile mark. Twice that long if you don,t work the engine. The owners manual and Cummins says these engines are ready to work from day one unlike a gasser which you have to baby for a while



Phil

 

[CharlieMiller]

I can't complain about my mileage. I have a 3500 6x4 3. 55 HO 6 sp. I've been getting 16. 5 - 18 mainly around town driving. I just took a short trip 2 weeks ago and got 19. I have 4500 on the odometer. Yours does seem low but then you may be driving it like there is no tomorrow.

 

[Bratton]

Dang, I was hoping to hear that the low MPG was normal at first. The truck drives great and the engine makes great power so it doesn't seem like theres a mechanical issue. I don't drive like an old lady but not like Mario Andretti either so I doubt that is the culprit.

Hopefully it gets better. I don't have the trip computer so it's all hand calculated. BD

 

[mberry]

Hmmm...

All I can tell you is my auto got about 15-16 to start out. Now I'm at around 17. I drive it hard too. Maybe if I didn't race gasser chevy trucks my mileage would be better?:-laf

 

[jjohn]

2002 auto 3.55 mileage

Mine started out in the low 17mpg in January. I now have 6500 miles on it. The fill up last night was 19. 5mpg! The first time I broke 19Mpg. Up until last night my average was 18. 3 in 6k miles. Stanadyne in every tank from day one.



PS The Higher mileage is highway cruse 70-75 mph. When I played hard on the on ramps the mileage would drop.

 

[pcarlson]

I only have 3200 miles on mine right now. I got 10. 4 my first tank and right now my last fill up was 13. 8. If I used the computer it said 12. 8. I always calculate manually. I figure there are a couple factors to my poor mileage right now:



1. Low mileage (Not broke-in)

2. Number 1 Diesel

3. Cold weather

4. Have Not placed a good load on the motor (It's coming)

5. Combo Highway/city driving

 

[Bratton]

Sounds like our trucks have had similar lives so far PCarlson, let's hope the numbers improve! I think they will. BD

 

[Boondocker]

2002 MPG

BD,



Sorry to say, your MPG sounds low. Mine got 17. 4 right off the dealer's lot, drove 2000 miles the first two days. Every tank has registered slightly higher MPG up to 19. 4. The last 3 tanks were 19+, all hand calculated. Most of my driving is freeway - empty.



The down side is towing. I have a 3000-lb. , 17-ft travel trailer. When towing that in the Southwest, I only get about 12. 5 MPG and it's no strain to pull it. I'm a little disapointed with the MPG drop while towing such a light weight trailer, even though the frontal area is the same as any TT.



I'm pretty sure all my fuel has been #2 Diesel. I have 5600 miles on the ODO, stock motor, no additives.



You might try asking your dealer, but don't let him give you the "that's normal for these trucks" BS.



Regards,

Neil

 

[ralphr]

mileage

I used to get 12 - 14 mpg city, and complained. don't tow much so it took a while to "break in". I think mine brike in at about 35K:--)



It depends on your driving habit, towing, and where you drive but given time it will brak in and give good mileage.

 

[Greg Boardman-RIP]

Bratton,

I saw extremely poor mileage for the first year. 10 to 12 mpg. I can see up to 16; or 18 if I drive like a granny. Don't worry about it just hook 12,000 lbs to the tail and let her rip. You will see an increase as soon as you start to haul somthing... . Greg

 

[KD7GYJ]

Bratton,



My first mileage was 17. 0 miles per gallon with winter fuel. I consistently get 16. 5-17. 3 miles per gallon driving around town. On the highway, I will get 19-20MPG. So it seems your mileage should be a little higher, especially with a manual transmission. I am waiting for the good ol' summer fuel to reach the stations so it should improve about 10-20% with the additives taken out for winter. I've got about 6900 miles on my truck. It is almost 4 months since I drove 'er home. Good truck. Glad I got it when I did. Only one in the state at the time. Had to fight and claw to get it with the features I wanted and the dealership didn't want to let it go so low. Enjoy your truck. the mileage should improve. If your in the northern areas of the country, it could be the diesel you are pumping out of the tank. Check around the local area or truck stops, get the fresh good stuff and stick with it. Best price usually doesn't mean best fuel.



Have fun driving,



Blair



Driving this rig is good for what ails 'ya.

It looks like your in Bozeman, where you would have winterized fuel. Wait until summer, your fuel mileage should improve quite a bit. The longer you drive it, the mileage should improve to the point where the engine breaks in around 60-80,000 miles.

 

[Ross 01]

milage on 2001& newer

I have a 2001 quad cab dualie with 6 spd. Milage was about 18 untill I did a Dr. Performance stage 2. Milage went to 24. The south bend clutch hasnt hurt.

 

[chee]

2002 MPG

Bratton,



Your mileage sounds low as I have a similar equipped truck and I started out with 17. 2 from the day the truck left the lot. The truck now has 2500 mi. and I have gotten as high as 24 MPG coming back from Lake Tahoe ( mostly down hill ) but average 18. 8+ @ 65-70 mph traveling to Tahoe up hills, and that was not driving it very easy, but not abusing it. My mileage is all hand calculated. Compared to the computer, it was only off by . 8 mpg. This mileage was also during the winter months at night.



I know the engine is not broken in yet and if the mileage gets better, I would not be disappointed . I am very fanatical about oil and breakin. The first oil change came @ 100mi, 2nd @ 250 mi, 3rd @ 500 mi, 4th @ 1000 mi. and normal cycle after that. I'm sure that the mileage is not associated with the oil change but I feel safer about not running metallic particles thru my engine. I would see a lot of metal debris upon inspection of the drained oil.



Chris

 

[CharlieMiller]

Ross 01 from 18 to 24 thats a 33% increase. Is that on a regular basis? Is it consistent highway driving? We have similar trucks and I can see 18 but 24 ? You must be an account and are using some kind of creative accounting. Just kidding but I am curious.

Charlie

 

[pcarlson]

Bratton,



Judging from the replies everyone seems to be getting around the average mileage from their trucks but us!! I believe that with more mileage ours will climb up and with you in Montana and me in Alaska we are both running #1 Diesel.



The locations of the people that replied show that they have all ran #2 Diesel or at worst ran "Climitized Diesel" which is a #2/#1 blend of Diesel. In my experience Utah and Colorado sell #2 and #1 for the trucks heading east in the winter months and if you don't pay attention to the sign on the pump you won't know for sure which one you got.



Talking with some of the guys up here they say to expect about a 20% increase in power and mileage when you switch from #1 to #2 Diesel.



Pat