Spent $$$$ for more MPG?????

[nobull60]

I just don't get it. I have owned my 2004. 5 CTD HO auto 3. 73 since it was new. Just hit 39000 miles on it and my mileage has not increased or decreased since I bought it. I have added the following from a well known diesel tuner here in South Florida. GAW is the place and he has added a K&N CAI, Bully Dog Power Pup set on PERFORMANCE (3rd of 4 settings) removed the stock muffler and added a straight pipe resonator with a 5" chromed tip, full set of gauges and MAG-HYTECH Trans Pan and Diff cover. I know the gauges and pan don't do anything but the rest was suppose to add not just power but more MPG. Got the power but not the MPG increase. So around town I get 12-14 mpg, towing my 5er trailer at 10,000lbs at 2000 rpm about 9. 8 to 11. 4 and empty I get 18 to 20 mpg at 2000 rpm highway. Any more rpm then that it drops to 15mpg. So is this right? I keep reading that people are getting 20+ mpg highway and high teens city. No matter what setting the PUP is set on Stock, Tow or peformance, I don't get any additional MPG, just Power. Any ideas or am I getting what I should be? :shrug:

 

[SilverSage]

I have an 05 auto 3. 73 that gets 8-10 around town and 14-15 on the open road empty while driving like a little ol lady. Towing a 4000# TT it get 12 on the open road. Every dealer I have been to says that is very good mileage. They say That I idle it over 50% of the time and that why my mileage is a little low. In fact I idle it for 30-45 seconds before shutdown (about 400 degrees EGT) and of course at stop lights in town. The to me is proof that my computer is not right. They also say that tow lock for my BD e-brake is causing the transmission to reduce mielage.

 

[Cattletrkr]

Nobull60, those #'s sound perfectly normal to me.

 

[oneshotkyle]

Nobull60, those #'s sound perfectly normal to me.

like he said. .

i don't get why people are so worried about mileage then go and buy automatics? but with my manual 16. 5-17mpg town and as much as 21. 0hwy. my friends auto is lucky to get 17hwy. and about 13 in town. lots of it has to do with the driver as we all know.

 

[AKaiser]

My 05 runs about 20 MPG empty if I stay below 65. If I push it hard 75 MPH or worse, I'm seeing 15-17 MPG. Over 75, it really starts to take a hit. Haven't done the figures yet on my 5000+ mile trip (IN, KY, TN, TX, NM, AZ, CA (SD to LA, up Hwy 1, Monterrey, SF, SAC to LV, then back thru ABQ, and back thru TX), but my first hand-calc after moving from 265-70R17 to 275-70R18s was about +1 MPG at 65 MPH. G56 with 3. 73s. Ate up all the mountains I put it thru, and never saw the RPMs or speedo take a drop up the mountain Oo. :-laf



BTW, I expect the MPG figures in West TX to really SUCK, on acct of 80 MPH speed limits, and at one point I was pushing 10 over, and TSP didn't bat an eye. Might have been preoccuppied with the ring-shaped pastries. :-laf

 

[Rhinohd]

Hey NoBull,

I get about 1 MPG worse then you on my 2004. 5! I feel your pain. I actualy took it to the dealer yesturday to see if they could find something wrong. That was a lost cause. They told me to clean my fuel lines out and change the fuel filter (gee thanks). When I get it back I am going to install my AFE, gauges and Smarty. I am hoping to get 2 mpg better...

 

[camsv3500]

I just drove my new (leftover) 06 quad cab 2500 4 x 4 auto,3. 73, base model ST working mans truck with options, back to Redding from Carson Dodge... I stayed close (above) to the speed limit. . no cruise (I dont have it) . . the driving was mostly mountain and flat. . downhill on the california side...





sorry guys... my mileage was awesome

239 miles= 10. 4 gallons actual/measured



I was so impressed I checked it several times. . then I didnt believe myself so I had my wife (driving the chase car) check it



the xterra got 15 mpg... the dodge... around 22



Im not going to touch this truck

 

[Ereynolds72]

So around town I get 12-14 mpg, towing my 5er trailer at 10,000lbs at 2000 rpm about 9. 8 to 11. 4 and empty I get 18 to 20 mpg at 2000 rpm highway. Any more rpm then that it drops to 15mpg. So is this right? I keep reading that people are getting 20+ mpg highway and high teens city. No matter what setting the PUP is set on Stock, Tow or peformance, I don't get any additional MPG, just Power. Any ideas or am I getting what I should be? :shrug:

I used to have an '02 CTD but am now driving an '03 Chevy C2500 with the 6. 0L gasser 2wd and 4. 10s. It's got 265/75/16 tires. On average empty, I get about 10pmg. The motor is strong and the truck pulls very nice.



The worst mileage I ever got with my '02 towing about 10,000 # was 12mpg. And that was at 75mph. I'm just providing a comparison for you to justify the extra $5k for the diesel. If you're going to drive a gasser that might approach power and towing ability of the cummins, expect to get about 10mpg empty and about 6-8 loaded and you'll still wish you had the extra torque to get up that hill without kicking down to a lower gear.



I miss my truck! :{

 

[Pawpaw]

no cruise (I dont have it)

I know it's none of my business, but have you seen this thread?



http://www.tdr1.com/forums/showthread.php?t=172313



Apparently, adding cruise is a simple matter of just installing the switches.



Bob

 

[camsv3500]

Wow Bob. . thanks for the heads up!!! it would be neat to have cruise... just wasnt on the truck I wanted. . and 06s with the options I wanted arent around anymore...

I have an auto and I see one member wasnt successful at the conversion... but I will definately look further into this. .

I think Ill speak with John Holmes of Carson Dodge, since I bought my truck there, and see if he can do a little followup on it for me... wouldnt it be nice to have factory cruise on the truck I wanted



I appreciate your interest in telling me



cam

 

[JCasper]

I don't think my truck gets very good mileage either. Everything I have heard always indicates that the 04. 5 and newer trucks just get worse mileage.



The way I see it, is if you are driving a truck that consistently ways over 7,500 lbs and are getting 12 MPG or better you are doing good. It seems that people are expecting 20 MPG out of their trucks. I have heard of very few 3rd gen trucks getting the mileage that the older cummins dodges would get.



I think if you want mileage you need to look for a older cummins and drive it like you have an egg under your right foot.

 

[Turbo_Bob]

empty I get 18 to 20 mpg at 2000 rpm highway. Any more rpm then that it drops to 15mpg. So is this right? I keep reading that people are getting 20+ mpg highway and high teens city.

That is about right.



There were two things that increased my MPG, the straight pipe did 1/2 MPG and the honeycomb deal that is installed on the inlet side of the turbo compressor gave me 1 MPG. I used to get a consistant 22. 8 MPG before the reformulated diesel came into the fold in CA 7-06. Now my MPG with this new fuel so far has been 21. 6, a solid -1 MPG less. I drive my truck at 2,100 RPM's, 70 MPH and get this MPG. I have 78,000 miles on the truck to this date. I also get 700 + miles on the trip gauge between fillups

 

[AMink]

I just drove my new (leftover) 06 quad cab 2500 4 x 4 auto,3. 73, base model ST working mans truck with options, back to Redding from Carson Dodge... I stayed close (above) to the speed limit. . no cruise (I dont have it) . . the driving was mostly mountain and flat. . downhill on the california side...

That's great mileage. Now come back up the hill! :-laf Having driven from Reno to CA and back, the hill is a lot bigger going east. Of course, I can get all the way to San Fran and back on one tank, so I don't know what the difference in mileage is between east and west. I wonder how much lighter the SL's are than the SLT's and Laramies? Is it big enough to make a difference? Glad you like your truck CAM.

 

[pwr2tow]

There might be a simple reason why your MPG has not increased. The more miles you put on the more soot or gummed up the injectors and rings get. Try a heavy dose of Howes meaner cleaner or Power Service in the grey bottle, such as a whole quart to a tank. Cann't hurt and it might help.


I do think your mileage is normal though.

 

[CBarr]

I average my milage each week (700 + miles) Average 19. 5 to 22. 5, never over 2000 rpm, 2004. 5, 6sp, 373, 2500. Best milage ever in Nebraska @ 24. 3 @ 2200 rpm. Power Services added each tank.

 

[BHolm]

I can't believe anybody would complain about getting 18-20 mpg in an empty 7-8000 lb 4wd truck. My '06 is up to 20 empty. It gets better milage than any of my five other vehicles, none of wich are as big or as capable.



The comment about the auto trans needs a response I think. The 48re has a taller overdrive than either the G56 or NV5600. With the convertor locked on the highway that translates to lower rpm than the manuals and lower rpm will give you better milage at the same speed. Gone are the days when the manual trans outperforms the auto for economy. My '03 QC auto was getting 22-23 mpg empty and 15-16 towing 8k lbs in the mountains. This is as good or better than the 2nd gens.



Bottom line..... be happy with 20mpg, it is pretty impressive when you consider what you are driving.

 

[Turbo_Bob]

The 48re has a taller overdrive than either the G56 or NV5600. With the convertor locked on the highway that translates to lower rpm than the manuals and lower rpm will give you better milage at the same speed. Gone are the days when the manual trans outperforms the auto for economy.

I have the NV5600 six speed in my truck. I also think too like you said about the overdrive, thats why the newer trucks with the G56 six speed gets less MPG, not as much overdrive compaired the the NV5600 and the 48RE.



I know my truck could pull a taller six gear unloaded with no problems and have lower RPM's and get better MPG up to a point. Aerodynamics will cause the MPG to go backwards beyond 70 MPH.



I think the aftermarket trans guys should offer a . 70 six gear. I did the calcs. and it worked out to:

stock 30" tire, . 73 six gear, 3. 73 R&P, 2,000 RPM = 65. 6 MPH

stock 30" tire, . 70 six gear, 3. 73 R&P, 2,000 RPM = 68. 4 MPH



The other way would be using taller tires, like a 31" dia. , the only problem doing that is all the gears will be taller.

 

[Glock Guru]

I am averaging 14. 6-15. 2 mpg (hand cal. ) in town with my truck just hitting 20K miles. However that was with my SC Flashpaq set on Tow/Millage. Now that I have changed over to the Edge JA, I do not have any new numbers yet. From what I have seen getting good millage is a combination of many things and all of them must work together in order to get the desired results. Just to list a few; Programmer, exhaust, air filter, syn. motor / gear oil, tire pressure, alignment, tire balance, as well as you driving style, ect. Some times people get hung up on programmers and exhaust but forget about tire pressure, syn. light weight oil and driving style. I can't tell you how many times I see some guy with a dirty air filter, and his tire pressure set way low and he wonders why his millage sucks. Just my . 02



-Troy

 

[RMarkey]

With all my filters cleaned and trying to drive miss daisy, I average around 13. 5 unloaded. That's with chip on or off pretty much. I'd be happy to see over 15 any day of the week. I do have a lifted truck though... but, the mpg was worse before I lifted it and put taller tires on it.



P. S. the best speed for our trucks is 71. 4mph, if I remember correctly. But I'm sure lifting it kinda screws that up too.



I did get around 18mpg down at a lower altitude with a bunch of stuff in the bed once. Just the better bed aerodynamics made a huge differance, even with the added weight of the stuff.

 

[martion007]

Drive more miles

This might sound silly but it's true, every 100,000 my fuel millage has increased I'm at 577,000 now and never expected that I would ever get what I get. I deliver campers for a living, each trailer will be a little different, so I'm only going to say what I get empty at 69mph, At 100,000 I got 17mpg, now at 577,000 I get 30mpg, it doesn't matter if I have tailwind or headwind. If someone told me that I would say their lyin. Even my Wife thought I was lyin, so I show Her the overhead display, She said that the new Toyota cars can get 30mpg, I said yah, they are only 3nd my weight. I'm not a lyin person and my wife knows that, but She had a hard time belivin it. I delivered in Oregon and reset it and 2,200 miles to Indiana it sayed 31. 8mpg. But I know it is only 30mpg. Fold the mirrors in, hard tonnoue cover, front tires at 71psi, rear at 65psi. Engine is loose. What can I say? except I will be called a lier.